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WARNING! EV Sportline Jack Fail! [PSA: Store a Bottle Jack in Proper Position]

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C12farmer

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Warning for anyone who bought the @EV Sportline Rivian specific 6-ton bottle jack...go check on it.

I bought the EV Sportline jack March of 2023. Rivian wasn't selling spare kits at the time so I built my own. Never used the jack once, but put it in my R1T spare compartment in case I needed it. Well, I needed it. Went to change a flat tire and instead of finding my nice unused kit waiting for me I found a mess of hydraulic fluid everywhere. I needed to call AAA to come change the tire for me. Store it and forget it emergency gear can't fail like this.

Also, it might be a bit nitpicky but the rubber gasket on the jack puck had broken apart. The spare gasket was still good.

Needless to say, I won't be using EV Sportline products for anything critical.

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I thank you for your post. I have never owned a bottle jack but I never would have thought that you can’t store them on their sides or else they’ll leak oil everywhere.

Is this really true for all bottle jacks or just some designs? I could imagine a “premium” design that has check valves of some sort, but it’s going to cost a few more dollars to manufacture.

I own a floor jack and store it in the case every which way except vertical. Never had a leak by storing it. Never had to read the instructions either.
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EV Sportline

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1. if storing it flat leads to failure, it would seem like a good idea to print it and include it in the instructions. How many people scan a QR code on a jack to read the instructions online when they are included printed in the product. This is a CYA situation so you can modify the instructions after you've shipped the product to customers.

2. It clearly states "recommended" and not required. As a Rivian specific jack it can't be stored how you recommend in the R1T spare compartment like I'm sure 99% of R1T buyers are storing it. Even if "recommended" was printed on the box most R1T customers are going to lay it down when it doesn't fit standing up.

Anyway, my goal isn't to argue. I'm sure you all make decent non-jack products. My goal was to warn others. My bet is there are many who have a failed jack and unaware.

I really hate this happened to you. I think AAA is 99 bucks? How about a $100 gift card and a new jack. We start over? I want to try and make it up to you!
 

COdogman

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I thought all bottle jacks had to be stored upright? 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
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ohseedee

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I appreciate EV Sportline offering to replace it and even offer a gift card for the tire change service. However, it's not about the money. I'd much rather @EV Sportline send an email blast to those who ordered the jack with something like "hey, make sure you didn't store the jack in your R1T spare tire comportment as it could leak and fail." And add that detail as part of the printed instructions for go-forward customers and use "required" vs "recomended."

My entire goal here is to alert anyone who bought this Jack and is storing it in their spare tire compartment as my assumption is that is where most R1Ts have it stored. This is emergency gear you never check until you need it. My goal wasn't to bash EV Sportline. That said, I do have a problem with how this jack is marketed which is as a "Rivian specific bottle jack kit." While I'm sure EV Sportline would disagree, there is nothing that makes it Rivian specific other than the included jack puck. You cant follow Rivian's tire change process (max height / tire change mode) and you cant store it where Rivian's store their jacks and tires. As such, there is nothing unique about it over say a generic jack from harbor freight at 1/5 the price (which I'd add also doesn't call out needing to store it upright and in ~1.5 years I'll check and I bet it still works)
 

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Ventura

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NO, Step 1 was to reach out to AAA for help as I needed to change my flat tire and didn't have a working jack. I have no need to reach out directly as I have no interest in a replacement. My goal was to warn others to go check on theirs, so they are not screwed if they need it in an emergency and it failed like mine.
I appreciate the warning and instruction to keep the bottle jack upright. I have one (Big Red) at an angle under the back seat. I'll see what I can do about that, but I've replaced it with a Badlands that will only be taken out when I need the space in the bed.
 

eskudo12791

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Rivian specific bottle jack kit.
Rivian R1T R1S WARNING! EV Sportline Jack Fail! [PSA: Store a Bottle Jack in Proper Position] jackk.JPG

Guess I am missing on here where it says it is specific to Rivian. And more oddly enough if you READ the item description "Compatible with original Gen 1 R1T / R1S, and new Gen 2 R1T / R1S". Sounds like a run of the mill bottle jack.

