Electric Tongue Jack for Tailgate Interference

[Donnoh]

I have a new Flagstaff Micro Lite 21 FBRS that came with a FIC 3500 electric tongue jack. The problem with it is that I can't lower the tailgate all the way without it hitting the jack cover. I looked on-line to see if the head could be rotated 90 degrees but didn't find anything.

Could anyone recommend a jack that the head can easily be rotated 90 degrees. I did a search and it seems like the Husky Brute can be but I didn't find anything in their instructions that said how to do it. Atwood also makes a top motor jack that would probably work, but I don't know anything about their jacks.

[BizmarksMom]

Terryallan wrote:
I don't worry about it. Mine will hit the jack no matter how it is turned. I just make sure every thing is in the truck before I hookup. Easy Peasy

Same here. It just isn't a big enough deal for me to muck around with stuff.

[Jackfate]

Same issue here...

Was told by etrailer and others that I could not rotate my lippert power head
They were wrong
Was told to rotate using the three mounting bolts.
Wrong again
You only need to remove screws from head and lift it off
Now you may already have another set of holes 90degrees on jack tube
You may need to tap ( thread ) them if no holes drill 2 and tap 2 new holes

Not that hard
Hope this helps someone out there

[camperforlife]

Another happy Atwood owner. The nice thing about the Atwood is the motor is top mounted instead of front mounted which eliminates your issue for most people.

[drsteve]

SpeakEasy wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

SpeakEasy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
You can get a longer shank for your ball mount, whichever way is cheaper.

Like most things, this idea has "legs." If you extend your shank it will have an impact on your towing capacity. If you're anywhere near your limits now, you need to check into this before you do it.

-Speak

Not if you are using WD.

Read what Ron Gratz had to say back in 2010:
Ron Gratz

OK. I checked out what Ron Gratz had to say. I'll admit that I didn't understand much of it. I'm not even a "first year engineering student" let alone a second-year one.

However. Look at what I said. I said the extender would "have an impact." I believe that's true, even after having read through Gratz's material. I'm not sure what the impact would be - increase or decrease or by how much. But I still maintain it is something to consider if you're going to extend your shank. If I were going that route I'd work on understanding the physics of what I was doing.

-Speak

Ron tells you what the impact will be--less force on the receiver.

Ron Gratz wrote:
The second year engineering student would conclude using the extension, with WD, results in less "stress on the hitch attachment points and truck frame".

He's a mechanical engineer, and he shows his work, so I'll take his word for it.

[SpeakEasy]

Huntindog wrote:

SpeakEasy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
You can get a longer shank for your ball mount, whichever way is cheaper.

Like most things, this idea has "legs." If you extend your shank it will have an impact on your towing capacity. If you're anywhere near your limits now, you need to check into this before you do it.

-Speak

Not if you are using WD.

Read what Ron Gratz had to say back in 2010:
Ron Gratz

OK. I checked out what Ron Gratz had to say. I'll admit that I didn't understand much of it. I'm not even a "first year engineering student" let alone a second-year one.

However. Look at what I said. I said the extender would "have an impact." I believe that's true, even after having read through Gratz's material. I'm not sure what the impact would be - increase or decrease or by how much. But I still maintain it is something to consider if you're going to extend your shank. If I were going that route I'd work on understanding the physics of what I was doing.

-Speak

[Huntindog]

SpeakEasy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
You can get a longer shank for your ball mount, whichever way is cheaper.

Like most things, this idea has "legs." If you extend your shank it will have an impact on your towing capacity. If you're anywhere near your limits now, you need to check into this before you do it.

-Speak

Not if you are using WD.

Read what Ron Gratz had to say back in 2010:
Ron Gratz

[SoundGuy]

Donnoh wrote:
Just to put this topic to rest, I decided to purchase the UltraFab jack and try it out.

At the very worst I spent $150 to see if I can open my tailgate with the UltraFab and if not, I bought from Amazon and they'll get it back.

Every truck / trailer combination is different so no one can guarantee that the UltraFab will definitely solve your issue BUT the ability to turn it 90 degrees and the fact the head is about the smallest on any tongue jack sold certainly improve your chances that it will. 🙂

[Donnoh]

Just to put this topic to rest, I decided to purchase the UltraFab jack and try it out. Purchasing another shank for the Blue Ox just wasn't appealing at the price I found and the weight of the one I have already breaks my back a longer one probably adds another 10 pounds.
At the very worst I spent $150 to see if I can open my tailgate with the UltraFab and if not, I bought from Amazon and they'll get it back. At any rate the UltraFab is probably twice as good as the generic FIC noise maker that came with the trailer.
Thanks for all of the suggestions and comments.

[TurnThePage]

SpeakEasy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
You can get a longer shank for your ball mount, whichever way is cheaper.

Like most things, this idea has "legs." If you extend your shank it will have an impact on your towing capacity. If you're anywhere near your limits now, you need to check into this before you do it.

-Speak

A valid concern, but I concur with the idea, especially after looking at the trailer in question. I did it and am very happy with the outcome. It's awesome to be able to lay the tailgate down and open the tonneau cover for unfettered access to the bed. It would be very troublesome otherwise. My better half has already hurt herself trying to hold the tailgate partially open while reaching in the bed.

[SpeakEasy]

troubledwaters wrote:
You can get a longer shank for your ball mount, whichever way is cheaper.

Like most things, this idea has "legs." If you extend your shank it will have an impact on your towing capacity. If you're anywhere near your limits now, you need to check into this before you do it.

-Speak

[Terryallan]

SoundGuy wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I don't worry about it. Mine will hit the jack no matter how it is turned. I just make sure every thing is in the truck before I hookup. Easy Peasy

Maybe for you but not for me ... my Silvy wears a tonneau cover and I'm always wanting to get into it's cargo area for something so having the trailer tongue jack prevent the tailgate from lowering completely was a total PITA. :M The UltraFab fixed that for me. :B

Yeah. Mine has a tonneau cover as well. We really like it. Only time we can't close it, is when I carry our bikes. But we only take them to the beach. I guess in the last 35 or so years. We just learned how to work around it.

[Ralph_Cramden]

What kills any of them is water and eventually any of them will have water intrustion. Grease is also your friend. As someone else said, just rotate the entire jack in the coupler. If you want any of them to last throw a Homer bucket over them to keep them dry when stored or at the campground.

The cheap FIC on our 2017 Rockwood is still going strong on its 3rd season. I figured Id be replacing it in the first year or two seeing they can be found for less than $100. Its attached to an even cheaper coupler assembly that can be had for $12 with no adjustable pawl, so you have to typically beat on it with a hammer to get it to release lol.

[Terryallan]

Huntindog wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I don't worry about it. Mine will hit the jack no matter how it is turned. I just make sure every thing is in the truck before I hookup. Easy Peasy

That would drive me nuts. We often do quick overnites enroute to our destinations... We NEED to be able to get some things out of the bed without unhitching. We have a over the bed rack for our quads that prevents just reaching over the sides.


But if it works for you... Great.

Honestly. Every camper we have ever had prevented the tailgate from opening all the way. And We have had aprox 8. So it is something we have learned to work around. I'm NOT getting an extended shank, as that could cause sway. I like my TT closer to the TV axle. Much better control.

What ever I might need when hooked up. I keep either in the TT outside storage, (leveling blocks, chairs, chocks, cords.....) or inside the TT itself. (Food, water, grill, campstove...) The only thing we carry in the truck bed is bikes, air compressor, and fire wood So it is not a problem for us.

[drsteve]

The Barker jack on my previous TT lasted 13 years with no intervention from me.