Changing a tire

[tomdukebo53]

hi I'm new to this site. I was wondering how to change a flat tier on the truck with a truck camper on it

[vsheetz]

Easy - call AAA, or other ERS, that you have a service agreement with.

[84prerunner]

a jack and T-bar.

[Electrojake]

Very carefully... She's 'heavy' when loaded.

[Bedlam]

There are a couple things you need to consider:

1. Can you reach the crank to lower the spare with the camper loaded
2. Do you have a jack rated to lift the rear of the truck with the camper loaded

When I had my F250, the extension and crank were long enough to reach the spare lift. If it is not, you will need to drop the camper, pull the truck forward and replace the tire while unloaded.

[dix39]

I've replaced two rear tires on loaded pickups, once with a load of firewood at least as heavy as a camper and once with the camper. Neither time was a problem. Well, at least the tire changing part wasn't a problem.

With the firewood the left rear tire went while I was in the left lane to allow traffic entering the interstate to get on. I pulled over to the left shoulder which was sloped down to the center median. To avoid upsetting the truck on the slope I went on down to the median which was wet and soft. The jack kept pushing the firewood I placed under it again and again into the soft ground before it would lift the truck. After we got the tire changed we couldn't get out of the mud in 4WD until, of all things, a Scout came along and offered to help. I was skeptical, but it worked.

I did replace the jack that came with the truck with a heaver rated hydraulic jack from Harbor Freight. As others say, be careful. Block the unaffected tires so truck so it can't roll before starting, and be aware of how the truck is situated so jacking doesn't cause it to tip too far.

Best of luck.

Steve

[tomdukebo53]

I do have a heavy floor jack from harbor fraight. Thanks for the advice

[38Chevy454]

Floor jack is probably 3 ton rated or maybe less. That is only 6K lbs. A simple hydraulic bottle jack can be 12 ton, and take up less space than the floor jack.

Nobody ever wished for a smaller capacity jack when lifting a heavy load.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454

Floor jack is probably 3 ton rated or maybe less. That is only 6K lbs. A simple hydraulic bottle jack can be 12 ton, and take up less space than the floor jack.

Nobody ever wished for a smaller capacity jack when lifting a heavy load.

Harbor Freight has 20 ton jacks, one is air assisted and the other is manual. Not too bad a price either. I carry a 12 ton since that's enough to lift half a 20,000 # front or drive axle on mine. But then I never plan on changing a tire either since I can't carry two different size wheels and tires.

[dix39]

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454

Floor jack is probably 3 ton rated or maybe less. That is only 6K lbs. A simple hydraulic bottle jack can be 12 ton, and take up less space than the floor jack.

Nobody ever wished for a smaller capacity jack when lifting a heavy load.

I completely agree.

Harbor Freight does make a 4 ton floor jack. I bought one to lift the MH when at home, but most are 3 ton or less. I had a 3 ton before we bought the MH and blew a seal in it trying to lift the whole rear of the truck and camper at home. Should have known better.

Steve

[V3600]

Last year I had a blow out on the inner dually with my toy hauler hooked up. I carry a 8 ton bottle jack from Harbor Freight to cover all jacking situations plus it wasn't much more $$$.

What I would do differently is to have an impact wrench to loosen the lug nuts; that 4-way was a beast. I tried a 110v model and it didn't budge them. An air-impact works fine but I don't carry a big enough compressor on the road to work it. They do have battery powered models that would do the job but are quite expensive. Guess I'm stuck with the 4-way.

Bottom line is you need heavy duty equipment.

[dix39]

With all the information you have now, I would suggest a partial dry run at home. I don't mean changing the tire, but loosening and tightening a lug nut, jacking up one wheel on the back, etc., just to make certain you have what you will need if you should ever have a flat on the road. Although the odds are slim that you will if you maintain good tires and the correct air pressure, IMHO it is best to be prepared.

We had two in 40 years and one was while hauling firewood.

There was one other time where we stopped at a Wendy's at my wife's request after going through an area of road construction. Every time we stop I look at the tires and under the truck for leaks, etc. I noticed one of the back tires was a little low and asked inside if there was a tire shop open anywhere nearby. They gave me directions and we hustled over and got there just before the shop closed. So that would have been a third that was averted.

Steve

[Electrojake]

As TC people know, one of the issues I have (we all have) is a lack of storage space and the age old “maxing out the GVWR” problem.
Two things that suck up payload and storage space quick are:

1.) A decent sized recovery winch with assorted block/tackle/straps, etc...

2.) Tools & equipment needed for doing running repairs. Items such as compressor, impact tools, jack-stands, high capacity floor jack, etc…

Much like smoke detectors, a first-aid kit, or fire extinguisher, they’re quite useless until that one odd time that they are desperately needed.

So in short I agree 100% with the tool-heavy posts listed above.
Having proper repair equipment on-board is a life-saver but man… it come at a big (size & weight) expense.

Good thread here,
-Ej-

[skruske]

Almost exactly one year ago, on Friday afternoon during a 90° hot sunny day I was driving north on I-29 between Sioux City & Sioux Falls on my way to White River.

I shredded a left inside dual on my 2001 F-350 while carrying the BigFoot 10.6e.

I slowed down & pulled into the next rest area that ended up about 10 miles farther north up the road.

I blocked the front wheels, loosened the lug nuts, undid the turn buckles, lowered the jack/raised the camper about 2 inches off the bed. I carry a 12 ton bottle jack I've owned since 1981 so raising the whole rig wouldn't have been a problem anyway. Me, being the cautious type, used the bottle jack AND the crank jack as an extra measure of support while manipulated the tires. That asphalt was hot & soft so I used a 6" 2x6 under each jack as an added measure.

Once the truck was back on all it's wheels I lowered & secured the camper. I rolled the shredded tire & rim into the camper and continued my trip.

I stopped in Rapid City Monday morning at the only dealer who could handle a truck with the camper. They insisted I did not need to take the camper off. I drove my rig into the service bay after selecting a set of 4 rear tires. The two guys doing the tire change used a single 10 ton bottle jack under the axle to change all four rear wheels and NO JACK STAND.

No matter, I was on my way to Montana within a couple hours with a lighter wallet and a more carefree drive.