Tongue jack height problem

comfun1 · 05-09-2012, 07:47 AM

With my tongue jack all the way down it is barely enough to pull the truck out from under the hitch. I use a short piece of 2x6 under it at the campground. At home I put two cement blocks under it and then I don't have to extend it as much. I really don't want to have to carry cement blocks camping with me and am wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you are handling it?

LadyWindrider · 05-09-2012, 07:51 AM

I carry a couple of short wooden blocks, 4 inches x 6 inches, Poplar wood, gotten from a local pallet shop since they were scrap. Poplar wood is light, but handles the tongue weight just fine. That was for my manual jack. Last year I installed a Husky electric jack, and it has an adjustable length foot, which adds up to 8 inches or so, when needed.

**Herk7769** · 05-09-2012, 08:06 AM

I carry several 1x10 pressure treated boards cut 12 inches long from an 8 foot plank (8 pieces).

I use them to level the camper left to right and in the olden travel trailer days I also carried a 6x6x6 block of wood that I put on top of the 1x10 to put under the front jack.

comfun1 · 05-09-2012, 08:20 AM

Aha! So the old wooden block method is still king. This after I bought my fancy little bag of plastic leggo leveling blocks. That's what I get for not asking first.

Thurman · 05-09-2012, 08:33 AM

I also was using blocks of wood, sometimes forgetting and leaving the camp area without them. Then I found the "Flip Jack" (google it). I put one on my unit with an electric tongue jack and no more wooden blocks. I liked this Flip Jack so much I bought another and installed it on my 18 ft. cargo trailer with a manual jack.

Len & Cheri · 05-09-2012, 08:39 AM

I have the Flip Jack also and really like how well it works.

TURBS · 05-09-2012, 08:51 AM

They also make a jack foot extension
here. trailer jack foot extension - Google Search

**Herk7769** · 05-09-2012, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comfun1

Aha! So the old wooden block method is still king. This after I bought my fancy little bag of plastic Lego leveling blocks. That's what I get for not asking first.

I have two bags of the Lego blocks and I have used them when on cement pads. Advantage is they are lightweight and neat looking.

Disadvantages I found are that on turf or asphalt they sink into the ground and can be near impossible to remove and hard to clean.
On gravel they get broken and cut by the sharp edges on the stone.

Wood blocks work on everything.

JFM-jr · 05-09-2012, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

I have two bags of the Lego blocks and I have used them when on cement pads. Advantage is they are lightweight and neat looking.

Disadvantages I found are that on turf or asphalt they sink into the ground and can be near impossible to remove and hard to clean.
On gravel they get broken and cut by the sharp edges on the stone.

Wood blocks work on everything.

I cut out square pieces of diamond plate and put them down on the bottom of the lego blocks for the some of the reasons you listed.

**bikendan** · 05-09-2012, 09:57 PM

or buy an electric tongue jack, with an adjustable foot, like the UF 3500.
got mine off of Ebay for around $100 and it's been working great for 4 years.

chucker25 · 05-09-2012, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comfun1

With my tongue jack all the way down it is barely enough to pull the truck out from under the hitch. I use a short piece of 2x6 under it at the campground. At home I put two cement blocks under it and then I don't have to extend it as much. I really don't want to have to carry cement blocks camping with me and am wondering if anyone else has this problem and how you are handling it?

Comfun1 - when the trailer is hooked up normally does it sit relatively level? Just wondering if the hitch (ball to ground height) is excessively high? If so, maybe the problem isn't the length of the jack tube but the distance it has to travel ??

**Herk7769** · 05-09-2012, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFM-jr

I cut out square pieces of diamond plate and put them down on the bottom of the lego blocks for the some of the reasons you listed.

Great idea. Gonna do that.
Way less weight than the planks and I can use my Lego blocks more often.

datadave12 · 07-28-2014, 02:30 PM

e have been out in our Flagstaff 5th wheel once and when I went to disconnect from my truck the jacks came up about 2 inches and stopped. After investigation , the bolt for the connecting bar had sheered off. Tried a new bolt and same thing happened . Checked the top of the left jack and the gear was free turning , no longer attached to the lifting rod. The dealer told me I had over extended the jack :-( can someone tell me how you determine the maximum depth you can use for the jacks ? Dave

Stg1 · 08-01-2014, 04:20 PM

OP- They manufacture a cone shaped stand that has a hole in the top for the jack tube to sit in. It's made of tough plastic and is designed for the tongue jack. The only drawback is you have to remove the foot pad on the jack. If you don't want to do that, then use wood or the lego blocks to shorten the travel distance for the jack.

Poper · 08-01-2014, 08:12 PM

The yellow cone is sturdy enough to do the job. Light weight yet strong. Stores easy. Pretty sure I got it at. CW or Walmart.
Wouldn't be with out it.

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Poper

hydrope · 08-05-2014, 08:24 PM

Installed a Fastway Flip foot this weekend. Works great and adds several inches to jack height. Folds auto when you raise jack. $42.60, including shipping.

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