Won't rotate tires with camper on?

[teledork]

First it was the Toyota dealer. They refused to rotate the tires because of the camper. I was told that the truck was "rocking and rolling" on the lift. When I asked how they had managed to service my T-100 with a 4-wheel camper on it for the past twelve years the answer was "I cannot speak to that". (gee- what is that I smell?)

So I ended up at Tires Plus (who had installed tires on that T-100 as well as the small car I owned) and they rotated the tires with no hesitation - a year and a half ago. But now I have to schedule the alignment lift in order for them to do any work on my truck. Or I have to remove the camper.

The store manager said something about an overloaded camper (? - the story was disjointed and vague) collapsing a lift and killing a technician so I am going to guess this is an insurance issue. And I have to wonder why they would not tell me this at Toyota and now the manager at Tires Plus has become rather cagey as well. Is there some kind of "gag" order attached to this whole issue? (more snark than serious question)

But I am concerned about being able to get any kind of service done without removing the camper (the progression of refusal may not be over yet) - something I was trying to avoid. I've seen 30 foot motorhomes as well as my friend's hard side camper on jacks blow over while parked in the yard along this stretch of Hwy 395 and I doubt my skill at backing under the camper and attaching it without assistance. I also do not currently have jacks.

I know most of this can be remedied in one way or another but I wanted to ask what other camper owners do. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Do you regularly remove your camper or service the truck yourself or....?

I am assuming there is some electrical that has to be disconnected along with the turnbuckles?

Gee - I did not know how much danger I was in that time I changed a tire on the T-100 with camper using the jack that came with the truck. (ok - that was pure snark and totally uncalled for if someone died but I don't like giving money to people who try to bull**it me)

Any advice? anecdotes? jokes? scolding?

 

[fuzzymarindave]

Perhaps if you can go to the scales and get a certificate proving that you are within the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating then they may concede and do the service.?

 

[Cottonww]

I suspect it is a shop by shop problem. I had a leak in my airbag shocks and went back to the installer. I first went to them after having the camper off for a long non-camping road trip. Then went back to them(in Tucson) with the airbag leak problem and they wouldn't put it on their old lift unless I took the camper off. So, screw them I called a shop in Phoenix and no problem. I had them install a leaf spring and trouble shoot the leak. They were a lot more competent and did both and found an elbow leaking. But they only jacked it up and didn't use a lift. I felt sorry for the Guy crawling around underneath to do the job outside in the heat.

 

[teledork]

Perhaps if you can go to the scales and get a certificate proving that you are within the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating then they may concede and do the service.?

I had not thought of that. But the weight of the camper is printed right next to the door - "shell" model with heater, stove, propane is listed separately. I believe this weight is from a certified scale?

The gist of Toyota's story is that a camper with the cab-over is unbalanced. And then I got a different story from the tire shop. Both of the explanations were quite vague but the tire shop did mention that it was a very light camper but will still require me to schedule the alignment lift.

The implication that a camper is not properly balanced is not the same as an overweight vehicle causing an shop accident. I suppose this issue will eventually catch the attention of the camper manufacturers. They may be incorrectly blamed but in any case I think they need to tell their customers that shops - for whatever the real reason is - may refuse to service their vehicle with the camper on the truck. And yes - I do also believe pigs can fly.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

I have seen a picture a truck & FWC that fell off a shop lift while getting serviced. I can't post it, because I'm not sure the owner would want that. But I heard that it bent the frame of the truck, and they had to cash him out on the cost of the truck. So I can sort of see why they might be hesitant. With so many potential lawsuits, it is easier to say "No", than take the risk to make $89 bucks on a tire rotation or oil change.

 

[teledork]

I have seen a picture a truck & FWC that fell off a shop lift while getting serviced. I can't post it, because I'm not sure the owner would want that. But I heard that it bent the frame of the truck, and they had to cash him out on the cost of the truck. So I can sort of see why they might be hesitant. With so many potential lawsuits, it is easier to say "No", than take the risk to make $89 bucks on a tire rotation or oil change.

So do your salespeople tell customers that they may have to remove the camper to service the truck? Ive been told you don't do this anymore but my 4-wheel was bolted to the truck bed so I would have been SOL. (If it has not already been done the new owner is going to change that)

I understand the view of the repair shop but you are the first person who has given me a straight story and I don't get why the repair people can't or won't. I appreciate your response.

 

[teledork]

Ok. I can understand the problem with telling a customer "you are not spending enough for us to take the risk" but how hard would it be for them to tell me it is an insurance issue?

I think of a brewery and a cannabis dispensary which used to allow dogs but no longer do. The dispensary plainly said that their insurance company said no more dogs. The brewery mentions "many incidents" and that they cannot legally operate if they allow dogs rather than say the word "insurance". I just want people to be honest with me. The caginess does not inspire trust.

I think I'd better get me some jacks and learn how to do this.

 

[buckland]

Ya knowing how never hurt (I think) my mechanic puts mine up on his 10,000 lb lift and also uses his jacks for small stuff with m camper. But I live in a little town ...life at times is easier.

 

[teledork]

Ya knowing how never hurt (I think) my mechanic puts mine up on his 10,000 lb lift and also uses his jacks for small stuff with m camper. But I live in a little town ...life at times is easier.

