How to Change a tire on a camping trailer

[jordybaby]

So I got a flat on the way home from a trip and had to change it. it was trickier then I thought it would be. The double axial and the spinning wheel every time you tired to loosen the nut, was a pain. I created a tutorial in case any one has troubles like I did.

hope you enjoy it, see link below.

https://ladiesandtech.com/2017/07/10/how-to-change-a-tire-on-a-camping-trailer/

thanks
LadiesandTech

[DE88ROX]

I just back it up on about 4 2x8's and its high enough to raise the tire off the ground. I do both sides at once for when im doing bearing work. when im done with those two, I pull forward and to the other set. Easy-Peazy.

[babock]

Dry threads only. If you live in an area where rust is an issue, you loosen each nut at the beginning of the season a couple turns and retorque. There are specs for dry and lubricated. If you use the same torque spec of a dry thread for a lubricated thread, you may over torque by up to 25%. Sure fire way of having broken studs and your wheel flying off.

[Ron3rd]

SoundGuy wrote:

Farmerjon wrote:
I got the lugnuts loose and she pulled the trailer up on her Trailer Aid ramp and we finished taking the tire off.

Oops, The Trailer Aid Ramp didn't lift the axle high enough to get an aired up tire on.

She thought the trailer aid would work, so did I, Ours has been used for 3 of our trailers and worked great. A 2x6 a few inches longer for a base will make it work.

Clearly you're not the only one who has found the standard Trailer Aid won't always offer sufficient lift as Camco now offers a Trailer Aid Plus which has a pad of some sort added to the top and offers 1" more lift. However, that hardly justifies it's noticeably higher cost so I think I'll take your suggestion, buy the cheaper standard version, and have a length of 2x6 handy to put underneath it should I ever need additional lift.

Trailer Aid




Trailer Aid Plus

Never wanted to spring for the Trailer Aide, though it looks slick. I accomplish the same thing with my Lynx Levelers.

[Ron3rd]

jordybaby wrote:
So I got a flat on the way home from a trip and had to change it. it was trickier then I thought it would be. The double axial and the spinning wheel every time you tired to loosen the nut, was a pain. I created a tutorial in case any one has troubles like I did.

hope you enjoy it, see link below.

https://ladiesandtech.com/2017/07/10/how-to-change-a-tire-on-a-camping-trailer/

thanks
LadiesandTech

Nice job and nice tutorial.

[SoundGuy]

Atlee wrote:
Don't know if the regular Trailer Aid would be enough or not, however, when I bought mine, I went with the Trailer Aid Plus. I figured an extra two inches (or how many inches it is) would be better.

Thanks for the advice! :B

[Grit_dog]

Mortimer Brewster wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I would avoid using WD-40 (torque issues). Instead keep a long breaker bar on hand. It would be a good idea to re-torque after 50 miles as well.
How many here would replace the "good" tire that's adjacent to the flat as well?

You should expound on what the torque issue might be. Takes less torque to loosen a rusted lug nut if it's WD40'd?
If you mean torque when re installing, there is absolutely no issue. In fact proper bolt tension is more accurate with lubricated threads. It's a requirement in other applications where bolt tension is critical.
Or don't ever have to worry about frozen lugs and anti seize your wheel lugs pre-emptively.

This is from tire rack.com:
Under- or over-tightening wheel-attaching hardware can be damaging and dangerous
Torque specifications are for dry threads only. The fastener threads should be free of oil, dirt, grit, corrosion, etc. The hardware should turn freely without binding when tightened by hand. It is important NOT to lubricate hardware threads or seats. The friction at which torque is measured against should come from the hardware seats. Lubricating hardware threads and seats alters the friction generated at the lug seat which will result in inaccurate torque readings and/or over-torqueing of the hardware

Learn something new every day. Never would have guessed.
Still makes it an approximation of friction. To each there own.

[Atlee]

Don't know if the regular Trailer Aid would be enough or not, however, when I bought mine, I went with the Trailer Aid Plus. I figured an extra two inches (or how many inches it is) would be better.

