Electric jack is great until it's not

[dwightdi]

He may not know how to take the motor head off the jack to get to the socket where you plug the handle into.

[Land Grover]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

He may not know how to take the motor head off the jack to get to the socket where you plug the handle into.

That's true. I looked all around and couldn't see where I could manually jack; i figured it may require some dissection.

On the upside, however, I do have an off-road jack I can take along until I get a more definitive solution.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

He may not know how to take the motor head off the jack to get to the socket where you plug the handle into.

Additionally, my trailer didn't come with the handle for manual cranking. I ordered one "just in case," but have yet to need it.

Personally I feel that if you're batteries are so dead that you can't use the electric jack, you've run the batteries down too far anyway - what's going to happen on the way home if you need that emergency breakaway cable before the batteries get recharged from the TV?

(When I bought my trailer, the PO turned off the master switch before we hit the road, and I was like, "Uh, let's leave that on..." I doubt the emergency trailer brakes are wired through it but I'd rather not find out the hard way that they are.)

[mutcth]

Originally Posted by Skater

Additionally, my trailer didn't come with the handle for manual cranking. I ordered one "just in case," but have yet to need it.

Personally I feel that if you're batteries are so dead that you can't use the electric jack, you've run the batteries down too far anyway - what's going to happen on the way home if you need that emergency breakaway cable before the batteries get recharged from the TV?

(When I bought my trailer, the PO turned off the master switch before we hit the road, and I was like, "Uh, let's leave that on..." I doubt the emergency trailer brakes are wired through it but I'd rather not find out the hard way that they are.)

The emergency handle for my jack is built into the head unit. You do need the correct size allen key though to pull off the jack head.

My thought is that activating the brakes via the breakaway cable takes less power than running the jack to lift the trailer. Hopefully not-100%-dead-batteries could do that. But I don't want to test that theory out.

The master switch in my trailer doesn't turn off the power jack. Of course, different strokes for different trailers.

I'm getting a manual jack installed on the trailer this week. Always did fine on the Argosy with it, so it will be fine on the 2007 Safari.

Tom

[polarlyse]

I've never tried to remove the cover and operate my jack manually. I, however, do keep a small hydraulic bottle jack handy and have used that a couple of times when my batteries failed me. Quick and easy. You should always have a few wood blocks around for leveling so use them and the jack and up you go.

[az-streamer]

on most of the newer electric jacks a small circular section of the top [right where the bubble-level is] will 'twist-off' revealing a socket for the manual crank.

you should not have to remove the entire 'head' or do any other major work.

hope this helps.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by az-streamer

on most of the newer electric jacks a small circular section of the top [right where the bubble-level is] will 'twist-off' revealing a socket for the manual crank.

you should not have to remove the entire 'head' or do any other major work.

hope this helps.

Attachment 159608

Sort of like the Newbie has clearance problem thread where there were lots of posts telling the OP (with a single axle trailer) that there was no need to jack it to change a flat. Good info, but not sure it applies here.

Since the OP has a 1985 Excella, my guess is that he has one of the H & H jacks that requires removal of the powerhead. That's what I have on my 1983 Excella. I don't have an emergency handle either, but haven't needed it so far. (Have another jack, just in case.) I've attached a pdf of the H & H manual. Hope it helps make things clear.

I wish I had one of the new style jacks myself, but not enough to replace the old one while it is working fine.

[surfpod]

Originally Posted by RDM16CCD

Pros & cons with either electric or manual jacks. As an emergency backup, try out the jack you have in your tow vehicle and make sure you can lift the trailer to couple up. Most of us have wood or plastic blocks for various chores around the trailer that could be used if you needed more lift, but I suspect you'll find it works ok. Or, carry a spare jack (like a bottle jack, etc) - will come in handy if you ever have a flat tire.

Just an option to consider

Just out of curiosity, what are the cons of a manual jack?

