New owner needs electric jack

[PapaRoe]

I neglected to have the electric Jack included on our order of our 21NE. Delivery is on the way yeppy! Can someone recommend the size, and possibly a brand of electric jack?

 

[Ron in BC]

Many folks have retro-fitted electric jacks. Most have fitted jacks with a much higher rating than my 1500# jack which is almost overkill. There's a lot of jacks available but most were designed for far higher loads than an Escape needs.

Ron

 

[Iowa Dave]

On our 21 with 500 lbs tongue weight we had a Bulldog
4500 lb unit. Started to make
A gear noise and drop A Notch once in a while. I was 10 or 11 years old. I ordered a Bulldog 4000 to replace it from E Trailer. It mounted fine on the tongue but the design of the head would not let the Highlander tailgate open. I jacked things around and got clearance for the tailgate but then the front box would not close easily. So I turned it 90 degrees and it worked fine. Been good for 2 years now. Easy to hook up
Because I had the old wire there to go by. YMMV
Iowa Dave

 

[PapaRoe]

Thanks Dave! That answers my question.

 

[CharlesinGA]

The tongue weight of the trailer is not the only factor in determining what jack to buy. Virtually every weight distribution hitch specifies that you couple the trailer to the ball, THEN use the electric jack to lift the trailer AND the rear of the tow vehicle, to allow you to connect the WD hitch bars. This is a lot of weight you are lifting, not just the few hundred pounds of the tongue weight.

Charles

 

[GinoandLinda]

We have a 5.0 now, but when we had our Rpod, we used this model jack from eTrailer https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Jacks/RAM/EJ-3520-BBX.html It was cheap and basic and most of all, low profile. We had tight clearance between it and the tail gate of our Frontier. Worked great.

 

[Ron in BC]

. This is a lot of weight you are lifting, not just the few hundred pounds of the tongue weight.View attachment 1950829

I do that routinely and my 1500# jack levitates the rear of my loaded F150.

However I'm starting to wonder if that process is such a good idea. Seems like it might contribute to the latch deforming a bit and becoming looser. I now let it start to lift the truck but stop long before the type of lift in the illustration.

Ron

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

I installed this 3500 lb jack on my 21C, its rotated 90 degrees sideways so the tow vehicle tailgate clears it easier.

https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Jacks/Bulldog/BD500188.html

works great. has a 22" range so I hardly ever have to use any blocks under it. and in fact you can drop the foot even farther if you're on a steep slope.

 

[Kari Mastin]

I'm happy with our Trailer Valet. I don't have to protect it from the elements, it will never burn out the motor, it's inconvenient for a thief and when it's not holding or lifting the trailer, I can run it up or down really fast. That's especially nice when I'm stowing or deploying the foot.

JX Series - Drill Operated Jack

Explore the JX Series trailer movers at Trailer Valet, featuring the Drill Operated Jack for easy, powerful trailer lifting and maneuvering.

trailervalet.com

 

[mfschu]

We replaced the crank handle with a 3/4" headed bolt and transformed our stock Escape into a drill operated jack. There are threads on the forum where others have done that. It's worked well for us.

 

[Ron in BC]

We replaced the crank handle with a 3/4" headed bolt and transformed our stock Escape into a drill operated jack. There are threads on the forum where others have done that. It's worked well for us.

It is a handy mod and it's worth doing. A side effect is that it gets the handle out of the way in close quarters situations.

One proviso. The jacks are low quality. There are no bearings in it, just a bushing in the front and metal on metal at the rear. For fast up and down they're fine. But using them to lift with the electric drill probably is asking for a shorter jack life.

Ron

 

[vermilye]

Just to add another possibility - I replaced mine with a

Barker Manufacturing Company 0149.1131 31558 VIP 3500 24" RV Power Jack , White.​

Very fast and a long 24" lift range. If you need more room, east to swivel the head 90°.

 

[occer]

“etrailer”. has a sale on electric jack right now . Not sure if they are best price, but have always had a good experience when buying from them.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Just to add another possibility - I replaced mine with a

Barker Manufacturing Company 0149.1131 31558 VIP 3500 24" RV Power Jack , White.​

Very fast and a long 24" lift range. If you need more room, east to swivel the head 90°.

The Barker line of jacks are made in the USA, and are probably the best made.

Charles