Bottle Jack for Motorhome - recommendations

VXman

VXman

Joined
Feb 14, 2021
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Location
Milton Keynes, UK
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79,219
MH
Burstner Lyseo 727G
Exp
3 years 30,000 miles UK and Europe.. Campsites and off Grid.
Looking for a bottle Jack for the motorhome.

A quick search of 4 ton jacks brings a range up from £17 - £28 with a height range from minimum around 180mm/190mm to maximum of 340mm - 370mm

Any particular recommendations or shallI just go with the cheapest?

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I bought a 4 tonne bottle jack from Halfords. Used it once on a rear nearside puncture and it did the job. Would recommend using a timber underneath to spread the load. The scissor jack supplied with the van by Peugeot is OK so to speak but as I have an ALKO chassis the jacking point is not the same as on a Peugeot chassis. The tyre changing was done on my drive so fairly sanitised as opposed to changing on a motorway. However would recommend practicing at home before you actually get a puncture so you can figure out what extras, such as timbers you might need.
Also, I agree with some others in that you are not lifting the whole van so a 4 tonne jack should do the job.
 
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Paulg16 said:
I bought a 4 tonne bottle jack from Halfords. Used it once on a rear nearside puncture and it did the job. Would recommend using a timber underneath to spread the load. The scissor jack supplied with the van by Peugeot is OK so to speak but as I have an ALKO chassis the jacking point is not the same as on a Peugeot chassis. The tyre changing was done on my drive so fairly sanitised as opposed to changing on a motorway. However would recommend practicing at home before you actually get a puncture so you can figure out what extras, such as timbers you might need.
Also, I agree with some others in that you are not lifting the whole van so a 4 tonne jack should do the job.
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w2f
 
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I agree with Jimbo - I’ve got bottle jack, trolley jack and original Fiat Ducato scissor jack. The latter on the standard jacking points is the best for a straight forward wheel change on a good surface. It has good height range, access and speed of lift - don’t forget, if it’s a flat change, you need a jack which will get under the reduced height.
I bought a 600 mm breaker bar and a deep socket and carry a torque wrench for the wheel nuts. Plus carry wood chocks for the opposite corner. Obviously do all the heavy loosening and tightening with the wheels on the ground!
 
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Assuming you’ve got a roadside flat tyre, there’s sometimes insufficient clearance to get a bottle or trolley jack into position underneath. Run the flat tyre up a levelling ramp first, to give extra clearance. The van is much more stable for more of the lift. If using a scissor jack, this reduces the effort required considerably.
Ps Always slacken the wheel bolts/ nuts a bit BEFORE any of this, when it’s still on terra firma!

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I agree totally with (almost) everything which has been said. Most inexpensive bottle jacks are crap, and a waste of money. I carry a 12 ton Machine Mart bottle jack, and a selection of wooden pads which can be used to spread the load. The FIAT scissor jack lives in the garage loft at home. Good big chocks are also necessary to chock the wheels NOT being lifted.
The 12 ton bottle jack is a bit tall to start with but some ingenuity will get it under somewhere. never be tempted to go for the cheapest/smallest option, when you need it, it will either let you down, or not be big enough.
 
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No-ones mentioned the fun & games to be had if your spare wheel (if you have one) is located in the way it is on the Peugeot/Fiat chassis. That's a challenge in itself!
 
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Have a search for Sprinter bottle jack; plenty on eBay. We've used one on our Frankia i7000bk (4.6T), built on a Sprinter chassis..
 
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Hi there. For home use, I would always use a trolly jack. The wheels give flexibility so as the vehicle goes up the trolly moves forward. Of course they are heavy so lighter jacks are better for emergency use on the road. I have a high lift bottle jack from a land rover which gives a good lift.
however, on the side of a motorway I would not trust any bottle jack as a draft from a passing truck could tip the van, with dreadful consequences if I am changing a wheel. That’s why I have breakdown cover. I have called them out to change a wheel - even in Europe

we use Britannia and have had nothing but great service.
 
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steve69 said:
Wait till you have to raise a front wheel. Different kettle of fish with the scissor jack. You need muscles like Popeye to get the wheel clear of the ground.
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I do it every year on all 4 corners with the Fiat scissor jack. To change to winter wheels and tyres. No problem. Where I change them is flat. I wouldn't be so happy with that jack on a slight slope.
 
