Electric tongue jack
- Thread starter Aaron k
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
glockholiday
Well-known member
I've had a Bulldog 4000# tongue jack on my trailer since 2008 and not one problem with it. It makes it faster because it's got a 10" pin adjustable foot that eliminates having to wait for the motor to make up that 10" gap. You will not find one much faster than the other they are all slow. But the higher the weight rating the less it will strain.
JW of Opechee Shores
Well-known member
What's with the fast? You are going camping enjoy it a few minutes can't mater that much, nobody is clocking your set up or break down time.
Joezeppy
Well-known member
I had a Barker on my prior TT - 3,500 lb rating - for the last 4 years we owned it. Had good experience with it with no problems. From a speed standpoint, I'd say it was about the same as manually cranking...but a hell of a lot easier!
The Bulldog 4000# tongue jack is a good choice. I went with the Husky Brute 4500# tongue jack that was the only ball bearing jack on the market at the time...perhaps it still is, but there are many good electric tongue jacks out there. The trick is to get the right size. I say the heavier duty the better. It will lift without strain and not overwork let you down eventually. Many make the mistake of thinking a 2500" jack is fine when considering their trailer's tongue weight. However, with a WD hitch you will be lifting the back of the tow vehicle also. I had a 3500# jack that I moved up from my smaller trailer and it really struggled to get the trailer tongue and truck high enough to hook up the hitch bars. After a year of listening to it struggle I replaced it with the Husky and am very happy.
My light works but the light on the front of my trailer works much better. I haven't seen the jack light or the jack switches since I installed the jack over a year ago. I put the Naugahyde cover, that came with the jack, on the jack head and have never removed it. You can operate the jack switch with the cover on and that's what I do.
I really like the jack! I use to hate the sound of my old jack straining...this jack doesn't know it's working!! I think you will be happy with the jack for many years. Keep the old jack so you can put it back on if you trade the trailer, this jack will last you a long, long time!
I really like the jack! I use to hate the sound of my old jack straining...this jack doesn't know it's working!! I think you will be happy with the jack for many years. Keep the old jack so you can put it back on if you trade the trailer, this jack will last you a long, long time!
kwbush
Well-known member
RVfixer said:
Just curious... Why wouldn't you disconnect your bars BEFORE lifting the TT off the ball?
I can't think of any reason to keep the TV and TT connected.
Keith
kwbush said:Just curious... Why wouldn't you disconnect your bars BEFORE lifting the TT off the ball?
I can't think of any reason to keep the TV and TT connected.
Keith
Because lifting the trailer and truck together will make hooking up the spring bars and unhooking the spring bars much easier and safer. It takes the load off of the spring bars.
kwbush
Well-known member
kdbgoat said:
Ummmmmmmmmm...Thanx for the info... I've been doing the WDH thingy for ummmmmm more years than I care to divulge :
and I've never once tried unhooking the bars AFTER I lifted the trailer off the ball. Guess you CAN learn something new at an advanced age! :-[ but then again it goes against everything I believe to be safe... Does anyone else do this? ??? Keith
Rene T
Site Team
kwbush said:Ummmmmmmmmm...Thanx for the info... I've been doing the WDH thingy for ummmmmm more years than I care to divulge :
Keith
What they're saying is leave the trailer hooked up to the ball. Using the jack, lift the trailer and tow vehicle together then either hook up or unhook the spring bars. Doing it this way relieves the spring tension on the bars so it makes hookup/unhook a snap. No pun intended
HueyPilotVN
Well-known member
I have to lift the connected coach and trailer tongue in order to get the spring bars over the bracket. My procedure is to put the coupler on the ball. lock it and raise it to lift the spring bars onto the bracket and then lower it to put the weight on the bars.
I also lift it connected to remove the bars.
I also have two 3,500 pound electric jacks for lifting the tongue.
Edit: I see "Rainy" posted the same thing at the same time.
I also lift it connected to remove the bars.
I also have two 3,500 pound electric jacks for lifting the tongue.
Edit: I see "Rainy" posted the same thing at the same time.
Rene T
Site Team
HueyPilotVN said:
Rene T said:
That's what I meant. I wouldn't take the trailer off the ball with the bars snapped up. The bars would probably fly out and break both your legs. Actually I misread your question.
kwbush said:Just curious... Why wouldn't you disconnect your bars BEFORE lifting the TT off the ball?
I can't think of any reason to keep the TV and TT connected.
Keith
You have it right, unsnap the spring bars, before jacking trailer off the ball.
Rene T
Site Team
I misunderstood what you were saying Keith. Sorry.kdbgoat said:
grashley
Well-known member
Just to be perfectly clear:
Raise tongue with TT attached to ball.
Disconnect WD bars.
Lower hitch to normal height.
Unlock and release ball hitch while trailer is supported by the ball.
Raise hitch and pull TV out.
Raise tongue with TT attached to ball.
Disconnect WD bars.
Lower hitch to normal height.
Unlock and release ball hitch while trailer is supported by the ball.
Raise hitch and pull TV out.
I have been away for a while and you are referring to my comment. That last post of grashley is exactly correct. AND, to hitch up with an Equal-i-zer type WD hitch where the bars go on top of L brackets (and perhaps other types also) it is just about impossible and dangerous to try to hitch up or unhitch without using the tongue jack to life both the trailer tongue and the back of the tow vehicle. If the hitch is adjusted correctly you have to lift the back of the tow vehicle fairly high to get the spring bars onto the brackets. Then when you lower the tongue the bars get "loaded" and transfer weight to the front wheels. If someone says they can get their bars of easily without lifting the back of the tow vehicle then the hitch is not adjusted properly (I have seen many that way) and they have greatly disabled the weight distribution feature with an incorrect set up.
With my setup there is no way I could lift the bars on to the brackets without keeping the TV attached to the trailer and lifting the back end of the truck. If you can lift the bars with the trailer disconnected, I would think the bumper of the TV would be dragging the ground because of the WD hitch not being set up properly?
kwbush
Well-known member
Well gentlemen I must be doing something wrong then... I've never lifted both TV and TT with my hand crank tongue jack... ever.
Granted it takes more than a little effort to attach the chains to the trailer tongue and understandably an equal amount of effort to unattach them but its not beyond the capabilities of a 70 year old man... and the trailer and tow vehicle are one level platform.
Now that I have the electric jack I am going to try hooking up the spring bars the way you suggest... but I couldn't see myself manually jacking up BOTH TV and TT it was hard enough jacking up the TT! :-[
Thanks again for the info...
Keith
Granted it takes more than a little effort to attach the chains to the trailer tongue and understandably an equal amount of effort to unattach them but its not beyond the capabilities of a 70 year old man... and the trailer and tow vehicle are one level platform.
Now that I have the electric jack I am going to try hooking up the spring bars the way you suggest... but I couldn't see myself manually jacking up BOTH TV and TT it was hard enough jacking up the TT! :-[
Thanks again for the info...
Keith
