[NoFixedAbode]

I have a spare wheel but since the caravan came without a jack it I would need to call someone out if I did have a puncture, and even then I'm not sure a trolley jack, that would likely be used, would be ok with the Alko chassis. I would buy a jack if I wasn't already at the weight limit.

I'd rather dispense with the spare to save weight, and maybe use a tyre repair spray or some such solution, even if only temporary.

Hopefully I'll never have a puncture, but any thoughts?

Ed

[JTQ]

Unless you had the tyres pre injected with a sealant the big problem you would face is being aware of any non catastrophic puncture, before running on the slowly deflating tyre had overheated and wrecked the side-walls.
Its totally unlike a car tyre puncture where things feel "wrong" giving a chance of saving your tyre.
I have not been persuaded to go the goo in the tyre route. And having had two blow-outs plus two punctures in caravan tyres I am not ready to leave my spare at home yet.

This post has been edited by JTQ: 08 February 2010 - 09:26 PM

[The Ridge Rider]

I know what you mean, our Caravan came without a jack as well, but! fortunately the vehicle i drive has a sustantial jack provided for the job, if it can lift me Jeep up then a Caravan will not be a problem, and yes i have tried it, it works, so does your vehicle comes supplied with a jack, i know there are quite a few who do not have this facility, Ford Galaxys for example have a small pump and gunge to pump into the tyre, fine untill the tread comes away as one on our fleet found out, that is a small problem with a blow out, there could be a rather large/small whole in your tyre or sidewall so the question is how will the gunge/repair spray fix that?

Alternately it looks like a trip to Halfrauds, a small bottle jack might do the job, plus a couple of pieces of wood to stand the jack on.

Some of the more experianced Caravaners will be along shortly to help with advice, i only speak as a former car mechanic.

[Eddie]

NoFixedAbode, on 08 February 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hopefully I'll never have a puncture, but any thoughts?

Ed

We all hope that, but better being "safe than sorry". If you are in Spain at present, and obviously prepared to do long distances with your 'van, I would recommend the Al-ko jack and brackets (they wont add on very much weight). Some people just use a bottle-jack, but personally, I wouldn't like to depend on one.

[FM02MZO]

I myself would certainly forefit something else just to carry a jack and have piece of mind, especially if I was going to cross the Channel.

[NoFixedAbode]

Yes, I can see the limitations of relying on gunge. I'll see if my car jack could be used, maybe with some kind of bracket on the caravan, if not I'll get myself a jack. Thanks all.

[Tourershine]

There is a caravan jack for sale in the classifieds section of CT.

[imwatching]

The AL-KO side lift jack only weighs 4kg so not to much extra weight

[iansoady]

I have a small trolley jack which IIRC cost around £10 from ALDI / LIDL. It's low profile enough to slip under the chassis beneath the axle (where it should be jacked). I carry it in the car as it's fairly heavy.

[Calomax]

NoFixedAbode, on 08 February 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

I have a spare wheel but since the caravan came without a jack it I would need to call someone out if I did have a puncture, and even then I'm not sure a trolley jack, that would likely be used, would be ok with the Alko chassis. I would buy a jack if I wasn't already at the weight limit.

I'd rather dispense with the spare to save weight, and maybe use a tyre repair spray or some such solution, even if only temporary.

Hopefully I'll never have a puncture, but any thoughts?

Ed

Last year I was forced hard onto a kerb by an oncoming car and burst a car tyre, ripping the sidewall. Gunge and a compressor wouldn't have been much use to me. So when I replaced the car, I made sure it came with a spare wheel. Likewise the caravan. I have an old screw jack with a one tonne limit that I carry, it's very light.

[ramar]

I have read with interest the various comments about spares and although this is not directly related I would be interested to know what others do about "Space Saver" spares that seem to come with so many cars now. I am a returner to caravaning so I did not buy my car with that in mind.
Having suffered a recent puncture it highlighted the stupidity of the device and I will certainly look more carefully when I change my car.

They are only intended for use on the rear of a front wheel drive car at a maximum of 80k, no chance of catching the ferry unless there is plenty of time to spare.

So my question is how does one get round the problem because, for example, on a Sunday drive between my home here in France and Calais there would be no chance of buying a new tyre and the spare would not last for very long even if you were not towing.

[leedslad]

For many years I carried a trolley jack with me until someone pointed out the difficulty of getting one under the 'van when a tyre is flat. So I searched Ebay, got lucky and got an Alko one like this only cheaper. :D

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item3a575fa562


John.

[jan69c]

We have the alko jack, and we have a trolley jack for the car. We had a most spectacular blow out on the van, and we were not prepared. Luckily the RAC put the spare on for me as a 'good will' gesture, for that I am very grateful. Otherwise I would have been up creek without a paddle. I would not travel without a jack, it is not worth the risk.

[JonathanM]

Tourershine, on 09 February 2010 - 10:10 AM, said:

There is a caravan jack for sale in the classifieds section of CT.

Possibly mine, but is lacking the chassis mounts.

http://www.ultraseal...mouth/index.asp This product has always seemed to overcome the problems of puncture repair sealants, as it is "installed" and left to run in the tyre permanently.


I've always carried the spare wheel & the Alko jack, but on longer trips (france for example), I've always packed a 2 tonne trolley jack. This is a much speedier way of lifting either caravan or towcar, and has the benfit of being more accessible packed in the boot of the car than the car jack, which is packed in the spare wheel well under the boot floor.

I'd wonder about the suggestion of using the car jack, as it may be quite unstable when raised, as any jacked vehicle will be, but the lack of matching jack points on the caravan might increase this risk.


Bottle jacks will possibly have too much height to get under a caravan axle when a flat has already occured, hence my choice of a trolley jack. Also can't jack using the caravan floor, that would be a really bad idea.. Suggest if access may be a concern to drag the caravan onto a levelling block to allow the trolley jack under the axle.

This post has been edited by JonathanM: 09 February 2010 - 03:58 PM

[JTQ]

Don't forget that you can make "jacking up" the van when you have a puncture so much easier, and on occasion even possible if you use the car to haul that punctured wheel up a ramp etc.
Even up onto the spare wheel itself via a couple of blocks.
That gets you the under axle clearance you need and greatly lowers the amount of jacking needed to get the wheel on.

[micktheshed]

If you've paidout for breakdown ins. why worry abought replacing the puncher, call them out...they are professionals & know the risks involved. Using any sort of jack at the side of a normal road is very risky, on a motorway hard shoulder is potentialy suicide & not recommended for the faint of heart!
So you might have to wait a bit, but Greenflag will give you a tenner if more than an hour. & at lest you will be around to tell the tail!

[fleetgold]

micktheshed, on 03 March 2010 - 10:32 AM, said:

If you've paidout for breakdown ins. why worry abought replacing the puncher, call them out...they are professionals & know the risks involved. Using any sort of jack at the side of a normal road is very risky, on a motorway hard shoulder is potentialy suicide & not recommended for the faint of heart!
So you might have to wait a bit, but Greenflag will give you a tenner if more than an hour. & at lest you will be around to tell the tail!

Sadly part of the M6 northbound was closed this morning as someone was killed on the hard shoulder whilst changing his tyre. I would always call the professionals.