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Old 12-22-2018, 02:37 PM   #1
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Electric tongue jack, wiring question

We recently bought a lightly used Rockwood roo camper, it has a lippert tongue jack. I'm curious why they wire the tongue jack directly to the battery instead of to the disconnect switch?
Is there some safety reason for doing this? I've been racking my brain and can't think of any reason that you would need power to the tongue jack all the time even when it's just sitting in storage?

What prompted this question is the little light switch on the front of it that lippert uses is not waterproof and everytime it rains or gets wet it leaks a small amount of voltage across the contacts inside and the LED comes on about half as bright as it is when you flip the switch to on. I have already ordered some replacement switches that are waterproof but it would be an easy solution if the jack were wired to the cutoff switch instead of being wired directly to the battery, so before I change the wiring I figured I would ask and see if maybe there's something I haven't considered since I think mine is the same way campers are generally wired when they have an electric jack...direct to battery.

Thx!
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Old 12-22-2018, 02:59 PM   #2
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Get a cover for your jack head to protect it from the elements. I use a vinyl draw string bag on mine. They can be found on line and at most rv part stores.


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Old 12-22-2018, 03:33 PM   #3
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Here's the solution:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quick-Pro...Large/50571691
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Old 12-22-2018, 04:05 PM   #4
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Thanks! I considered that but I already ordered waterproof switches and that should eliminate the moisture problem Still wondering why they wire the tongue jacks directly to battery instead of to the cutoff switch though?
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Old 12-22-2018, 04:15 PM   #5
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Because it is not a parasitic draw, they (the manufacturer) feel there is no need to connect after the disconnect switch.
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Old 12-22-2018, 06:23 PM   #6
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Because it is not a parasitic draw, they (the manufacturer) feel there is no need to connect after the disconnect switch.

Yeah, unfortunately the switch they used in it is malfunctioning in such a way that it has become a parasitic draw.
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Old 12-23-2018, 01:54 PM   #7
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I wired my electric Jack directly to the disconnect switch and it works fine. The jack does not draw power unless used however, I like everything connected to the battery to off when I use the disconnect switch.
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Old 12-23-2018, 02:08 PM   #8
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I wired my electric Jack directly to the disconnect switch and it works fine. The jack does not draw power unless used however, I like everything connected to the battery to off when I use the disconnect switch.
In most cases, when the disconnect switch is close to the battery, it probably doesn't make any difference whether it is connected directly or to the downstream side of the disconnect switch. But the tongue jack is a major current draw, and if the disconnect is too far away, a much heavier wire would be required.
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Old 12-23-2018, 09:40 PM   #9
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The manufacturer wires it to the battery because the majority of the travel trailers do not come with a battery cut off switch. I have one only because I installed it.


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Old 12-23-2018, 10:10 PM   #10
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you would be a very unhappy camper if the battery disconnect switch went bad (and they do) and you could not get it jacked up to disconect.
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Old 12-23-2018, 10:27 PM   #11
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you would be a very unhappy camper if the battery disconnect switch went bad (and they do) and you could not get it jacked up to disconect.

I'm pretty handy, I think I could manage bypassing the switch in less time than it took to find the right size wrench

I went ahead and switched the jack over so it's behind the disconnect switch today. I figure why have a disconnect like that if it doesn't actually disconnect everything.

Thanks for all the tips and considerations!
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Old 12-23-2018, 11:39 PM   #12
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My jack's power comes from a busbar which has the disconnect switch between it and the battery. It did not come from the factory like that since there was no disconnect switch.
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Old 12-24-2018, 11:00 AM   #13
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Very Nice !!!
I used to use a Large Zip Lock Bag !!!
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Old 12-24-2018, 11:18 AM   #14
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you would be a very unhappy camper if the battery disconnect switch went bad (and they do) and you could not get it jacked up to disconect.
Good point. My jack is wired directly to the batteries with an in-line 30A fuse. I suppose I could install an in-line switch, but my theory has always been: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:08 PM   #15
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My Positive wire from the electric jack leads, of course, to the Positive pole of the battery.

My battery master switch is properly wired to disconnect the Negative wire from the battery to the frame. No other wires connect to the negative pole, the switch controls everything. Battery is totally disconnected when the switch is off.

I get a dozen covers for the tongue jack every time I grocery shop if I ask for plastic rather than paper. This is rare but I never run out of covers.

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Old 12-24-2018, 01:14 PM   #16
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My Positive wire from the electric jack leads, of course, to the Positive pole of the battery.

My battery master switch is properly wired to disconnect the Negative wire from the battery to the frame. No other wires connect to the negative pole, the switch controls everything. Battery is totally disconnected when the switch is off.

I get a dozen covers for the tongue jack every time I grocery shop if I ask for plastic rather than paper. This is rare but I never run out of covers.

-- Chuck
Mine disconnects the positive lead from the battery, as far as I know that's the way it came from the factory? I don't think the cutoff switch was a dealer add-on.
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:42 PM   #17
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Mine disconnects the positive lead from the battery, as far as I know that's the way it came from the factory? I don't think the cutoff switch was a dealer add-on.
And that is the conventional way of doing it and is the way every disconnect that is put in at the factory does it.

Putting it on the negative will do the same thing but it's not the PROPER way to do it....LOL.
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Old 03-01-2019, 02:33 PM   #18
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I like the walmart bag but we made our own. A plastic square cut from an old tarp, some duct/gorilla tape, a string for the bottom, tape it all together and we're good to go. Total cost was for some tape and a string (already had the tarp and was going to throw it away). Probably won't last as long as the store bought one but then I'll just make another. Its been working two years and is still good.
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Old 03-01-2019, 02:44 PM   #19
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We just use a cheap 5 gal bucket from lowes on ours. We carry it when we camp and the bucket has come in handy many times while on vacation.
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Old 03-02-2019, 07:23 AM   #20
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We just use a cheap 5 gal bucket from lowes on ours. We carry it when we camp and the bucket has come in handy many times while on vacation.
We use a cat litter bucket. I have plenty of those available. I just replace it when it gets weathered.
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