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Old 04-03-2021, 11:03 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by parmm View Post
Every trailer manufacturer and towing equipment manufacture out there says the trailer should be level!
I agree, that is the textbook answer. But how level is level enough? Will an inch make any difference? Two? At some point, certainly, but at the other extreme it's just nit-picking.

In real world towing, the whole rig is moving, bouncing, turning, rising and falling with the terrain, buffeted by winds from all directions. It is nice to have it close to level when you stop for lunch, but of course few parking spots are perfectly level.
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Old 04-03-2021, 05:29 PM   #22
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Jon. Exactly. Well put.
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Old 04-07-2021, 12:28 PM   #23
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Name: Joe
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The skid plate works with the safety chains if you somehow become uncoupled from your tow vehicle. Probably best to leave it on
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Old 04-07-2021, 01:21 PM   #24
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Winebrenner View Post
The skid plate works with the safety chains if you somehow become uncoupled from your tow vehicle. Probably best to leave it on
Welcome to the forum Joe.. I won't ask for documentation to support your idea but in the situation you describe, wouldn't it be better to have the wheel on the jack instead of the jack foot (which is erroneously being called a skid plate by some).
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Old 04-07-2021, 01:53 PM   #25
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I believe the safety chains are meant to cradle the hitch, keeping it and the jack from touching the pavement. That's why you cross them.
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Old 04-07-2021, 03:18 PM   #26
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My '99 Scamp 13' Deluxe came from the factory with a tongue jack that pivoted to horizontal when not in use. That completely removes the tongue jack from any clearance issues when towing.

At home, I had a small steel dolly with a trailer ball that made it so easy and secure to move the trailer around in the yard.
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Old 04-07-2021, 03:55 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by pedalmike View Post
My '99 Scamp 13' Deluxe came from the factory with a tongue jack that pivoted to horizontal when not in use. That completely removes the tongue jack from any clearance issues when towing.

At home, I had a small steel dolly with a trailer ball that made it so easy and secure to move the trailer around in the yard.
I've had several swing-away jacks on utility trailers. In my experience they're less stable than a center mount jack. That's not a problem on a utility trailer, but annoying when you're camping in a travel trailer. You could add additional stabilizers at the front to eliminate the wobble, but that adds more set-up work. Some of them require a back-up strap to ensure they don't pop loose and swing down when towing. And I've run into the situation where uneven ground under the tongue didn't leave enough room to swing the jack all the way to vertical. Not too keen on them myself, but they do solve the clearance problem.

I also have a tow dolly for yard use at home. Agree- very handy.
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Old 04-07-2021, 07:44 PM   #28
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I have had several trailers over the years.....I have always installed a jack foot on them and...once installed.....never removed them. We have travelled a lot of miles.....they don't fall off if installed properly.....my two cents. Go camping....enjoy....leave yur jack foot on....don;t worry about it.
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Old 04-08-2021, 01:20 PM   #29
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Name: zack
Trailer: scamp 13
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Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Must be a Scamp 13 thing...

I’ve also been known to use it to “skid”- as in slide- the tongue on hard-packed surfaces to reposition it in the garage or campsite after unhitching. I could buy a wheel of course, but why bother when the tongue’s so light, and I’d rather have the foot than the wheel once it’s where I want it.

I’d never call it a “skid plate” either, but I got what he meant immediately. I certainly don’t think it was meant for that, and if tongue strikes happen frequently in your towing environment, other solutions are indicated.

As to towing attitude, I have found no discernible real-world difference in towing a 13’ Scamp just a little high at the nose. I started towing with a drawbar that put the tongue maybe 1 to 1-1/2” high. ...
I now use the lower one for highway towing and the higher one for local trips that take me off-road. Hoping to upgrade to the new zero degree axle in a few years and leave all this behind.

But the “skid plate” stays. .
Thanks Jon. I think I will do the same. Use the 2" drop drawbar for local and off-road, and keep a 4" drop drawbar around for longer highway trips. That way I mostly have the front about 2 inches above level, but I am not going that far anyway.

I have been removing the jack foot when I drive ever since Gordon2 endorsed that. (Thanks Gordon!) It is easy to take off and I am pretty happy with that. The extra inch of clearance makes a difference I believe. The difference between touching and not touching the ground while driving.
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