How to Install an Electric Trailer Tongue Jack 5000 lbs

Having a quality electric trailer tongue jack is essential to make your camping life easy. The main purpose for these jacks is to save your arms from having to level out your motor home, camping, or horse trailer when you disconnect it from your vehicle.

In this article, we are going to go over 3 of the best electric trailer jacks that are rated around from 3500 to 5000 lbs. Also, we cover the steps involved in how to install an electric heavy duty trailer jack.

Brand	Quick Products	Bull Dog Reese	Husky
Model	JQ-3500	500199	82022
Max Lift	3650 lbs	4000 lbs	5000 lbs
Extension Stroke	18” of travel	22″ of travel	Full 18″ stroke
Manual Override	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cycle Time			Full travel time 60 seconds
Working Lights	Yes	Yes 3	Yes
Weight	25.9 pounds	24.1 pounds	30 pounds
Size	34 x 9.6 x 6.8 inches	8.5 x 6.5 x 34 inches	33 x 10 x 6.5 inches
Warranty		5 years	1 year
Where to Buy	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon

Our Pick Husky Electric Trailer Tongue Jack 5000 lbs

Having a camper trailer with only a manual winch hand jack had started to take its toll on my arms. So the quest was on to find a high-quality electric trailer jack to fill this task in our old age.

We looked at 3 different types from Husky, Quick Products, and Bull Dog Reese. In the end, we went with the Husky 5000 lbs jack for the fantastic price, great brand name, and the included remote controls.

The great thing about the Husky camper trailer jack was that it is weatherproof and includes a bright light for when you need to set up at the campsite.

Husky makes some smaller rated electric trailer jacks but to be honest there wasn’t a whole lot of difference in price. I just went with the biggest one in case we upgrade to a larger camper with a heavier tongue weight.

Most people go with the rated tongue weight on their trailer but you must take into account any extra gear that you may have placed forward of the center axle wheels. This can be spare wheels, gas bottles, batteries, food storage, jerry can holders, and water bottles.

The included remote controls are a godsend. They are just like a car remote and will raise and lower the stabilizer jack with just a touch of a button. Just stand back and watch the magic happen.

This jockey jack uses a 20mm internal ball screw design. This makes it quiet and has greater lifting power compared to traditional screw design.
The Husky tongue jack is able to withstand high thrust loads, and it can do so with minimum internal friction.

How to install a heavy-duty electric trailer jack

Start by disconnecting your trailer from the vehicle and use the manual hand jack to lift up the front end of the trailer. If your trailer has side-stabilizing jacks, then drop these down as well for extra support.

Chock your wheels and apply the brakes to make the trailer safe.

We must use jack stands to be able to support the front end of the trailer tongue so that the manual jack can be removed. I have a pair of 3 Ton big red jack stands that are great. Slowly lower the manual jack so that the trailer rests on the jack stands. I like to use two support stands on either side of the trailer A-frame.

Once the trailer if fully lowered onto the jack stands you can now remove the three bolts holding on the manual tongue jack. Don’t lose the bolts as we can use them again. These bolts are 3/8 inch in diameter and 1 inch long.

Unpack the electric tongue jack and place into the existing hole. Make sure the jack controllers are facing outwards towards the truck. Grab a socket set and bolt it all down using the supplied star washers. These washers are designed to cut into the metal to provide a neutral earth connection for the jack.

It is important to make sure there is a second support plate underneath the tongue jack. This stops it from twisting sideways on uneven surfaces. Most new camper trailers or caravans will have this support plate. if yours has not been installed you will have to get a new support plate manufactured and welded into place before you use your new heavy duty electric trailer jack.

12V Power

There is one active wire that will need to be connected to your trailer 12v supply battery. Most trailers will have a common termination point where you can run an active cable into. Crimp a ring lug onto the cable and bolt it into place.

The neutral or negative connection point is inside the Husky Jack. The smart thing is that it uses the frame of the trailer to provide a neutral connection point. This is where the star washer comes into play. They cut into the paintwork to provide the negative return path.

Test your electric jack for correct operation up and down. If your electric tongue jack is not working then check out these common problems.

Electric Stabilizer Jacks not working What to check

If your heavy-duty electric trailer jack is not operating it’s best to check out these quick tips before binning the unit.

• Check the stabilizer main fuse or circuit breaker.
• Charge the 12v battery
• Check the earth wire inside the electric trailer jack for the correct connection. Sometimes these can come loose.
• Grease or lube up the shaft of the trailer stabilizer jack.
• Use the manual crank handle to wind up and down the jack to check for any binding or a bent shaft.
• Check for any water ingress into the switches or electronics.
• Make sure you are using star washers between the electric jack and the metal frame. These are designed to cut into the paint to provide a good earth.

How to manually retract or extend your caravan jack

If your battery is low on power or the electric tongue jack has a blown fuse you can manually extend or retract it to get you out of trouble.

All that is required is to locate the manual socket hole. This is often covered up with a weatherproof plug or cover. If you pull this cover off you will find a socket that you can wind in or out with the supplied socket wrench.

If you can’t locate this wrench any 1/2 inch drive socket wrench will do the job to retract or extend the caravan tongue jack. You may need an extension piece depending on the design of your hoist jack.

Don’t forget to charge back up your battery as soon as possible. A flat battery can be damaged if it is left in a low power state for too long. I can recommend the Ctek smart charger for all 12v batteries.

Electric Camper Jack Maintenance

Every time you use your RV or camper trailer you will have to do some basic maintenance to keep your equipment in top condition. For your electric stabilizer jacks its best to lubricate the shafts and pivot points.

For your RV trailer tongue jack, a simple wipe down of the shaft will be good enough before you retract the jack. Once a year I like to stray the shaft with silicone spray. This keeps the shaft lubed up and won’t attract dust and dirt like grease will.

Don’t forget to recharge your camper battery every 3 months if it is not being used. An RV solar trickle charge setup can be beneficial for a hands-free design. Otherwise, you will have to invest in a quality multistep battery tender charger. Keeping your trailer battery in tip-top condition means fewer troubles down the road.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we have provided some good information to help you decide which electric trailer tongue jack you require for your caravan or camper trailer. I am beginning to see these all over the place now, especially with retired couples.

Don’t skimp on quality as many cheaper electric jacks are not waterproof and have substandard internal gears. The Husky brand of electric trailer lifting devices has heavy duty ball bearings that are designed to decrease noise and increase pushing power.

Stick with brand names and read the user reviews. I also like to talk to fellow campers about their camping products. It is a great conversation starter and I get to pick up some great tips about cheap quality camping products.

Stay Safe and Happy Camping everyone. Be sure to check out our latest post on How to lock up your trailer. The last thing we need is for someone to steal your expensive motorhome trailer.