High lift jacks or A frame stands

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

High lift jacks or A frame stands

Greg 1 · Guru

If you are just storing the van and not living in it, is there a reason that you want it dead level?

I store ours on a sloping driveway and although I try within reason to level it as much as the jockey wheel and standard corner jacks will give me it still is a bit out but fine for loading and unloading etc.
Fridge works on 240v with it out of level so can get that going prior to departure.

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

Thanks Greg.

As I am a first timer, I am paranoid about getting the weights correct, especially the tow ball weight which influences my tow vehicles's GVM.

From comments made by people on this website, I need to level the caravan before I can assess its tow ball weight and and want to be able to assess TBW as I load the vehicle.

Starting TBW is 261 kg and I want to get it as close as possible to 299kg then I don't have to reduce my Patrol's GCM by 70kgs (It's a Patrol thing).

Yes I can leave the caravan on an angle on the sloping driveway which as you say would be much easier but then I can't do what I have described above.

I think I will just bite the bullet and get a high lift jack but I was hoping to be able to get some stand ideas (1100 high) to make things easier.

As a newby I guess I will slowly figure things out.

Thanks for the advice.

Regards

David

rgren2 · Guru

Beware of hilift jacks, they are very unstable and dangerous to use.

Rob Driver · Guru

If it is that important to store it absolutely level then you may be wise to have a stand purpose built for the job.
Tow ball weight would be best checked when the van is on level ground.
The best scenario is on an actual weighbridge.
Levelling a caravan on an exceptional sloping driveway Is asking for trouble if not done properly.

Magnarc · Guru

Jeez Angela that pic made me feel sick.Do you know if its for real or a photo shop job? Please don,t tell me that someone actually did that??????? To the original poster lifting a van up over a metre in a sloping driveway is extremely dangerous, and. in my opinion, a disaster waiting to happen. Take it to a weighbridge.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Don't do it. Don't even think about it.

Get the van out of the drive and measure your ball weight on level ground. The scales would be impossibly unstable if you tried to use them with the van raised as you describe. As others have said, a trip to your local weighbridge is by far the best option as you can measure the weights on your ball, van axle/s, vehicle axles and vehicle GVM all at the same time.

Mike Harding · Guru

I'm beginning to wonder if you're playing a game with us David?

Your question is not a caravan one but rather a common sense one and I would have thought only the few terminally stupid amongst us would attempt to lift one end of a 2T, 6m x 3m box 1m high without having a good knowledge of rigging, the appropriate lifting gear and support structure none of which are available in a normal domestic setting.

Either live with the slope or find a flat place to store your van.

tracks · Member

Ohh no, how could anyone set a van up like that, totally inconceivable someone would do that.

Getting back to the request, to level the van safely and if it was me I would start with inserting 2 anchor bolts into the driveway at the rear and run adjustable rated strops to the rear of the axle to stop any forward movement, next manufacture a solid steel adjustable spreader frame incorporating a high lift hydraulic jack, one you can lower the drawbar back onto the frame and lock it in, look here for a few ideas, www.specialisedforce.com.au , never trust any hydraulic jack always take the weight off once the correct height is achieved, I've seen to many fail, Looks complicated and expensive but safety is a priority, any engineering fabricators can knock this up for you.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I'd be looking for somewhere to store my aluminium teepee if I had a drive like that.

Rob Driver · Guru

Magnarc wrote:
Jeez Angela that pic made me feel sick.Do you know if its for real or a photo shop job? Please don,t tell me that someone actually did that??????? To the original poster lifting a van up over a metre in a sloping driveway is extremely dangerous, and. in my opinion, a disaster waiting to happen. Take it to a weighbridge.

Gday Phil,

I am not sure of the pics source but it is obviously Aussie by the look of the houses and of course, the van.

If the pic is in fact, for real, then it is stupidity at its best. If you can, zoom in on the levelling ramps and how they have been installed under the wheels. This van stands little hope of staying where it is.

I thing my wife first saw it on a caravan FaceBook site.

I am glad I dont live near that site.

Regards

Rob

-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Tuesday 10th of December 2019 08:45:29 AM

travelyounger · Guru

Try the trailermate mark 11 hydraulic jack you will have to also replace your 50 mm clamp with a 60 mm clamp .This is a heavy duty jack as far as I know the best you can get and will set you back about $500 with the clamp which is not supplied with the jack but I personally would not be doing this to store my van.

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

Hey I almost thought that picture was of my caravan lol.

Actually that driveway is far steeper than mine and my pavers are much more securely positioned than the bricks in your picture.

My stands are only about half the height of the one sin the picture and are much larger pavers.

I think you guys are right and I will move my caravan to my part of the verge to weigh the TBW after basic packing on the driveway.

The council, of course, put stickers on our caravans if they stay for more than a few days on the verge!!!!

This is why I had to move the caravan to the driveway in the first place.

Boy that picture shows a serious accident waiting to happen.

Thanks.

David

-- Edited by Pradokakadudavid on Tuesday 10th of December 2019 11:14:07 AM

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

Thanks Mike.

Most certainly not playing games but just seeking information on how to do things.

Not stupid either but perhaps a tad ignorant of these issues.

Thanks.

