Jacking up your van

[Gagakev]

Following on from Sir Wc's post ref alko side jack it has prompted me to think about my own situation.
How many others are like me and dont have any thing at all????????

What do you carry, what is the best solution.
If you fit the alko brackets do I have to buy a special jack to fit it??
Or do you rely on the recovery services, which I definatley would in say a motorway situation.
ps; the tow vehicle has a bottle jack.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

If you fit the alko brackets do I have to buy a special jack to fit it??

Yes, because of the shape at the top of the jack. Similarly the Kojack brackets are only suitable for the kojack jack.

As it's a new van I've gone for the proper jack. On my old van (14 years old) I just used a trolly jack on the chassis 'cos I didn't mind bending it. There was a recent post where somebody using a trolly jack had it move on its castors and nearly cause a serious accident.

 

[Sproket]

Kev,
If you are any good with metal or do you know some one who is ??
You could make some like these in post #3
And make them so that you own bottle jack fits into the base as per photo

...

 

[Steve L]

Having used most types of scaled down diy trolley jacks and standard size mechanics jacks I can honestly say they all are a nightmare to use. Every jack did not have the pivot assembly designed accurate enough to lift virtically without the jack moving.
So, I use a hydraulic bottle jack. First off, it lifts virtically and has no wheels to glide or roll. By virtue of the design it lifts straight up, so long as it is positioned correctly.
I've said this before but, it pays to practice wheel changes before you get that blowout on the M5 at night in a thunderstorm!!!!!!!!!!
Trust me. Sods law dictates that the sun won't be shining and you happen to be right outside a tyre depot.
My jacking kit comprises of a duffle bag containing :-
1/ the bottle jack
2/ a 20cm square by 5cm thick block of wood for a base pad for the jack.
3/ some 20cm lengths of old car inner tube to be placed between the block and the jack and the chassis and jack to avoid slipping.
4/ a wind up torch.
5/ a long handled socket bar to undo the wheel nuts after the tyre gorrila has tightened them to the wrong torque.
In my car I have a boiler suit to protect my clothes and a £20 market stall hi viz constructors jacket to protect me. Also a pair of work gloves come in handy too.

I also carry a pack of swarfega wipes readily available for £1 from the only shops that are crowded these days, for the clean up before driving again.

I would advise everyone to take their van to a carpark and practice changing a wheel. Then once you've perfected the methodogy, have a go in the rain too. You will definately alter your first plan of attack and the process will stand you in good stead for when the blowout happens.

I learned my lesson fast when I had a blowout on a Renault 25 I owned. I found that the standard car jack would not go under the jacking point at the front when the tyre was completely flat. Fortunately I had the caravan levelling ramps in the boot. ( i was driving solo ).
So as the boy scout moto say's be prepared.

P.S. You don't have to spend wads of cash on "carlos fandango" jacking kits, to do the same job safe and efficiently.

 

[Paul_5041263]

Alternatively just sit in the car and ring Green Flag!

 

[otherclive]

That's all well and good if you are in a zone with a mobile signal, but there are many areas and not all in Scotland or Wales where you can't get a mobile signal. Still I guess if you have sandwiches blankets and a flask you can sit and wait for an outcome

 

[Phillipcharnwoodforest]

Quote by steve in leominster

"Having used most types of scaled down diy trolley jacks and standard size mechanics jacks I can honestly say they all are a nightmare to use. Every jack did not have the pivot assembly designed accurate enough to lift virtically without the jack moving."
Unquote.

It won't or can't lift in a vertical plane due to it having a pivot point therefore it's going to rise in an arc. It's got nothing to do with it being designed accurate enough. it simply can't. Physically impossible.

 

[Raywood]

I have a scissor jack but have never had cause to use it (touch wood) but also have breakdown cover and would prefer to use this assuming I had a mobile signal.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

It won't or can't lift in a vertical plane due to it having a pivot point therefore it's going to rise in an arc. It's got nothing to do with it being designed accurate enough. it simply can't. Physically impossible.

that is not correct, and why the term "trolley" is used, it having wheels. when lifting vertically it moves in the direction of the arc so as to keep the weight central, however if the wheels cannot move because of the terrian the lifting had moves off center in the direction of the arc "this is what caused the damage re, DD's post 6th july 2012 in technical.

 

[Phillipcharnwoodforest]

Quote by steve in leominster

"Having used most types of scaled down diy trolley jacks and standard size mechanics jacks I can honestly say they all are a nightmare to use. Every jack did not have the pivot assembly designed accurate enough to lift virtically without the jack moving."
Unquote.

It won't or can't lift in a vertical plane due to it having a pivot point therefore it's going to rise in an arc. It's got nothing to do with it being designed accurate enough. it simply can't. Physically impossible.

