It was only flat on the bottom!

[Rustymax]

Took the LaCrosse 303 out for the maiden trip and had a small mishap. While at the fresh water station, I was moving the trailer up to the fill hose position and accidently clipped a wooden curb with the trailer wheel, puncturing the side wall. A loud bang was heard http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ies/crying.gif and to my chagrin the tire was flat (but only on the bottomhttp://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif) and un-repairable.
Naturally it was raining, and getting dark fast but fortunately I was carrying a "small" (very small) floor jack and a 4 way lug wrench. It was difficult to get the tire up off the ground but I was successful and put the spare tire to better use than that of a rear bumper ornament.http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...s/thumbsup.gif Once the trailer was setup at the site, I then drove home (about 90 miles) to purchase a replacement tire and get a good night sleep.

I now have some questions for the forum members and if RVguy has trailer specific answers for this particular model RV please fire away.

• In the above scenario, is a bottle jack the best tool for jacking up the trailer of this weight, approximately 7,500 lbs?

• Is there a recommended jack (model/style) that I should be using? (particular to Lacrosse 303?

• Is positioning the jack under the axel of the flat tire the right location for lifting the trailer?

• Do I need a torque wrench for the lug nuts?

We expected being newbie's to camping with a travel trailer that our fist trip would be a learning experience, but this was almost an overload. With exception of the flat tire (in the rain), our first trip could only be rated as "first class". We were the only "Prime Time" unit at the campground, no one knew what Primetime offers and I must admit that we had many visitors who wanted to "check it out", all were impressed. It was like an open house event.

This first camping experience was a boondocking one, no water or electric, but we did have a portable generator. Our next excursion will be mid May at a private campground that has water and electric, I'll let everyone know how the 2nd camp experience works out. Pictures will be taken and posted.
Being a newbie, I'm looking forward to any advice that the forum can share.

Mr and Mrs Rustymax

[h60mo]

I've been watching this closely since I am a new guy and have several of the same questions. Does anyone know the answers here or is it just use what you have and put it where it is convenient. With the axles so far apart on the Lacrosse can something like the drive on trailer aid be used?
Steve

[dimurrrw]

Jack for trailer Pull or back onto this with the good tire. You will then be able to change the flat.

You can change a tire without resorting to a torque wrench, same as on a car. But you should torque it as soon as possible.

[h60mo]

I was sure hoping one of these would work. The Prime Time manual states to jack by the frame but two dealers I have discussed this with have said you can bend the lightweight frame by jacking it and that you should jack the trailer by the axle. The manual for the axle states that it should not be jacked by the axle. The trailer aid or a set of the leveling blocks stacked up looks to be the easiest solution, I was just concerned if it would work since the tires are more widely separated than on most trailers.
Steve

[dimurrrw]

Good question. I assume that the manual and the dealers both assume the use of a jack. As far as the wheel separation, you could always put a board under the Trailer Aid to get a little more height. BTW I don't think that the axle tube is designed to take that much weight (pressure) on a single point.

[RV Guy]

You can get into specifics forever on this subject, but here are some basic recommendations for changing a flat when traveling. This is not meant to be a 100% catch-all but only basic recommendations per the above questions:

1) For safety, leave the RV hooked up to your TV. BLOCK YOUR TIRES.
2) A FLOOR JACK IS BEST since it generally has the most lifting range. A bottle jack is usually what's available and will work, too, if needed.
3) We suggest lifting between the tires on the bottom of the I-Beam frame. Be careful to not pinch wires or gas lines and get the jack squarely on the I-Beam.
4) If your jack (bottle jack probably) won't reach the frame, it is DEFINITELY NOT recommended to use the underside of the axle where it attaches to the leafspring. You need to lift on the frame, period.
5) A torque wrench is recommended for achieving proper torque. Use the star pattern. A final torque of 85-95 ft/lbs is optimal with most wheels.

[Rugged Brown]

RV guy: My regular socket will not fit into the space where the lug nuts are. Is there a special thin walled socket available for this application? What size are the lug nuts?

[RV Guy]

Rugged. Working from phone. What brand and model?

[Rustymax]

Thanks all for the information. I was confused when I changed my flat tire, some campers that came to check out my problem (all more experienced than me) said jack off the frame while others said jack off the axle and my owners manual was not available. I'll go with RVguy's recommendation to jack off the frame.

RVguy, what do you think about the suggestion to use a "drive up ramp" for the good wheel to get the flat tire off the ground? Will the "EZ tow axles" design prevent the trailer from being lifted high enough to clear the flat?

[grhodes50]

Originally Posted by Rustymax

......., I was moving the trailer up to the fill hose position and accidently clipped a wooden curb with the trailer wheel, puncturing the side wall. A loud bang was heard ........

Now Rustymax, you aint suppose to do that!
Man if I had a nickel.......
Glad overall the trip was "first class". I know you put alot of thought and planning into this, good to hear it paid off for you.
How did you like the 303RKS? Pretty nice, uh?
I should have told you, remember to install the X-chocks before you run out the big slide. Hopefully you had that figured out.
Man, Trish was mad at me for a week after she crawled out from underneath that thing!

Post some pics if you got 'em.

[RV Guy]

A couple points of clarification:

If you can't access the frame between the tires due to interference with the spring hangars, equalizer, etc, it's acceptable to place the jack on the frame in front of or behind the flat tire.

We do not suggest using the frame hangars as the jacking point.

We do not use the "ramp" method here when changing tires so I don't know if that would work or not.

Rugged - it's not uncommon for some wheels to require a "thin wall" socket. These are commonly found at most auto parts stores.

PTM

[Rugged Brown]

Originally Posted by RV Guy

A couple points of clarification:



Rugged - it's not uncommon for some wheels to require a "thin wall" socket. These are commonly found at most auto parts stores.

PTM

Thanks. Are the sockets all the same size which is ??? or different sizes?

[RV Guy]

Most lugs are commonly sized at 3/4" or 13/16" Outside Measurement. The 13/16" version might require the thin wall socket if it is recessed down into the wheel some.

[h60mo]

Thanks for the clarification RV Guy.

[Rustymax]

Thanks RV Guy for the jacking information. I have already purchased a 8 ton bottle jack. I placed the bottle jack on some 8" x 8" x 1-1/2" wood blocks that I normally use under the stabilizer pads. The stacking of these blocks gave me the height requirement for the jack's piston stroke to do its job. I positioned the jack (and blocks) just rear of the tire to be removed and directly under the frame, staying clear of piping and wiring. I encountered no problems raising the tire off the ground. Yes the equalizers do allow the wheels to drop somewhat, but if the jack combined with riser blocks can provide sufficient hydraulic piston stroke length, the wheel can be freed of the pavement.

Rather than stacking blocks, in the future I'm thinking of making a dedicated bottle jack stand of the right height that can also store the bottle jack within its frame. The design of this riser stand will be very similar to that of a typical adjustable jack stand. I'll fabricate it from angle iron, the top of the riser will have a "tray " (of sorts) that will securely capture the bottle jack. There will be no provisions to make height adjustments, it will be built for the dedicated purpose .

When I get around to making this riser, I'll post pictures. I am also considering making a bottle riser system for those that do not have access to a welder. It will utilize the aforementioned wooden blocks, incorporating a simple pin method for safely securing the bottle jack and the other stacked blocks. Then same blocks could do double duty and also serve as stabilizer load pads.

[grhodes50]

Good idea Rustymax.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.