Power tongue jack

BarneyS wrote:

Jimmc wrote:
Perhaps a naive question from someone who has never used a WDH and was wondering if a power jack was really necessary. Do you really have to raise the TV rear end using the jack? It seems like you could position the coupler over the ball and leave it high enough to attach the bars, then lower the jack and couple. That would require something a lot less than a 1000 lbs with a moderate weight trailer and should be do-able with a manual jack.

Sorry, but that would make it even harder to raise up the bars with the chains. They are all do-able with a manual jack but the power one just makes it easier. If you are strong enough and/or young enough you do not even need to use the jack at all. Just use your arms and the pipe - and be careful.
Barney

I agree it wouldn't help if you raised the trailer tongue too high. Suppose you hitched up with the WDH disconnected, then started jacking the tongue up. At first there would be little weight since the TV is supporting most of it. Eventually you would reach a point where the jack is supporting the trailer tongue weight and the back of the TV has risen and the trailer coupler is just touching the ball. At that it should be easier to attach the chains. Beyond that, the weight on the jack starts getting bigger and you have more leeway to attach the chains. The question is whether or not that "just touching" point or something just slightly beyond it gives enough slack to attach the chains without too large a load on the jack.