I stand by what is said above.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Philip,
I think this is a case of wrong terminology.
1. yes a trolly jack does lift in a Arc no ammout of redesigning would change the pivot point to a degree where the length of the hydraulic ram was cancelled out BUT.
2. A trolly jack WILL lift vertically provided the wheels can move in the direction of the lifting Arc.
3. the assumtion that a trolly jack does not need to move forwards while lifting is Wrong,
4. a trolly jack is probably the worst type of jack one could carry for lifting the van as the trerrain the van is likely to be stood on would not suit it's use.
5. when one calls green flag to change the wheel while stuck on the m/way he will probably use a "trolly jack".

 

[joeby]

Alternatively just sit in the car and ring Green Flag!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thats all very well if you have a puncture on the highway , but what about leveling the caravan side to side on a site , and putting blocks under the wheels

 

[joeby]

Alternatively just sit in the car and ring Green Flag!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thats all very well if you have a puncture on the highway , but what about leveling the caravan side to side on a site , and putting blocks under the wheels

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Alternatively just sit in the car and ring Green Flag!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thats all very well if you have a puncture on the highway , but what about leveling the caravan side to side on a site , and putting blocks under the wheels

use leveling ramps and pull on to them with the car!!!

 

[Dustydog]

Sir Chunky is absolutely correct.
See this for the pics of the damage I caused using a trolley jack incorrectly.
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/technical/al-ko-jacking-stiffener-plates-catastrophy

 

[Martin24]

Or Colin, even easier slide the windy up levellers under and wind away in the knowledge you've already lined up for your bloomin alko lock!!

 

[Steve L]

Call green flag out

I think not. I realy see a red flag when I come across people who are so inadequately capable of getting themselves out of trouble.

When I first started driving, the first thing I learnt and practiced was how to change a wheel in the dark. I also progressed on to how to use the starting handle on my moggy minor to crank the car off a muddy field.
I've now passed my knowledge onto my children. My 25 year old daughter is very proficient at towing a broken down car (namely my rover75).
In 35 years of driving and literally millions of miles on the road, I feel quite chuffed that I have neither had to call out someone else to fix my car, ( except for family members who have helped when the vehicle is not driveable ) or felt the need to join a recovery club.
All the breakdown companies gloat that they can fix 75% or more breakdowns at the roadside, and that is for the simplest of reasons like:-
Flat battery due to lights being left on
Run out of fuel
Wrong fuelling
Flat tyre
Keys locked in the car
Anything more than this and the only recoarse is to tow the car to the expensive franchise garage for repair.

I realy do have to question wether or not people should use vehicles and not know or be bothered to do simple maintainence or mechanical repair (change their own wheel).
I've recently been classed as disabled due to spinal problems and chronic pain syndrome, but I don't call myself disabled. I prefer the term less able. However, I now keep the grey matter working, by finding ways to do the jobs I used to do at the drop of a hat. For instance, I have changed my car jack for one that I can power up and down with my battery drill and I have a long handled wheel brace to change the wheel. I've even made a T bar trolly type lifter to get the spare wheel out of the boot of my car more easily. I made it from a golf club hand cart and a few nuts and bolts.

In my original post, I advised people to practice wheel changing. That is the first part of the learning process and then they will modify their approach and develope an action plan. Having done that, when the flat tyre situation crops up, they will have the ability to do the job rather than stand back and ponder how to do it.

Joby is right too. Without a phone signal you are on your own, and when you think about it, our hobby has a tendancey to take us into remote and beautifull countryside where a phone signal is hard to find.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Call green flag out

I think not. I realy see a red flag when I come across people who are so inadequately capable of getting themselves out of trouble.

When I first started driving, the first thing I learnt and practiced was how to change a wheel in the dark. I also progressed on to how to use the starting handle on my moggy minor to crank the car off a muddy field.
I've now passed my knowledge onto my children. My 25 year old daughter is very proficient at towing a broken down car (namely my rover75).
In 35 years of driving and literally millions of miles on the road, I feel quite chuffed that I have neither had to call out someone else to fix my car, ( except for family members who have helped when the vehicle is not driveable ) or felt the need to join a recovery club.
All the breakdown companies gloat that they can fix 75% or more breakdowns at the roadside, and that is for the simplest of reasons like:-
Flat battery due to lights being left on
Run out of fuel
Wrong fuelling
Flat tyre
Keys locked in the car
Anything more than this and the only recoarse is to tow the car to the expensive franchise garage for repair.

I realy do have to question wether or not people should use vehicles and not know or be bothered to do simple maintainence or mechanical repair (change their own wheel).

