Glad to be here instead of under my RV.

[Mr. T]

Good morning, fellow travelers.  Actually, I am not much of a traveler lately.  Seems at least one leg of my beast is always off the ground.  Beast, meaning a 1985 El Dorado, Encore version.  Mine is a special beast in that it was made after October 1, 1985.  This simply means that mine is special because it doesn't run and all the others do. Which leads up to why I am sitting at a computer, a little after five in the morning, typing my little fingers bare to the bone.  I am waiting for daylight.  Yesterday I spent a few hours jacking the beast up on three legs. Took a while because the earth under the beast was soft from four days of rain.  The more I pumped my made in China, 4 ton bottle jack, the deeper the jack sunk into the ground.  I am pretty sure the beast was trying to return the bottle jack to its home land.  After much fiddling around, got the beast up in the air.  Because the bottle jack was cocked at about 45 degrees, I did not feel completely safe crawling under the beast, knowing the beast wants to kill me.  I added two 4 ton jack stands under its ribs.  Still not satisfied, I added a column of made in America bricks.  I had to jack the beast up again to add the bricks.  I guess the bottle jack may be leaking a little. After all that, I was still too scared to lay under the beast's belly.  Common sense told me to get a good night of sleep, then at daylight, poke my head out the back door, and just see if the beast is up or down.  It is still dark and don't know yet what I will be doing.  Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to crawl into its guts to replace its fuel pump.  Only daylight will tell the tale.
  I have read many of the posts by my fellow travelers and have thoroughly enjoyed them.  I keep using the term traveler.  I know this is a lie.  I am not traveling any where.  But maybe, some day, I can say it and it will be true.


Don T.
   

[mrmuse]

Can't stop laughing.  Not at you, with you.  We've all "been there-done that.  I have a feeling it will work out for you.  Best of luck & keep us posted.

mrmuse

[fleetmasterfred]

Don, You didn't mention it but I'm sure the wheels remain on the coach, right?  You're just trying to get a little more clearance, right?  A fellow down here was working on his vehicle and had it resting on bricks as well (concrete blocks actually).  He would have been 52 years old in November.  Safety first.     

[Mr. T]

You are so right to thump me on the back of head.  I am somewhat of a light hearted soul, however, I do indeed take safety seriously.  I spent twelve years working under buses and I know first hand how quickly a mistake can take a life.

I did actually remove the right front tire so I could get the best access to the pump. I have a 20 ton jack under the beast, two 8 ton stands, and the bricks.  I only use foundation bricks.  Every thing else crumbles.  I set it up so that if the jack, fails, then the stands will catch it, and if that fails, then the bricks are my last resort.  I always have an escape route planned. 

Don T.

[fleetmasterfred]

Good to hear Don.  Here's to a long and healthy hobby.   

[Mr. T]

Man, when I make a mistake, it's a doosey.  My tonnage on the bottle jack and the stands are wrong.  I actually use a 20 ton bottle jack and 8 ton safety stands.

I encourage any one just starting out working on a Rv to use nothing less than a 20 ton jack and certainly use the 8 ton safety stands.  Please, please, always use the stands.  You would not believe how fast a bottle jack can blow the seal.  If it ever happens to you, there is only a few seconds to escape.  The stands will save your life.

Don T.