Changing Tires on Coach

[TdogKing]

My first thought is just tell the guy to change them as if you didn't have jacks and without a doubt nothing will go wrong on your part. Big trucks etc get tires changed all the time without leveling jacks. The guy was wanting to use a short cut but you didn't see that short cut on your estimate/bill. I've used my own to change a flat before only on one corner and using a bottle jack under the suspension to assist raising tire off ground.

[desobelman]

If it were me, I would find a new tire shop! If they do not have the equipment to jack up the coach, I would not be comfortable with their expertise (?) in performing the tire install.

Parkhouse Tire, which has branches in many places, specializes in truck/rv tires. If you are an FMCA member, you cna take advantage of their program with Michelin to get a great price on Michelin RV tires.

Happy Trails!

Darryl

[cenfl]

Originally Posted by desobelman

If it were me, I would find a new tire shop! If they do not have the equipment to jack up the coach, I would not be comfortable with their expertise (?) in performing the tire install.

Parkhouse Tire, which has branches in many places, specializes in truck/rv tires. If you are an FMCA member, you cna take advantage of their program with Michelin to get a great price on Michelin RV tires.

Happy Trails!

Darryl

X2! My LCI owneres manual specifically states that the leveling system should not be used to provide service under the coach, such as changing tires, etc.

[jrd48]

The warnings are probably to cover them from a safety/liability situation. When I get new tires I insist that they use 6x6 blocks under the jackpads (to get height), jackstands for safety, and wheel chocks. Works fine for me. If you are not comfortable using your jacks then by all means insist that they use their jacks.

[tcopeland]

Our Palazzo is the same; "do not use the jacks for wheel/tire change".
With our air system the rear brakes are holding the coach. With jacks down, our rear wheels do not leave the ground.
Did once on an uneven site and scared me. Moved the coach to another site.

[csrrsr]

Two weeks ago upon bringing the coach out of the shop for dewinterizing we found the street side inside dually was flat and had lost it's seal. Les Schwab (a large NW tire dealer) came out to fix it. He had me use the rear left leveler to raise the coach, but not to the point of raising the wheel off the ground. He then used his own hydraulic jack to raise the wheels off the ground to remove them. He said he would never go under a coach using the coaches jack system. He only has owners use them as an additional safety precaution when he has to belly underneath the coach to install his own jack. Side Note: the tire was fine, the nipple extension had come loose. He removed both nipple extensions because he said they were a nightmare for truckers. Vibration loosens them up. We can still easily reach the inside nipples with out them.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

I don't think there is a "should" or "shouldn't' for this. The system is designed to level, not to change tires or do chassis service. If it also works for that, great. If not, nothing to complain about. The system isn't necessarily sized in either weight or length (height) to lift the entire chasis off the ground and I suspect that in at least some models it will not.

The HWH jacks under our DSDP are each rated for 12,000#'s and will easily lift and support the entire weight at one time.
HOWEVER, I only lift the front end off the ground, not safe to do the rears due to the absence of braking on the front. Only the rear axle has brakes.

[Sam Green]

I believe that Mr D is correct. My dealer advised to never raise the rear tires off of the ground because then you have no brakes at all and if you are even a little off of level you are going to roll off of the jacks. I suspect that is why many have reported that their jacks will not raise the rear off of the ground. They are intentionally adjusted to prevent that.

[Mr_D]

None of the MH's we've had had any limit on the jacks, they would raise the rear (or front) off the ground if I wanted. But then I've never had a MH that had anything but HWH systems either.

[TRAILERKING]

Originally Posted by Sam Green

if you are even a little off of level you are going to roll off of the jacks.

I keep hearing this statement a lot on this forum. Please tell me what make of levelling jacks these are where you can "Roll off the jacks". Just curious. My Power Gear levellers are 3" diameter solid ram that comes down........IT AIN'T MOVIN' ANYWHERE. Although I never level in a situation of needing to lift wheels off the ground. However if I wanted to the levellers come down like out riggers on a crane.
I just seen a newer unit at Walmart tonight and the levellers down. They look like spindley little 1-1/4"-1-1/2" diameter rods with an external spring return. It wouldn't do any rolling off jacks but good possibility of bending the rams.

[Sam Green]

My level jacks are HWH and I am just quoting what my dealer told me. I have not tried raising the rear off the ground simply because I do see the possibility of that happening withing no brakes to hold the 20,000 lbs and gravity pulling on the motorhome.

[Sweetbriar]

At a tire shop I would refuse. They have the jacks to safely raise the coach. On the road with no other choice is a unique situation but I would be pretty hesitant to craw under the coach. At home in the drive way I have used the jacks to raise one axle at a time off the ground but I also use 12 ton jack stands to take the weight of the jacks during maintenance. The front axle does get chocked if I have to get the rears off the ground.

[clyon51]

Originally Posted by TRAILERKING

I keep hearing this statement a lot on this forum. Please tell me what make of levelling jacks these are where you can "Roll off the jacks". Just curious.

There were/are many "jack" suppliers in the last 20 years. Each of these had there own basic design, have several models, lifting capabilities, quality and price. Then of course the multitude of MH mfgs. They in turn have all their models with their own designers, parts buyers, budgets and legal departments.

Like you, I have the huge Power Gear Jacks. My coach is 20,000lbs. Yet National put 32,000lbs of jacks under it. These won't even strain lifting the entire coach off the ground and it isn't going anywhere unless done so on a pretty good grade. Yet National adjusted the rear jacks so you cannot lift the rear tires off the ground. No doubt for legal/safety reasons since that is the only axel that locks. I have used blocks to lift the rear off the ground on occasion.

The bottom line, because of all this, there is just no 100% set standard throughout the industry. To me, it seems any arguing of specific points with someone beyond those with identical systems and coaches, is a bit silly.

[Solask]

Originally Posted by Elexwiz

I just bought my first MH. It's a 99 Winnebago Chieftain. My first few attempts at leveling her out in my driveway resulted in full extension of all jacks but none of my tires are off the ground; I wasn't trying to get the tires off the ground, just something I noticed. In order to change a tire I would have to use some jack pads (wood) that I have in a storage compartment. Is this normal? Or should I be able to bring the tires off the ground without using jack pads?

Elexwiz, I own a 1998 Chieftain and it behaves the same as your 99.. Levels the coach well enough but wheels never come off the ground. Working as designed.