I live in a small town but we no longer have a mechanic. I used to rotate my own tires and change my own oil but the tools belonged to the ex and I was hurting for months when I HAD to change a tire in an emergency more recently (female, 5'2", 120 lbs, signing up for Medicare) I could get help with the tires and I'd need a few items to do the oil. I have become more concerned about being able to have other service done without removing the camper since I do not currently have camper jacks.

Another interesting data point: the new owner of my old rig had a problem getting a (second) smog check because of the camper. She was told she needed to deal through a "referee" but when she called the "referee" he laughed and said WTF? Then she found a small shop who said "no problem".

 

[craig333]

I use America's Tire and they only use the lifts for cars. Anything else gets floor jacks. They've never even mentioned the camper.

S&H 4WD asked how much my rig weighed. Apparently they have a 10k limit on their lift. The other shops I've used, I'm not sure if they even use a lift.

 

[pvstoy]

Been using Costco in carson city for years for tire service for two different trucks with fwc on them with no issues. Carson dodge for a series of service without mentioning anything.

 

[Loren]

On a similar vain I was in Northern California on the weekend and the transmission line blew. Called AAA tow truck and waited 4 hours. The truck broke down on a round a bout and it was raining. Needed to be towed 3 blocks to motel room. Driver said normally they wont tow a truck with camper but when I told him just needed to go to the motel he relented and towed to the motel for a quick job.

 

[Outnabout]

My local shop puts my truck with Grandby up on 4 floor jacks and I’m out in 15-20 minutes.

 

[michelle_east_county]

' had a lift capacity issue at one shop we regularly use that could not handle a '97 Roadtrek 170, 6800 lb GVWR, until they got a bigger lift. Another shop had to use a floor jack. And, a Dodge and Ram dealer was in a former Audi dealership, lacked overhead clearance and could barely handle their trucks sold. One selling feature on Fords is that many dealers can handle the numerous trucks fitted with commercial equipment so can handle campers and motorhomes. When we bought our F350 before ordering a Hallmark camper, I confirmed with service writers what they could handle.

 

[Machinebuilder]

I've read this thread and another recent thread on almost the same topic.

I think several people on both threads have hit on a good point, some lifts are not made to lift trucks.

I have a friend with a 2 post lift and we could not use it on my F150, the length of the truck was too much for the lift.

If these shops don't have floor jacks and jack stands, I could see why they are not equipped to work on bigger heavier vehicles.

I seldom take my stuff to a shop, I work on a gravel driveway and most of the time with appropriate tools I don't have a problem working safely.

All this sounds like a reason for the shop to refuse to do work that they don't want to do.

 

[buckland]

Not to be morbid but a guy in our town died a couple days ago. Was under the truck when the stand let go. 30 years old. I’m not a belt and suspenders guy but when it comes to stuff that can crush me I take the double rule every time if I have the truck on my 3 ton jack ( yea I am a bit over that) I put in jack stands and for good measure an oak stump.

 

[teledork]

On a similar vain I was in Northern California on the weekend and the transmission line blew. Called AAA tow truck and waited 4 hours. The truck broke down on a round a bout and it was raining. Needed to be towed 3 blocks to motel room. Driver said normally they wont tow a truck with camper but when I told him just needed to go to the motel he relented and towed to the motel for a quick job.

This is the kind of thing that worries me. Was it a sling tow or a flatbed? I had my old rig w/camper on a flatbed more than once but that was several years ago. I mean - what are we supposed to do? Pull the camper off and leave it on the side of the road? And exactly how does one do that if the vehicle is not running?

 

[teledork]

I think several people on both threads have hit on a good point, some lifts are not made to lift trucks.

Yeah, but they used to put my larger truck and camper on a lift that they will not put the smaller and lighter rig on now. Or in the case of Tires Plus they put my Taco and camper on one of those lifts and rotated the tires and now they won't.

 

[michelle_east_county]

This is the kind of thing that worries me. Was it a sling tow or a flatbed? I had my old rig w/camper on a flatbed more than once but that was several years ago. I mean - what are we supposed to do? Pull the camper off and leave it on the side of the road? And exactly how does one do that if the vehicle is not running?

Our experience has been that we always had to state to dispatcher what needed towing but that still meant one company sent out the young rookie with an old 3/4 or 1-ton truck with a sling for a 2-mile tow when we had a ‘72 Buick Electra towing a 22’ trailer. A sling on a too-light truck isn’t the right equipment with a car towing anything, especially with an equalizer hitch, which we did reduce tension on but still couldn’t raise front too much. Luckily, I stayed in car as it partially dropped off sling on freeway so I kept steering wheel oriented correctly until he pulled over and reset. So, nothing new on right vs wrong equipment issues.

 

[teledork]

I use America's Tire and they only use the lifts for cars. Anything else gets floor jacks. They've never even mentioned the camper.

S&H 4WD asked how much my rig weighed. Apparently they have a 10k limit on their lift. The other shops I've used, I'm not sure if they even use a lift.

I used them - well, it is called Discount Tire over here. I would order tires and be given a price for installation etc and it always cost more than I was quoted. Big O tires was interesting too - you'd get a different price depending on which salesperson you were dealing with. I started going to Tires Plus because I would order tires from Tire Rack, get a quote for installation etc and everything matched up.