SoundGuy wrote:

I use the Trailer Aid ramp to change a tire. Pull up on the Trailer Aid and the flat tire will get about 3+ inches off the ground.

austinjenna wrote:
Same here

Could have sure used a Trailer Aid this weekend ... came home from a trip, parked the trailer on the driveway as usual, no issues, came out maybe an hour later to find the front curb side tire totally flat. :M My driveway is significantly sloped so although I did manage to get the wheel off and spare installed using a hydraulic jack the process sure would have been a lot easier (and safer!) using a Trailer Aid. Why this didn't happen on the side of the highway is still a mystery - talk about horseshoes! :W These tires are 4 yrs old, lots of tread left, but this particular failure wasn't caused by a nail, etc - it simply failed, the inner plies and steel belt having split open. :E Time to ditch the bunch of them so I'm replacing all four (keeping the unused spare as a spare) with a set of the new 8 ply Goodyear Endurance tires. So - even though I'll hopefully never need it my next purchase will be a Trailer Aid, my question being whether the extra height offered by the Trailer Aid Plus is necessary or whether the lower height Trailer Aid will suffice. :h Trailer is just 4700 lbs loaded, 22' 6" coupler to bumper, tires are ST205/75 R14.

[SoundGuy]

Farmerjon wrote:
I got the lugnuts loose and she pulled the trailer up on her Trailer Aid ramp and we finished taking the tire off.

Oops, The Trailer Aid Ramp didn't lift the axle high enough to get an aired up tire on.

She thought the trailer aid would work, so did I, Ours has been used for 3 of our trailers and worked great. A 2x6 a few inches longer for a base will make it work.

Clearly you're not the only one who has found the standard Trailer Aid won't always offer sufficient lift as Camco now offers a Trailer Aid Plus which has a pad of some sort added to the top and offers 1" more lift. However, that hardly justifies it's noticeably higher cost so I think I'll take your suggestion, buy the cheaper standard version, and have a length of 2x6 handy to put underneath it should I ever need additional lift.

Trailer Aid




Trailer Aid Plus

[Farmerjon]

Last weekend we were going to meet a friend at a trailhead for a horseback ride and just has we got out of the truck we received a call from her.
One of her trailer tires had blown out and she couldn't get the lug nuts loose. She was only a few miles away and she couldn't get off the road, no shoulder.
We unloaded the horses and unhooked the trailer. So I could take just the truck to go help.
Her truck and living Quarters horse trailer was sittng in the highway on a rare section of straight road.
I got the lugnuts loose and she pulled the trailer up on her Trailer Aid ramp and we finished taking the tire off.
Oops. Her spare is held on with 2 nuts on 1 stud. No problem taking the outer lock nut off but you need a deep socket to get the other one off.
I keep an extendable lug wrench in the truck and it has several sockets but they aren't deep. But,,, if you just barely put the socket on fhe handle we were able to get the nut loose and free the spare.
Oops, The Trailer Aid Ramp didn't lift the axle high enough to get an aired up tire on.
A man had driven his Gator down his lane to the road to see if he could help and he went back home and brought back a floor jack faster than I could dig out my trucks bottle jack.
Bottom line is our freind thouht she was all set for a tire change but she wasn't.
She had a battery operated impact wrench but someone stole
it.
She is young, 40's, and fit and thought she could take the lugnuts off. A piece of pipe for leverage would help.
She thought the trailer aid would work, so did I, Ours has been used for 3 of our trailers and worked great. A 2x6 a few inches longer for a base will make it work.
A dry run for tire changing is good preperation.
We did get it done faster than waiting for a service call and still got in a nice ride.
Oh and I'm 71 and don't give a thought to being to old to change a tire.
Not yet and I thank the Lord for that blessing.
Happy camping. Jon

[Mortimer_Brewst]

Grit dog wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I would avoid using WD-40 (torque issues). Instead keep a long breaker bar on hand. It would be a good idea to re-torque after 50 miles as well.
How many here would replace the "good" tire that's adjacent to the flat as well?

You should expound on what the torque issue might be. Takes less torque to loosen a rusted lug nut if it's WD40'd?
If you mean torque when re installing, there is absolutely no issue. In fact proper bolt tension is more accurate with lubricated threads. It's a requirement in other applications where bolt tension is critical.
Or don't ever have to worry about frozen lugs and anti seize your wheel lugs pre-emptively.

This is from tire rack.com:
Under- or over-tightening wheel-attaching hardware can be damaging and dangerous
Torque specifications are for dry threads only. The fastener threads should be free of oil, dirt, grit, corrosion, etc. The hardware should turn freely without binding when tightened by hand. It is important NOT to lubricate hardware threads or seats. The friction at which torque is measured against should come from the hardware seats. Lubricating hardware threads and seats alters the friction generated at the lug seat which will result in inaccurate torque readings and/or over-torqueing of the hardware

[Allworth]

Age 55....Change it myself.

Age 65....Make one try at changing it then call Good Sam ERS.

Now (age 75)....Call Good Sam ERS immediately and open a cold one!

[azrving]

Grit dog wrote:

Tvov wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I would avoid using WD-40 (torque issues). Instead keep a long breaker bar on hand. It would be a good idea to re-torque after 50 miles as well.
How many here would replace the "good" tire that's adjacent to the flat as well?

