Community Forums

tighedog · 01-12-2020, 07:43 AM

My owners manual says to not use the auto leveling jacks to help change a flat tire on my 5th wheel. Does anyone do this and what if any damage can be done if the jacks are used to raise the wheel off the ground?

**Spdracr39** · 01-12-2020, 07:52 AM

It can be done but isn't recommended. You could twist the frame and cause a leak or bend a leveling jack if not on a reasonable flat hard surface. In an emergency it will work though. The safest way is to unhook the rig and lift all four corners evenly on a flat surface. That is rarely a possibility.

mhs4771 · 01-12-2020, 08:22 AM

Depends on which "Auto Leveling System" you have.
If you have the Level-Up System with 6 Hydraulic jacks it can be done with no worries. The system was originally designed by TrailAir and they even had a poster advertising the ability to use the jacks to change a tire. When Lippert bought out TrailAir their Lawyers got involved and the new policy is a CYA by Lippert.
We have camped many times on an un-level site and ended up with wheels on one side off the grounds.

1960C182 · 01-12-2020, 06:24 PM

I have the Equalizer 6pt hydraulic and have used it to change a flat once. No need to raise the trailer up as far as possible, just enough to slide off/on tire.

heySkippy · 01-12-2020, 08:02 PM

Yeah, there's a sticker that says not to do it, but I did it anyway. With the 4 point leveling system on our 34' Prime Time Crusader I raised all the wheels, removed them and had new tires installed, and then reinstalled them. It worked perfectly but this happened at home on a nice level pad. FWIW, YMMV.

**hamm2018** · 01-12-2020, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tighedog

My owners manual says to not use the auto leveling jacks to help change a flat tire on my 5th wheel. Does anyone do this and what if any damage can be done if the jacks are used to raise the wheel off the ground?

If too high you can run the risk of flipping a spring shackle. If you do, you need to get it back to normal before travel.

Edd505 · 01-13-2020, 12:17 PM

I suspect there will always be people that disregard instruction, you know; Hold my beer and watch this! I find it much easier to put down a ramp stack of lego's, drive the good tire up & remove the flat. I carry a big stack of them as it keeps the leveling legs short on my 6 point and eliminates some of the wobble you get with them extended to out of stroke or close. By they way the axle will drop as you lift so can you get it off the ground w/o out of stroke error?

LAKnox · 01-13-2020, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edd505

I suspect there will always be people that disregard instruction, you know; Hold my beer and watch this! I find it much easier to put down a ramp stack of lego's, drive the good tire up & remove the flat. I carry a big stack of them as it keeps the leveling legs short on my 6 point and eliminates some of the wobble you get with them extended to out of stroke or close. By they way the axle will drop as you lift so can you get it off the ground w/o out of stroke error?

Oh, but Ed, you're now over-stressing the good tire on the ramp and it will certainly shed it's tread or blow out in the next 5 miles if you do it that way!

Personally, if I'm in a situation where I can use the 4-pt system, I'll do that in a heart beat. Hell, the curb side wheels come off the ground in the street in front of my house when I park there to prep/unload for/from a trip. I even have to put a block under the RR jack as it'll run out of stroke before I'm level.

I =do= carry both 6t and 12t shorty bottle jacks and used the 12t to jack up my old Komfort to grease the bearings. The one time I =needed= a jack, the 6t simply wouldn't work and I ended up using the screw jack out of my D'max.

Lyle