Yesterday I was reinstalling my steering gear box. The details will be posted in a another thread another day.
Its heavy, about 130 lbs, and I was using a combination of a floor jack from below, and ropes and pulleys from above to get it into position.
It slipped and broke one of the air line fittings to the front air bags at the six pack. If I had not cribbed the coach before the work, it could have crushed me before I could get out from under.
It didn't move an inch, although I did have some laundry to do. I must have jerked when it blew because I got a massive leg cramp in my left hamstring. It hurt so I was making some racket. Since Rhonda was manning the jack handle she didn't know what to think for a second.
It's a funny story, but it could have been a tragic one if I had not taken the proper precautions.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
Thanks Richard. I have been working under my coach for the past two days in a spot that is very difficult to get to. I have the coach cribbed both front and back. I am replacing the air hose connection to the left front air bag and have to crawl between the wheel and the chassis and get on my knees in order to reach it. The connection that is leaking is at the cross member air tank and cannot be seen and has to be done by feel only. It is a push on swivel connection and is leaking at the swivel.
Chappell and Mary
2004 Foretravel 36 foot
(This post was last modified: 05-01-2017, 10:07 AM by qcj.)
on my 90 it had an air operated vacuum pump that stopped working. it was up above the six pack in front of the headlights. so i put in one of the dorman electric vacuum pumps like we have all been talking about putting on the slide seals.
i decided to mount it in the bay in front of the drivers side front tire so the pump would be easy to get at. in drilling the mounting holes in the bay wall facing the six pack i hit one of the suspension airlines. it dropped the front of the coach like a rock. i am glad i wasnt sitting on the ground in front of the bay with my legs underneath the coach.....
block it up for sure. i bought 20 ton jack stands, 4 of them.
tom
tom
2002 45'8" Newell Coach 608 Series 60 DDEC4/Allison World 6 Speed HD4000MH
On the phone with Richard yesterday, we were talking about proper jack placement. Below are 2 pictures I took of the rear where jacks could possibly be placed. I was trying to confirm what Richard told me. A picture is much easier...
Mike & Jeannie Ginn
2000 Newell #555 - sold July 2020
2019 Leisure Travel Van FX model
Yup to the first, "don't do it" to the second. The first is what I've used. My long arms can just shove the pump under it. I put the pump right behind the tires, pump it up to just fit under that bracket and then scootch under to pump it up solid.
Yes to the first picture, no to the second. Just as Jon said.
I am going to post my opinion, it is just my opinion. I don't think a jack and cribbing is the same. When I speak of cribbing, I am talking about lumber, or solid steel such as an appropriately rated jack stand. My reasoning is that hydraulic jacks can fail. Or leak.
I almost lost a foot on this point when my youngest son misunderstood what I told him to do with the jack handle, and he released it. Lowering a 5000 lb car towards my foot. I flinched and the brake rotor hit the concrete where my foot was a second before. Freak situation, yes. My fault, yes. Jacks ain't cribbing.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
Without pictures, it is difficult to explain the structure of most of the coaches on this site, but i do think it should be addressed for those unaware.
The main frame rails, almost completely hidden, can best be seen at the rear. Identifying them is important. The whole lower framework of the under bays is suspended from two 6 X 6 square tubes vertically oriented in the rear and two in the front. To these tubes are (guessing here) 5" channel running parallel to the axles, front and rear. Most generally it can be seen in the rear ahead of the drive axle supporting the oil cooler and fans. It is directly under this channel in line with the square tube that cribbing is to be placed. Ditto for the front. It should be noted here that the channel will not support coach weight unless cribbing or stands are placed directly under the square tubes (don't ask how I know this). Also, the channel is welded in place with the edges facing down meaning the edges will indent cribbing or even act as a splitter. For this reason a heavy piece of flat stock (I use 6" wide X 3/4" thick 8" long) should be in between the channel edges and any wood used for cribbing.
Now for credentials, I asked for "supporting" school while at Newell, it helped a great deal. Since then a regular visit to the frame shop reveals that the same structure scheme, with a few variations, is still in use.
I am concerned someone is going to hurt themselves by improper support and would hate for it to happen to any GURU.
(06-13-2017, 04:05 AM)bestgenman Wrote: Without pictures, it is difficult to explain the structure of most of the coaches on this site, but i do think it should be addressed for those unaware.
The main frame rails, almost completely hidden, can best be seen at the rear. Identifying them is important. The whole lower framework of the under bays is suspended from two 6 X 6 square tubes vertically oriented in the rear and two in the front. To these tubes are (guessing here) 5" channel running parallel to the axles, front and rear. Most generally it can be seen in the rear ahead of the drive axle supporting the oil cooler and fans. It is directly under this channel in line with the square tube that cribbing is to be placed. Ditto for the front. It should be noted here that the channel will not support coach weight unless cribbing or stands are placed directly under the square tubes (don't ask how I know this). Also, the channel is welded in place with the edges facing down meaning the edges will indent cribbing or even act as a splitter. For this reason a heavy piece of flat stock (I use 6" wide X 3/4" thick 8" long) should be in between the channel edges and any wood used for cribbing.
Now for credentials, I asked for "supporting" school while at Newell, it helped a great deal. Since then a regular visit to the frame shop reveals that the same structure scheme, with a few variations, is still in use.
I am concerned someone is going to hurt themselves by improper support and would hate for it to happen to any GURU.
I have been supporting the rear on the part of the frame that the hitch mounts to just under the rear of the engine.Will I need syrup poured on me at some point(pancake)?
)
