Camper removal with no jacks

[Swamp Creature]

Hey all. Anyone have ideas on how I can remove my camper without corner jacks. I am traveling in Mexico and posting up in Oaxaca for the next few months. Wanting to remove the camper so I can get the truck painted and navigate easier through narrow city streets. We left our corner jacks at home in Colorado to save weight. My current best plan is to buy a few jacks from the auto parts store and have someone fabricate some “stilts” out of scaffolding material or something that would be strong enough. Any other clever ideas or considerations? (Yes I have looked around and nothing like this exists here). Thanks!

 

[knoxswift]

Quick thought:
Come-a-long at required rated weight.
4 cables to each corner. Outriggers to manage swinging...
Lift out and then drive away and then lower to ground...

Mounting point of come-a-long, really big tree or other overhead available mount?

Getting it back in without help would be the problem it will swing around a bit...

 

[Vic Harder]

Here is what came to mind... 4 bottle jacks and 4 jack stands.

Brace the bottle jacks with some planking underneath and on top to spread the loads, jack up a bit, raise jack stands as high as possible in case bottle jack fails or shifts, repeat until camper is free of the truck and standing securely on the jack stands... or lower to the ground if desired.

 

[DavidGraves]

IF you have factory jack plates mounted on your truck:

On level ground, drive your truck up onto four equally sized 6 X 6 timbers lying flat.....lock parking brake.

Screw several 3/8 inch by 1 1/2 inch lag screws thru jack plates into one 4 X 4 vertical wood post at each jack plate.

Loosen turnbuckles, etc.

Jack each post up a little ,,,,maybe three inches and block...using what ever lever...one at a time.

Ease truck off the timbers.

Lots of luck...just go slow and be careful.

 

[todgru]

Inspired by DavidGraves answer:

Drive the truck up on 4 or 5 2x6's lying flat. All Four wheels.
attach fixed length steel posts to the corner brackets all the way down to the ground.
remove turnbuckles
Using tall bottle jacks, raise truck from the rear and front axles. bottle jack/floor jack on from the ground, up to the axle. Yes, then will need to be tall.
Raise up enough to remove one of the 2x6's
reset jacks,
repeat until the truck can be pulled out.

The camper will be sitting really high.

Just an idea! Don't do this!

Tod.

 

[klahanie]

IF you have factory jack plates mounted on your truck:

On level ground,

<snip>.....lock parking brake.

Screw several 3/8 inch by 1 1/2 inch lag screws thru jack plates into one 4 X 4 vertical wood post at each jack plate.

Loosen turnbuckles, etc.

<snip>....

To borrow this idea. perhaps could inflate the tires to max first. then assemble supports as above. then lower tire air pressure and drive out from under. Then you reinforce support by placing something under exposed camper bottom.


of course borrowing a forklift might work. no idea if that is possible. or for that matter if the camper at present overhangs the rear (to jack up or sling from above), how much the camper overhangs the truck sides (to jack), if there is enough clearance between the camper and truck box to tilt the camper sideways (to jack and block between camper and truck bed), if you want to relocate the camper after removing (somewhere to store, maybe a facility that could also help remove (paint shop, with lift ?)).

in short not much info given. I'm just thinking about these guys trying to help...

 

[DavidGraves]

Oh

I WAS gonna say loosen turnbuckles and drive up a trail while looking at your nav system......

but hard to reload that way.

David Graves

 

[klahanie]

^ I see what you did there

 

[CougarCouple]

Contact a crane company should be reasonable. We pay about 120-150 to lift equipment on roofs.

Russ





Spelling

 

[XJINTX]

Just remember once off you have to get back on. Maybe post on other sites like ExpeditionPortal.com? I know you are pretty far south but "Possibly" someone is headed your way and has their Jacks installed that you could borrow?

 

[ntsqd]

A friend & I changed a flat on a V-8 Vega with no jack on the side of I-10 somewhere East of Desert Center at 3AM. People were moving and lifting heavy, awkward things long before camper jacks were around. The basic jist will be to support the camper while the rig is higher than normal off the ground, and then sag the truck out from under, OR support the camper with the rig at normal ride height and then lower the truck out from under it either by digging or possibly by simply lowering the tire pressure.

Big question is, do you need access to the camper while it is off the truck?

 

[Old Crow]

I can't tell if you're in Oaxaca or headed there. If the suggestions above don't work out, you might seek local knowledge and perhaps assistance from Calvin and Leanne at Overlander Oasis. Their web site's Repairs page (and its photos) appear to show the right kind of skills and interests, they're bilingual (if that's needed) and presumably they're familiar with suppliers, craftsmen, etc. Also, one of the comments says Calvin is extremely skilled in metal fabrication and woodwork, should it come to that.

PS- I have no connection to Overland Oasis... I just found the web site while searching for RV repair services in Oaxaca. There are also several RV repair shops... perhaps worth a check to see if anyone has corner jacks they'd be willing to rent or know someone who might.

Good luck!
.

 

[knoxswift]

Oh

I WAS gonna say loosen turnbuckles and drive up a trail while looking at your nav system......

but hard to reload that way.

David Graves

 

[PackRat]

How much to have your jacks shipped to you?
Anyone able to box them up and FedEx them to you?
Still the SAFEST method is the tested and working system you already have.

Post what kind of mounts you have on the camper in case some WTW is in the area and can loan theirs they thoughtfully took with them. Then you have the same issue when the paint job, etc. is done and you ready to remount the camper.....

Beware the guy with a fork-lift who says he does it all the time....unless your insurance is up to date!

 

[Swamp Creature]

Hey all.

Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, I’m already in Oaxaca, I won’t need access to the camper while it’s off the truck, and i have the standard corner jack mounts on my camper. I emailed the guys at over lander oasis for some local advice (thanks old crow). I agree that having the proper jacks is the best move. Mine are in storage and can’t be shipped. I can think of a few ways to get the camper off but getting it back on with something rigid supporting the camper is still leaving me a little perplexed.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hello Again

I have pondered your situation today.

I wanted to ask if you have ever off loaded the camper at home using the jacks ?

David Graves

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Somewhere close there has to be a pair of winch type tripod camper jacks, but you still need something to sit the camper on.

 

[Swamp Creature]

David,

Yes. I have unloaded and reloaded at home. I think i see what you’re getting at here and, yes the suspension is flexing quite a bit meaning I will have to lift the camper quite high to get it off.

 

[DavidGraves]

Swamp

Oh good....I was concerned about making it seem too easy.

There have been lots of helpful comments.

It seems your biggest concern is supporting the camper properly high enough to allow being able to reload..

I would second that you need to support the camper well on its new legs....they are very tippy when up high.

Is your camper a shell or fully fit out at factory ?

Of course you would off load everything you can first ....then you can put it all back in.

Four by Fours and a shovel ought to get it done.

Do you have a good space to store it while off ?

Keep in touch here as I am sure many are rooting for you and brilliant ideas pop up in this group.

Don't forget to ask for local help...the paint shop maybe ?

You could also roll it off onto a loading dock as long as it is high enough to load back.

David Graves

 

[Bill D]

Maybe this guy has some advice.