Jacking up my RPod for inspection |
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Craneman
Senior Member Joined: 12 May 2013 Location: Tokeland,wa Online Status: Offline Posts: 387 |
Topic: Jacking up my RPod for inspection Posted: 18 May 2013 at 10:51am |
Very interesting reading, but I am still confused. Where to jack and with what type of jack. Has anyone been able to contact forest riverand get the straight scoop?? I can't find any contact number or email address. I'm going to repack wheel bearings . Seems that a couple of pictures of jack placement would
Clear things a little!!! Moe |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 16 May 2013 at 9:25pm |
One person says, "I am NOT going to jack the frame up," and practically the next one says,
"I would not put the jack on the axle".
With all respect, taking advice from people on the internet is often not all that smart, especially one person says one thing and the other says the opposite. I say again, it is unacceptable that Forest River doesn't provide clear, concise, and reliable instructions on where to lift the trailer to change a tire. TT |
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Seanl
Senior Member Joined: 19 Sep 2011 Location: Fredericton NB Online Status: Offline Posts: 633 |
Posted: 16 May 2013 at 5:09pm |
I have jacked my Rpod up by placing the jack on the frame next to the flange where it bolts to the axle. I would not put the jack on the axle. The frame carries the weight of the trailer there already.
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Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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hogone
Senior Member Joined: 09 Apr 2013 Location: St. Louis Online Status: Offline Posts: 1043 |
Posted: 16 May 2013 at 3:50pm |
After reading all this, I'm not so sure I know where to jack my pod up if I do have a flat or for maintenace related issues!!! It sounds like a 2X4/4X4 should go between the jack and the frame(close to the wheel) to spread out/distribute the weight of the point of attack.
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Bill-GA
Senior Member Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Cumming, GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 214 |
Posted: 16 May 2013 at 8:25am |
I totally agree with TT's comments. I'll bet FR uses a 4 point shop hydraulic lift. But the question is "What do the rest of us do? What does my road service guy do on an inter-state highway?" I'm thinking of getting an 8" PT 4x4 then cutting a 45 degree slot into one side. Since the axle I have is a rounded square design, I figure if I use this between my jack and the axle under the welded flanges, it will distribute the lifting weight across the bottom of the axle. After all doesn't this axle point take the stress between the wheel and trailer when "bouncing down the road?". I am NOT going to jack the frame up ..... Totally absurd, risky in bending the frame and too much extra labor. I will use jacks stands on the frame for safety once its up.
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Bill & Bev
13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
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Seanl
Senior Member Joined: 19 Sep 2011 Location: Fredericton NB Online Status: Offline Posts: 633 |
Posted: 15 May 2013 at 1:58pm |
I think the issue with lifting with the stabilizers is not that the jacks are not rated for the weight but that the frame of the trailer is not designed to bear the weight at the corners. The front would be fine as that is a load point already with the tongue but the back normally only carries the weight of the trailer and that is in the opposite direction to jacking. I think you would want to be careful not to put any extra load on the frame of the trailer while you had it jacked up but since you did it and did not have any issues with bending the frame it is probably okay. I always jack at the frame where the axle bolts to it and when I get it up I support it with two jack stands on the frame one in front of the axle and one behind.
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Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 15 May 2013 at 8:32am |
Truthfully, I lifted mine in the driveway with the stabilizers.
I stayed hooked to the truck, I chocked the opposite side, I put 4 legos under the stabilizers on the side I was lifting.. worked fine. The stabilizers are, after all, just scissor jacks. With a 5000lb rating each. You are lifting from 2 places, not just one. If I was going to go UNDER the trailer I would have used jack stands. I am in no way telling anyone to do it, just like the lawyers for FR and Dexter don't. YMMV, blah blah blah |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 15 May 2013 at 4:34am |
My little bit of research on jacking the RPod pretty much backs up Doug's observation that you are supposed to levitate the trailer to change a flat. Either that or take it to the dealer.
It seems unacceptable that the subject is omitted from the owner's manual (if I recall correctly) and that Forest River seems to avoid the subject at all costs. They sell a product with two wheels and inflated rubber tires, with a spare tire as standard equipment. I can understand not providing a jack, since if you are going anywhere with the pod you are required to have a tow vehicle that almost certainly carries a jack. Maybe not the right kind of jack, but a jack in any case. I think it's irresponsible and unacceptable for Forest River to not specify how to lift the pod to change a tire or pack the bearings. We shouldn't have to speculate about this or risk damaging the axle or frame. Clear instructions need to be readily accessible and if they have to modify the frame or the axle to provide lift points, they need to do so and they should label the lift points just as they do the low point drains. My little rant aside, how do they lift Pods at the dealership or factory when people buy new tires? Even if no one has ever had a flat on the road, surely someone has bought new tires for an RPod by now, or Forest River at least has contingency plans for when someone does. It makes me think that I must have missed the official instructions somewhere. TT |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 14 May 2013 at 8:37pm |
Sounds right.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Bill-GA
Senior Member Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Cumming, GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 214 |
Posted: 14 May 2013 at 7:52pm |
I've been contemplating the responses above (I examined my RPod too) and I can only conclude that the axle design is so fragile that it can be damaged if used to raise the RPod. The only reason it can be attached to the RPod is because of the two flanges on each side which are welded to the axle and prevents the axle from being distorted. Note that the flanges are ONLY on top so jacking underneath could distort the axle shape. So as an alternative, I should jack up the RPod using the frame, which is also fragile and this should be done with wood blocks to distribute the load. Needless to say, if I use my emergency road service I just know there're going to jack it up under the flanges (hopefully) and will think I'm crazy if I say jack up the trailer using the frame. Did I get this right?
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Bill & Bev
13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
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