Possible Causes for Electric Trailer Jack to Not Function When Connected to New Battery

Question:

Got a brand new 3500 lb electric jack hooked it up and does not work brand new 12 v battery

asked by: Brandon R

Expert Reply:

An electric trailer tongue jack like # EJ-3520-BBX requires both a well-charged battery of the necessary current capacity and very solid wiring connections, both for the ground and the positive power connections. Even a slightly loose ground cable or a battery that is not fully charged can cause the jack to not operate.

I suggest checking all power connections and confirming that the new battery has been fully charged on a shore power charger like # CTEK56353. You also need to ensure your wiring is heavy enough for the power drawn by the jack. You want to use nothing smaller than 10-gauge wire but thicker wire will only improve current delivery. Usually the best results come with use of a dedicated trailer-mounted battery. The 12V power feed in trailer wiring may not always be able to deliver enough power.

expert reply by: Adam R