Can Electric Jack Be Wired Directly to 7-Way on Truck

Question:

on line you find instructions on how to hook up an Electric Jack to the 12 volt peg on a 7 way FORD wiring plug....The folks up at the Ford dealer-ship told me that the 12 volt,25 amp. plug is supplied by a smaller wire then what is necessary To carry the load demand from most of these jacks, and it could result in a burned out wiring harness, and they do not recommend wiring the jack that way.... What is your recommendation on this issue ? Should I parches a 12 volt battery kit an wire the jack that way,? or do you think wiring the jack to the 12 volt peg on the Ford plug is just fine, and I should not have any problems ?

asked by: Gary

Expert Reply:

We don't usually recommend wiring an electric jack like the Stromberg Carlson # JET-5000 that you referenced directly to the tow vehicle's 7-Way for exactly the reason your local Ford dealer is telling you. The factory wire on the truck is simply too small to handle the amperage needed for the jack like you mentioned. This is really the case with any vehicle, not just your Ford.

The best way to power your jack is to wire it to an auxiliary 12V battery on the trailer. You can then run 10 gauge wiring like # 10-1-1 (sold by the foot) from the 12V circuit on the 7-Way to the battery so that it maintains its charge during travel.

expert reply by: Chris R