Forum Discussion

swimmer_spe's avatar
swimmer_spe
Explorer
Aug 21, 2018

Electric jack stopped working, then started working...

My electric tongue jack stopped working midway down as I was hooking it up. Fortunately, my truck's tire iron was the right size to crank the jack up for the drive home.

I get home and low and behold it works. I did notice it does wiggle a bit. So, I will try to tighten the mounting bolts. Could that have been the issue? Could it simply be that it wasn't getting a good ground?

4 Replies

Sort By
  • swimmer_spe's avatar
    swimmer_spe
    Explorer
    Aug 28, 2018
    I jacked up the trailer enough for it to sit on jack stands. I operated the jack and wiggled it around. It would stop and start intermittently. I removed the bolts, used a wire wheel on the bolts and the mounting areas and then reassembled everything. It works great.
  • Terryallan's avatar
    Terryallan
    Explorer II
    Aug 22, 2018
    swimmer_spe wrote:
    My electric tongue jack stopped working midway down as I was hooking it up. Fortunately, my truck's tire iron was the right size to crank the jack up for the drive home.

    I get home and low and behold it works. I did notice it does wiggle a bit. So, I will try to tighten the mounting bolts. Could that have been the issue? Could it simply be that it wasn't getting a good ground?


    IF it is a ultra tow. It could have gotten hot, and once it cooled down started working again. Yes mine did. Once I removed the thermal relay on the outside. It has never done it again. BTW. It is still protected by fuses.
  • p220sigman's avatar
    p220sigman
    Explorer
    Aug 21, 2018
    Usually when something on a 12 volt system stops working and then magically works again, it is almost always a wiring related issue. Either a frayed/shorting wire or a ground issue. I always establish a good ground before chasing anything else.
  • Helmsey's avatar
    Helmsey
    Explorer
    Aug 21, 2018
    I'm betting the wiggly bolt could be causing ground issues. I bet once it is tightened up your ground is better and things work as usual.

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,239 PostsLatest Activity: Apr 25, 2025