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Figured it's time to buy a jack for my car trailer should the unfortunate happen while on the road. I've seen the drive-up ones for tandem axles and am wondering if anyone here has tried them. Seems like the logic is there, but curious how "easy" it is to pull a trailer up on one. I would think there would be a chance of it sliding on the pavement before the tire would actually bite and climb up the jack.
We used one on my bro-in-law's tandem horse trailer on a hunting trip in Colorado. Even on the wet, snowy pavement it worked fine. Worst part was getting the mules out and back in. You just have to creep on it straight and slow.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; May 31, 2017 at 04:47 PM.
I assume you are concerned about changing a flat tire on a tandem axle trailer?
This has worked many times for both my car trailer and my 5th wheel camping trailer (much heavier)
I use three pieces of plain old 2 x 10 dimensional lumber. They have a 45 degree angle cut on the front edge.
Stack all three pieces on top of each other, 4.5 inches total lift.
Pull (or back up) the GOOD tire up on the ramp, and the flat tire will be left hanging in mid air.
The weight of the trailer puts enough downward pressure on the wood that it NEVER slips or moves.
Our business serves the military all over the U.S. with a fleet of 30' enclosed, ~10k gross, tandem trailers. Each one used to carry a big roll around jack (tire failures used to be quite frequent). Now each carries one of those molded plastic ramp type jacks. I personally used a ramp in the middle of the desert and was stunned by the simplicity, safety, and time saving along side an interstate. Gave us almost 100# of additional payload vs those monster jacks. All we carry now.
I have a 1.5 ton aluminum floor jack. I put this down in the rear passenger footwell of my Jeep whenever I tow our open trailer. It's basically the same size as a couple of boards if you thought driving up on boards would be the way to go. Myself, I like having better options. It has a two piece handle that comes off the jack and breaks down to less than three feet as well. Wrap them in a towel and they don't rattle.
I posted the Harbor Freight video that gives you a sense of the size, but the Home Depot brand is better at $109.
I assume you are concerned about changing a flat tire on a tandem axle trailer?
This has worked many times for both my car trailer and my 5th wheel camping trailer (much heavier)
I use three pieces of plain old 2 x 10 dimensional lumber. They have a 45 degree angle cut on the front edge.
Stack all three pieces on top of each other, 4.5 inches total lift.
Pull (or back up) the GOOD tire up on the ramp, and the flat tire will be left hanging in mid air.
The weight of the trailer puts enough downward pressure on the wood that it NEVER slips or moves.
Cheap - Easy - Safe and Effective.
The boards work great.
We keep three angle cut 2 x 10's in the trailer of the vintage racer I tow, just for changing the trailer tires. We have a quick pump, 3 ton floor jack in the trailer for the car, but the boards are safer to use with the trailer.
If you've ever had to change a left side tire on a busy interstate, you know it's not a fun experience. With the boards, I can raise the trailer from inside the truck, which is safer then jacking it up on the side of the road. It's also quicker than positioning a jack and jacking it up, so again, it's less time I spend standing in traffic. I also don't have to worry about the jack getting hit by some clown.
With the boards and a battery impact gun, I can have a tire changed in a few minutes, which is a good thing when you have semis flying past your butt, at 70 or 80 mph!
I have a 1.5 ton aluminum floor jack. I put this down in the rear passenger footwell of my Jeep whenever I tow our open trailer. It's basically the same size as a couple of boards if you thought driving up on boards would be the way to go. Myself, I like having better options. It has a two piece handle that comes off the jack and breaks down to less than three feet as well. Wrap them in a towel and they don't rattle.
I posted the Harbor Freight video that gives you a sense of the size, but the Home Depot brand is better at $109.
Ordered one of the drive-up jacks last night, but have a smaller floor jack with adequate lift that may be delegated for trailer use only. Good to have options for different scenarios.
OT-trailer jack
The boards work great. 
