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Old 10-09-2015, 09:02 PM   #1
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Tongue jack dropping during travel

Well i am on a trip here and for the first time, my tongue jack dropped down. Talk about a shock while driving!!!! I checked it periodically after that, and it dropped again. So now I am going to have to lock it up with a chain or something. Has anyone else had this happen to them? This is a first for me.
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:33 PM   #2
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Could the switch be shorting and motoring it down? Pull out the fuse and see it that makes a difference while driving.
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Old 10-09-2015, 10:16 PM   #3
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Usually a switch is "bouncing" causing the motor to run in spurts, eventually "winding" the tongue down.

Removing fuse is a good idea. Also, painters tape over the switch to see if that the "bounce"/vibration is enough to trigger the motor with fuse installed of course.

Thee is the outside chance that something inside the switch has come loose and bounces around during towing.

Lastly, and very unlikely, the bouncing during tow is letting the tongue wind itself down.... Very unlikely, but could be a worn out gear or the internal screw of the jack itself has worn out.
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Old 10-13-2015, 06:58 AM   #4
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My old jack did this. Eventually it destroyed itself and I replaced it with a manual Atwood. I actually prefer the manual jack.
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Old 10-13-2015, 08:01 AM   #5
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If you try the fuse removal idea I would also put a Slack Chain from the bottom of the jack post to the frame of the trailer. I say this because the jack post has a mechanical system within it that may have failed and the bouncing is allowing it to creep down. If with the fuse removed it still drops, to the limit of the chain, the problem is in the jack post not the motor.
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Old 10-13-2015, 11:11 AM   #6
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I went to a manual jack also. No worries with a manual jack plus I suspect the electric jack (aftermarket unit) in blowing my electric converter
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Old 10-13-2015, 12:23 PM   #7
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Your converter should never see the jack if the jack is wired right. The jack should be wired and fused directly to the batteries.
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Old 10-13-2015, 07:30 PM   #8
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Is there a maximum size where a manual jack would not be advisable?
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Old 10-13-2015, 07:49 PM   #9
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Just my 2 cents on manual jacks , be careful not to force Jack handle too much in up or down position or you will destroy the gears in Jack , I did this on my boat trailer just before leaving on a long trip and gave it a little more force up at end of its travel because I was worried it might unwind down slightly while bouncing up and down on rough roads for the next 900 miles , fortunately I made it home with no problems and I took the top cap off the Jack and noticed I Broke one tooth on one gear , luckily the Jack on cost forty dollars.
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Old 10-13-2015, 08:11 PM   #10
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A manual jack would be fine for any Airstream. Most are rated for 2,000 lbs or more. Of course, load on the jack increases as you lift the trailer.
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Old 10-13-2015, 08:19 PM   #11
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I'm happy with my manual Jack on my airstream but wasn't happy with the power Jack on my previous 2012 airstream ,
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Old 10-13-2015, 11:31 PM   #12
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My money is on a problem in the switch.


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Old 10-14-2015, 07:19 AM   #13
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Opened up top

So I opened up the jack. Plenty of grease. So yes, the little cog slips when you want to bring the jack up. Engages fully to put it down. So I am not going to deal with it until I get Tin Hut home. So bought some chain and will secure it up while traveling. But I will add this to my list of things to check while on the road.
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Old 10-25-2015, 01:28 PM   #14
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The "cog" is actually a shear pin I believe. If it is deformed then you can probably get a new one. Had a '72 that would go up but not down....turned out the pin was deformed and only drove in the "up" direction.

The other possibility I thought of might be the limit switches on the head. They can break if you run the jack to the end too many times, but you seem to have found the problem

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