Jacked in the wrong spot and need body/frame advice

[ldetsf]

I found the "jack" point under the trailer clearly marked "jack". I jacked the tires off the ground and took a look at where the jack was placed to make sure it was OK. You know the rest. the "jack" point is not the "jack" point. It's about 1'+- inward from the "jack" sticker. I figure I've got about $500+- of body work to do now as a result of using the "jack" point. Hoping for some expert advice how to fix the mess. This subject is on another thread too. It was suggested that it's more appropriate here. The short frame wing was bent up inside and I don't know what else may be damaged. Appreciate your suggestions how to repair. Thanks

[ldetsf]

Forgot to upright the photos, sorry.

[A-Merry-Can]

ouch! sorry about that. i'm more of a vintage man, myself. good luck, though. in the future, can you jack them up by the axle? that's how i do mine.

jp

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

ouch! sorry about that. i'm more of a vintage man, myself. good luck, though. in the future, can you jack them up by the axle? that's how i do mine.

jp

I am mad and it is not my trailer. I am going to get some big red stickers and put them on the correct jack points on my trailer today.

Hope you can make a easy and cheap repair.

Jim

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

ouch! sorry about that. i'm more of a vintage man, myself. good luck, though. in the future, can you jack them up by the axle? that's how i do mine.

Please don't put the jack on the axle -- that will damage them. Put the jack on the steel beam to which the axle is attached. The labeled jack points are for placing stabilizers only, not for jacking up to change a tire for instance -- it's too easy to slide right off.

[moosetags]

Our '05 Safari 25' has stickers on the bottom that say jack point. Based on these posts, I am now confused about what those stickers mean. Can someone clear this up for me?

[CanoeStream]

http://www.airforums.com/forum...eam-18435.html and http://www.airforums.com/forum...onal-2137.html

[Fyrzowt]

Back to his original question - any advice on repairs? It looks to me like he needs to pull the banana wrap and check out the outrigger and repair, then straighten or replace the section of wrap. Someone with some experience here help the gentleman out.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by edfos2

I found the "jack" point under the trailer clearly marked "jack". I jacked the tires off the ground and took a look at where the jack was placed to make sure it was OK. You know the rest. the "jack" point is not the "jack" point. It's about 1'+- inward from the "jack" sticker. I figure I've got about $500+- of body work to do now as a result of using the "jack" point. Hoping for some expert advice how to fix the mess. This subject is on another thread too. It was suggested that it's more appropriate here. The short frame wing was bent up inside and I don't know what else may be damaged. Appreciate your suggestions how to repair. Thanks

The JACK labels on the frame are for stabilizing jacks ONLY.

You must never use that spot to lift the trailer. If you do, serious damage can occur.

Lifting any Airstream or Argosy trailer, "ever built" or will be built, is "ALWAYS"
done using the rear of the axle mounting plates for a single axle, between the tires for a tandem axle, and between the rear and center tire for a tri-axle.

Additionally, NEVER, EVER lift, a trailer by placing a jack under a torsion axle.

It is possible by doing so, to cause a change in the alignment.

Andy

[ldetsf]

Seems there's some remaining confusion. Would you elaborate where to look for the proper jack point for a two axle unit? I didn't look yet but that's the first I heard about the spot between the tires. AS just told me to use the square metal patch beyond the "jack" sticker on the frame (opposite the point I used). Help!

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by edfos2

Seems there's some remaining confusion. Would you elaborate where to look for the proper jack point for a two axle unit? I didn't look yet but that's the first I heard about the spot between the tires. AS just told me to use the square metal patch beyond the "jack" sticker on the frame (opposite the point I used). Help!

The correct placement of a floor or bottle jack is always on the "axle mounting plates."

It's the plate that is welded to the side of the main frame, that extends downward from the frame, that the axles are bolt to.

Every torsion axle equipped trailer has them, except some of the very early 1961 Airstream trailers.

Andy

[ldetsf]

Thanks, I'll look. Can you un-confuse the issue about what the AS jack points are for? Stabilizer jacks, etc.? I assume that means that you use those points only for stabilizing the trailer on uneven ground when you stay somewhere for awhile? Or what? Curious why AS says to use those points for jacking. What's an FNG like me to do?

[Bigdaddy_2]

The owners manual for my 2002 30' Classic says to find the "jack decal" towards the rear of trailer behind the tires and place the jack to change a tire on the riveted plate. It says nothing about jacking between the tires.