Good morning Steve,
as I have allways been a practical type of guy, and I share you sentiment but only to a certain degree,
I too have been on the road for millions of miles in 45years of driving, and was confident that no matter what happened I could fix it,
and I did

for years and years I used to carry that many tools in the car the boot was like a mini workshop, however I was allways a member of the AA just in case "belt and braces" I was so confident I bought an old m/home and completely rebuilt it bumper to bumper inside and out. there was absolutely nothing a could not fix,
"what a smug b******d I was"
But 2 events changed all that. first was in 2002 comming back home in the m/home on the A74 just north of Moffat. the engine cut out and glided to a stop, luckily near a laybay, after about an hour of checking everything, without success I reluctantly called the AA it took the guy (10mins) to work out the cambelt had snapped, the van was going nowhere . the recovery took 6hrs to complete. but at least we did get home.
the second was on the Mondeo on my way to work, comming round a corner the car lurched to the left and struck the kerb, I had, had a punture and the tyre had come of the rim, no problem jack it up change the wheel, exept I could not get the wheel off!! because some joey of a tyre fitter had used an air wrench on it when the tyres were fitted (3months earlier) and of course being an expert never thought of checking the torque afterwards, again the AA was called but it took a full hour with all his tools before the rim would part from the hub.
after that I never bothered to carry tools again, two breakdowns in 5 years and I could not fix either, but the AA did so now I leave it to them, these days I am with mayday green flag, and happy to let them sort out any problems,
you could say I changed my red flag to a green one, or rather "a white one"
so Steve if your going down the M/way and see a Meriva/ bailey combo stood at the side of the road having the tyre changed by Green flag it may be Me!!! it not that I can't change it myself.

"I just dont want to" thanks

 

[otherclive]

Getting a wheel off using the standard OEM wheelbrace is often a problem especially if its been a while since it was last taken off. I always keep a telescopic wheel brace in each car together with a professional quality socket sized for the wheel nuts as once on a 4wd a cheap socket just sheared apart. But I always use the OEM brace to tighten the nuts and then use a torque wrench to confirm tightness.

 

[chrisbee1]

Call green flag out

I think not. I realy see a red flag when I come across people who are so inadequately capable of getting themselves out of trouble.

Anything more than this and the only recoarse is to tow the car to the expensive franchise garage for repair.

Although I'm in Green Flag I always try and get myself out of trouble but sometimes you have to concede. I was in my brothers VW Sharon which after parking up for a couple of hours would not restart. It could have been virtually any sensor faulty. He called out the AA, they plugged in their laptop and diagnosed the fuel stop solenoid as faulty. The screen also brought up a note about a known problem with the terminals in the plug giving trouble. The AA guy simply closed them up slightly and we were away first turn of the key. Ten minute repair start to finish. I've been a mechanic all my life but with modern cars, without laptop diagnostics you're usually stuck or very lucky.

 

[joeby]

i use a Kojack Hydraulic scissor jack , but if i am on a busy road or motorway i call the RAC , and colin of Yorkshire said use the car to pull it up ramps , well i dont know the size of your ramps , but the ramps that i have bought from the caravan dealers have been too small , so i have to use the Jack and large blocks of wood .

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I too use a Kojack hydraulic scissor jack and it fits the Ford jacking points so only need one jack to be carried for car and caravan
I can/could do most things to fix the car but have RAC Arrival as the caravan needs to be covered for recovery in the event etc
The event happened 3 years ago when a caravan wheel came off never to be seen again
The RAC man came to the scene and initially used my Kojack as van minus wheel was too low for his big trolley jack
My daughter on the other hand bless her hippy soul has no breakdown or insurance on her Viking Fibreline(the one in the mag some months ago!) but the guy towing her van did have AA cover when the caravan A frame broke last week
The AA recovered her caravan on the car policy

 

[Dustydog]

Unlike Steve , I can still get down easily on the floor and position the Kojack hydraulic bottle jack .
What does worry me is doing an O/S wheel change on a busy motorway hard shoulder.
Should I put my life at risk or phone Green Flag

 

[Mike_S]

Hi Dustydog
I don't wish to be doom-monger but I had a Kojack bottle jack, which at 18 months old and having been used just once, failed on its second use when the seals gave way p****** hydraulic oil everwhere. Have replaced it with the small, cased trolley jack from Machine Mart which I can use with the car as well should the necessity arise.
Mike

 

[otherclive]

Any wheel change car or van is a risk on a motorway. When bad accidents occur due to a driver being hit, or another vehicle running into you a recent report stated that the broken down vehicle had been on the hard shoulder an average of 20 minutes. I'd use the emergency phone which will get you your recovery agent and most likely a Highways Agency vehicle to park up behind you with it's strobe lights on.