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Old 01-25-2018, 10:46 PM   #41
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I sometimes use a small battery powered impact driver with a 3/4” socket when we are in a hurry. It makes a racket but it’s quick.

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Like some others, I tried it once, hated the noise and now crank by hand. I like fine tuning the load and I don't think that I could do that as well with the impact driver.

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Originally Posted by h2owmn View Post
Has anyone modified a hand jack to use a drill adapter to raise/lower the trailer? Is that too much load for a drill?
If you mean the front jack, I have. Easy to do, the gear is only roll pinned to the shaft. Tried it with my drill. almost broke my wrist. Used the impact driver and it worked but didn't sound happy. Didn't work primarily because of the axial load on the front sleeve bushing and not even a sleeve bushing at the rear. Wouldn't last long. I returned it to original.

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but it is symbolic of the attitude that we should let machines do the work wherever possible (power assisted bikes!).
You dissing folks with electric bikes? Seriously, we get more use from these than we do with our mountain bikes that take up a lot of room in the back of the truck. You don't get much biking if they're too much effort to bring along. Yah, yah, done thousands of miles with the mountain bikes on the back of the trailer. Sometimes more effort than it's worth and not great on rough roads.

The folding electric bikes only take up a small corner of the truck box so we usually always have them with us. Contrary to what you might think we actually pedal them manually unless we come to a really steep hill. Normally we pedal manually, go do whatever and there are times that we've returned home without actually using the electric assist. But knowing that it's there allows us the peace of mind to go a lot further from home without thinking that maybe we're being a bit too ambitious.


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Old 01-26-2018, 09:29 AM   #42
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For the most part I am in your camp Dave. Electric bikes come to mind. If you truly need one and the exercise would cause grief okay, but I know of lots of folks that have them for the cool factor, and ease of getting around, when in fact many most certainly could use the exercise of a regular bike.

We just parked for the night at a Walmart in Butte, Montana, checked on the bikes on the cargo bin, and they are converted in snow. Had clear sailing from Calgary to Helena, Montana, then started to hit snowy and icy conditions. Lots of it in the pass, then we hit a snow storm too. Sure glad I kept the winter tires on.
Electric bikes are not necessarily a substitute for physical activity. I do have an electric bike that I have used for commuting (about 20km each way to/from work). The electric bike works with pedal assist so I am normally peddling hard the entire way. Of course I can cycle much faster for longer durations with the pedal assist than I could on one of my other non-electric bikes, so my trip to/from work will take about 2/3 to 1/2 the time of a non-electric bike. Don't want to tire myself out cycling so that I cannot go on my daily 12km run.
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Old 01-26-2018, 10:22 AM   #43
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Electric bikes are not necessarily a substitute for physical activity. I do have an electric bike that I have used for commuting (about 20km each way to/from work). The electric bike works with pedal assist so I am normally peddling hard the entire way. Of course I can cycle much faster for longer durations with the pedal assist than I could on one of my other non-electric bikes, so my trip to/from work will take about 2/3 to 1/2 the time of a non-electric bike. Don't want to tire myself out cycling so that I cannot go on my daily 12km run. [emoji23]
I am talking about those that buy them purely for recreational use, when in fact they could use the exercise. I have a copy sets of friends like this, that seem to go out of there way to avoid physical effort.

If you are already in good health, then it is less of an issue.
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Old 01-26-2018, 11:33 AM   #44
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My wife can now ride a bike again because it is electric! She had to stop before because her knees could not do the hills. Now she peddles everywhere with just the aid on the hills.
As with the drill on the jacks, people do things for many reasons...good or bad.
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Old 01-28-2018, 03:11 AM   #45
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I used a little Skil battery-powered screwdriver to put them up and down at first, and I definitely don't recommend it. I ended up burning it out after a few days. Definitely stick with an actual drill if you do go this route.

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Old 02-11-2018, 07:16 PM   #46
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We use a DeWalt 12 volt drill. Works like a darn! We also have an impact drill but use it only if one wants to make neighbours think that construction's going on (them things are LOUD!). Really, we just take the impact drill along on longer trips in case the other drill breaks.

After years of hand cranking up and down the stabilizers, using the drill is a delight.
However, after a few years of hand cranking the tongue hitch up, and down, and up, and down, we also got an electric tongue jack. So we might just be lazy...
But then, as an aunt of mine used to say, "I'm too old to be embarrassed.".
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Old 02-12-2018, 07:13 PM   #47
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At Quartzsite there was one fellow that used an impact driver only 200 yards away. I considered putting a potato in his exhaust it was so annoyingly loud.

