Scary: footplate slipped out of position!

wnjj wrote:

Campfire Time wrote:

wnjj wrote:
Blocks don't flex like a fully extended jack tube. Done properly, it makes for a more solid trailer.

OK, you'd have to prove that one to me. Unless the blocks are somehow locked together with bolts or something, they will slide against one another. Not very solid. And those plastic locking blocks don't count. Those will just snap when the weight is dragged against them.

I'm not talking about preventing it from falling, just the wiggling you get walking around in it. You should never depend upon the jack for holding the trailer from rolling or preventing the tongue from sliding sideways. The "done properly" part means solid wheel chocks.

With weight on the blocks, they will not slide around but a jack will always have some slack to move. Better yet, use one solid block like an 8x8 or nail some 2x6's together.

If you are feeling wiggle from the tongue jack being extended out you ARE doing something very wrong OR you have a seriously worn out jack and or badly designed jack.

Trailers WILL wiggle or move a slight bit, it IS the nature of the beast and trying to use bad methods like loose boards or excessive height to get rid of that is asking for trouble.

Excessive use of blocks/blocking under the tongue jack as the OP has found out IS a recipe for disaster.

The some of the pictures posted of the cobbled up "systems" folks are using really makes my skin crawl and literally makes me want to slap a few heads for using it.

IF you NEED more height from your tongue jack there ARE purpose made jacks which have built in quick extensions, that allow you to pull a pin and drop the jack foot.. Those are far more safe than a bunch of plastic legos or boards loosely stacked..