New tyres on drive - and jacking

[EcclesAsh]

I am about to order some new tyres - and hopefully have them fitted at home on the drive.

Will they be able to remove the caravan wheels without the tow car attached (I've heard it's safer when jacking to have the car attached)?

There is plenty of space around the caravan, but not enough room to attach the car. Any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Buckman]

I am about to order some new tyres - and hopefully have them fitted at home on the drive.

Will they be able to remove the caravan wheels without the tow car attached (I've heard it's safer when jacking to have the car attached)?

There is plenty of space around the caravan, but not enough room to attach the car. Any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Make sure that they know all about jacking up a caravan and that an ALKO jack may be required. If they do not use the correct jacking point, they may damage the chassis.

 

[otherclive]

When I jack it on the drive I cannot have the car available. So I drop the nose wheel to ensure it is in the slot in its tube and have it pointing ahead. This helps prevent it yawing. I also put a breeze block either side and in front of the nose wheel. The wheel not being removed I chock front and back. And as I lift the van I go to the other side and lower steadies progressively. I have used either the Alko built in jacking points but when at home prefer to lift under the caravans axle beam with a trolley jack.

 

[Jcloughie]

When I jack it on the drive I cannot have the car available. So I drop the nose wheel to ensure it is in the slot in its tube and have it pointing ahead. This helps prevent it yawing. I also put a breeze block either side and in front of the nose wheel. The wheel not being removed I chock front and back. And as I lift the van I go to the other side and lower steadies progressively. I have used either the Alko built in jacking points but when at home prefer to lift under the caravans axle beam with a trolley jack.

Important to check they know what they are doing. But mobile engineers do it all the time.

Mine was jacked up in a French garage, they used two jacks, one in front and one behind the axle, and jacked simultaneously. They did Jack on the chassis but the load was spread, and it was stable.

John

 

[Beachball]

Hi EcclesAsh Welcome to the forum

 

[Raywood]

You can manage without the car attached but the opposite wheel to the one being removed might best be chocked to prevent any movement there.

 

[Dustydog]

I’ll be in trouble now! I don’t agree with jacking when still hitched to the car. When I used to use this method the bathroom door wouldn’t open and close properly. The entire caravan structure twisted.
On examination jacking whilst hitched definitely lifts the vehicle too and “twists “ the caravan . Now a no no for me.
Careful chocking of the unjacked wheels is sufficient. Not sure I agree with John’s Frenchies. Fore and aft of the axle is not that strong but maybe it has stiffeners? I can’t recall without checking mine on Monday.
The Al-ko chassis is not a rigid structure. The axle beam is the best place for a Jack. Or the specific designed points which have to be reinforced with stiffeners. The Al-ko stiffeners are a poor design and have been known to bend and collapse under the Jack! Purple line stiffeners are a far more substantial design and are virtually indestructible.

 

[otherclive]

Didn’t Alko redesign the heavier load brackets for heavier caravans which were different to the L shaped 800 kg ( per side) ones.

 

[Dustydog]

Indeed they did because of the failure rates of the original. The current ones are more substantial , still only two bolts but shorter and nearer the chassis edge.. Other makes , check Google, use doubler plates , on both sides of the chassis. Much safer and stronger.

 

[otherclive]

Well the two new tyres are now on the wheels. In the end it came down to Hankook (OEM) or GT Radial. Problem with the latter was that none of their suitably rated and sized tyres were shown as being in the product line up brochures for Maximiler X, or Pro, Kargomax St4000/6000. But lots of outlets were offering them in my size ( Maximilers only, not ST4000/6000). One outlet reckoned GT Radial were updating their range but the new tyre an AS was not available in many sizes yet. I tried contacting GT Radial UK and EU but no reply. So I went for Hankooks as the caravan has had that same model of tyre since new. Did all right as the new tyres were made 4820, so not too ’old’. Can now breath easy as caravan is now safely back down onto drive and the jacks are back in their stowages.

 

[Thingy]

Didn’t Alko redesign the heavier load brackets for heavier caravans which were different to the L shaped 800 kg ( per side) ones.

Yes, mine are from Swift/Sterling and are double plates. As for jacking on the drive, we have our service done here, and not only does it get jacked on the drive, its on a slight slope too. I have had tyres done on the drive a couple of times and we have never had an issue. As has been said, use the proper jacking points. Learn where they are and INSIST the fitter use them.

I chock the opposite wheel front and back and also put a brick behind the jockey.

 

[JezzerB]

I'd second the feeling that i would never jack the van up with the car attached-sounds dodgy to me.

 

[Jcloughie]

I’ll be in trouble now! I don’t agree with jacking when still hitched to the car. When I used to use this method the bathroom door wouldn’t open and close properly. The entire caravan structure twisted.
On examination jacking whilst hitched definitely lifts the vehicle too and “twists “ the caravan . Now a no no for me.
Careful chocking of the unjacked wheels is sufficient. Not sure I agree with John’s Frenchies. Fore and aft of the axle is not that strong but maybe it has stiffeners? I can’t recall without checking mine on Monday.
The Al-ko chassis is not a rigid structure. The axle beam is the best place for a Jack. Or the specific designed points which have to be reinforced with stiffeners. The Al-ko stiffeners are a poor design and have been known to bend and collapse under the Jack! Purple line stiffeners are a far more substantial design and are virtually indestructible.

