Wild Card wrote:
mekkerl wrote:
I really wish I didn't have to make any adjustments. But when I measured the distance between my two straddle brackets (what's holding my current vantage/lippert legs), the measurement is just about 15.5". Bulldog requires 17.5" for a straight fit.
I guess the dealer will make some good money if they can do that job!
Supposed to arrive Monday next week...long wait for it coming from Nevada to NY (ground)!
Something must be different than what I did...as 15.5" is what my tabs were and that's what Bulldog specd their spacing.
Ultra Fab was my gear of choice but they spec 17.5" spacing and I did not want to weld new tabs
I think you are measuring your spacing wrong...but either way welding new tabs is not a big deal. Just would be nice to know for sure before you get charged for welding when you didn't need it.
I have the same setup as mekkerl. My frame tabs have an inside spacing of 15 1/2 inches.
If you look at the install instructions for Bulldog, they suggest that you "capture" the welded tabs on the leg BETWEEN your frame brackets. Those tabs are 15 1/2 inches apart and 1" wide each. So, you need inside measurement of 17 1/2 inches between frame brackets to make that happen.
Ultra Fab's instructions, on the other hand, suggest you install their leg such that the welded tabs on the legs are below the frame bracket (not captured by them as do the Bulldog set). They actually give 2 options for installing: Their A-B measurement would require inside measurement between brackets of 11 1/2 inches. The A-C option would require an inside measurement of 17 1/8 inches between brackets.
Mine, like mekkerl's, have an inside measurement of 15 1/2 inches which fit neither of the aforementioned sets.
Other than removing and welding on new tabs with the appropriate spacing, the only other option for dual power for my existing brackets is to purchase the Stromberg Carlson dual power conversion kit which uses the 15 1/2 inch spacing. The kit basically replicates the lead leg of the existing setup by providing another lead leg, motor, transmission and switch to replace the non-motor-driven leg. That's probably the route I'll take when I eventually upgrade. I might also pop for two of the higher output motors available from Stromberg Carlson.
I'm curious (maybe someone knows) why capturing the welded tabs on the legs "between" the frame brackets is recommended by Bulldog instead of having both brackets sit above the tabs (as with Ultra Fab). There will always be a downward force on those tabs from the weight of the trailer whether you're raising or lowering the trailer (assuming the trailer is unhooked from the TV). Given that, I would prefer to have both welded tabs on the legs "under" my frame brackets supporting the trailer's weight should the brackets become loose and slip. The only case I can think of where the bracket under a tab would make sense is if the leg is somehow stuck in the ground while the weight of the trailer is on the TV and you're trying to retract the leg (i.e. pulling it out of the ground). Maybe there's a better case that justifies positioning one bracket under a tab. If so, I don't see it.
