Changing wheel / Tool kit

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Swifty1234

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I've found the spare wheel on my motorhome but the tool kit and jack seems to be missing. It's a Burstner Marano based on an older style 2006 Fiat Ducato. It seems it shoukd be located under the passenger seat but its not there. Has it been lost or perhaps removed because it wouldn't lift the vehicle? Its rated at 3500kg. I have a spare small jack I could probably leave under seat with a small tool kit but bit worried about the weight and whether I can get the force needed without a breaker bar for wheel nuts? Many thanks
 
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Remember that unless you want to lift one complete end of the van you don't need any where near 3500kg capacity. Why not buy a small trolley jack in a carrying case (remember to get one with enough lift for the van) and sufficient socket set fitments and sockets to remove and refit the wheels. That way the items that you buy can do many other jobs and the sockets can be extended as the future requires.

PS I use the handle of my trolley jack to make a breaker bar out if a good quality 1/2inch socket bar.
 
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Remember, if your changing the wheel, you are only lifting a 1/4 of the vehicle so a 2 ton jack would be more than ample plus, one can get very long breaker bars but, as Clivefog said, get someone else to do it.
 
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I've a Sprinter bottle jack that I had to lift my Range Rover. As with the Range Rover the supplied scissor jack is next to useless, not for purpose.

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I carry enough tools to change a wheel (actually probably nearly enough to rebuild the motorhome) but would always get the breakdown service to actually do the work. I am no longer flexible enough for the heavy stuff.
In my experience the breakdown services in France and Spain, unlike the UK, carry no tools at all. They are helpful and willing but you need to provide the means.
 
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Ours had been moved in the black case which screws to the under seat to a cupboard in the back to accommodate the electrics under the passenger seat on our Burstner. The jack and tow eye (only useful parts) now live in a padded bag with the rest of my breakdown/recovery gear & breaker bar in the gas locker
 
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I would be embarrassed to call out breakdown services to come and change a wheel for me.. yes before I get shot down I understand there may be a few cases where some folk may not be physically active enough to do it . But to not even try.. Mmm.

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Last wheel I changed was after a blowout on the M3 in my work VW T5. The wheel was stuck on the hub and I had to get my lump hammer to get it off. I did it because after a long day at work I didn't want to wait an hour or two for the breakdown people. I was a good few years younger then and I'm not sure I would do the same today.
 
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I have a 2008 Ducato with the kit in a box under the passenger seat.
The scissor jack (not used to date fortunately) looks well engineered and made.
The lifting holes for each corner look really good.
The thing I struggle with it getting the spare out from under the rear beam axle.
Not really the lowering bit but the getting the lifting fitment out of the wheel center. It's a bastid.
Yes , I can do it but I don't look forward to it
 
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If you've got bits of kit already, you need to have a dry run at home or somewhere handy to see if your kit is up to the job, then go from there ?
My van came with the jack, wheel brace etc in an epp foam pack under the driver's seat, after about a year of ownership, I decided to take a wheel off (can't remember why) only to discover the supplied wheel brace didn't fit the lug nuts, and the scissor jack was a bit lacking too !

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Garry - June said:
I would be embarrassed to call out breakdown services to come and change a wheel for me.. yes before I get shot down I understand there may be a few cases where some folk may not be physically active enough to do it . But to not even try.. Mmm.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that you simply have not lived long enough yet.
I sincerely hope that you live long enough to welcome the embarrassment and enjoy a long and enjoyable van life --- no matter what it takes
 
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I would agree that a trial run is a very, very good idea. You will find out if, indeed, the supplied wheel wrench is the right size, you will find out where the supplied jack actually fits, and you will be able to establish a system for doing the job. Will the jack fit under the jacking point when a tyre is flat? it might not. Is the jack, when raised, capable of lifting the vehicle high enough to fit wheel which is not flat? it might not be. A couple of pads of scaffolding board will give a reasonably firm base on which to set a jack.Do you have a couple of suitably sized blocks to chock the opposite wheel to that being lifted? Supplied scissor jacks are notoriously unstable and you do not want to be in the area if the vehicle moves, and the jack tips.

The short answer is the right answer; get someone else to do it for you, however, it is important to be prepared in case the' someone ' doesn't turn up when required.
 
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Garry - June said:
I would be embarrassed to call out breakdown services to come and change a wheel for me.. yes before I get shot down I understand there may be a few cases where some folk may not be physically active enough to do it . But to not even try.. Mmm.
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I am sorry but at 82 years of age i've had my fill of changing wheels, including tyre fitting !!!!! Thats why i pay a breakdown service to do the job but so far have been lucky, depending on your point of view, have never yet used them !!!
 
