Can one axle take the weight?

[A W Warn]

A few months ago, on my 25' I used board ramps and left mine setting on two tires while I took two wheels to the tire dealer. The tires were the original D rated 12 years old GM's. (PO never changed them) On my prior 30' trailers I have used board ramps and at other times jacked two wheel up using the axle mounting plate. When I use a jack I always use blocking or a jack stand for safety. I have had no problem using either method.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Gringo

Anyone know what the weight rating is on the stock Marathon tires? This is a 2011 with maybe 4,000 total miles on it I figure.. so they must still be near orig spec.

Gringo,

2540lbs 225/75/R15 @ 65psi

Bob

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Gringo

Anyone know what the weight rating is on the stock Marathon tires? This is a 2011 with maybe 4,000 total miles on it I figure.. so they must still be near orig spec.

D rated ST225/75R15's are 2,540 lbs at 65 psi

[richinny]

gringo, try asking the tire shop you're buying from, if they'll lend you some jack stands.

[perryg114]

Anywhere along that plate is considered a jacking position as far as I know. The plate won't bend if you use a piece of wood on top of your jack. I think most bends are the result of the jack not being in the right position or slipping off. It looks like someone had the jack in the wrong place and used the shock mount as a jack point and of course it bent. At some point, I will fix the bend but it is not causing problems.

Perry

Originally Posted by dwightdi

It is not a good idea to jack the trailer up on the single plate between the wheels. The plate is prone to buckle and that causes the frame to bend between the wheels and that will result in rear end separation. If you insist on jacking up two wheels on one side. use two jacks at the designated jacking positions. It is safer to use the 5 in. high board stacks and drive one set of wheels up onto them to be able to take the other two wheels off.

[Inland RV Center, In]

The best "AND" safest place to place a floor or bottle jack to lift a tandem or tri-axle Airstream, "IS" on the axle mounting plate.

That's how everyone in the business does it.

The issue of that plate bending, is simply a matter of inadequate welding on the axle mounting plate to frame seam. That bending, "IS" caused by the trailer bouncing and not by jacking.

For those that have a bend in that area, look at the backside of the axle mounting plate and you will see welds that are all too many inches apart. That weld should be with no more than about 1 inch gaps, with 2 inch weld seams.

Check yours out. If it's as described, with poor welding seams, in time the axle mounting plate will buckle, and without ever lifting the trailer with jacks.

Andy

[perryg114]

Andy, maybe there is a bit of confusion about what the axel mounting plate is. I am assuming that the plate is the 1/4 thick plate that is welded to the frame and is about the width of the wheel wells. There are a couple notches cut into it where the axels fit and the axels are bolted to this plate. This plate extends below the frame several inches? It is hard to tell on mine since the tank pans are in the way. This plate also has mounts for the shocks? From Bob's post above. That whole black section is the plate we are talking about. The frame would be behind the upper half?



Perry

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Andy, maybe there is a bit of confusion about what the axel mounting plate is. I am assuming that the plate is the 1/4 thick plate that is welded to the frame and is about the width of the wheel wells. There are a couple notches cut into it where the axels fit and the axels are bolted to this plate. This plate extends below the frame several inches? It is hard to tell on mine since the tank pans are in the way. This plate also has mounts for the shocks? From Bob's post above. That whole black section is the plate we are talking about. The frame would be behind the upper half?



Perry

The axle mounting plate is exactly as you describe.

Andy

[dwightdi]

Andy, Does that mean that you have seen some of the 34 footers that actually were not welded properly? I do know that several International WBCCI Presidents had late model 34's that had frame separation caused by buckling of this plate and bending the frame. They had been using Equalizer hitches with the big bars and put on a lot of miles. They had to have the Elephant ears fix done to their units. Do you think that possibly jacking on this plate could have caused their problems? If the ground under the jack is not perfectly level, I could see where a slight side load could bend the plate.

[blurb]

When I took delivery of my 2012 International 23FB, the technician showed me a couple of small square plates all the way back near the rear of the trailer (one on each side) and told me those were the only approved jacking points, and that the plates were attached there to mark the location of the frame above. It doesn't sound like anyone here has recommended using a jacking point back near the rear. Anyone know what the tech was talking about?

[ROBERT CROSS]

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f457...tml#post441150
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f457...tml#post441156

Blurb,

I too almost punched a hole in the belly pan using the "marked" jacking points.

Be safe, use the axle mount plates.

Bob