Changing a flat tire with a camper on

[Shadrach]

I came home with the "new" camper on Monday. Yesterday the neighbour came over to tell my wife the right rear tire was "low". I'm sure it was OK on Fri. Normally I back my truck in but since I have the camper on this wouldn't allow me access to the rear door so I drove it in. There is snow pilled up on both sides of the truck as I don't use it much during the winter. I went to the local auto parts place and bought a can of the stop leak stuff so I could fill the tire to move the truck without damaging the tire. As I am putting in the stuff from the can I could hear a hissing sound. HMMM Not good even worse the air is coming out the side of the tire



Changing the tire where the truck was would have been almost impossible so I had to back it up and move the back end over a couple of feet to get it onto cement to be safe and to use the floor jack. By that time the tire was off the rim. Out came the floor jack, cardboard to kneel on, blocks of wood for the camper jacks to rest on, the big winter coveralls and all the normal tools to change a flat. Good thing it wasn't cold. It was sunny and about +2*C ( about 35* F ) I started about 5:30 PM.



With an over hanging camper the rods used to lower the spare tire are too short so I had to use a wrench to turn them. I wasn't even going to try and use the Dodge jack. My floor jack is a 2 1/2 ton. By raising the truck with the floor jack and supporting the camper with the camper jack it went up bit by bit. I managed to get it done without any mishaps and was finished as the sun was going down. When I go on my trip this summer I will take a 10 ton low profile bottle jack with me.



Because I had a blowout on my TT last summer and didn't realize it I am planning on buying a set of tire pressure monitors and will use them on the truck for the trip to Columbus.



To give you any idea of things here is a picture of where I park. Although it was taken 2 years ago just after a snow dump the amount of snow isn't much different this year.



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Fun and Games in the Great White North Shad

 

[JJPage]

When I go on my trip this summer I will take a 10 ton low profile bottle jack with me.

I carry one of these with me. I purchased at Harbor Freight for a reasonable price, too bad I didn't think to fill it with jack oil before I needed it #@$%!.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

I learned that the hard way after buying my first CTD. Blew a sidewall out going back our camp road. Changing a front tire on a dirt road in the rain with the factory jack really sucks. Bottle jack went in the truck as soon as I got home.

 

[jelag]

I used to be a small business owner and had a small fleet of trucks... . here's what we've learned after a lot of trucks and miles after almost 20 years of running a small fleet...

I carry a bottle jack in my 5er for those times where I might need it... to date I've not needed it... My BIL has tried 4 different brands of tire pressure monitors and returned them all... . he wasn't happy... but both of us use an infrared temperature gauge and do a walk around at each rest stop... for me, its tire temperature... the side of the vehicle is always 15-25* warmer than the shade side... . almost always under 135* on the 5er and truck... . often on a cool day the tire temps are under 100*..... While checking the tires I shoot the rotors and brake drums on the 5er... . into an easy stop at a rest stop... always under 150* and of course the hubs(bearings) which are always under 125*

I've been doing this for several years now... . and know that I'd see a problem with a tire..... I've upgraded the tires on the truck to 19. 5" commercials and the 16" trailer tires to 225/85R/16 10 ply rated tires... we added 850 lbs per tire on the truck and 500 lbs per tire on the 5er. . (load capacity)

A couple of interesting points... my commercial tire guy used to say any tire that ran over 200* for any length of time would come apart from separation and I know from being in the Friction business any brake temperature from normal stopping that's over 400* will drastically shorten the life of the friction... remember this is a normal stop not a panic stop... and the basic bearing grease will break down and fail at 350* unless you run a full synthetic grease...

One of the truck fleets we used to sell brake shoes too... found that if they computerized their trucks and monitored braking they could double brake life if they didn't use the brakes over 40 mph... and with that they than reduced their rear end collisions 45%..... just by teaching their drivers to widen the gap... BTW they ran 450 trucks... Class 8 Semi's...

Just my thoughts here. .

 

[RodMorris]

I've found I need 2 bottle jacks when I already have a flat tire. I need the second jack to get the truck high enough to put on a new tire with air in it.