David

PS: My caravan looks nothing like the picture in the attachment which I agree is scary!

markf · Senior Member

bentaxlebabe wrote:
If it is that important to store it absolutely level then you may be wise to have a stand purpose built for the job.
Tow ball weight would be best checked when the van is on level ground.
The best scenario is on an actual weighbridge.
Levelling a caravan on an exceptional sloping driveway Is asking for trouble if not done properly.

I reckon that when gravity wins that little contest it'll all come tumbling down a helluva lot faster that it went up.. Could be good to watch though from a safe vantage point.

wasn_me · Guru

It cost me $5000 to park my van safely on a sloping block. That was for excavation, retaining wall & decomposed granite base.

That was 10 years ago. Cover has cost another $2000. Should have done that 10 years ago also.

Pavers are not safe to use as spacers under stands or jacks. They split & crumble without notice.

Cheers Pete

dabbler · Guru

Weigh your van on an accredited weighbridge. Store your van on an angle until you can excavate and level as above by wasn_me. It's going to a while lot cheaper than the medical bills and failed insurance claim when it all goes wrong. Craziest idea ever discussed.

Birdy1710 · Veteran Member

I wouldn,t be useing concrete paving stones or bricks either, in that

situation they wouldn,t be very stable, they can also shatter

when just stacked up like that, timber only for me and fare size

blocks for that height

good luck Dave

Baz421 · Guru

Geez high lift jacks are VERY dangerous,,, if you have to ask for advice on how to store your van,,,, you shouldn't be doing this yourself.

Slopes are notorious even for large area wooden blocks on sloping concrete.

I suggest look for other options

Cupie · Guru

Under no circumstances would I consider using high lift jacks or any thing else to raise & play with (work on) the van on that sort of slope.

Even the thought of putting my old GQ Patrol in the way of the van to hook up would worry me. I'd be using massive chocks hammered in on all wheels for a start.

High lift jacks are dangerous even in the best of situations.

ps .. I've seen that photo before too. Got to be a joke ... surely!

Rob Driver · Guru

Hi Cupie,

I was hoping that it was a joke or a set up. Many of us were probably hoping the same.

If it is a hoax the person has gone to a lot of trouble.
There is a garden hose connected to the water inlet. There is a set of steps with a hand rail similar to what is used in some warehouses to reach the higher items. I have seen them in use in Bunnings. The rear stabilisers are down.
The outside drop down shelf is down and with something on it. There appears to be a power cord running from an outlet behind the door toward that table with colourful items on the table.
As I indicated above there are levelling ramps that are fitted so the wheels actually slope even further down hill.
The tv aerial is in use and the windows are open, so in light of all of the above I may assume that someone is using the van for accomodation.

This is a situation where the old saying comes into being.

If this van is a rockin dont come a knockin

If I saw it rocking I would not be anywhere near it. biggrin biggrin

iana · Guru

What I find amusing about the picture, is, are they leveling ramps under the wheels, adding to the problem. I have camped on slopes, and found it pretty hairy. I would never park on a 20' slope though.

Izabarack · Guru

Bunnings sells Work platforms that sit on A Frames on serious beam between the A Frame ends. I can attest that the arrangement is solid and meets OH&S standards. If you must lift the front end to the height you describe, a look around the scaffolding products at a Builders centre would be worthwhile.

The stands I suggest have verticals that support the horizontal beam at various heights. If lifting the van front end in a series of increments, the horizontal bar can follow the increments as a safety fallback.

Iza

SouthernComfort · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Bunnings sells Work platforms that sit on A Frames on serious beam between the A Frame ends. I can attest that the arrangement is solid and meets OH&S standards. If you must lift the front end to the height you describe, a look around the scaffolding products at a Builders centre would be worthwhile.

The stands I suggest have verticals that support the horizontal beam at various heights. If lifting the van front end in a series of increments, the horizontal bar can follow the increments as a safety fallback.

Iza

Even when set up on a slope?? And with a couple of tonnes weight (resting on wheels) bearing down on it??

David, go to level ground. End of.

Iva Biggen · Senior Member

I watch and read when someone asks advice when buying a van, very few, if any people actually advise that any potential purchase will generally require a safe and secure area for van storage.
This seems to fade into insignificance over tow vehicle, axle weights, suspension type, wether mum has an en-suite and so the list can go on.
It appears that many times when Dad arrives home with the new van it does not quite fit where they thought it would or as above the slope on the ground in the area allocated for storage is dangerous or impossible to be used correctly.

I would imagine that even using the best of stands to support such a dangerous set up, the stands themselves would need to be positioned on level ground at their base.
The way I see it that regardless of how level and strong the stands are the van on its wheels are still facing down hill and will come under the force of gravity to have the van roll down that hill.

Find a level spot or store the caravan in a storage facility, weigh it on a suitable weighbridge or at the very least on level ground.

Cheers

Ivan

Greg 1 · Guru

That van in the photo is taking it to extremes.

If you are contemplating something along the same lines and particularly then trying to weigh the ball weight, you may well be a candidate for a Darwin Award.

The van in the photo is endangering the lives of the owner, the neighbours and road users. Should be a law for criminal stupidity.

Please find a level area to weigh it or a weighbridge. Better still, as others have said, find somewhere safe to store it.

Corndoggy · Senior Member

And a ladder at the door for access into it. Sorry it's not set up right. The pads are at an angle. The ladder could slip whist using it to access the van.
Very bad ladder useage.