At the end of the day you didn't read, big ole letters saying CAUTION and then says read the instructions. I recommend checking out JOCKO WILLINK; Extreme Ownership.
 
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ohseedee

ohseedee

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jackk.JPG

Guess I am missing on here where it says it is specific to Rivian. And more oddly enough if you READ the item description "Compatible with original Gen 1 R1T / R1S, and new Gen 2 R1T / R1S". Sounds like a run of the mill bottle jack.

At the end of the day you didn't read, big ole letters saying CAUTION and then says read the instructions. I recommend checking out JOCKO WILLINK; Extreme Ownership.
It's called out on the website as the "first Rivian specific bottle jack" and defended in many posts on this forum. Yes, it's just a generic bottle jack that ships with a Rivian puck. That's my point. If it was just listed as compatible, I'd have no issues with a) not being able to follow Rivian's tire change process and b) not able to store it where you store the Rivan jack.

For those not aware, early R1T buyers were unable to get a spare tire and jack due to supply chain issues. This forced a lot of us to either wait or build our own kit. This Jack came to market as a Rivian specific jack to address the issue.
 

Ventura

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It's called out on the website as the "first Rivian specific bottle jack" and defended in many posts on this forum. Yes, it's just a generic bottle jack that ships with a Rivian puck. That's my point. If it was just listed as compatible, I'd have no issues with a) not being able to follow Rivian's tire change process and b) not able to store it where you store the Rivan jack.

For those not aware, early R1T buyers were unable to get a spare tire and jack due to supply chain issues. This forced a lot of us to either wait or build our own kit. This Jack came to market as a Rivian specific jack to address the issue.
On the other hand, the scissor jack that comes with the spare tire kit is sketchy. This can be true for bottle jacks as well given the shift of the vehicle as you raise it, but I wasn't a fan of changing my tire with the scissor jack.
 

Donald Stanfield

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jackk.JPG

Guess I am missing on here where it says it is specific to Rivian. And more oddly enough if you READ the item description "Compatible with original Gen 1 R1T / R1S, and new Gen 2 R1T / R1S". Sounds like a run of the mill bottle jack.

At the end of the day you didn't read, big ole letters saying CAUTION and then says read the instructions. I recommend checking out JOCKO WILLINK; Extreme Ownership.
Good book, I’ve read both.
 

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Mathme

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To the OP, thanks for the PSA however, storing any bottle jack upright is SoP as those seals can and do leak (not always, but it's not uncommon).

EV Sportline has gone way above the call of duty here by offering a replacement jack for what is ultimately user error.
 

mikehmb

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My name is Mike, and I have a (car) problem
I thought all bottle jacks had to be stored upright? 🤷🏼‍♂️
Both of my former Tundras had bottle jacks that were stored laying down in their little OEM-designed beds.

Perhaps my bottle jacks were tired. Or lazy. Or heroically sealed.

ETA - so are Tacoma OE jacks. 4Runner ones are stashed at an angle but more upright.

There have got to be others stored this way from factory. I'd go look, but I am both lazy and tired, and certainly not heroically sealed.
 

COdogman

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Both of my former Tundras had bottle jacks that were stored laying down in their little OEM-designed beds.

Perhaps my bottle jacks were tired. Or lazy. Or heroically sealed.

ETA - so are Tacoma OE jacks. 4Runner ones are stashed at an angle but more upright.

There have got to be others stored this way from factory. I'd go look, but I am both lazy and tired, and certainly not heroically sealed.
I think it’s good to have a well rested bottle jack when it’s time for action.
 

mikehmb

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My name is Mike, and I have a (car) problem
I think it’s good to have a well rested bottle jack when it’s time for action.
If your jack stays extended for more than 2 hours, consult a physician.
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