Does Andy know something I am missing?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by edfos2

Thanks, I'll look. Can you un-confuse the issue about what the AS jack points are for? Stabilizer jacks, etc.? I assume that means that you use those points only for stabilizing the trailer on uneven ground when you stay somewhere for awhile? Or what? Curious why AS says to use those points for jacking. What's an FNG like me to do?

In spite of what Airstream says, at least in this case, the labeled "jack" points are for stabilizer jacks "ONLY."

How do you learn about your Airstream and many of it's quirks?

Easy.

Ask all your questions on this site.

Several people will usually respond.

In the case of different answers to the same question, opinions are exactly that and facts are facts.

You must make the choices of what you feel comfortable with.

There are those that promote safety, and there are those that disregard it.
There are those that wish to do it right the first time, and there are those who live by the "good enough" theory.

There are those that wish to use original type replacement parts and there are those that will use whatever they can find. Again, that is choices that you can make.

Andy

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy_2

The owners manual for my 2002 30' Classic says to find the "jack decal" towards the rear of trailer behind the tires and place the jack to change a tire on the riveted plate. It says nothing about jacking between the tires.

Does Andy know something I am missing?

The old Sears advertising comes to front stage.

Remember the Good, Better and Best?

Airstream suggested the good, but a prior post demonstrates all too well what usually happens. Facts more than tell you that lifting at the jack labels, is "wrong."

Do the best you can. It's cost is absolutely zero, and the safety is best.

Anything short of that is a compromise.

Some old sayings with Airstream, however wrong, just won't go away.

Andy

[ldetsf]

OK. So if I interpret correctly, at least in terms of jack contact point, I will locate and use the spot between the tires (haven't looked yet). If nobody else comes back with alternative conflicting and compelling assurances, I will assume the correctness of this advice. Onward. Thanks

P.S.: My original concern, How do I fix the body/frame damage got side tracked. Anyone have info how to repair? Thanks

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by edfos2

OK. So if I interpret correctly, at least in terms of jack contact point, I will locate and use the spot between the tires (haven't looked yet). If nobody else comes back with alternative conflicting and compelling assurances, I will assume the correctness of this advice. Onward. Thanks

P.S.: My original concern, How do I fix the body/frame damage got side tracked. Anyone have info how to repair? Thanks

You can easily replace the damaged underbelly wrap.

It is available in prefinished material.

The width is fixed. You will need to measure the length.

It is sold by the square foot.

Repairing what you have will cost far more than replacement.

You would have to straighten stretched metal, which is near impossible. Then you would have to bondo the area, and then prime and paint it with a color that won't match very well.

From your photo's, I don't see any frame damage.

Andy

[crazylev]

edfos2, Sorry to hear about your circumstance.

This thread is interesting but it is also frustrating because of the confusion of the jack points.

On my trailer (2004), I have the "Jack" stickers and metal plates to, but if they were a reference point for the placement of the factory installed stabilizer jacks, then that means
AS really missed the mark on mine, because they are located nowhere near those stickers.

Unless they are meant for the placement of the pyramid stabilizers. I didn't think that AS shipped out any unit without stabilizers, standard equipment? You would think that with the hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs awaiting because of a mis-labeled, mis-understood 2 cent sticker!!!

The same thing blows me away when trying to unravel the mysterious drawing in the owners manual for the water heater by-pass. The drawing shows one thing and the copy says another. When I called AS about this, the answer was to turn the three valves the oposite direction from the normal operating mode.

I still don't know if they got around to replacing that page.

Jonathan

[uwe]

Originally Posted by edfos2

OK. So if I interpret correctly, at least in terms of jack contact point, I will locate and use the spot between the tires (haven't looked yet). If nobody else comes back with alternative conflicting and compelling assurances, I will assume the correctness of this advice. Onward. Thanks

P.S.: My original concern, How do I fix the body/frame damage got side tracked. Anyone have info how to repair? Thanks

The curved sheet of Aluminum that got damaged should be removed for damage assessment.
You can remove it by first removing the molding that covers the seam from the curved piece to the side skin. You will have to remove the rivets that get exposed under the lower molding. Then remove the rivets that hold the belly wrap ( curved piece) to the actual belly cover.
See if any structural damage happened, repair it, and then either straighten and re-install, or replace the damaged metal. It is nothing more than belly pan metal, which comes in a straight section. It wraps arond the outrigger ends, and secures under the outer skin and by the frame rail.
This is a relatively easy repair, so long that no frame parts got bent.

[Fyrzowt]

UWE,
Karma to you for finally answering this guys question on post #19. I gave him some ideas along the same lines on another thread and suggested he bring it here for some answers. I was quite sure that he would get a number of responses, I didn't think it would head in the direction it did.
Dave