can you put a hi-lo up on jacks?

[Astro-HILO]

Yes, we bought a 15T Hi-Lo assuming it would fit in our garage easily. It does -- but the roof A/C, not so much. (doh!)

So, after letting some air out of the tires, it fit nicely into our garage. We were planning to jack up the 4 corners to take the pressure off the tires/suspension while in the garage. After reading some of the posts on the site about jacks, I'm concerned we might not have a good plan.

Is there a safe way to park a Hi-Lo with the weight off the axle? I suppose the alternative would be to deflate the tires to get it through the garage door, then re-inflate them once inside...

thanks!

 

[sam-HILO]

Jacks on the HiLo

I would let out air out to make it fit in your garage. Then I would inflate the tires. Don't worry about taking any weight off your axles. It won't hurt the tires in any way.

 

[Epoweredrc]

Sorry I know this is a older thread but newbie here, is there something driffrent about hi low campers that your not suppose to jack them up? how do people get them level at camp sites or where if you don't jack and block them up?

 

[Treeclimber]

Epow, Way I see it is the frame is unique to the Hi Lo. If you jack it up at a corner for example, you'll twist the frame. Putting a jack on the axle housing may crack the housing. So, to overcome this, leveling at a campsite is done using wood blocks or plastic blocks that fit together like leggos. $35 for 10. Each block raises the trailer about 1". Then you extend the stabilizers (on the extra leggos) firmly. Don't try to level the unit with these stabs! For a tire change, loosen the lugs on the flat then pull the good tire onto or backup onto wooden blocks or purchase (recommended) a Trailer Aid, change the tire and come off the blocks/Trailer Aid.
Tree

 

[Bruce from Kansas]

Treeclimber - I'm new to the modern Hi-lo! And I agree on the modern axles. It was no problem on the older Leaf Spring Axles, but the other jacking points are close to the same. I.e., the Rear Bumper Close to where the Lower Body Frame is welded in place. Then, besides both sides of the Hitch, and the solid Frame Bumpers on each side behind the wheels where the Top rests when down for travel. That's where we put the stabilizing support Jacks on the Older models, as well as one on the frame near the Door, all per Hi-Lo Instructions.

Somewhere else on the Forum, another even has pictures of how he jacked his Hi-Lo for some work and did it level.

 

[Treeclimber]

Bruce, I have cleared two Hi Los from the ground to change grey water tanks and cylinders, but it must be done correctly. I'm lucky enough to have a 14 yr Hi Lo mechanic whom I call and sometime he even visits. He showed us how to safely jack a unit and why it's done that way. But, he doesn't suggest doing it any other way. It did take three floor jacks. BTW, he also said that if two 24' Hi Los rolled out, they would not be built the same. Wiring, plumbing, etc would be different.
Tree

 

[Epoweredrc]

Thanks for the replies, I understand twisting frame and such as I found out on my 77 keystone if you jacked back end the wrong way the door wouldn't work properly. .. I seen on the manual they say to raise from right behind each rear tire, next to door and on front left corner. so the wheel axle thiers elves shouldn't be jacked on? I understand these trailers seem unique and maybe some parts are lighter metal to keep light but I've never seen a wheel axle I couldn't stick a floor jack on and jack.. reason I'm asking is the one I'm looking at needs 4 tires put on it. how should I go about changing all 4 at once? I wanna take all 4 off and take all 4 to the store get them changed then go bk and put all 4 on... I've looked at the trailer aid and looks like nice thing to have but only good for changing 1 or maybe 2 if u have two aids tires at a time not all 4. thanks

 

[JackandJanet]

You COULD raise one side on jacks, support it on jackstands and then raise the other side on jacks. I did that on my single axle trailer when I wanted to get new tires.

- Jack

 

[Epoweredrc]

You COULD raise one side on jacks, support it on jackstands and then raise the other side on jacks. I did that on my single axle trailer when I wanted to get new tires.

