As long as we’re talking about bottle-jacks ...

[AIRHEDS]

Is there any reason to have a bottle jack on the road for a 2-axle trailer? Sears has a 12-ton on sale for a reasonable price and thought it might be nice to have but I don’t want to buy it unless it would serve a purpose.

Thanks much and Happy Independence Day “week”!

Take care,
Rich

[rmkrum]

A bottle jack is useful for lifting, moving, supporting MANY things, least of which is changing tires.

One that immediately comes to mind is that if your electric tongue jack fails, a bottle jack can substitute for it while you remove the broken jack (they love to fail in the full down position) and wait for the new one to arrive.

Another is: failed stabilizer jack? Then swap in the bottle jack!

I'm sure there are lots more...

[PKI]

You don't absolutely have to have one. However, I do. Have not removed it from the box. Used leveling blocks to raise a tire each time there was a need to change it out. Actually that was likely a better plan to spread the load when we were parked on grass with a flat tire.

Was planning to replace the bottle jack with an aluminum racing floor jack. Harbor Freight puts them on sale from time to time. Looked one over today and found it was more steel than aluminum. Not exactly the plan. So, still looking.

Two approaches - 1) a backup for everything. 2) everything needs to do at least two things.

So, no, but I have one. Pat

Two flats on the same side = you need a jack.
Not able to hook up and tow onto blocks = need a jack
Left the leveling blocks at the last camp site = need a jack
So, buy and carry a bottle jack.

[OTRA15]

As long as we are talking about bottle jacks, here is a recent thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f457...le-183403.html

An essential tool IMO. How else ya gonna lift/push 5 tons when ya need to, just by pumping with one hand?

[TG Twinkie]

The jack you use in your TV is certainly capable of lifting the tongue of your coach. As with a bottle jack, spacer blocks are used because both types have limited travel.

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[AIRHEDS]

Thanks guys. I saw the other thread but I interpreted it as a requirement for single-axle trailers vs. double-axle trailers. It makes sense that having one or two would be a good thing. The 12-ton looks like wicked over-kill. So maybe I’ll go with smaller jacks... Thanks again! Rich

[ITSNO60]

I think a small floor jack is more versatile and certainly easier to use, and more stable. If you need a bottle jack, like TJ Twinkie suggested, your TV jack can be used.

[rmkrum]

But, but, overkill is a good thing, right? I do it all the time...[emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by AIRHEDS

Thanks guys. I saw the other thread but I interpreted it as a requirement for single-axle trailers vs. double-axle trailers. It makes sense that having one or two would be a good thing. The 12-ton looks like wicked over-kill. So maybe I’ll go with smaller jacks... Thanks again! Rich

The pro/con discussions are similar IMO, especially if both tires on one side of a 2-axle trailer go flat at the same time. Unlikely, yes, put being prepared is the name of the game here.

Redundancy is a good thing, and, as rmkrum just said:

Originally Posted by rmkrum

But, but, overkill is a good thing, right? I do it all the time...

Having plenty of 2x lumber "jack pads" on hand is also a good thing. Using construction cedar, these pads can also be used for campfire kindling when split.

Have a great Fourth!

Peter

[mikeoxlong]

TV jack won’t lift my rig. But I’m pulling a 34’ triple axel. I would purchase the 12 ton. Or at least try your TV jack at home, to be sure that it’s up to the task, before needing it down the road.

[Rgentum]

I have a Harbor Freight floor jack, which stays in my garage as it is HEAVY and awkward. Last year, my trailer fell off of its jack stand at an RV park, and a neighbor fortunately had a floor jack in his pickup bed, which he used to get the front end of my trailer back to level and on its stand. I then bought a bottle jack, which has been sitting in the rear storage bin of my trailer for a year, anticipating its first use. That occurred last week, at the International Rally, in Salem, OR, when my Husky jack lift failed. I got the trailer back home, using the bottle jack to unhitch and later rehitch in Salem, and found and fixed the problem yesterday: the jack's positive wire had become worn and shorted out. I imagine I could have found another neighbor with a jack, but it was nice to have one stored away, ready to use.

[pappy19]

I hate bottle Jack's. When you have a flat, many times the jack is too tall to get under the axle. I much prefer a scissor jack for a single axle or TV. Chevy makes a great scissor jack, and I keep one in my Ford TV. For twin axles, the Trailer Aide is the only way to go and is safer too.

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[Bob662]

Originally Posted by pappy19

...many times the jack is too tall to get under the axle.

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This is a very important point. If you'll jack using a frame member close to the wheel, be SURE to estimate how much clearance you'd have between the frame member and the tire rim (not the bottom of an inflated tire).

Many of the big capacity jacks are too tall, even unextended, to fit under the frame member.

Similarly, if using the factory-suggested jack point, be sure you have enough blocking with you to safely position the bottle jack close to the jack point.

A warm-up (practice) at home is a good idea so you already know how to proceed for the time when you're next to the road trying to make all this work.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

A bottle jack is useful for lifting, moving, supporting MANY things, least of which is changing tires.

One that immediately comes to mind is that if your electric tongue jack fails, a bottle jack can substitute for it while you remove the broken jack (they love to fail in the full down position) and wait for the new one to arrive.

I had my electric jack extended with the truck attached to aid in putting the WD bars on. Then the jack refused to retract!
I couldn't lower the jack, I couldn't release the coupler, and I couldn't move!
I had to get the truck's dinky crank up jack, put it under the receiver, and take the weight off the tongue jack.
I swore I'd now carry a bottle jack.

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

If you need a bottle jack, like TJ Twinkie suggested, your TV jack can be used.

The jack in my Tundra might be strong enough, but it better be an emergency. The jack is about 8" and requires all the pieces of the lug wrench to be put together to use as a crank. Never again! Even getting it out of it's storage was torture.

[rmkrum]

Yeah, the Toyota screw-type bottle jacks are sturdy, but take assembly and a lot of cranking to use. A lightweight floor jack or a hydraulic jack/ jack-stand combo is what I prefer.

Failing that , my AAA card is at the ready[emoji3]

[xyzabe]

You might check out Harbor Freight. They have bottle jacks in various sizes. If 12 ton is overkill, you could get a 8 or 10 ton.

[Manning G]

On the other hand, a bottle of Jack can solve a lot of little problems!!

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by Manning G

On the other hand, a bottle of Jack can solve a lot of little problems!!

Properly utilized, it can reduce the need to even deal with little problems as well....