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LesW said:
If it's just for changing wheels, ie lifting corner of your vehicle, you wouldn't need a massive lifting weight.
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What I have done in the past is modify a Bottle jack top to fit where I propose to jack up vehicle easiest one I done was for a caravan chassis where I welded a small steel channel about 4 " long and a depth of 2" it fitted around the chassis , Motorhomes are a bit more tricky due to configuration underneath
 
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pappajohn said:
Ever seen an overloaded jack fail?
They come down a hell of a lot faster than it went up.
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Yep saw that when a chap at the garage I worked up jacked up a truck without a safety stand removed rear wheels and down came jack and the rear hub lucky for him landed between his legs without castrating him, or causing him any injury ( except to his pride when we all gathered around him !!)
 
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For those that have actually used a bottle jack what is the extension range? What range is needed front and back from a punctured wheel to a fully inflated off the ground?

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All this equipment needed to change a wheel when you could simply call the breakdown service you have probably paid for.
 
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the1andonly said:
For those that have actually used a bottle jack what is the extension range? What range is needed front and back from a punctured wheel to a fully inflated off the ground?
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Most bottle jacks have a single hydraulic ram inside, so can only lift a maximum of less than their starting height. Some bottle jacks have a double ram, telescopic style, and can lift more than their starting height. They usually are smaller to start with, and are better for getting under a lifting point when the tyre is flat.

Clarke CTBJ5 5 Tonne Telescopic Bottle Jack - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk www.machinemart.co.uk
 
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VXman said:
Looking for a bottle Jack for the motorhome.

A quick search of 4 ton jacks brings a range up from £17 - £28 with a height range from minimum around 180mm/190mm to maximum of 340mm - 370mm

Any particular recommendations or shallI just go with the cheapest?

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Click to expand...

Totally unrelated but you are using the Avatar I have been using on VX220.org for the last 18 years.
 
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ianrm said:
Totally unrelated but you are using the Avatar I have been using on VX220.org for the last 18 years.
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:LOL: Hi Ian -wonder if you can work out who I am though?
 
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Two problems with jacking an Alko chassis with a flat tyre, clearance to get the jack in and the height you have lift as the swinging arm pivots down as you cannot jack directly on the axle as it is too deep inside the wheel. I have considered making up a strut that will slide into the inside of the sub axle and hook onto the chassis. In this way the jack only has to lift the chassis enough for an inflated tyre to be fitted. The jack could engage a lug on the strut so not have to be so short. At first I thought the jack could just lift on a short tube pushed into the stub axle but then realised the swinging arm would move the axke rearwards as it lifts and slide off the jack. Some aircraft with swinging arm suspension use a strut to stop the leg compressing more so speeding up a wheel change as less lift required.
 
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VXman said:
Looking for a bottle Jack for the motorhome.

A quick search of 4 ton jacks brings a range up from £17 - £28 with a height range from minimum around 180mm/190mm to maximum of 340mm - 370mm

Any particular recommendations or shallI just go with the cheapest?

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Click to expand...
Maybe we need to know whether you're talkin/ about a 50ft A-class or a VW van conversion...
 
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stuartholmes said:
Maybe we need to know whether you're talkin/ about a 50ft A-class or a VW van conversion...
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Look at my profile on the left, and I did say I was looking for 4 ton jacks.
 
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I think I might have a drink problem, saw the title of this thread and assumed it was about taking a bottle of Jack Daniels away in the van. Ill seek help !!!!!!

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VXman said:
Look at my profile on the left, and I did say I was looking for 4 ton jacks.
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Fair point, I was reacting to all the comments about what rating or even type of jack would be appropriate. I have a bottle jack that would be going for free if I could remember where I put it.. (and knew the rating!)
 
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Ok. So a retired music teacher 🤣

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In my view you really need 2 jacks, both twice as big as you think you will need.
One for home must be a trolley jack as big and as high a lift as you can afford.
The travel jack should still be a trolley jack but 2 ton is adequate and more important an axle stand/stands.
If its got to be a bottle jack to travel then as people say, spreader plates are more important than lifting capacity.
You aint gunner lift your complete Motorhome up!
 
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