A question . If your caravan suffers a puncture can you change the wheel your self or do you have to call the AA? If you can sort it yourself how do you jack up the caravan and do you need special equipment?

Can of worms question there kind sir as some would, whilst others wouldn't. You can count me in as being a member of the latter club - far too dangerous in my opinion. To be absolutely safe, taking into consideration there is no proper jacking point on our Eribas, one would need a pretty sturdy jack and because most of them are somewhat flimsy to say the least nowadays, an axle stand to boot.
That's not to say that changing the wheel is impossible of course - keep the van attached to the car, handbrake on of course, wheel chocks behind the good wheel and keep the legs away from the traffic if you don't want a thundering great truck to run over them. No thanks, not for me, I'd rather call the breakdown service and let them sort it. I also plan for this sort of eventuality and always set off a good 1-2 hours earlier than absolutely necessary.

Sounds like sage advise , thanks sir

I have Mayday cover and would use them to change my caravan wheel. I do have a bottle jack but this would only be used in a dire emergency.

I carry a VW transporter side jack ONLY for dire emergency use - to fit into the square side point, that many would say is NOT a jacking point, found on some 'vans ! It is not ideal, but works if you are stuck !

I have used it to change wheels at home, attached to the tow car, van and car brakes on, wheels chocked, including the jockey wheel. When raised I use axle stands for security !

I would not recommend either of these ideas whilst on the 'open road' :( I believe the safest way is with a Trolley Jack under the axle, but still braked and attached to the tow car ! So in practise best left to the 'Recovery Services" :) I M H O !

Please excuse my ignorance, but if there is no 'proper jacking point 'on an Eriba, how do the emergency services complete this task?

In the same way as we do presumably namely by placing the jack under the axle as close to the wheel as possible. I don't/won't change a wheel by the roadside as earlier mentioned although I do lift the van up slightly whilst in the storage facility to place wheel savers under the tyres prior to it's winter sleep and then again in the Spring to remove them.

To save sitting on the side of the road you could use a can of puncture repair, not the best way to do it but it gets you moving again quite quickly. The down side being when you get to the tyre garage you have to have a new one. I always carry a can of it on my motorbike its got me out of a hole twice,as i say a quick fix but it gets you going again.

I don't understand what the problem is. The axle that the wheels are bolted to, is (obviously) strong enough to take a jack. Most cars are going to be at least as heavy as an eriba caravan, so if they have a jack,it will be strong enough. If the car doesn't have on, buy a cheap bottle jack as someone suggested above. Keep the car hooked up. Put all the brakes on. I would lower the corner steadies as well. Slacken the wheel nuts a couple of turns before jacking up the van. I wouldn't bother carrying an axle stand, but if you can find something to put under the axle whilst the wheel is off, so much the better. Then change the wheel. DONT ever get underneath the van whil doing this.

The sissor jack supplied with our car works as well with the caravan as any cheap bottle jack. The problem with reliance on the emergency services is that it assumes that you are able to get in touch with them. We live, and spend most of our time in Northern Scotland which has lots of places where you may as well leave your mobile phone at home Fortunately, modern tyres seem to be much more durable than they used to be, but I can't imagine going to some of the places members of this forum post pictures of, without being able to fix something as simple as a flat tyre myself.

Quote: Kheadatstbees wrote in post #12

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I can't imagine going to some of the places members of this forum post pictures of, without being able to fix something as simple as a flat tyre myself.

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Is there a division for car and caravan then in the Dakar Rally ?

Quote: mr_underhill wrote in post #14

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Is there a division for car and caravan then in the Dakar Rally ?

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