You should expound on what the torque issue might be. Takes less torque to loosen a rusted lug nut if it's WD40'd?
If you mean torque when re installing, there is absolutely no issue. In fact proper bolt tension is more accurate with lubricated threads. It's a requirement in other applications where bolt tension is critical.
Or don't ever have to worry about frozen lugs and anti seize your wheel lugs pre-emptively.

I love this site. One person says one thing, the next say the opposite. I've always put some WD-40 or similar on lug nuts and have never had an issue. I've also read that doing that will cause an over tightening of the bolt and possibly break them.

So I then I just go camping...

🙂

I don't know about overtightening, seems to me 90ft lbs is 90ft lbs. if you're cranking on a rusty bolt, some of that torque is getting lost in added friction that isn't quantifiable when engineering the proper torque value for a certain tension.
BTW, you don't torque bolts. You use torque to tension bolts. Just structural steel terminology like people who pour cement.....
Plenty of myths or fears about lubricating threads on things such as tire lugs. If you're relying on the rust holding your lug nuts on, something is wrong!
I'm not the smartest person but I learned at an early age, growing up in the rust belt, that spending 10 sec to ensure a bolt or nut won't rust on is waaaay easier than replacing a snapped wheel stud, brake caliper bolt, etc.
cheers!

X2 but do you mean pouring concrete? Sorry couldn't help it. 🙂 I heard about that when my son was a cement plant engineer/production manager and the other son was a civil engineer rebuilding the Bay St Louis bridge after Katrina.

I always lube the threads too. I dont put it on the nut flange but lightly coat the threads. I also grew up in the rust belt and have seen plenty of lugs snapped off or galled studs and drums or rotors that dont come off. I also lightly lube the area where the drum or rotor sits so it doesn't rust on. Not globs but just enough to keep it from rusting yet not migrating to where it will cause problems.

[Grit_dog]

Tvov wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
I would avoid using WD-40 (torque issues). Instead keep a long breaker bar on hand. It would be a good idea to re-torque after 50 miles as well.
How many here would replace the "good" tire that's adjacent to the flat as well?

You should expound on what the torque issue might be. Takes less torque to loosen a rusted lug nut if it's WD40'd?
If you mean torque when re installing, there is absolutely no issue. In fact proper bolt tension is more accurate with lubricated threads. It's a requirement in other applications where bolt tension is critical.
Or don't ever have to worry about frozen lugs and anti seize your wheel lugs pre-emptively.

I love this site. One person says one thing, the next say the opposite. I've always put some WD-40 or similar on lug nuts and have never had an issue. I've also read that doing that will cause an over tightening of the bolt and possibly break them.

So I then I just go camping...

🙂

I don't know about overtightening, seems to me 90ft lbs is 90ft lbs. if you're cranking on a rusty bolt, some of that torque is getting lost in added friction that isn't quantifiable when engineering the proper torque value for a certain tension.
BTW, you don't torque bolts. You use torque to tension bolts. Just structural steel terminology like people who pour cement.....
Plenty of myths or fears about lubricating threads on things such as tire lugs. If you're relying on the rust holding your lug nuts on, something is wrong!
I'm not the smartest person but I learned at an early age, growing up in the rust belt, that spending 10 sec to ensure a bolt or nut won't rust on is waaaay easier than replacing a snapped wheel stud, brake caliper bolt, etc.
cheers!

[SoundGuy]

I use the Trailer Aid ramp to change a tire. Pull up on the Trailer Aid and the flat tire will get about 3+ inches off the ground.

austinjenna wrote:
Same here

Could have sure used a Trailer Aid this weekend ... came home from a trip, parked the trailer on the driveway as usual, no issues, came out maybe an hour later to find the front curb side tire totally flat. :M My driveway is significantly sloped so although I did manage to get the wheel off and spare installed using a hydraulic jack the process sure would have been a lot easier (and safer!) using a Trailer Aid. Why this didn't happen on the side of the highway is still a mystery - talk about horseshoes! :W These tires are 4 yrs old, lots of tread left, but this particular failure wasn't caused by a nail, etc - it simply failed, the inner plies and steel belt having split open. :E Time to ditch the bunch of them so I'm replacing all four (keeping the unused spare as a spare) with a set of the new 8 ply Goodyear Endurance tires. So - even though I'll hopefully never need it my next purchase will be a Trailer Aid, my question being whether the extra height offered by the Trailer Aid Plus is necessary or whether the lower height Trailer Aid will suffice. :h Trailer is just 4700 lbs loaded, 22' 6" coupler to bumper, tires are ST205/75 R14.