 

[LandShark]

I have found that the factory jack works just fine for me. Enough power to jack the truck and camper with ease (total of about 6000# on the rear axle). Floor or bottle jacks are nice when at home, but I try to keep the weight down when on the road. I carry wood blocks to level the truck and use them under a flat tire if the truck is to low to get the jack under the axle and also to spread the load on the ground.

I solved the spare tire winch access problem by making an adapter out of a 4" bolt. Put a double nut on the truck end to spread the load, and use a ratchet on the other end. When at home I use a slow speed right angle air wrench to make it really easy.

 

[rMetzger]

Ditto, sort of, LandShark's windlass cure. That cheapie thinwall tubing with the hex-shaped port got rounded-out pretty quickly when I went to the 19. 5" Ricksons. So, I crawled under, unpinned the rear portion of the windlass's ... for lack of better word... drive-shaft, took it into the garage, pounded a 1/2" square-drive extension into it, and ring-welded it in place. Now, I carry a 1/2" square-drive breaker-bar, and a socket-set under the back seat. I like it better than the factory lugwrench, anyway.

 

[RBridenbaugh]

I use a two stage (double ram) 12 ton bottle jack. Compact enough that it fits under the frame when the tire is flat. 10 inches of hydraulic lift. Got it from Northern Tool.

 

[HSpiering]

The jack that came with my truck was worthless. I got hme and put a 6 ton bottle jack in. MY next flat was on the front as the truck leaned down at a slope. The 6 ton would barely lift the tire. I came home and got a 12 ton bottle jack and problem was solved. I use it to lub the drive line and it worked with my last flat with out straining.

 

[RottonRob]

I carry two 20 ton bottle jacks. Might be overkill but haven't needed them yet...

 

[Bill Stockard]

I haul a 11'6" slide in truck camper about 90% of the time with my truck. The rear of the camper overhangs the rear bumper and access to the spare tire windlass with the factory supplied tools for lowering the spare tire is blocked by the camper holding tanks. To lower the spare tire, I carry a 14-mm 3/8" drive 12-point socket that fits on the square end of the shaft that operates the windlass. I connect a short 3/8" extension to the socket to clear the tire and can rotate the shaft with a 3/8" drive ratchet handle. I also carry a 10-ton low profile hydraulic bottle jack.



Fortunately, I have had only one flat in all the years I've been towing and hauling. It occured when the OEM rubber valve stem on the right rear inside dual failed. I heard the noise, but didn't know what it was. It happened about 100 miles from home. I couldn't tell the inside dual was flat until I stopped for fuel and checked my tries. By that time I was only about 20 miles from home and drove on in and had the valve stem replaced with steel at a local tire shop after I unloaded the camper. BTW, I replaced all the OEM rubber valve stems with steel valve stems.



Bill

 

[JJPage]

I replaced all the OEM rubber valve stems with steel valve stems.
Bill

Me too! I purchased my wheels online, they came with center caps, lug nuts, and rubber valve stems. When I took them to Les Schwab for mounting, they would not install the rubber valve stems but I do not remember exactly why, it was either the 3500 Ram rating or load "E" rated tires, I do remember him stating anytime you exceed 60 psi into a tire you should have steel stems.

 

[BIGNASTY]

One of the reasons I have a Extreme Air Compressor on board my truck and have another on the International. This is a jack NOT THE BEST but it has SAVED MY A** some back breaking work climbing under FIL's bus and under my Horse laden stock trailer to jack up a axle to change the tire in NO TIME AT ALL. Compressor will run the jack and my 1/2 in impact NO PROBLEMS have to use 1in impact and let it build air each lug nut for inlaws bus tire, Have air line at each side of the trailer or have enough to run to back of trailer or to some others truck BEST INVESTMENT WE HAVE MADE FOR RV TOOLS TO GO WITH US.





http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-air-over-hydraulic-jack-95553.html

 

[BIGNASTY]

I use a two stage (double ram) 12 ton bottle jack. Compact enough that it fits under the frame when the tire is flat. 10 inches of hydraulic lift. Got it from Northern Tool.



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Mr RBdridenbaugh



Have you seen this before I go there to get gifts for my pack mules one of my favorite toy stores. Nice town you have there!!! picked up some lumber from the mill last time there to pick up some toys for the Mules and lumber in one stop.

 

[charleyc]

Get a lift to elevate your camper before you change the tire. A suspension lift will do and is also used for towing.