[Phoenix]

If you live in Phoenix, Arizona and hookup in summer 115+ degree weather, the cons are obvious: You have to stand in the heat and hand-crank the tongue up and down. With an electric tongue jack, you push one button (or you can let the wife do it). For us, hookups go much faster and with a lot less effort with our electric tongue jack, which was well worth the money spent.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

My God, a little cranking is a chore? Seriously? I have heard as American we shy away from any physical effort, but cranking the jack is hard?
I ALWAYS try EVERYTHING I can to talk my clients into removing the electric jack and replacing it with a manual one. I have had to take apart more heads to lift the tube up so I can even move the trailers more times than I care to admit. They are battery drains and when they do not work, you are often screwed. The new ones might come with a manual crank, but the old ones do not. My advice personally and professionally; REMOVE THE POWER JACK and replace it with one you are the power for.

[xrvr]

I agree one hundred percent. Jim

[ROBERT CROSS]

A bottle jack is part of your AS tool kit........right?

I'm going to take a perfectly good electric jack off a 1200lb tongue?....I don't think so.

TETO....crank-on.

Bob

[xrvr]

If the jack is fully extended how does a bottle jack help? Jim

[Arrowstream]

Here’s my jack-leg/temporary solution… Removed the powerhead and welded a flat piece of plate onto a nut that fits the wrench that cranks my stabilizers.
Hide the nut gizmo and wrench and the average thief probably couldn’t figure out how to raise the jack to steal the trailer.
It works pretty darn good and cost me nothing.

[Skater]

This thread is starting to crack me up: We're talking about Airstreams here, which is hardly "roughing it" in any way, shape, or form. If I want to hit a switch to raise/lower my Airstream, I'll happily do so, and I'm prepared for the very slight chance something goes wrong with it.

Which, in fact, I already had happen, but it was my own fault. I bent it by moving the trailer with it down - hey, it was our second trip with the trailer and I was distracted by trying to fix a flat tire on the Baltimore beltway (which is a MUCH worse problem than a balky jack - standing along an interstate highway isn't fun) - and the circuit breaker tripped when I got the jack up past a certain point. I reset the breaker in the camper when we got home, and I was back in business. Later, I replaced the bent jack post.

We all have our limits for what is "too far" from roughing it: I laugh when I see an electric can opener in an Airstream.

[perryg114]

Why can't you put a battery powered drill on the screw jack manual or electric and spin the jack screw that way. When I had my slide in camper it had 4 manual jacks and it was on a 4x4 so it took a LOOOOOOOONG time to crank that thing by hand. I had a jack handle end chucked up in my Dewalt 14V drill and I always take that with me on trips. It worked great especially when you got the camper on the truck and you were cranking 1-1/2 ft of jack back into the outer jack tube.

Many folks charge the batteries with the Tow vehicle by connecting it to the trailer and running the engine for a while.

Perry

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

If the jack is fully extended how does a bottle jack help? Jim

Jim,

....you put the little handle in and crank'r up.

Better question, why is your jack fully extended in the first place?....not the most stable situation. Especially if the stab's are also fully extended.

We try not to set-up on a hillside. Know your limitations.

Bob

[Bill M.]

Gosh, I like running my electric jack. Gives me a sense of power to be able to just touch a button and raise and lower it. Not many frills on an Airstream, but don't try to make me feel guilty for enjoying that one.

[perryg114]

I like my electric jack and it if failed I think I could find a way to rig it if I had to.

Perry

[mutcth]

No need to feel guilty. It's all a matter of how you use the trailer. We camp without utilities a lot, and the move to the modern trailer is already crimping our style a bit. I went through the trailer and removed various drains (subwoofer, CD changer, put in all LED lights) already, but the modern frig's current draw is always there. So I'm sure I'll be dealing with drained batteries on occasion, at least until the Tom Trailer Fund refills for solar.

Since I didn't mind cranking the jack on the Argosy, and that is essentially dead reliable, we'll remove our power jack and save it for the next owner. (Getting tandem axles lets us leave the floor jack we used to bring along for the single-axle Argosy at home.) If I was lifting 1100 pounds, I'd probably think differently.

Tom