I meant to say that a 2 ton bottle jack is plenty strong - you're only
lifting 1/4 of the vans weight.

Jake

On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 10:20 AM, Jake de Villiers <
crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:

> I jack from the lower control arms.  Nice and flat and you only have to
> lift a couple of inches, instead of cycling through the suspension travel
> first...its way faster.
>
> Jake
>
>
> On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 8:24 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> When I first got the camper, I went through a drill to try out the OEM
>> jack.  I did not and do not like it, as it did not seem as stable as the
>> scissors jacks that I have been accustomed to with Japanese vehicles.  But,
>> it worked, and I have not done anything about a better jack.  One question I
>> have, and have been a bit put off by in considering other jacks, is how does
>> one adapt them to the jack points built into the side of the van?  A
>> scissors or a bottle jack either needs a notch or at least a flat place to
>> fit the jack platform.  How do you guys deal with that?  I would like to
>> have a jack that I trust more to remain stable while changing a flat if
>> needed.  Thanks, David McNeely
>>
>> ---- Ryan Johnson <rhinoculips@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> > Personally, I hate the OEM jack.  When I was 30 miles up a rough and
>> very
>> > remote mountain road, I got a flat.  The damn jack jammed half way up.
>>  It
>> > wouldn't go up, nor down.  It was high enough to get the flat off, but
>> not
>> > high enough to put the spare on.  Thus, I had to chip and scratch away
>> at
>> > the hard and rocky road base with a folding shovel, hatchet and crow bar
>> > until I had a deep enough hole to get the spare on.  Then I had to pound
>> the
>> > jack out from under the van.  A really pain in the arse.  I am glad I
>> didn't
>> > have to dig a hole into the pavement to get my spare on........
>> >
>> > Now I keep a hydraulic bottle jack and some short 2x6 boards and never
>> > looked back.  Its nice to pump up the jack and then twist the release
>> valve
>> > to lower.  Much easier than winding a "hundred" times in both directions
>> > with the OEM jack.  My recommendation is to toss the OEM in the trash
>> and
>> > get a real jack.  Ideally, I would go for a HighLift, but I have yet to
>> find
>> > a satisfactory place to keep it and it's a little overkill for the run
>> of
>> > the mill flat.
>> >
>> > Fair winds and following seas,
>> > Ryan
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 1:36 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > > At 10:27 AM 6/19/2010, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Church. I destroyed my OEM jack by nit-wittedly leaning against the
>> > >> rear of the van when it was up on the jack. Van was in neutral,
>> > >> rolled a bit (it was on a slope) and twisted that jack like so much
>> > >> licorice.
>> > >>
>> > >
>> > > Cathedral.  I'm too embarrassed to say what I did.  It was long ago
>> > > and I was a spavined wee thing of only forty or so.  I'll say this,
>> > > though -- the brake backing plate bent, and if you go to a certain
>> > > parking lot in Seekonk MA you might still find the dent in the
>> asphalt.
>> > > Didn't hurt the jack or mount though, because they're both round and
>> > > designed to spin.
>> > >
>> > > And it was three other guys, it never broke and it was that way when I
>> got
>> > > it.
>> > >
>> > > Yours,
>> > > d
>> > >
>>
>> --
>> David McNeely
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27