Ultra Fab landing gear

[phemens]

I’m having some issues getting my current landing gear to work correctly (detailed in another thread), one of the things I’m considering is upgrading to a beefier set of legs and dual motors. I’ve added some weight to the front with new batteries, and while I’m not ready to correlate possible stripped/broken gear with that change, I figure if I’m go8ng to fix it, maybe better to fix it once and for all.
I’m looking at the Ultra-Fab deluxe landing gear, it’s good to 12k lbs (my rig tops out at just over 12k total), seems to have a bit more extension at 38 inches. Any experience with this equipment? The brackets seem ok with my current setup, they recommend 13.5 inches between for one of the configurations, which is what I have.

[phemens]

Received the hatch and did the install this morning. Thank you Wires for the info, I’m very happy with the final result, looks clean & tidy!

[phemens]

Excellent, thank you very much for the info! My hatch arrives today, look forward to working on it.

[wires]

phemens wrote:
Ok, so if I understand, you mounted to the inside back of the hatch and then made some cutouts in the hatch cover so that the switches would protrude?

I two drilled 1/2" holes in the back of the enclosure (not the hatch cover). I then unscrewed the front of the switches, stuck the switches in from the back through the holes, then screwed the front of the switches back on. So the large square parts of the switches are actually behind the back of the enclosure. I had a ton of space behind the hatch cutout so having the back of the switches back there wasn't an issue.

So from the front the hatch is a solid cover and you don't see anything. When you open the hatch you only see the two handles of the switches.

[phemens]

Ok, so if I understand, you mounted to the inside back of the hatch and then made some cutouts in the hatch cover so that the switches would protrude? I measured the switches and tip to tail are 3.5 inches deep, so that means that the switches still stick out 1.5 - 2 inches? I kind of like the idea of totally enclosing the switches to prevent anyone messing with them (even if unlikely), so maybe I can back mount the switches in the hatch, I do have enough clearance on the back end.

[wires]

phemens wrote:
Wires, that’s a great idea! Problem solved. You mounted the switches on the inside back of the hatch with enough clearance to close the hatch cover?

Yes, I was able to mount the switches inside. The hatch I mentioned is not is a small plastic enclosure that is about 1.5 inches deep. There is plenty of clearance so that the hatch closes and you have room to get your fingers in there to operate the switches. Just be careful to mount them slightly offset to the side so that to door latch doesn't hit.

I used a Dremel tool with a drill bit style cutter to cut the opening. It gave a nice clean cut. But the hatch has a good size flange so even if your cut is rough it should easily cover it.

[Wood_chip]

donn0128 wrote:
What brand do you currently have? If you have Venture mfg legs, then its eady to convert.

I couldn't figure out why my weld tabs were at 19.5 inch apart until I looked up the Venture website to learn they they have the extended model. Not sure why I have these but the Ultra fab not Bull Dog work without removing the OEM brackets and welding new one.

[phemens]

Wires, that’s a great idea! Problem solved. You mounted the switches on the inside back of the hatch with enough clearance to close the hatch cover?

[wires]

I installed the Ultrafab landing gear recently. I didn't care for the look of the switches so I cut out where the old landing gear switch was and installed a small hatch. The one I used was the JR Products D6102-A.

Link to hatch on Amazon

[fj12ryder]

FWIW here is the switch gear and plate that came with the Bulldog. Personally I would use thinner metal rather than thicker plexiglass. Plexiglass isn't really very strong, and the metal would look better IMO.

Bulldog switch plate

[phemens]

I was thinking some plexi back painted black or something similar. The switches are very solid but crazy deep (maybe 3 inches) and are designed to be screwed in directly to the filon, but that to me is just an accident waiting to happen. The existing plate is for a single motor, would not be wide enough for the two. Here’s a Link to the UltraFab switches

[fj12ryder]

Didn't it come with a plate with the switches already mounted? I removed the switch that was on the trailer, expanded the opening and installed the plate with the switches.

I don't think I would use plexiglass, I would want something opaque. See-through would look a little tacky IMO.

[phemens]

Update: so I receive the UltraFab landing gear, returned home yesterday and installed it today. Fit like a glove, longest part was the wiring.
The switches are very deep, I would like to inset them (mount them from the inside compartment brought cutout to outside front). However this will not be a fi with removal of previous switch. What have people used to mount a plate on the front to cover the old holes and make room for the new? I was thinking maybe a plexiglass panel screwed into the filon and then cutout for the 3 switches (2 for the landing gear, 1 for the lights). Any better material that could be suggested?

[Wild_Card]

I have my Bulldogs in low gear. Less strain on motors and less current draw.

[fj12ryder]

The Bulldog system I bought has the option for 2 speed...depends on the weight of the trailer. Mine is too heavy for the high speed, so I have it set to high torque. Yeah, it's kind of slow but it never feels like it's struggling, it's just the way it's geared: slow and effortless. But it's still faster than the OEM that the toyhauler came with. You almost had to chalk the legs to see if they were moving. 🙂