Availability of an Electric A-Frame Jack for a 24 Foot Cargo Trailer

Question:

We just bought a new 24foot enclosed cargo trailer for our mobile church and are interested in an electric jack. The trailer has a weight rating of 10,000 lb so this should be plenty, right? Also, physically how do you supply power to the jack? Is it tied into the trailer wiring somehow so that when it is hooked to the truck it has power or does it run off of a separate battery / power source? Thanks in advance!

asked by: Todd D

Expert Reply:

The Etrailer Electric A-Frame Jack, # EJ-3520-BBX, would work well for your enclosed trailer.

When looking for an electric jack for a trailer you will want to find a jack that will handle the trailer's tongue weight. Typically, the tongue weight of a trailer will be 10 - 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. So, if your trailer's gross weight is 10,000 lbs, then the tongue weight will be 1,000 - 1,500 lbs.

The best way to power an A-frame jack is to have a battery installed on the trailer. The jack can be connected to the battery and be able to run at any time as long as the battery is fully charged. You can also wire you 7-way auxiliary 12-vot wire to the battery so as you are driving you can provide a maintaining charge.

However, using the 7-way will not fully recharge the battery if it runs dead. You will have recharge the battery with a battery charger, like the NOCO Genius # 329-GENIUS5, in this case.

expert reply by: Jared P