I just had a look at jacking choices on YouTube. One of them is from Practical Caravan showing the Alko options. It is filmed at Alko. Alko have a van on a 4 poster lift. The van is supported fore and aft of the axel.

Perhaps the Frenchies did it OK. They were careful to Jack in unison.

Still not a viable idea when at the side of the road.

I used to have the Alko effort on my old Bailey. Waste of time in my opinion.

I may have a closer look at the Kojack. It’s interesting to search Kojack on YouTube, the difference in their offers for America and Australia are significant due to the more substantial chassis used.

I am however, very much for jacking with the car attached for safety when possible. I have done it without, and the van does try to slip off the Jack and the jockey wheel tries to move. Using a trolly Jack greatly reduces this.


John

 

[otherclive]

I just had a look at jacking choices on YouTube. One of them is from Practical Caravan showing the Alko options. It is filmed at Alko. Alko have a van on a 4 poster lift. The van is supported fore and aft of the axel.

Perhaps the Frenchies did it OK. They were careful to Jack in unison.

Still not a viable idea when at the side of the road.

I used to have the Alko effort on my old Bailey. Waste of time in my opinion.

I may have a closer look at the Kojack. It’s interesting to search Kojack on YouTube, the difference in their offers for America and Australia are significant due to the more substantial chassis used.

I am however, very much for jacking with the car attached for safety when possible. I have done it without, and the van does try to slip off the Jack and the jockey wheel tries to move. Using a trolly Jack greatly reduces this.


John

Today when changing tyres I had the jockey wheel retracted into its slot and in the ahead position. It was on a couple of trackpads. The grp waffle plates beloved of off road drivers. The wheel not being jacked had chocks front and back. The handbrake was on. The steadies on the unjacked side were raised. I used a 1000 kg Alko side lift Jack into 800 kg brackets. Next to the Alko Jack I had a 2 tonne hydraulic trolley Jack. The lift is done with the Alko and the trolley Jack just follows it up or down. Jacking side steadies are also lowered as the caravan is raised. So when I then go to have the tyres replaced the spare is on one wheel, and where the second wheel has been removed it’s supported on two jacks with steadies down.

 

[Hutch]

I would rather have the car hitched to the caravan, when changing a wheel. I have a Kojack which has never let me down, early types did.
I test my kojack twice a year when I rotate the wheels on the car.

 

[Thingy]

Hutch, whats the difference between the jacking points of the Kojack and that double Alko?

 

[Buckman]

We are lucky having the E&P system as I simply lower the middle jack and lift that caravan on that side to change the tyre.

 

[Hutch]

Hutch, whats the difference between the jacking points of the Kojack and that double Alko?

They are virtually identical, my kojack jacking points have a support that bolts on the inboard side of the chassie so as to not to allow the chassie to bend. Once I move my bike in the garage I will send a photo of the Kojack jacking points, which I haven't need to fit to the Coachman.
The Kojack hydraulic jack also fits my Santa Fe jacking points

 

[Hutch]

Due to my fantastic, storage system in the garage I could only find this part of kojack jacking plates, so next job is to clean out all of the garage, of it rubbish that has grown over the lockdown.

 

[Dustydog]

Not good pics sorry. Hard to access on the drive. You can see the two sides with the Al-ko chassis sandwiched. Note the nut and bolts on each side. In essence the two triangular supports are very stiff and bolted together give immense stiffening to the chassis. Hutch how old are yours?

 

[Hutch]

Not good pics sorry. Hard to access on the drive. You can see the two sides with the Al-ko chassis sandwiched. Note the nut and bolts on each side. In essence the two triangular supports are very stiff and bolted together give immense stiffening to the chassis. Hutch how old are yours?

I think mine are about 10 years old maybe more.

 

[Thingy]

Its almost identical in design to mine with inner and outer plates, just that mine is a side jack rather than hydraulic. My Shogun comes with a three ton hydraulic and im thinking towards adapting both to fit.

 

[Jcloughie]

Looking at the Kojack site, the latest model appears to be a single plate on the outside of the chassis for single axel vans, and a 90 degree bracket on the inside aswell for twin axles. The same hydraulic Jack for both.

I may invest, I like that the Jack doubles up for the car.

Link

NB cheaper elsewhere.

John

 

[otherclive]

Looking at the Kojack site, the latest model appears to be a single plate on the outside of the chassis for single axel vans, and a 90 degree bracket on the inside aswell for twin axles. The same hydraulic Jack for both.

I may invest, I like that the Jack doubles up for the car.

Link

NB cheaper elsewhere.

John

Even the scissor Jack looks better than Alko side lift as you get a straight vertical lift from base to top, and no faffing about engaging the head into the Alko l- shaped lift bracket.

 

[Jcloughie]

Even the scissor Jack looks better than Alko side lift as you get a straight vertical lift from base to top, and no faffing about engaging the head into the Alko l- shaped lift bracket.

I agree, but I would go for the hydraulic as more versatile. Best deal I have found is HERE.

The brackets can also be used for levelling and steadying on site. A scissor Jack might be better for this as hydraulics can sometimes go down over time.

I have two cheap (and nasty) scissor jacks. I would never use them for car or caravan lifting. But I put them under the movers to take out the bounce.

John