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Old 01-25-2018, 12:29 AM   #1
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Portable drill to run down stabilzer jacks?

What do folks use instead of the hand crank furnished by ETI? Can I get by with a battery-powered drill or do I really need a impact driver?
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Old 01-25-2018, 12:45 AM   #2
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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.

The rest of the time I deploy the kids who really love to help with the “crankers”!


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Old 01-25-2018, 12:56 AM   #3
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18 volt ryobi drill with this:

https://www.rvautoparts.com/57363-Ca...yABEgK5iPD_BwE
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Old 01-25-2018, 01:05 AM   #4
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I use a Porter Cable 20V impact driver. Noisy, yes but very fast total time a minute or two for all 4 stabilisers.
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Old 01-25-2018, 04:34 AM   #5
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Unless you can turn off the impact function of a driver, you may find you want something that makes less noise, if you're departing before the campground is awake in the morning. Also you are really just snugging these things, not cranking them with an electric impact driver.
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Old 01-25-2018, 05:41 AM   #6
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Unless you can turn off the impact function of a driver, you may find you want something that makes less noise, if you're departing before the campground is awake in the morning. Also you are really just snugging these things, not cranking them with an electric impact driver.
I agree. Only snugging down. You don’t want to go too far. I never use my battery drill on the stabilizers; it really is easy to use the ETI supplied crank, the drill is not that much quicker, and the drill takes “feel” (at least, IMO) out of setting them properly (1/4 turn after contact).
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Old 01-25-2018, 05:43 AM   #7
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12v Bosch 3/8" drill and adapter. Small, lightweight and does the job.
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Old 01-25-2018, 06:23 AM   #8
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Like Titanizer, a small 13.6v Makita drill/driver. It has just enough umph to put them up and down snug. I do take to not let the clutch slip when it's early in the am. If I need a little more then the drill will give me I can turn the drill like a rachet wrench.
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Old 01-25-2018, 06:42 AM   #9
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I tried it once with an impact driver and found that it wasn’t significantly faster than hand cranking, nor did I like the loss of “feel” for snugness, so happily went back to the hand crank without the nagging doubt about a better mousetrap that had prompted the experiment.
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Old 01-25-2018, 07:05 AM   #10
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I use a Porter Cable 20V impact driver. Noisy, yes but very fast total time a minute or two for all 4 stabilisers.
I could do four in less time with a manual crank.
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
I never use my battery drill on the stabilizers; it really is easy to use the ETI supplied crank, the drill is not that much quicker, and the drill takes “feel” (at least, IMO) out of setting them properly (1/4 turn after contact).
I tried a drill and while it works it is noisy and like you say, only a couple seconds faster. I have not used one for a while now. Though, on the 5.0TA there are only two stabilizers.
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Old 01-25-2018, 08:33 AM   #11
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Portable drill to run down stabilzer jacks?

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Originally Posted by noblets View Post
What do folks use instead of the hand crank furnished by ETI? Can I get by with a battery-powered drill or do I really need a impact driver?
I was going to use an impact drill to raise/ lower mine, but I missed a great sale. Since then, I sprayed BOESHIELD T-9 on the stabilizers and they crank up and down so smoothly that I don’t even think about using a drill anymore.

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Old 01-25-2018, 08:59 AM   #12
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I use an 18V drill, on HI, it makes setup or takedown very quick.
You only want to snug the stabilizers, +1/2 turn or so, after hitting bottom so I just give the drill a twist by hand when I get there
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Old 01-25-2018, 09:02 AM   #13
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I could do four in less time with a manual crank.


I tried a drill and while it works it is noisy and like you say, only a couple seconds faster. I have not used one for a while now. Though, on the 5.0TA there are only two stabilizers.
Ok, let's race on a trailer with 4 of them Jim. I usually use the hand crank just because it's there, rather than going to my toolbox for the drill. I can tell you the drill makes short work of it, all stabilizers down or up in less than a minute.
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Old 01-25-2018, 09:21 AM   #14
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Sometimea the rears have to travel near full extension and that is a lot of cranking. BAL doesn't recommend using a power tool perhaps because the screw is harder metal than the jack frame and female thread so I go slow with my variable speed impact then finish off with hand crank.
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Old 01-25-2018, 09:35 AM   #15
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I just let my wife use the hand crank. Hey, she volunteers, what can I say?
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Old 01-25-2018, 10:24 AM   #16
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I have a battery-powered drill and I bought one of those necessary sockets on Amazon before I even got the trailer. Thought, how cool will this be? THEN.. reality set in. Is this a one-trick pony? What else would I use the drill for? It would need to have a charged battery and I'd need to find a place to store both. Gad... I never have used it and have found it's not at all difficult or time consuming to use the ETI supplied crank. Besides, I can use the exercise.

Along with a zero balance credit card, I will be taking the drill and socket on my long trip. Hope I don't need either, but if the landing gear should die on the front of Ten Forward, I may be able to use the drill to run the jacks up. Guess I should find out what kind of socket THAT needs.
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Old 01-25-2018, 10:31 AM   #17
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I get it Donna, and like a lot of other things is depends on one's camping style.

If you normally are in campgrounds with concrete or asphalt pads that's one thing, however if you boondock a lot the ground is often sloping and when it does to the rear it is a long way down sometimes for those rear stabilizers. Yeah, I can do it, and could also do the hand crank on the tongue jack. We move around a bit too, so that becomes a lot of repetitive motion. I always bring my little Milwaukee with its spare battery & charger that sits on my floor behind my seat. Easy access.
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Old 01-25-2018, 10:35 AM   #18
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Ok, let's race on a trailer with 4 of them Jim. I usually use the hand crank just because it's there, rather than going to my toolbox for the drill. I can tell you the drill makes short work of it, all stabilizers down or up in less than a minute.
My response was to it taking 1-2 minutes with a drill, and I said I could do that by hand.
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I just let my wife use the hand crank. Hey, she volunteers, what can I say?
My wife often does the cranking while I am setting up other stuff.
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Old 01-25-2018, 10:42 AM   #19
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I just let my wife use the hand crank. Hey, she volunteers, what can I say?
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 01-25-2018, 10:44 AM   #20
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Great helper to have along, Dave!
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