..... Oh wait, that is what you do with gensets.

Actually, a genset is much quieter.
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Old 02-12-2018, 07:14 PM   #48
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Actually, a genset is much quieter.
It definitely is, but at least the drill isn't run for hours.
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Old 02-12-2018, 07:17 PM   #49
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It definitely is, but at least the drill isn't run for hours.
True that.
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Old 02-13-2018, 08:50 AM   #50
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http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/at...7&d=1516941731

Sweet Caterham!
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Old 02-13-2018, 05:16 PM   #51
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Very nice, and "Lotus 7-eseque", but not a Caterham:
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No, 3 years of beating my head against the wall making my own. Went to the Caterham factory in England with the intent to buy a kit but looked at them welding bits of tube together and thought, "I can do that" I took a year to build my house, 2 years to build an ocean going sailboat and 3 years to build that little car. Something is wrong with that progression.

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Old 02-13-2018, 06:45 PM   #52
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Nope you’ve learned to relax n take more beer breaks and thinking naps
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Old 02-13-2018, 07:26 PM   #53
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Nope you’ve learned to relax n take more beer breaks and thinking naps
Two of my favorite things.
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Old 02-13-2018, 07:55 PM   #54
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Two of my favorite things.
As in, "I think I'll have a beer".
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Old 02-13-2018, 07:58 PM   #55
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I can’t compete with Ron’s car, which I love, and I support beer breaks and thinking naps, but I’ll slip this in with my solution to the portable drill v hand crank on the stabilizer question. I have used the drill in years past but don’t any more due to keeping the batteries charged, not letting it get wet from rain or condensation, etc. I am a hand crank fan due to the simplicity, dependability and ease of doing it but found that it gets harder as the years go on. (It’s funny how stabilizers can get lower and move further under the trailer over time.)

My solution, which I would put forward as one of the best non-trailer trailer accessories one can have along, is a gardener’s kneeling bench. They’re wonderful for cranking, hitching, dumping and so much more. I keep it handy in the TV and find it comes out often in both it’s high and especially low position. It also protects the knees from rocks, gravel, wet and anything else that might be lurking where one wants to kneel or squat down. It also gives you something to push yourself up on as you stand up!

Here is a link to what I’m talking about but check your local garden supply as they usually go for about what Amazon has them for.

https://www.amazon.com/Outsunny-Fold...garden+kneeler
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Old 02-13-2018, 08:25 PM   #56
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Kneeler

I’ll second the use of a kneeling device of some kind. My brother uses his every day in the garden and swears by it. I have used the foam kneeling pads for several years and keep one in my front box. Around the trailer I can always find something to boost myself up. My new pad is foam on top and heavy duty plastic on the bottom with two handles. My son and I were dragging a deer out of the woods a couple years ago when I tripped on a log right at the edge of a soy bean field. To get back up I crawled on my hands and knees over to a tree and used it to get erect again. No dishonor in aging even If your kid laughs at you. You get them back by spending their inheritance.
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Old 02-13-2018, 10:41 PM   #57
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Nope you’ve learned to relax n take more beer breaks and thinking naps
Thinking naps last longer and are more creative if preceded by the beer break , compared to the opposite order.
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Old 02-14-2018, 12:21 PM   #58
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I got me one of these, up and down for 15 days, put the x chocks by the wheels and the Andersons too. He walked the dog, fed and watered the dog. Took the garbage to the dumpster and pumped water at an old style well pump. Cost me $47 for a video game and a car charger for his 3DS. He’s ten now, and ready to go again. This year maybe add in setting the X Chocks. Teach a kid to camp, they cant learn everything in school. He plays the clarinet, so he is forced to listen to Goodman and Artie Shaw and Pete Fountain when he rides with us. Of Shaw he said “man he’s good PopPop.” What is it with boys and frogs and toads?
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Old 02-14-2018, 07:55 PM   #59
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We picked up our 17A yesterday from ETI, and spent the night in Rasar State Park (WA)(It snowed! Good test for the furnace.) I found that the hand crank worked quite well and I was able to use it without kneeling, in spite of my age. Thanks for the many suggestions that have come through this thread.
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