Two quick questions from a new U-Haul owner

[cec]

I just picked up a 13' U-Haul. I have two quick questions that I couldn't find the answer to on the forum.

1. How do I get the two back jacks down? They are locked in the upright position and I can't seem to figure out how to unlock them. I wanted to ask before I pulled,pushed, yanked too hard and broke something. I do not have the instructions on the back bumper as that was painted over years ago.

2. What rated fuse is required for the swamp cooler? All my fuses have ratings under them except for that one. There is nothing printed on the sticker under the fuses for that particular one.

Thanks
Chuck

[Thomas G.]

The jacks may be stuck. They should pull towards the center, then swing down. I took mine off and lubed them. You can still buy exact replacements.

http://www.atwoodmobile.com/manuals/chassis/85860.pdf

The swamp cooler was added later, so no fuse rating. I'd go with a 10 amp fuse.

[RRJR]

Go to top of this page and click on MANUALS, should be able tp download the one for your trailer.
Sometimes the jacks are added later and not a standard on new trailers. Pictures would be great.

Ron

[RRJR]

Try grasping the lower end of the jack and push towards the centre of trailer and then swing it down. To put it back up just collapse it to siortest size and swing it back up, if working properly it should lock in up position. Sometimes the small spring inside is shot and needs replaceing.

[keekers]

Chuck,
Welcome to the egg crate!!

[mary and bob]

My rear jacks were missing, I bought new ones from etrailer. Also I have some of the swamp cooler parts for sale, I replaced ours with a Fantastic Fan.

[Kevin A]

On my rear jacks, I need to lift upward slightly while first pushing in then pulling out toward the centerline of the trailer. This frees the catch on them for me.

[Francesca Knowles]

If your jacks are like the one pictured, there's a pretty informative video at this link.



Francesca

[cec]

Thank you everyone. I now have at least one jack stand down. The other one appears to just be stuck and caked with years of dirt and grime. I don't think this U-Haul has been used much in years.

Chuck

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by cec

Thank you everyone. I now have at least one jack stand down. The other one appears to just be stuck and caked with years of dirt and grime. I don't think this U-Haul has been used much in years.

Chuck

Well it's great that your going to put it back on the road making some camping memories!

[Nancy]

Swamp cooler and Louisiana. am I missing something? I thought swamp coolers were for dry places?

Nancy

[David Tilston]

Could someone please detail the "swamp cooler"? I assume that it uses an evaporative cooling system. I am very interested. Especially since I live in a fairly dry place.

[Pam Garlow]

Swamp coolers are actually 'evaporative' coolers. They cool through the use of moisture. So they're not good in humid climates. They're great in dry climes such as Arizona.
I'm in Michigan and the first thing I did was remove mine and replace it with a roof vent.
If you want an AC unit, its not recommended to install on the roof without the proper reinforcement. Many people have done window installs, closet, or under the seats.

[Chris Jones]

Two days of spraying mine with PB Blaster and a few good licks with a hammer took care of them being stuck. Still a little corroded but they work now. Good luck with it.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

If you want an AC unit, its not recommended to install on the roof without the proper reinforcement.

Oh, I have no intention of installing an AC unit. Too much power. The swamp cooler is very interesting though. Since I live in what passes for arid land in Canada, they, or some invented version of, might work for me. I'm thinking something that I could add to a powered vent fan. Does anyone have pictures of, or would be willing to describe how they operate? Do they fit into the hole for a 14" vent? How well do they work, under the correct conditions?

[Steve Hammel]

I had one and they will lower the temp a bit but raise the humidity. The nice thing is they are 12v.

Stay Cool with TurboKOOL - Advanced RV Evaporative Air (Swamp) Coolers

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Oh, I have no intention of installing an AC unit. Too much power. The swamp cooler is very interesting though. Since I live in what passes for arid land in Canada, they, or some invented version of, might work for me. I'm thinking something that I could add to a powered vent fan. Does anyone have pictures of, or would be willing to describe how they operate? Do they fit into the hole for a 14" vent? How well do they work, under the correct conditions?

Here is a diagram showing how they work.portable evaporative room air cooler - Guangzhou Xingke Mechanical Equipment Co.,ltd

I had some photos from my old UHaul unit, but I can't seem to find them. It fit in a standard 14" hole and had a 5 gallon tank under a front bench. A tiny pump in the unit sprayed water on a spinning disc which turned to mist and was blown into the trailer. A separate water pump near the tank refilled a sump in the unit with the tiny pump, so there were 3 motors in all -a fan, a tiny misting pump and a large tank pump.

[Pam Garlow]

You may find that you get all the cooling you need with a roof vent. You can put in a basic crank up one for under $40, or go for completely automatic one Automatic Deluxe Fan-Tastic Ceiling Fan Vent - Fan-tastic Vent Corp CW6000RBTA - Fans - Camping World And there are also less expensive powered units you can get, it all depends on the features.