Jack points

[geO]

Greetings folks, I've yet been able to find exactly the jack points on my eliteII. Could someone please attach a photo of where I need to jack up my Oliver properly? I'm getting close to needing new tires and so I want to jack up the trailer and take my tires off and take them to a tire shop for remounting.

 

Thank you!

[mossemi]

Greetings folks, I’ve yet been able to find exactly the jack points on my eliteII. Could someone please attach a photo of where I need to jack up my Oliver properly? I’m getting close to needing new tires and so I want to jack up the trailer and take my tires off and take them to a tire shop for remounting.

Thank you!

 

This is a picture of my 2017 EII. The outside aluminum frame member in bolted to a galvanized steel channel. You want to place your jack under the steel channel, never under the aluminum. The have been some pictures of the 2019 or 2020 trailers and they have a sticker pointing to the jack points, but

I can’t find them now.

 

EDIT:  The picture of the jack point stickers is in the September 2019 newsletter.

 

 

[geO]

Thank you for clarifying this for me. I thought it was best to ask since I was not certain.

[mossemi]

You can all ways verify the spot with a magnet to confirm it is steel.

 

Mike

[ScubaRx]

I believe you may have better success with jacking the frame up behind the wheels rather than in front. My experience with using the front position is that it also lifts the front jack off the ground, particularly if you're trying to lift only the rear tire. This could turn into a disaster if the trailer decided to pivot on the opposite side tires. "But they're chocked", you say.  Still taking a chance in my opinion.  "Keep it hooked to the tow", now you're trying to lift the truck too.

[mossemi]

Excellent points Steve! It was not my intention to suggest that the only place to jack up the trailer to change a tire was from in front of the front tire. I just couldn’t get a clear picture of the rear jacking point on my trailer. That was also the reason I referenced the newsletter as it has a better description than I provided. But here are 2 pictures copied from the newsletter showing the jack points for OTT's 2017 and newer.

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Overland]

I have to agree with Steve on not using the front jack points.  If you were to lift with those, and the front jack also lifted, then the trailer could easily twist off the jack even if the other wheels chocked.  While it's always possible that Oliver didn't think it through when they marked the forward points, my suspicion is that those are valid, but only to be used when the trailer is to be lifted with a 4-point lift in a garage or placed on jack stands.  Perhaps Oliver makes that distinction in the newer manuals?  Seems like they should.

 

I'd think that a better label for those front points would be "Secondary Lift Point" or something similar.

[geO]

Sorry for the late reply. For some reason I kept having trouble opening the thread. I think I'll just play it safe and just raise one side at a time when I change out the tires. I just needed to ensure exactly the jack points.

 

You guys rock!

 

tHank you!

George

[Geronimo John]

I hitch Ollie to my truck and set the TV parking brake.......and pocket the keys!  At least I know if my jacking skills fail me, it's not going to go very ....far other than down.

[csevel]

I know I'm reviving an old thread but my '17 does not have the steel overlay forward OR aft of the tires as shown in the photo above.  I know because I used a magnet to see.   Am I safe in just using the spring plate to place jack stands under while I do bearing, lube and brake work??  

[SeaDawg]

@csevel, I don't know. I would suggest you open a service ticket, and share the response here, please. 

 

[Dave and Kimberly]

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/videos/

 

This discusses the proper use of the stabilization jacks and is found in the Oliver university videos.... but at the 3:20 mark... they point out the jack-up points.

[topgun2]

OR - try this.

Note that the jack points indicated in the video are NOT NECESSARILY applicable to all Elite II's.  Early models had a different sub-frame.

Bill 

[csevel]

38 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

@csevel, I don't know. I would suggest you open a service ticket, and share the response here, please. 

 

I do have a service ticket for May.  I'm in a place where learning to do my own maintenance and/or repairs is important and I excite for the learning experience.  However, my tireless research on the forum and elsewhere has left me a bit confused.  There's many ways to skin the cat I've gleaned - and  since Olivers are constructed differently in different years, I'm having a hard time nailing down how to properly lift my ILOVHER.   My Casita (OCD) was simple.  The Oliver service bulletin doesn't seem to apply in my case.   I will be traveling quite a distance to my first rally and these type of things are just worth knowing if I end up on the side of the road.  Thanks for all of your help!!

[SeaDawg]

@csevel, I get that. We do most of our own maintenance,  too. I'm just unsure, like you, if current jack points are the same for your trailer. 

Jason is usually quite good at responding to service ticket questions, and I'd really like to know. 

[Landrover]

What is the problem with putting a jack on the aluminum frame?  These frames are supposed to be of high quality material and are quite thick. What kind of damage will occur?  You may put marks on the frame from the steel jack pedestal. A block of wood between the frame and jack would solve that problem. Aren’t the electric jacks attached to the frame? They don’t cause any damage to the frame. Or will they?

[SeaDawg]

@Landrover, I  don't think any of our earlier trailers had specific jackpoints marked. I'm sure mine (2008) didn't. 

