Camper jacks - how often do you roll without?

[Karlton]

I work from home and live in a small town, so I don't drive much. Thus, the Hawk stays on pretty much from spring through late fall. I remove the camper jacks when rolling around town as if I have a flat or vehicle trouble it won't be too hard to put on the jacks and remove the Hawk. However, I always have the jacks on when out camping as I wouldn't know what to do if I had a flat or vehicle trouble. The jacks add weight and I'm considering traveling without them on the Hawk but have some reservations.

Do you travel jacks on or off? Ever have vehicle issues when in a remote location without the jacks?

Cheers

 

[longhorn1]

You should be able to change a tire with camper on. We remove the Jack's. If some backs into your camper and more specifically the Jack's significant damage could be done to the frame. This has happened and it isn't pretty or cheap to repair. Plus you remove 100 lbs., Which is a significant amount of weight.

 

[PackRat]

1) with them OFF, they won't be stolen
2) 100 lbs or more depending on which mfger
3) more of an obstacle for you and others to get around in a parking lot at night
4) if you are worried about having a flat, carry a bigger bottle jack
5) what ever you decide, try practicing to dismount the spare (lube the threads of the hanger if rusted tight) then check to see if you factory jack will lift a tire far enough to remove the tire and....ask the dealer if the factory jack will even lift the weight on the rear axle SAFELY

 

[ckent323]

I always remove the camper jacks after I put the camper on the truck. I have the camper on and off the truck about twice a year. I have a bed cap that goes on when the camper is off.

Once the camper is on or off it usually stays that way for a two to three months. We have tended to do less frequent but longer multi week trips now that we are retired.

I have a 3 ton bottle jack and I will use that if needed to change a tire but so far I have never had a flat tire on this vehicle and I have had the truck for 17 years. I do carry a full size spare (I rotate in the best of the four tires whenever I replace them) that matches the make and model as the tires on my truck.


Craig

 

[Vic]

My old Sunlite lived on my old truck almost permanently - and I took the jacks off for clearance and weight reasons. They were manual Titan's. It made the camper a good 6 inches narrower.

My new camper has electric happi-jac's that are unfortunately hard-wired in. I plan to put connectors in for future trips off the beaten path. However, I've found if I'm in a campground type place more than 2 or 3 nights I tend to drop the camper and run around without it.

 

[Beach]

Removed them when I first mounted the camper to prevent damage to camper or jacks if impacted. carried them in the couch for a year until I convinced myself they were not needed during travels. Been running without them now for 3+ years, no issues. Get a heavier jack as mentioned before.

 

[craig333]

Not carried them a single time. You'll find most don't. I have changed a tire with the camper on, didn't notice any difference.

 

[Bombsight]

Off ... every time!

 

[JaSAn]

. . . I always have the jacks on when out camping as I wouldn't know what to do if I had a flat or vehicle trouble . . .
Do you travel jacks on or off? Ever have vehicle issues when in a remote location without the jacks?

I use cable jacks, so no camper jacks along. If I have vehicle trouble the camper stays on the truck.

I carry a 4 ton bottle jack in place of truck's factory jack. Factory jack should be able to lift one wheel if truck is at or below GVWR, but I am not confident in the jack Dodge provided.

jim

 

[Karlton]

Thanks - appreciate the tips. I'll look into the truck jack capacity and upgrade if needed. And I'll need to get a new photo for my profile absent the camper jacks!

Cheers

 

[camper rich]

Our FWC dealer in Salt Lake City would not let us take the truck our of his shop unless the jacks were removed. He cautioned us that if we choose to drive with them on, we would sooner or later hit one on something and that it does a lot of damage to the camper. We carried them in our utility trailer for the first trip to Baja and used them to unload the camper to have the truck to drive around. We found out that loading it back up was not so easy since we were camped on sand. We did get the camper back on the truck but decided this trip to leave the jacks at home.