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I once had the joy of watching all the holiday makers on Lincoln Skeg road watching me stood next to the car whilst the wife and MIL changed the wheel.



How were they to know I'd sprained both my wrists. Changing a wheel was the least worst job the wife had to do.
 
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Roger J Holman said:
I would agree that a trial run is a very, very good idea. You will find out if, indeed, the supplied wheel wrench is the right size, you will find out where the supplied jack actually fits, and you will be able to establish a system for doing the job. Will the jack fit under the jacking point when a tyre is flat? it might not. Is the jack, when raised, capable of lifting the vehicle high enough to fit wheel which is not flat? it might not be. A couple of pads of scaffolding board will give a reasonably firm base on which to set a jack.Do you have a couple of suitably sized blocks to chock the opposite wheel to that being lifted? Supplied scissor jacks are notoriously unstable and you do not want to be in the area if the vehicle moves, and the jack tips.

The short answer is the right answer; get someone else to do it for you, however, it is important to be prepared in case the' someone ' doesn't turn up when required.
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Very sound advice - everyone should be able as best as they can to do a basic thing like change a wheel - even if they needed help from a passer-by.

One of my lovely neighbours started placing angled nails beneath my MH and have had to change&repair 4 wheels since Easter - I now do a 4-tyre visible check before driving off - lovely people where I live. I found that the non-standard scissor jack needs a block underneath to lift high enough, that the van had nothing to undo the wheelnuts, that the nuts needed a long wrench to loosen them (improvised with a metal tube and a wrench I had in the garage), and that it scared the bejaysus out of me having such a weight up on the jack - sometimes on a slope - so I do everything as quickly as possible, and the rear wheels are a pain to do because they sit at least 6inches within the van's bodywork and it's like changing a wheel down a short tunnel - but I remedied it all because refuse to let something as simple and common as a flat tyre stop me.

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Jake Royd said:
I have a 2008 Ducato with the kit in a box under the passenger seat.
The scissor jack (not used to date fortunately) looks well engineered and made.
The lifting holes for each corner look really good.
The thing I struggle with it getting the spare out from under the rear beam axle.
Not really the lowering bit but the getting the lifting fitment out of the wheel center. It's a bastid.
Yes , I can do it but I don't look forward to it
Click to expand...
I've found a block of wood under one side of the wheel when you lowers the spare makes it much easier to remove the connector. Hope this helps.
 
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aboakes said:
I've found a block of wood under one side of the wheel when you lowers the spare makes it much easier to remove the connector. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Yes , you are right, this does help.
I've wondered if my cable might be a bit short or with some damage that prevents it extending fully.
When fully unwound the wheel with the centre unit still fitted the wheel is still well under the motorhome.
You have allow some slack so it can tip free.
I can do it but it's bloody awkward.
 
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Got all the tools, the know-how, and the enthusiasm. Started the job. No problem. Then, alloy wheel seized onto the steel hub. Lump hammer didn’t work. Ended up levering it off using a 4ft fence post against the steering swivels. (Ouch!) It can be a real show-stopper.
Obvious but tiresome fix is to be prepared by removing all the wheels and smearing anti-seize on the mating surfaces. (Not on the wheel nuts)
Changing your own wheels is dead easy (except for the weight) until it goes wrong. Potential for nasty surprises
 
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Posted this before, many MoHo’s and Cars do not have spare wheels 🛞 just call out the breakdown company it’s easier and safer. I have the skills being a former apprentice in the motor trade but what the heck I pay for breakdown insurance so the breakdown company can sort the wheel 😎👍

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Think it's actually illegal to change wheel at side of road in Spain. Think that is one of the reasons breakdown recovery is always part of insurance. Not sure about France though
 
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I have a small high lift trolley jack, which still only just lifts the wheel high enough. I also have a cordless impact wrench, breaker bar and impact socket. I would hesitate to ever use a scissor jack on this size vehicle and bottle jacks are just as unstable when working on the side of the road.
After an offside rear blowout beside a fairly rough Irish A road, I found all the above are the minimum in order to get going again in a reasonable time.
 
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The people on here who have experienced seized on wheels, either need to question their garages or their servicing. My wheels, all of them come off at least once a year, by me, when my van is serviced. How can a van have a proper service if they haven’t properly checked the brakes, which includes the park brake.
 
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I would change my wheel myself , but NEVER on a busy road / motorway.
on MW, call police and they would normally attained and sit behind with flashing blues until safely fixed by Recovery
 
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I don't have a spare, even if I did I'd call breakdown service. I'd do it on the car, but never on the motorhome. In some circumstances it is actually irresponsible to change your own wheel (motorway, busy road etc.) There is no need to put yourself and others at risk.
 
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