Bottle Jack

Flyfisher52

New Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2024
Messages
5
I have a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 303 RLS and put MORryde Independent Suspension with hydraulic/electric brakes. I am trying to find how to raise my 5th wheel to change a tire. I can't seem to find anyone who will suggest a bottle jack and tonnage to lift the fifth wheel. Can you help?

...a first timer...

flyfisher52
 
It takes quite a bit of lifting height, so you need blocking to get the job done. Your GVWR is about 6 ton, and you are unlikely to need to lift half of that to change a tire while the trailer is hitched and two wheels are still on the ground. A 3-ton jack would do, but a 6-ton will be easier to use. You get into pretty big jacks when you get into higher capacity.

The only manufacturer recommended way to lift is by the frame. With a saddle and some care, some people lift by the axle at the U-bolts.
 
We use this jack and female pipe mount on our Morryde IS suspension and frame.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z37T521/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QEKHHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We place it under the specific wheel spring and jack up that wheel only. We dont bother lifting the whole side by placing under the frame, but it can also be used that way too. Like just supporting the wheel I'm working on and not half of the whole trailer.
 
I have a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 303 RLS and put MORryde Independent Suspension with hydraulic/electric brakes. I am trying to find how to raise my 5th wheel to change a tire. I can't seem to find anyone who will suggest a bottle jack and tonnage to lift the fifth wheel. Can you help?

...a first timer...

flyfisher52
Does MORyde recommend lifting the trailer, or can you just lift the flat tire? I would think the single tire could be done with the independent suspension.

Don't forget to check the height of the jack while the trailer is in your driveway to make sure you'll be able to get the jack under the lifting point if the tire is deflated. DAMHIKIJK. :)
 
Does MORyde recommend lifting the trailer, or can you just lift the flat tire? I would think the single tire could be done with the independent suspension.

Don't forget to check the height of the jack while the trailer is in your driveway to make sure you'll be able to get the jack under the lifting point if the tire is deflated. DAMHIKIJK. :)

Yes, you can.

MorRyde Jack Points.jpg
 
I have a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 303 RLS and put MORryde Independent Suspension with hydraulic/electric brakes. I am trying to find how to raise my 5th wheel to change a tire. I can't seem to find anyone who will suggest a bottle jack and tonnage to lift the fifth wheel. Can you help?

...a first timer...

flyfisher52

A good rule of thumb for buying a jack is to get a jack that is rated for the GVWR of the vehicle. 12,000 lb. GVWR? You need at least a 6 ton rated jack. A 6 ton jack won’t lift 6 tons. It will lift 1 tire of a 6 ton vehicle. Ramps are the same. Ramps rated for 16,000 lbs. are designed so a pair will lift one-half of a 16,000 lb vehicle. Considering the safety issues involved, the way jacks, jack stands, and ramps are rated should be a crime. Sorry for the rant but the current rating system is misleading, at best, for people who don’t have experience with this stuff.
 
A good rule of thumb for buying a jack is to get a jack that is rated for the GVWR of the vehicle. 12,000 lb. GVWR? You need at least a 6 ton rated jack. A 6 ton jack won’t lift 6 tons. It will lift 1 tire of a 6 ton vehicle. Ramps are the same. Ramps rated for 16,000 lbs. are designed so a pair will lift one-half of a 16,000 lb vehicle. Considering the safety issues involved, the way jacks, jack stands, and ramps are rated should be a crime. Sorry for the rant but the current rating system is misleading, at best, for people who don’t have experience with this stuff.

So... your saying a jack thats rated 6 tons, wont lift 6 tons? Thats a new one.....��

Note: Definitely hard one to debate, unless you can somehow balance 6 tons (i.e. your trailer) on it or can find a NIST calibration test bench somewhere handy..
 