Though we have never had an issue, through 3 or 4 sets of tires, and annual maintenance,  I'd love to see Oliver weigh in.

We, also, look at the beefy aluminum frame as pretty much bulletproof. 

[tallmandan]

I just took my LEII to Discount Tire to have them take off the wheels and install the GM TPMS sensors. I pointed out the jack points on the trailer. The trolly jacks they wheeled out did not lift the trailer high enough to fully get the wheels off the ground.  The guys wanted to lift it by putting the trolly jacks under the axles. I was uncomfortable with this and they went and brought the tech mananger out and he told me they would not put anything under the trolly jacks or use anything else due to their safety protocol.  He assured me they would use 4 trolly jacks and lift the entire trailer evenly from both axles and there would be no problem.  I finally agreed and everything went just fine.  No problems.  TMPS works great.  

Just sharing this if anyone else goes to a tire shop.

Discount Tire was was great to work with by the way.  Very professional and they had 5 guys all working on my trailer at one time to do it right.  They only charged me $10 per wheel to remove, install TPMS sensors and then reinstall.   Highly recommend Discount Tire as I've always had good service there.

 

[topgun2]

26 minutes ago, tallmandan said:

The guys wanted to lift it by putting the trolly jacks under the axles.

The potential problem with doing this is that the axles just might be dented, bent or otherwise deformed.  These axles are not solid material.

10 hours ago, Landrover said:

What is the problem with putting a jack on the aluminum frame?

The basic problem with this is that depending on where the jacks are placed there may be enough torque to "tweak" or bend the frame such that it will either be out of alignment and/or put stress on the fiberglass body.

Both these issues (and perhaps more) are reasons why Oliver started identifying the specific jack points on trailers sometime in 2017 or 2018.  As with SeaDawg my 2016 Elite II has never had jack points identified.  However, I've been told that when/if I need to jack up the camper I should place the jack on the steel subframe as close to the axles as I can.

It will be interesting to see what the latest word on this issue is from Service.

Bill

[John E Davies]

You could have asked them to lift one wheel at a time by the axle tube, close to the brake, or under the spring perch, leaving all three other ones on the ground. That doesn’t stress anything. Lifting three tons off the ground that way does….

However, I personally would just use the factory jacks to raise the trailer completely off the ground, as long as nobody crawls under it, no worries. “Jack points? We don’t need no stinking jack points!” This is contrary to current factory recommendations. But in the Old Days it was OK. The jacks are plenty strong enough, unless there is a failure at one of their attach points. This is only for a solid level surface like concrete.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

14 hours ago, csevel said:

I will be traveling quite a distance to my first rally and these type of things are just worth knowing if I end up on the side of the road. 

While traveling one must do what they have to do to be safe.  Much of this discussion involves other actual or potential issues such as where does one have to place a jack (both on the camper and the ground), how much of the trailer is being lifted and how long (time) is the trailer going to be lifted.  As many others have done - I've simply used the onboard jacks for changing tires or simple quick lube jobs and as far as I know I've not done any damage to either the frame or the fiberglass.  On the other hand - jacking the trailer for extended periods of time or jacking the entire trailer off the ground (versus one wheel at a time) is an entirely different matter and I've never done that in any fashion.

Bill

[SeaDawg]

9 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

I've simply used the onboard jacks for changing tires or simple quick lube jobs and as far as I know I've not done any damage to either the frame or the fiberglass.

Ditto

[ScottyGS]

26 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

  However, I've been told that when/if I need to jack up the camper I should place the jack on the steel subframe as close to the axles as I can.

That's what I understand to be the "correct" way to jack up the trailer.  The problem on a pre-2017-18 trailer is that the subframe is very short.  Trying to find a place to get a jack in there amongst the axles etc. is not an easy thing to do.   I have used the onboard stabilizers as well and not had any problems.  

It's my understanding that this issue ..... along with some folks damaging the axle by jacking under them... was what drove Oliver to the decision to extend the steel subframe.  

[Mike and Carol]

I’ve been to discount tire twice with my Oliver.  I put a tall block under the front jack to stabilize and then a tall block on the side I want to lift with the onboard jack (“stabilizer”).  When done with one side I lower it and raise the other side using a tall block.  The jack only extends 3 or 4 inches.  When done with the other side I raise the front jack, put the blocks in my tongue box and go home.  Mike

[csevel]

I didn't mean to revive the beaten topic as I've noticed this has come up time and time again through searching and I know there are a number of variables that would predicate different jacking methods, but since I'm a girl with limited knowledge, I'd like to feel confident lifting the trailer in the right spot whether on the side of the road or in my driveway.   I have a 3 ton floor jack to use for in-driveway maintenance or rotations, but obviously wouldn't have that available on the side of the road.   I have a 2 ton bottle jack that I could use roadside if the onboard jacks shouldn't be used for flat tires..  So the question is the spring plate the right spot if I don't have the steel subframe?  Thanks for all of your help!