footplate vs. wheel for Tongue Jack

[ROBERT ONEILL]

I use a Harbor Freight tongue jack with a wheel that is a swing away model. It is a bolt on style but my Trillium a welded on mount that was the same size so I just removed the snap ring and put the new jack on it and put the snap ring back on. I live in the Mojave desert and the 3 wheels help to support it in loose sand. It rolls on grass easily when I use it at my summer location in the UP Michigan. This is a Yooper fix. I have listed the web URL below and also include a couple of pictures of how I have it set up with 3 wheels using a longer axle bolt in the single wheel saddle mount. I happened to have a couple of extra wheels that I used but you can get them at a hardware store.





https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...ack-69780.html

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by StevenMaria

Ive heard you need the wheel to get it on a flat bed in case the trailer needs to be towed

Tow trucks carry dollies.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by georgianwinds

I did mine similar to Floyd using a hex head bolt. I use a crank handle with a 3/4" socket welded to the one end. A simple impact driver or drill will not lift my tongue weight. Insufficient torque. You would probably need an impact wrench. So I just use the crank handle. Best benefit is the added clearance for fully opening my tailgate.

There have been a lot of stabilizer jacks, with the same gears and roll pin as Floyd shows, where driving them with an impact either shears off the pin or breaks the gear. Don't use an impact!

The 3/4" drill/driver type socket, to fit a 1/2" nut, can be found at Walmart in the RV section. Using a drill is very handy, but be careful wit the torque.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by StevenMaria

Ive heard you need the wheel to get it on a flat bed in case the trailer needs to be towed

If the guy who comes with a flat deck can't load it without a wheel, request a new driver. Flat decks have a winch and especially if the foot has lips that is almost trivial to do. I would actually worry about doing it with a wheel. The wheel could swivel and stear it where it is not supposed to go. Unlikely but it could happen. The foot just slides so it is going in the direction of the winch pull.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Raspy

There have been a lot of stabilizer jacks, with the same gears and roll pin as Floyd shows, where driving them with an impact either shears off the pin or breaks the gear. Don't use an impact!

The 3/4" drill/driver type socket, to fit a 1/2" nut, can be found at Walmart in the RV section. Using a drill is very handy, but be careful wit the torque.

Good point on the impact wrench. But I always carry an impact wrench for tire emergencies. (Mine or others) Actually the one I carry has a setting that will break off a stud. But that is the point. I don't know all impact wrenches. Actually my air impact does not have settings. But all the cordless I have seen have a impact level setting and one of the settings is basically 0. So you are right using the impact wrench with the impact on could be a problem. If the wrench does not have an impact off setting then probably need to use a separate wrench. But mostly you can just use one wrench.

Now don't have it turned on when you do this. I store mine with the setting in off. Primarily because I do use it for other things, many of which are not very impact compatible. Mine has 0-9 as settings. For most things I do I end up setting it to 2. Normal tire removal is a 3 some times a 4. But I want to make this decision. And you can always turn it up. So that is why I store it with a 0 and then make it a point to check that before use.

[Roger Kimble]

Originally Posted by floyd

Mine has a removable foot which interchanges with a wheel.
I use the wheel at home to mov the trailer around.
I use the foot on the road for a secure setup at the campsite.


Mine has a side crank which I think is better than a top crank as shown below.
I converted mine to work from a battery drill or the hand crank (speed wrench) which came with my BAL stabilizers.

I love Floyd's, y get the best of both worlds

[parmm]

Originally Posted by floyd

Mine has a removable foot which interchanges with a wheel.
I use the wheel at home to mov the trailer around.
I use the foot on the road for a secure setup at the campsite.


Mine has a side crank which I think is better than a top crank as shown below.
I converted mine to work from a battery drill or the hand crank (speed wrench) which came with my BAL stabilizers.

My Thule utility trailer came with a top crank jack and wheel. Had to crank it really tight as it would come loose while traveling if you didn't. I actually have wore some rubber off it. Didn't have a lock like Floyd's. Many utility and enclosed trailers come with a removable foot pad so that they can be swapped out for the wheel. My Thule 6'x10" utility trailer is galvanized and it looks like aluminum. They don't make them any more. When I've parked it in front of my house, I've actually had people stop and try to buy it from me. Some have actually offered more than I paid for it . It was quite expensive when I brought it brand new!

[Jon in AZ]

Most jacks have removable feet, so you can usually have both. I've just never had reason to purchase the wheel. When the trailer is in use, the foot is more stable. In the field I can get the trailer pretty much where I want it using the tow vehicle, then fine-tune by sliding the foot if needed. At home we have gravel, so a trailer dolly with larger wheels and pneumatic tires works better.

The OEM jack that came with my Scamp was a side-wind. It was a knuckle buster, so I replaced it with a top wind. I like being able to spin it up or down with one finger, something you can't do with a side-wind. For a trailer as light as a Scamp, a power wind (whether a drill or a built-in motor) seems like overkill to me. Guess it's one way to make sure your spouse knows you really need all those tools and gadgets...

[CHIB]

Hi, Roller wheel when you want to move it around, EG me shoving into the garage,
Plate when you want a firm footing at a campsite or ....
Several tilting side winders have the clip in wheel or plate as I recall.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

The OEM jack that came with my Scamp was a side-wind. It was a knuckle buster, so I replaced it with a top wind. I like being able to spin it up or down with one finger, something you can't do with a side-wind. For a trailer as light as a Scamp, a power wind (whether a drill or a built-in motor) seems like overkill to me. Guess it's one way to make sure your spouse knows you really need all those tools and gadgets...

Weird I replaced the original top wind with a side wind for my scamp (16 foot). Now It was on the wrong side, but the trailer shop I bought it from switched it from being on the back where my crank ( and hands) like hit everything, to a front wind. One good reason to deal with a brick and morter. I was shopping for it and talked with the sales guy and said that was going to be a problem. He got the repair guy and he asked what else I was in town for. I mentioned something then I said I was going to grab lunch. He told me to come back after lunch and it was redone to be a front wind. No charge.

And I can twirl it with one finger pretty well.

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by CHIB

Hi, Roller wheel when you want to move it around, EG me shoving into the garage,
Plate when you want a firm footing at a campsite or ....
Several tilting side winders have the clip in wheel or plate as I recall.

That might be the one reason to have a wheel. But like about the only reason.

[michelehart]

As of now our Casita has a jack that requires us to remove the wheel for transport because it would hang to low. In our old Scamp we had a jack that flipped up parallel to the tongue. That design was perfect for us but I don't they will make one that will work with the tongue on the Casita. (See pics)

Does anyone know of a solution that would allow us to have the wheel on full time? (Parking and driving)

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by michelehart

As of now our Casita has a jack that requires us to remove the wheel for transport because it would hang to low. In our old Scamp we had a jack that flipped up parallel to the tongue. That design was perfect for us but I don't they will make one that will work with the tongue on the Casita. (See pics)

Does anyone know of a solution that would allow us to have the wheel on full time? (Parking and driving)

We have the Ultimate Jack on our Casita. It slides up and down to get it in the desired position before cranking. Also nice in that we can lower it out of the way for opening the truck tailgate with the trailer connected. It came with a flat footpad, don't know if there is a wheel available for it.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

We have the Ultimate Jack on our Casita. It slides up and down to get it in the desired position before cranking. Also nice in that we can lower it out of the way for opening the truck tailgate with the trailer connected. It came with a flat footpad, don't know if there is a wheel available for it.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Trai.../dp/B07RXYP5NY



The Ultimate Tongue Jack is a pretty clever idea.

Charles