Vehicle ramps / jacks

[ZipcodeUK]

So I'm looking for recommendations for some ramps or jacks,
With my bus being low, any work requiring the front bumper to come off or lifting the wheels off the ground is a rear PITA.
So, I'm looking for a safe option to get the front lifted enough to bring the wheels off the ground..but it needs to be low profile enough to get under the van which is quite low....

Who's using what?

 

[David Levett]

I'm going to watch this thread with interest zipcode, cos i've only had the wheels of mine once. And i quite agree it was a right PITA.
I could not believe how high you had to get the van up to get the wheels of the ground.
Dave.

 

[Johnod17]

You could use air bags,we used to use then in maintenance at Peugeot many years ago.
The fire brigade also use them ,they inflate using compressed air,as they are flat they can be positioned easily.
I also have been told that there is a similar system for levelling caravans now .
Might be worth checking it out
Hope this helps
John

 

[Johnod17]

2.5 Ton Double Bag Air Jack Pneumatic Jack Trolley Jack Adjustable Jack Stands | eBay

 

[Johnod17]

Cordless Inflatable Car Jack (3000 kg max)

 

[Blitz]

With all the cracking windscreen and the thoughts about that I’d be looking for something that jack’s the front up without tilting side to side.

 

[Fish]

I use Sealey low entry 3T jacks.

 

[ZipcodeUK]

I use Sealey low entry 3T jacks.

Was thinking a pair of jacks would be the easiest / safest.

 

[Tourershine]

I've used this jack for the last couple of years.
I jack up and remove my wheels at least once a week to clean them inside, along with the faces. It's actually quicker for me to jack up on the front point, which will lift both wheels at the same time, and as I have a compressor and air gun, it makes wheel cleaning much faster.

The jack was from Costco and it's sold as a low slung style, so fits under my van with loads of room to go even lower.
I don't know if they still stock these jacks, but I paid less than £100 with vat, and the quality is amazing, plus it's a full garage size.

 

[Kevthegas]

There you go, 1/2 a day to spare? They have had good reviews on other forums over the years.

Trolley Jack: Car Trolley Jacks, Low Profile, Aluminium, High Lift UK

 

[simon]

Might have to have a look next trip down

 

[David Levett]

I've used this jack for the last couple of years.
I jack up and remove my wheels at least once a week to clean them inside, along with the faces. It's actually quicker for me to jack up on the front point, which will lift both wheels at the same time, and as I have a compressor and air gun, it makes wheel cleaning much faster.

The jack was from Costco and it's sold as a low slung style, so fits under my van with loads of room to go even lower.
I don't know if they still stock these jacks, but I paid less than £100 with vat, and the quality is amazing, plus it's a full garage size.

View attachment 17718

Like the look of that Jack. But where is the central jacking point mines lowered and it has a front splitter quite low down. I thought the bottom of the engine was covered with a plastic shield ??
Is the point you mentioned easily accessible.
Ta
Dave.

 

[Tourershine]

Like the look of that Jack. But where is the central jacking point mines lowered and it has a front splitter quite low down. I thought the bottom of the engine was covered with a plastic shield ??
Is the point you mentioned easily accessible.
Ta
Dave.

I don't jack from the engine end.
I go in from the side, there's a jacking point at the front under the door. It's enough to lift the front wheel right up, and the rear wheel a couple of inches.
Mine has side bars, but the jack slots lovely and doesn't touch the bar.

 

[Mooncat]

Ice Hockey Pucks make very good jacking pads too.

 

[David Levett]

I don't jack from the engine end.
I go in from the side, there's a jacking point at the front under the door. It's enough to lift the front wheel right up, and the rear wheel a couple of inches.
Mine has side bars, but the jack slots lovely and doesn't touch the bar.

Thanks as you can see by my Avatar mine has side bars too. I'm pleasantly surprised it will lift the whole of the side off the floor just by jacking from the front point behind the door. Mine is the 4 motion and its bloody heavy i know that. Will have to give it a try as i've just ordered a low profile 3000kg jack. Max lift height is 525mm. P.S. You cleaned my caravan last year. (Realwood)

 

[Tourershine]

Thanks as you can see by my Avatar mine has side bars too. I'm pleasantly surprised it will lift the whole of the side off the floor just by jacking from the front point behind the door. Mine is the 4 motion and its bloomin heavy i know that. Will have to give it a try as i've just ordered a low profile 3000kg jack. Max lift height is 525mm. P.S. You cleaned my caravan last year. (Realwood)

Ah yes, Realwood machinery.. Sterling. It was actually 2016 we sealed your Caravan!

 

[David Levett]

Ah yes, Realwood machinery.. Sterling. It was actually 2016 we sealed your Caravan!

Doesn' time fly. Yes it was a Sterling, now changed for a 2017 Swift Elegance 650.
Will contact you when we want this one doing !
Dave.

 

[Lukavell]

Ramps wise I've used some two inch thick planks of wood to make my ramps more shallow an incline in the past. Works a treat.

 

[tram]

I remember it all going wrong when I had a car and tried to drive up ramps, so this time with the van I was concerned about that happening, so, as there is an incline next to where i park my van, I decided to place the ramps at the bottom of the incline and then drive down and up them. This would basically mean i was rolling onto them with only minimum power to climb them. So I did this and it went like a dream, and when the van was up the ramps the van was therefore actually level. And also this ment that when I was crawling under, there was loads of room because the ground was obviously falling away downhill. Very comfortable indeed. Infact, so good was this system that a person could say that ramps should be used like that, and that we have a false notion of how they should be used. In fact, remembering.ah, yes, that is it. I didn't want to use the ramps, so i piled up some concrete flags to make ramps, and the van was able to easily roll up the little steps created by building a ramp this way. It was very stable indeed. I would certainly do it that way again. It was superb. I rolled down onto ramps i put together. It was very very good.

 

[MikeB]

I made up some ramps from scrap scaffold and garden "sleeper" type timber I had lying around, with a loop of rope both to aid carrying and storage, but also to stop the things pushing back as the vehicle drives onto them. Essentially all I do is lay the rope out so that the wheels drive over it before they meet the lowest bit of the ramp. I used the same technique with proper, metal ramps too, again using a short length of scaffold plank to create a shallower incline. Regrettably, I gave them away when I moved house.