Front Stabilizer Hacks/5 TA

[padlin]

This looks like it.

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...MaAgP-EALw_wcB

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Donna D... Our manual landing gear "Crank" was found in the bottom of the forward pass. side hold. We rarely use that compartment as it is behind the opened door. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Nope, missing in action

[Chapitre]

No, not there on mine either.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Sounds like I'm in good company! I guess I didn't receive anything to work with the landing gear. Oh man, glad this was posted BEFORE I needed it.

I’m not sure, Donna, but I would suspect any owner of a big stickie 5th wheel would have a manual crank so it is likely you might not have been “up the creek” without a crank. It is, however, something that hopefully you will never need but you should have.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

I’m not sure, Donna, but I would suspect any owner of a big stickie 5th wheel would have a manual crank so it is likely you might not have been “up the creek” without a crank.

Another fifth-wheel trailer might have Atwood landing gear jacks, but it is more likely to have another brand which would likely have a different style of crank drive. An owner of a conventional trailer with an Atwood power tongue jack is more likely to have a manual handle matching the jacks in a 5.0TA.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Another fifth-wheel trailer might have Atwood landing gear jacks, but it is more likely to have another brand which would likely have a different style of crank drive. An owner of a conventional trailer with an Atwood power tongue jack is more likely to have a manual handle matching the jacks in a 5.0TA.

Perhaps a valid point. However, the majority of large 5th Wheel trailers being built at the present time use landing gear components manufactured by Lippert (what I was told by eTrailer a few years back when I was trying to research/determine the failure rate of electric landing gear components, unless eTrailer was misleading me), and the tool/crank used to manually operate Lippert’s landing gear is the same as what is currently installed in the 5.0TA. Manufacturers ike ETI, however, do change suppliers on occasion. The only point I would make is that in an emergency situation which in this case I will define specifically as “the 5.0 landing gear will not operate electrically,” and if you are in a populated area such as a campground rather than in the boonies, it is fairly likely that there will be a 5th wheel owner present who has a manual crank that will work to remedy your immediate problem. And although I do not have the numbers/data to back up my next statement, I suspect it would be easier in most camping locations to locate a large 5th wheel than a conventional trailer with an Atwood power jack.

[escape artist]

Hi: All... I can tell you with most certainty; avoid hand cranking at all costs!!! After trying an early morning escape from a CG. in New Brunswick, and finding an absents of power I tried the "Old Crank". The threads of the landing gear must be very fine indeed as many turns of the handle produced few inches of height. I had enough time while doing the manual cranking to think of the power failure. While stuffing in the power cord my DW. had hit the "Kill" switch. With a flick of it and power restored a lot of work was avoided.
The moral of the story is getting a detachable power cord second time around, and Reace moving the "Kill" switch out of the compartment, and with it's new plastic shroud (Thanks C&G in FL) I don't even catch it on my pants leg, but it's not out of little fingers reach!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[War Eagle]

My nephew owns a wrecker/recovery service out in the Colorado Rockies and recently had to roll a stick-built 5th wheel back up onto its wheels. It was disconnected from the tow vehicle and had a big slide-out extended. Perfect storm! During a fairly stiff wind, the front stabilizer on the same side as the slide-out mysteriously bent (?), and combined with the wind, over it tipped onto its side and crumpled the extended slide-out. I didn't see it, but everyone who did said it was not a pretty sight inside or out. After paying my nephew for the call, the frustrated owner simply gave the 5th wheel to my nephew to haul away, and my nephew in turn gave it to a friend of his who thought he could make a few bucks scrapping it out. As the truckers used to say on their CB radios (back when they still ran the roads with CBs), "Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down!"....

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

My nephew owns a wrecker/recovery service out in the Colorado Rockies and recently had to roll a stick-built 5th wheel back up onto its wheels. It was disconnected from the tow vehicle and had a big slide-out extended. Perfect storm! During a fairly stiff wind, the front stabilizer on the same side as the slide-out mysteriously bent (?), and combined with the wind, over it tipped onto its side and crumpled the extended slide-out. I didn't see it, but everyone who did said it was not a pretty sight inside or out. After paying my nephew for the call, the frustrated owner simply gave the 5th wheel to my nephew to haul away, and my nephew in turn gave it to a friend of his who thought he could make a few bucks scrapping it out. As the truckers used to say on their CB radios (back when they still ran the roads with CBs), "Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down!"....

Ah yes the old CB lingo. Keep the bugs off the glass and Smokey off your. Tail? I’ll
CBing you.
Iowa Dave