Any recommendations on a brand/type of powered aframe jack? My trailer did not come with one and that will be my first mod. Here are all the power jacks ETrailer sells and I was going to order one from them:Etrailer power jacksDumb question:Also, are the weight ratings on these jacks specific to the hitch weight of the trailer or the whole trailer? I assume if I have a hitch weight of 600lbs then all of these listed are fine since the lowest rating is 2500 lbs.

I have had very good luck with this one, which is on your list at etrailer.Bruce

Along with the tongue weight a power jack must be able to lift the rear of the TV in order to install WD/SC bars. I purchased a 3500# Barker and have had no issues over the last 6 years lifting our 10K TT and 3/4 ton crewcab. Most any brand will do the job, Atwood has a large following with their brand of power tongue jacks.

I have had Atwood , Barker, Ultra Fab. The first two were very good but the new Ultra Fab never lasted two years and repaired twice. It was junk !! Get the 3500Barker or Atwood and you will be happy !

Get a minimum of a 3500 lb jack of any of the major brands. I use an Ultra-fab and it has been excellent for 9 years

the first jack I ever bought was a barker. had to put switches in once and it lasted me 20 years. I gave it to my son and he used it for two years, he traded in his TT so he gave it to his cousin., who used it until he traded off his TT. with a track record like that I will buy nothing unless it is a barker.

Powered jack recommendations | Good Sam Community

anaro
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
We put an ultrafab on our old tt. No issues with it. Just hook your trailer to the toe vehicle, pop the old Jack off, line the holes up and check for head clearance when opening the tailgate. Bolt it down and Splice the wires in. Easy mod, took DH approx 30 min total. Do make sure you know exactly how wide a pole you need (diameter) as ours was a little narrower than the opening resulting in a little more play than we liked.
JAYHAWKERS
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
BARKER VIP 3500 for me. Have had ours for going on three years now with no problems at all. And I love that it is Made In The USA!
coolbreeze01
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Passin Thru wrote:
If you hook up the WD/SC bars before lowering the jack you don't have to lift the weight with it. I lower the jack part way, hook the WD up and lower it onto the ball. No use picking up 10000 lb.

Haven't tried that. What is your procedure for undoing the bars?
MNRon
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I had an UltraFab (2500 if I recall) on a 9000lb TT pulled with a 3/4T YukonXL for 6-7yrs. Worked great. I'd recommend it. Agree with the comment about being careful not to overextend. We did that once and it breaks an internal pin. UltraFab send a free replacement and spare, great customer service.
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jun 29, 2014
My trailer came with an Atwood and that's supposed to be a good power jack from what I've read. Been working fine for over a year so time will tell.
krobbe
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I went with Husky Brute 4500. Higher capacity generally means better durability. My tongue weight is 1200#. I've never used the snap-up lever on my Equal-i-zer hitch to get the bars in place using my trusty Husky to raise everything up.
Passin_Thru
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
If you hook up the WD/SC bars before lowering the jack you don't have to lift the weight with it. I lower the jack part way, hook the WD up and lower it onto the ball. No use picking up 10000 lb.
Dragonfly
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I don't know if it is an issue for you but we turned our jack 90 degrees sideways to allow for enough room for the tailgate to drop. Even with an extended ball carrier the jack motor head was in the way. Turning it solved the problem. Also, we turned it towards the passenger side so that the controls faced the curb if, in an emergency, we needed to operate it along a roadside or such.
tomkaren13
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
samsontdog wrote:
I have had Atwood , Barker, Ultra Fab. The first two were very good but the new Ultra Fab never lasted two years and repaired twice. It was junk !! Get the 3500
Barker or Atwood and you will be happy !

x 2

If you decide to go with the Ultra Fab, price may determine that. Be very careful you DO NOT over extend. Easily becomes a broken jack.
jerem0621
Explorer II
Jun 28, 2014
I bought this one

But only paid $98.00 for it off ebay as a factory refurb. Worked great