 

[nikonron]

I've never had them on the camper once it was installed and wouldn't even consider traveling with them on. Ron

 

[JCatt]

I take the camper jacks off if we are going more than a couple days. Even with the camper on I would bet the rear of my truck is the same maybe lighter as the front. F250 with the 6.7 is a heavy engine. Approximately 5,000 on the front axle and 3,000 on the rear without the camper. I also carry an off-road bottle jack from Safe Jack with a baseplate.

 

[klahanie]

+10 never carried them. Mind you ours are the cable type not corner jacks. I have never felt need for them when away but I don't doubt they have their use for some people.

You are smart to think about "what ifs" in remote areas. for eg,I know a fellow who had a front turnbuckle come off while driving on washboard in the bush ... and it slipped under the camper. Had no camper jacks or way to lift the camper so had to limp to a rural garage. (now uses a safety wire on turnbuckles).

Bottle jacks are great tools, you can do a lot with blocking and a jack. If you carry one to change a flat tire also make sure it will fit under the axle (if that's where you lift)

This "12 ton" jack was a steal at $10 from Costco and is my go to at home but when I didn't catch this flat in time it was too tall to use without some digging or driving up onto something. Fortunately I also carry a smaller one.

If you carry your oem jack as a primary or secondary, check that it works properly. A friend had a rear blow out while towing and his oem jack was inoperable, he bent the handle etc. Fortunately he carried the supplies and material to get it working.

 

[Ronin]

I only use the jacks for loading/unloading my Hawk . I have a 2 ton aluminum floor jack that is stored in the rear cabinet I built in place of the rear seat of my extended cab. I prefer the stable perch of a floor jack but I also have a bottle jack that fits where the factory jack was. I am adding 42 lbs with the floor jack plus another 6-7 lbs with my cordless impact wrench but feel that it's really worth it as I have had flats while out exploring off-road.

I agree with everyone that you are reducing weight and minimizing potential damage to your camper in case of an unfortunate collision or possibly snagging a jack on a tree or pole.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Then there are those of us that were to lazy to take them off; yep they were great for hanging things like fishing rods and bags, canteens and those sort of things. They were also great to tie things like tarps to if you needed to cover a hole in your roof. Nice place to tie the dog to!That said, after 12 years I needed a place to mount a gas can on the rear-off went the back ones,then the front. Can see better to the rear now, but sure miss those places to hang things and tie the dog to! Can't win them all I guess !

Smoke

 

[nikonron]

Smoke,Tie to the jack plates. Ron

 

[kmcintyre]

+10 never carried them. Mind you ours are the cable type not corner jacks. I have never felt need for them when away but I don't doubt they have their use for some people.

You are smart to think about "what ifs" in remote areas. for eg,I know a fellow who had a front turnbuckle come off while driving on washboard in the bush ... and it slipped under the camper. Had no camper jacks or way to lift the camper so had to limp to a rural garage. (now uses a safety wire on turnbuckles).

Bottle jacks are great tools, you can do a lot with blocking and a jack. If you carry one to change a flat tire also make sure it will fit under the axle (if that's where you lift)

This "12 ton" jack was a steal at $10 from Costco and is my go to at home but when I didn't catch this flat in time it was too tall to use without some digging or driving up onto something. Fortunately I also carry a smaller one.

If you carry your oem jack as a primary or secondary, check that it works properly. A friend had a rear blow out while towing and his oem jack was inoperable, he bent the handle etc. Fortunately he carried the supplies and material to get it working.

That reminds me that I have to check to make sure my jack can lift my truck high enough to get the wheels off. It came standard w/ 20" wheels and I could see how the manufacturer would skimp on the jack since they don't even put a full size spare on the truck!

 

[Bill D]

When sizing your jack, keep in mind that you should be jacking from the rear axle (not the frame) if you have airbags.

 

[idahoron]

I have had my Hawk ( pretty well loaded) on my 05 Tundra for 5 years non stop. I have had to change two tires, and had no trouble at all.