How to jack up a single axle travel trailer

There are many procedures that may require you to jack up your travel trailer: to unhitch it, to change a tire on the road, to make repairs underneath the trailer that require lifting it, or to take the tires off for storage. Always remember that travel trailers are heavier than cars and should be handled accordingly.

Step 1

Use the proper jacks and jack stands, as every trailer has a different weight and jacks have weight load limits. Failure to use the proper equipment could result in trailer damage and/or personal injury or death.

Step 2

Park your trailer as level as possible. This will make the jacking easier and safer.

Step 3

Place the jacks, jack stands and all necessary equipment where you can reach them easily.

Step 4

Place wheel chocks or other stopping devices (such as wooden stopping blocks) against the tires to secure the trailer in place. When changing a tire, put the chocks on the opposite side to the one you will be working on.

Step 5

Lower the jack located at the tip of the hitch to unhitch the travel trailer. Always do this first. All travel trailers come with four built-in stabilizer jacks, located at each corner of the trailer, and you can then lower these if you wish.

Step 6

Position a jack near the damaged tire to change it, if you are changing a tire. It is best to place the jack underneath the axle, and to only jack up the trailer until the trailer's weight is off the tire. If you need to make any other repairs, place the jack near where you need to work, using the frame or the axles (they are the strongest points underneath the trailer).

Step 7

Position a jack at each corner of the trailer's frame and jack them up, if you need to lift the trailer off the ground entirely. You can replace each of them with a jack stand: secure each jack stand in place near its jack, then carefully lower the jacks and take them off.

Step 8

When you are finished with the job, position and then lift up the jacks next to the jack stands underneath the trailer, take the stands out, then slowly bring each of the jacks down. You can then take the wheel chocks or other stopping devices off.

References

Tips

• It is recommended to place wooden blocks under and on top of the jacks and jack stands, so that they don't sink in the ground and don't damage the trailer.

Things You'll Need

• Jacks and jack stands of the appropriate weight load capacity (refer to your manufacturer's manual for further instructions)
• Wheel chocks

Writer Bio

Valérie Berta has been a writer and photojournalist since 1994. She has worked for "The Jacksonville Journal-Courier," "Riverside Press-Enterprise" and "Agence France-Presse." Berta earned master's degrees in both English and journalism.

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Types Of Commonly Used Jacks

A jack is the main instrument to jack up a travel trailer. Before jumping on learning how to put travel trailer on jack stands, let me introduce some commonly used jacks.

While picking up a jack, you should consider the features such as loading capacity, lifting range, weight, and portability according to your vehicle. The most common jacks are Bottle jacks, Scissor Jacks, and floor jacks.

Bottle Jacks: Unlike the name, a bottle jack is more like a gas cylinder. Its average height is 1 foot and weighs around 18 lbs with 40,000 lbs weight lifting capacity. Bottle jacks have different lifting ranges from 9 inches to 18 inches. These are designed with either hydraulic or pneumatic techniques.

Scissor Jacks: Average weight of a scissor jack is 6.3 lbs which is around 3 kg with 3,300 lbs weight lifting capacity. It is user-friendly and easy to carry around because of its weight, yet, it is not reliable for heavy weight lifting. Scissor jacks are recommended for lifting light weights vehicles like cars.

Floor Jacks: If you are repairing your vehicle at home, a floor jack is the best choice. It has a faster and heavier weight lifting capacity for the feature of dual hydraulic pumps. Nevertheless, it is hard to carry along with you while traveling.

Based on the above features of different jacks, a bottle jack is the smartest choice for the size and weight lifting capacity. 

To safely jack up your travel trailer, you will need some other tools. These tools will help to reliably stabilize the jack. The pieces of equipment are-

Wheel Chocks: To secure the trailer, you will need wheel chocks.

Jack stand: Most people stack wood blocks beneath the jack as a jack stand to secure it. When it comes to safety, the stack of woods might not be stable enough. There will be a chance that the jack slips down at any time and causes an accident.

Therefore, instead of using woodblocks, purchasing a jack stand is the best option. It sets the jack on the ground, especially if the terrain is uneven. 

Extensions: Distance between the ground and a travel trailer is around 16-25 inches. Even after completely extending the bottle jack, you may not get the right height. Here comes the necessity of the extensions. I would keep different sizes of extensions in the travel trailer toolbox.  

Universal Round Jack Pad: Universal round jack pad is for gripping the frame or axle underneath the trailer. The pad has to be put on top of the jack. Since the casting of round jack pads is fixed, you should choose the size according to your trailer frame.

Flat Jack Pad: A Flat Jack pad is required when you might want to levitate the suspension

How To Jack Up An RV Travel Trailer– Step By Step Instructions

Step 1-Securing The Travel Trailer:

Locate your travel trailer on flat ground. Make sure that you activated the parking brake of your tow vehicle. Place the wheel chocks under the wheels. Level the trailer as the tow vehicle.

To unhitch a travel trailer from the tow vehicle, lower down the built-in jack from the tip of the hitch. There are “four built-in stabilizer jacks” in the four corners of the travel trailer. You may utilize those according to your requirements.

Step 2- Preparing The Jack:

Place the jack on the jack stand, and adjust the height of the jack by plugging the extensions. Then put the Universal round Jack Pad or flat jack pad on top of the jack. 

Step 3 -How To Jack Up A Travel Trailer To Change A Tire

Place the jack near the tire you want to change underneath the axle. Use the universal round jack pad on top of the jack to hold the frame of the trailer. Ensure that you attach the jack with the frame since it is the strong point.

Locating the jack with the suspension might damage the trailer. Lift the trailer up until the tire is just off the ground. 

Step 4- How To Jack Up A Camper Or Travel Trailer To Completely Lift Off The Ground:

Set the jack near the built-in jack of the travel trailer and jack it up. Subsequently, lower down the built-in jack to the ground and remove the jack. Follow the process for the other three corners each at a time.

When you are finished fixing your trailer, bring back each jack from its place by following the same method. 

FAQs

How to jack up a single axle travel trailer?

Single axle trailers are connected with both wheels by single axles using spring or directly attaching to the trailer bed. This type of trailer is lighter, so it is easier to jack up. Just follow the above steps to jack it up.

Can I jack up a fifth wheel trailer following the above instructions?

Yes. You can. However, be careful since a fifth-wheeler is a heavy vehicle. 

How much does a bottle jack cost?

The price of a bottle jack depends on the capacity and brand. The cost of a 2 ton starts at around $6, while the price of a 20-ton bottle jacks starts from $64.

How to jack up a boat trailer?

You can jack up your boat trailer following the above guidelines. Just make sure that you select the bottle jack.

It is better to use an extension. However, if the trailer is lightweight, you can stack wood blocks to adjust the height range of the jack.

Wrapping Up

If you are wondering how to jack up a dual-axle travel trailer, or other types of trailer, well, don’t stress out. Following the above steps will help. The only difference is selecting the perfect jack that has the right weight lifting capacity according to your trailer’s weight. “Practice makes a man perfect.” Therefore, practice practice and practice before heading for a tour on your travel trailer to avoid accidents.