Manual jack conversion

We currently have manual jacks on our TT.  They are the kind that take a J hook. We are wanting to be able to use an impact wrench to raise and lower. Have any of you done this conversion? My question is, are we able to take the j hook piece off and replace with piece that has a nut or should we have a nut welding on the existing piece? Attached is a picture of piece I am talking about. Thanks for your help!

Camping World sells a tool just for that:  http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/ultra-scissor-jack-drill-attachment-fits-j-hook-style-jacks/78794#sthash.OOb6HgrV.dpuf

Remember these jacks are to stabilize the trailer only and should be just snugged.  Don't over tighten them with an impact wrench!!  I use a battery drill set to the right torque to just snug the stabilizer jacks.  I did see a guy once use an impacted wrench on the jacks to level his trailer...he actually got the wheels off the ground on one side.  These stabilizer jacks were not meant for leveling and you can easily bend your frame.  That may not be true for lightweight tent trailers...?

Yes we have that tool and it works fine for closing the jacks but the drill was not able to lower and stabilize. I'm sure the drill was not "heavy duty" enough.  We have a friend that uses the impact wrench on his and have seen several other campers use as well. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "These stabilizer jacks were not meant for leveling"...

"Stabilizer" jacks, in the four corners of the trailer, were meant to "stabilize" a trailer so that it doesn't move and bounce around a lot when you walk around inside the trailer.  They are suppose to be snubbed only and not over tightened in order to lift and level a trailer.  The trailer should be leveled side to side using boards or pads, meant for that purpose, under the tires on the low side.  Of course the tongue jack is used to level the trailer end to end after unhitching.  If you try to level, more than just a little, using the stabilizer jacks you risk bending the trailer frame resulting in the axles/tires being out of line.  The exception to this, I have read, is on very light tent trailers where they can be used for leveling.  I will confess that I do sometimes do some minor "tuning" of my leveling job once I get it real close by rolling the wheels up on boards.  I'm talking like maybe an extra turn on the jack once the feet touch down.  The instructions on stabilizer jacks usually call for around 1/8th turn after contacting the ground or jack pad.  Now, I know some will say "I always level my trailer with these jacks"...that's fine, I'm just trying to answer with accurate information.

I keep my stabilizer jacks lubricated and they easily go up and down using my electric drill.  However, I do sometimes have to loosen a stabilizer jack with the manual crank tool before it will go down using the drill and I always use the crank tool to make sure the jacks are all the way up and tight after running them up with the drill.

I "guess" it is OK to use an impact wrench as long as you are not lifting the trailer with the jacks.  However, I prefer to use an electric drill for more control of how much force I am applying to the trailer frame with the jack.  My drill is an inexpensive Sears battery drill.  Lubrication on the jack screws is the key here. 

I am having more respect for our walk through check list.  This is an item for extra caution during discussion concerning stabilizing VS leveling.

After this part of the WA I usually I ask the customer to explain the difference before moving on to the next item. No grading on the curve....answer is correct or not!  (BTW previous trailer owners sometimes think the stabs were for leveling.)  :-\

Arkansas said:

Yes we have that tool and it works fine for closing the jacks but the drill was not able to lower and stabilize. I'm sure the drill was not "heavy duty" enough.  We have a friend that uses the impact wrench on his and have seen several other campers use as well. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "These stabilizer jacks were not meant for leveling"...

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Impacts are easier, but they are also a nuisance to the other campers. You can hear somebody using one across the park.

In my class C, I do not have stabilizers, so I just use the bottle jack that I keep on board for changing tires. I just barely touch the frame with it on one side and it is enough to keep it from bouncing when somebody enters the camper. That is the difference between stabilizers and a jack. Stabilizers keep it from bouncing and jacks are meant to lift. Leveling usually requires lifting and most stabilizers cannot handle that kind of load. Its a way for companies to sell a sub par scissor jack at a premium price while avoiding liability if somebody uses it for even slightest load.

Stabilizers should move easily by a hand crank. If they move easily by hand, it doesn't take a whole lot of drill to move them. If they don't move easily by hand, then they need a good cleaning and then lubing. I preferred a dry lube on mine so the lube didn't attract dirt and dust. An impact shouldn't be needed and they are annoying to everyone in the campground.

I use this to raise and lower the stabilizer jacks on my trailer.  The extra torque in low gear is just right if the jack starts to bind up at the beginning or end of it's travel.

Black & Decker LDX220C 2 Speed Cordless Lithium-Ion Drill

I have also used a Ryobi 18-volt two-speed drill, as well as a Ridgid 18 volt 2 speed drill. Both of them from Home Depot. They both do a fine job, and can be had on sale regularly if you watch for it.