Electric Jack for 5th wheel

ok so an update....If i put some pressure on the motor by placing a wedge between the motor and the rail, it works...I just have to put continuous pressure when I go up...

Bad thrust bearing under the top cap and a broken tooth on the crown gear. (Tooth broken because the thrust bearing failed first.) Rebuild kits are available from the manufacturer.

Been there done that got the Tee shirt. (Pull the leg out and work on it on the bench. Clearances inside the basement are a killer. I cribbed the trailer up on 12" sections of 4x4 fence post stacked like Lincoln Logs.)

If you have any doubts of security while working on the legs & on blocks simply put the truck under the kingpin but don't lower it. That way if something happens, not likely if blocked properly, the truck will catch the trailer.

To work on the leg & gear you really need to take the leg out & work on it on a bench. There are little parts that can easily drop down inside the leg if you try to do it in place.

I doubt if the motor is at fault. Disconnect it from the gear & test it. If it runs freely, well, it runs.

actually I was able to raise it only so far until it started to click...then when I used a pair of channel locks to turn the bar manually (just a little) I could then use the button for just one more turn...again and again until it was high enough to disconnect the trailer. Now I have it disconnected so I can use the truck tomorrow. Is it possible to change the motor and or gear set up while the trailer is supported by the legs and not attached to the truck? Am worried if I start messing with it that the trailer will fall. what keeps the legs extended...the motor, or?

Been there. Fixed that more than once. Chances are that the bevel gear is stripped. I assume that it works with weight on it but clunks & does not move when retracting & no weight on it.

Simple solution till you get the kit, available at lots of supply stores, is use a lever to apply pressure to the bottom of the foot as you raise the leg. Easily done by having a block of wood, that you might use anyway under the foot, to use as a fulcrum with something strong enough as the lever under the foot.

I have a steel prybar.

When you do get the parts, the easiest way to deal with it is to either block the trailer by the frame near the leg or simply leave it on the truck.

bummer...really don't have an address to use to get a rebuild kit as we cross the country, and it sucks not being able to remove the truck from the RV. One guy had a motor for $325.00 and then labor of $75 to put it in. That sounds excessive to me though...what to do....thinking....

forhumanservices wrote:
yes moves with no pressure....what is involved in removing the cover?
If I had to do it manually, is that even possible?
Thanks a ton!

Just pop the top cover off......it is just snap fit

If it moves OK without pressure then it sounds like a stripped gear/broken tooth

Manually.....that is what crank handle and hole in side of 5vr is for.
Takes lots of turning BUT it won't help in this situation. Manual is for when motor quits

yes moves with no pressure....what is involved in removing the cover?
If I had to do it manually, is that even possible?
Thanks a ton!

Could be jack nut is slipping on jack screw (stripped threads)
Could be drive gear is slipping on large driven gear (broken tooth)
(Drive gear---small bevel gear motor turns. Driven gear====large bevel gear that turns jack screw/shaft)
Could be drive pins in either bevel gear

Take top cover off and have a look while trying to operate it.

Does it move if no pressure on it?

Most likely will need a rebuild.....kits available