- Jack

Thanks, so would the axle be ok to put a jack stand or should just put behind the rear tire as in the manual. and or where to jack it at. I have a 2 ton floor jack that I use for all my automobile work, changing tires, brakes ect. I have a crappy sizzor jack in my blazer and might have use of a bottle jack. what I'm looking at has B78-13 tires on it

 

[JackandJanet]

I think you could use any of the jacks. If the tongue weight is high enough, you could place the jack on the frame right in front of the front axle or between them if you're using the bottle jack. Make sure you jack the FRAME. Then, put the jackstand under the frame as close as possible behind the rear axle.

Don't support the trailer with a jack or jackstand under an axle! That's a big no-no. You'd think the axles would be strong enough, but apparently not.

- Jack

 

[Epoweredrc]

I think you could use any of the jacks. If the tongue weight is high enough, you could place the jack on the frame right in front of the front axle or between them if you're using the bottle jack. Make sure you jack the FRAME. Then, put the jackstand under the frame as close as possible behind the rear axle.

Don't support the trailer with a jack or jackstand under an axle! That's a big no-no. You'd think the axles would be strong enough, but apparently not.

- Jack

Glad to found this site, that is weird, first thing ever to hear you can do it that way. okay then the frame it is.
Thanks

 

[Bruce from Kansas]

Bruce, I have cleared two Hi Los from the ground

Had a couple of broken Cables a few years ago, and afterward WISHED I had been able to raise it high enough to maneuver under the axles. But, I was at the campsite with not enough equipment to do the job. Just had 2 High Lift Jacks and 2- 20 Ton Jacks with not enough height.

All that low crawling/dragging showed up when I went back to a Remodeling/Addition job and was slinging roofing plywood sheets up onto the rafters. Next morning, I could hardly bend over to put my socks on. I'd pulled my shoulder muscles, but fortunately have a younger brother who's a certified Masseuse, and knows Reflexology too. I think he enjoyed torturing me, but I went back to the roof that afternoon and kept working, though a little differently. Never again!

 

[marininn]

A safe place to jack the trailer, any trailer, is on the actual trailer frame. Don't confuse the frame with the metal pieces under the floor around the edges, those are basically floor joist, for lack of a technical term. Those are there to hold the floor and the camper in place. The trailer frame is what looks like an empty boat trailer.

From the hitch follow the main tubes along the underside. They make that "V" shape you see at the tongue, they then run parallel to each other under the camper, parallel to the sides, but down the middle area. They will be about 4 feet apart, maybe 5 feet apart as they run parallel. The trailer frame will extend to the rear bumper, and probably will be the only two tubes the bumper is attached to. They should be the more beefy ones, on Hi Lo's they should be rectangle shaped box tubes. All the other camper supports will probably be C-channel shapes, more flimsy than the trailer frame.
You can jack at these trailer box tubes much more safely than the c-channel camper framework. So, there may not be a good place at the side, even though you see metal framing, to jack up the trailer. If you jack at the C-channel then you will bend the metal frame and warp the camper above. Seen this happen.

Someone suggested that you cannot jack at the axles. News to me. I know on motor vehicles you jack at the axle, not sure why the trailer is different. It will not break a trailer axle to lift it here, but maybe it could bend it enough to wack out the alignment of the tires, I dont know, just guesing??? I dont know the reason for that. but most HILos are twin axle, so as stated, roll the good tire up on blocks for changing tires.

There are products out there made to put under the axle and you pull the trailer forward and this device pushes the axle up for tire changing or trailer leveling. Millions sold, never heard of issues.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PPC0JA/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1

 

[JackandJanet]

Marininn - the HiLo owners manuals say to NEVER lift the trailers with jacks under the axles. They specify putting the jacks under the frame close to the axles (essentially putting the same stress on the frame that the axle does).

Why you aren't supposed to put jacks under the axles is not specified, but I think it's a good idea to head their advice.

- Jack

 

[KnottyRig]

Axles probably flex.

It’s one thing to jack an axle up enough to change a tire, but to lift the whole camper would require a much higher point-load on the axle where you’ve placed the jack.

When you look at how the load is transferred from the road, through the wheel spindle, through the swing arm, and then *rotationally* through the rubber in the axle and upward into the mounted axle and trailer frame, nowhere is the trailer weight a point-load in one spot on the axle. It’s distributed through the axle.

Just what I can visualize. I could be wrong!