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Old 05-06-2018, 08:28 PM   #21
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Name: Vicki
Trailer: Casita 16' Freedom Deluxe
Missouri
Posts: 64
Ultimate Jack

I have the Ultimate Jack on my Casita. I only use the footplate, not the wheel.
I can open the tailgate on my F150 pickup with no problem. Just lower the jack, but be sure to raise the jack before taking off with the camper in tow.

Tailgate clearance is the reason I switched the jack. The Ultimate Jack is manual, not electric. I prefer simple, no wiring or battery dependency.
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Old 05-06-2018, 09:01 PM   #22
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Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
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There was a recent discussion about the Ultimate Jack, one business no longer selling it because of warranty problems. Don't know what those problems may be. Another owner had the lock pin come out and the jack dropped down while traveling. Just for peace of mind I installed a short chain and carabiner to attach to the foot pad so mine can not accidentally drop. I'm happy with my Ultimate Jack, works good for me.
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Old 05-07-2018, 05:48 AM   #23
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I'm not clear where the 1" number came from as I'm missing where the OP stated they need only an inch more. Perhaps it's just an example. But regardless, there seems to be some confusion about leverage. If the current arrangement has a 4" exposure (for example) and you add an inch, that's a 25% increase in extension and a 25% increase in load at the receiver/stinger. It's the percent increase in extension not the 1" in and of itself.
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Old 05-07-2018, 06:03 AM   #24
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Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
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Steve; post #1, he says he needs one inch more for the tailgate to clear the jack. I have a couple ball mounts that the shaft is short and I wouldn't want to relocate the pin hole, and another that has a long shaft that stuck out of the hitch a few inches. The long one I drilled to move it in closer.
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Old 05-07-2018, 06:13 AM   #25
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Doh! I reread the posts before I posted, but not ALL of each post, and was looking for "1" not "an inch".
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Old 05-07-2018, 07:00 AM   #26
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Trailer: Scamp 19 ft 5th Wheel
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Jack-E -UP

Jack-E-Up will solve your problem. With an Elec. jack you will have to add a connector for your power wire. You just need to make sure you get the correct base orientation.
Eddie
https://jack-e-up.com/
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Old 05-09-2018, 10:27 PM   #27
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Trailer: 1980 Trillium 4500
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Another way

You can get different length ball mounts, the distance from the ball hole to the pin location is a different length on most of my ball mounts. I have 7 different mounts and only two are the same. Their is not a standard that I can find for them. You will get more sway if the mount doesn't fit tight in the receiver. You can add a Harbor Freight anti sway friction device and hitch tightener to the mount to receiver bar to help with any sway problems. I have over 70,000+ miles towing our Trillium 4500 with a homemade extension and 2.5 inch drop to level it out and get it away from tailgate on 2002 S10 Crew Cab fwd. I welded the ball mount to the trailer frame because drilling holes in the frame didn't seem right for strength. You also have to weld the other ball mount to your hitch. Also run maximum tire rating air pressure to cut down on sidewall flex and increase tire life from stopping the sway.

https://www.harborfreight.com/traile...kit-96462.html

https://www.walmart.com/ip/StowAway-...ches/107883680
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Old 05-10-2018, 12:08 PM   #28
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Trailer: Casita 16 ft
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Get a weight distributing hitch. Will improve the ride and increase safety.
Extending the stinger will increase the chances for sway.

The hitch head of a WDH is longer than the commonly available stingers. I had the WDH on my previous F150 so I just used the head without the spring bars on my new F150. Kept the sway control, which adds to safety.

Relocating the jack seems like a good solution if it isn't too expensive. Most jacks can be rotated to 2 more positions which might matter on an electric but not on a manual jack with top handle.
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Old 05-17-2018, 04:37 AM   #29
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Name: juan
Trailer: Bigfoot
Texas
Posts: 51
Thanks everyone, for the information offered or suggested. I found it all interesting and enjoyable to read. I had not had enough time to really look into the problem that existed and after a suggestion, decided to look at the Smart Jack plastic cover on the electronics portion of the jack. I removed the cover and found I could rotate the front to the back without any interference of parts or wiring. The cover is designed with a small robot head type or beak towards the front. Turned the plastics 180 degrees and everything works fine including the room for the tailgate to come all the way down with any rubbing. There is no rubbing of gears or tightening of wiring. So looks like I'm good to go, unless someone thinks I should not have done that. Thank you all... I was lacking in time because we were on schedule to visit family and the new TT was to stay at home. Can't wait to get back.
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Old 05-17-2018, 06:17 AM   #30
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Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
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Excellent! I never liked the idea of extending the ball mount. Glad it turned out to be simple.
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