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Electric Jack Easy Installation
Overview
These are the simple, easy to follow written instruction on how to replace a worn out manual jack with an electric one of the tongue of your travel trailer. It will help you life the camper or other types of trailer off of your towing vehicle ball.
Video
If the video above did not help, here are the simple written instructions
Instructions
- Leave the travel trailer connected to the ball/hitch of the towing vehicle
- Remove the secondary foot at the bottom of the existing manual jack.
- Remove the existing manual jack by removing the 3 bolts that hold it in place. My bolt heads took a 9/16" socket, but yours could be different.
- As mine were, sometimes the bolts are weathered and rusted in place, and will take extra force or a quick prime of WD-40 to help loosen them.
- Remove existing manual jack from the hole, replace with new electric jack
- Turn the jack so that the switch is facing the RIGHT side of the travel trailer. This is the side you use the most while setting up the camper at a campsite.
- If the slots match the 3 existing holes in the tongue, install all 3 bolts. If only 2 slots match 2 existing holes, that will be plenty to hold this amount of tongue weight.
- If you are holding more than 1,000 lbs on the tongue, I would suggest taking your camper to a workshop and having the 3rd hold drilled and tapped into the tongue to take the additional weight as safety is always the main concern. I, however, only have roughly 800 lbs on the tongue, so i felt safe only going with 2 bolts. While the camper is setup on a campsite, the additional stabilizer jacks on the bottom help to take some of the weight off the tongue as guests are inside of the camper.
- Added a connection onto the end of the supplied positive wire
- I would suggest connecting the positive wire to the positive side of the battery only when needed, to prevent possibly draining of the battery and accidental raising or lowering of the jack. Again, safety first.
- Remember to attach the secondary foot to the bottom before you lower the jack and use it for the first time, or to leave it on the jack and remove the towing vehicle.
Make short work of the manual stabilizer jacks also
A invaluable time saving socket is to the right. It can be attached to any drill and make quick work of any manual stabilizer jack, if you do not already have electric power jacks.
Other helpful HUBS
- Tire Change on a Travel Trailer
This hub tells you the proper technique to change a tire on a travel trailer while you are out in the field during a vacation and away from home.
Conclusion
Travel Trailers and other Recreational Vehicles are a wonderful thing to have. Time spent with your loving family is invaluable. But anything that you can do to further increase that happy is really worth the added expense in my opinion.
After having manually cranked this travel trailer up and down for 3 years now, I can honestly say that this addition of the Electric Jack will be a true blessing! The additional quick connection for the drill that I showed being used with that socket is also a great idea! It makes short work of the small amount of labor that is needed to set up one of these things. And always remember, the less time you spend working on them, the more time you can spend enjoying them!
COPYRIGHT
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