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A good rule of thumb for buying a jack is to get a jack that is rated for the GVWR of the vehicle. 12,000 lb. GVWR? You need at least a 6 ton rated jack. A 6 ton jack won’t lift 6 tons. It will lift 1 tire of a 6 ton vehicle. Ramps are the same. Ramps rated for 16,000 lbs. are designed so a pair will lift one-half of a 16,000 lb vehicle. Considering the safety issues involved, the way jacks, jack stands, and ramps are rated should be a crime. Sorry for the rant but the current rating system is misleading, at best, for people who don’t have experience with this stuff.
I wholeheartedly agree. I've tried raising a trailer tire, to change a flat, with a 6,000 lb. rated jack many years ago, and it took a lot of effort to manage it, especially with the short-ish lever that is furnished with the jack. All my bottle jacks that I carry with the trailer are 10 ton, or 12 ton jacks.
 
I wholeheartedly agree. I've tried raising a trailer tire, to change a flat, with a 6,000 lb. rated jack many years ago, and it took a lot of effort to manage it, especially with the short-ish lever that is furnished with the jack. All my bottle jacks that I carry with the trailer are 10 ton, or 12 ton jacks.

Didn't he say 6 tons? Not 6000 lbs... that would be 12000 lbs.
 
I had a local auto parts store bottle jack for years. It was always fine for garage work, but when I tried to use it on the trailer with a saddle under the u-bolt area it seemed to struggle to get the tire off the ground. The box indicated the jack was rated at 8 ton. That’s considerably more than the entire trailer weighs!

I figured it was just getting old, and set out to find a good quality US made jack to replace it. I quickly discovered there were very few such animals in existence, and they were very expensive if even available.

After much debate, I plunked down the big $ for an 8 ton US Jack. What a beast! No comparison to the old “8 ton” China jack I was replacing. Most importantly, an absolute breeze to use to lift up the same trailer wheel. OK, it is quite a bit heavier which is not a breeze, but it is a different jack completely from the old one with the same rating.

I don’t understand how they can be so different, but I am glad I paid the $ for a real tool. Bonus, it is completely rebuildable. No more China jacks for me.
 
It takes quite a bit of lifting height, so you need blocking to get the job done. Your GVWR is about 6 ton, and you are unlikely to need to lift half of that to change a tire while the trailer is hitched and two wheels are still on the ground. A 3-ton jack would do, but a 6-ton will be easier to use. You get into pretty big jacks when you get into higher capacity.

The only manufacturer recommended way to lift is by the frame. With a saddle and some care, some people lift by the axle at the U-bolts.
Thanks so much for your input. Do you know where on the frame you would place the single bottle jack?
 
I'm new to this guys so bear with me. Thanks to you both for your input. So it looks like a 6 ton bottle jack is the ticket, at the least. I'm amazed at this Grand Design forum. I'll catch on hopefully sooner than later. Best as always.
 
A good rule of thumb for buying a jack is to get a jack that is rated for the GVWR of the vehicle. 12,000 lb. GVWR? You need at least a 6 ton rated jack. A 6 ton jack won’t lift 6 tons. It will lift 1 tire of a 6 ton vehicle. Ramps are the same. Ramps rated for 16,000 lbs. are designed so a pair will lift one-half of a 16,000 lb vehicle. Considering the safety issues involved, the way jacks, jack stands, and ramps are rated should be a crime. Sorry for the rant but the current rating system is misleading, at best, for people who don’t have experience with this stuff.

Thanks Tom Traveler.
 
Thanks so much for your input. Do you know where on the frame you would place the single bottle jack?
I would never try to lift the frame with a single bottle jack, too much of a chance of stressing things. I believe most builders recommend against such a practice. One bottle jack will work to lift a single tire, to lift the frame would take at least two properly placed.
 
I would never try to lift the frame with a single bottle jack, too much of a chance of stressing things. I believe most builders recommend against such a practice. One bottle jack will work to lift a single tire, to lift the frame would take at least two properly placed.

Direct quote from GD service: “The jack should be placed on the underside of the frame as close as possible to the spring hanger. Do not lift by the axle tube or springs.”
 

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