Pick up to Trailer space

neschultz wrote:
I unbolted and turned the jack 90 degrees and now have enough clearance. I’ve been told that some of the jack bolt patterns allow this with no drilling but I did have to drill and tap one new mounting hole.

Good advice. Exactly what we did.

I unbolted and turned the jack 90 degrees and now have enough clearance. I’ve been told that some of the jack bolt patterns allow this with no drilling but I did have to drill and tap one new mounting hole.

The tail gate on my truck is about 1/2 inch too wide. It hits my electric jack on the trailer A-frame. I found if the truck-trailer is parked on a hill in such a way the combination forms a /\ configuration insead of -- or even \/ the tail gate will open all the way.

So, what I started doing was to simply lower the electric jack while hitched, thus raising the tongue of the trailer. Attached to the truck, the end of the ruck raises with the trailer, causing a /\ configuration between truck and trailer. Once the jack raises the A-frame of the trailer and the end of the truck high enough, the tail gate lays flat and misses the electric jack.

Since the jack is electric, it's really an easy alternative. (Just remember to close the tail gate before retracting the jack or before pulling forward with the truck!) But this does work.

I think that's pretty much the case for most any bumper pull trailer.

Options are:

1) Unhitch trailer before attempting to open tailgate. Electric tongue jack makes this easy.

2) remove tailgate and install one with a notch in the middle to clear the jack, or a net type tail gate.

3) remove jack when not in use, they sell quick disconnect brackets

4) Extend hitch receiver, this has A LOT of drawbacks

No - nor would you want to. Anything heavier than one of the utility trailers you buy at Lowe's or Home Depot would put too much weight on an extended draw bar. If you have a weight distributing hitch, that also wouldn't work. If you don't have a locking Tonneau cover with the need to lock the tailgate for security, you might consider a fifth wheel tailgate with the notch cut-out. It would keep stuff in the bed but you could lower it with the notch clearing the electric tongue jack. I had the same complaint when we pulled a travel trailer so I understand your frustration.

Rob