Jacking & moving without installing trailer battery

Interesting question. It was my understanding the 12 volt line is fused and relay activated. But that is on my 2011 F-150.

Does your jack have a manual operating option?

My understanding is you can't as the hot 12 volt leads from the 7 pin connector are all dedicated to brakes, and lights.

The electric jack on my previous travel trailer was wired into the battery terminal directly with it's own fuse. If there was no battery, the jack wire was just dangling in air. If this is the case with your's in question, then you could jump the jack easily with a pair of jumper cables, which would run only the jack.

Most electric jacks have a manual override. The rubber seal on the top pops off and then there is an end for a heavy duty Allen Wrench style jack to insert so it can manually be raised and lowered. At least mine did.

Check it out, either one of these methods will work to operate the tongue jack.

Use the truck battery and booster cables to connect to the trailer battery cables.

Try it and see, mine will work off the 7 Pin with no battery.

You should be able to use the trailer connector. Make sure you isolate the positive battery cable.
It may move slow!
Could use a battery pack to operate jack!

how about doing it with a portable impact drill .there should be a square slot in the top of the jack for manual operation.

Teoma wrote:
If I plug my 7 pin trailer cable into my truck hitch receptacle will I be able to operate the electric tongue jack without the trailer battery?

Yes, as long as the charge line on the truck's 7-pin Bargman connector is active - i.e. Pin 4 is +12vdc, Pin 1 is ground. On GM trucks the charge line is always hot regardless of whether the ignition is on or not, on other brands the charge line may only be hot when the ignition is on.

play it safe and use the manual override

i dont know how many amps a powerjack uses, but the wire in the tow vehicle to the 7 pin may not be big enough

If going the manual route, use a regular drill, not an impact drill. That hammering could damage the internals of the jack. At least, I wouldn’t chance it.