The following guide answers the popular question – What are electric trailer jacks?
What are electric trailer jacks?
An electric trailer jack is also known as a power tongue jack. It is an automatic lifting system that can raise and lower the frame of your trailer. Unlike manual jacks that require a lot of effort, electric jacks do the heavy lifting for you.
When are electric trailer jacks used?
Electric trailer jacks are used when hitching or unhitching your trailer. Electric jacks are also used to level out the trailer once it’s parked.
How do I choose the right electric jack for my trailer?
Tongue jacks are based on the height of your trailer and the weight of the trailer when fully loaded. To find out what jack capacity is right for your trailer, you need to calculate the tongue weight of your trailer.
Trailer Weight: The rule of thumb for a trailer is 7-10% of the weight of your fully loaded trailer. For example: If you have an 8000-pound fully loaded trailer, using 10% as an example, this means you would need an electric tongue jack with a capacity of 800 lbs.
Trailer Height: The height of the electric jack is important. You need to have enough height for the jack to lift the coupler to clear the hitch ball on your vehicle. This height measurement on a tongue jack description will typically be referred to as the “extended” height. To figure out the height of the jack you need, measure the height from the ground to the bottom of the coupler on your trailer. To get accurate measurements, make sure your trailer is parked on level ground and the trailer is leveled.
How do I hook up an electric trailer jack?
This video by RV 101® shows a step-by-step guide on how to install an electric trailer jack on your trailer. If you don’t feel comfortable installing it yourself, your local trailer or RV repair shop can assist.
Are power tongue jacks worth the money?
A power tongue jack is essential if you regularly plan to use your trailer and are hitching and unhitching your trailer often. Quickly raising and lowering your trailer can take some of the stress out of connecting or disconnecting your trailer.