How Much Clearance Does an Electric Trailer Jack Need?
Question:
I just had my trailer guys put a bulldog electric jack on my gooseneck 3horse trailer. I need to know how many inches from ground to foot of jack is safe when hauling. Right now it’s only about 3inches I know it’s not high enough. They need to raise it. But how much. I need to know how much. About 8 to 10 inches to make it over speed bumps and dips in fields. Please help
asked by: Paula T
Expert Reply:
Each trailer and application is going to be different, so there's not going to be a "safe" distance, since it's going to vary from trailer to trailer. You'll need to make sure that you give yourself enough distance so that you get the full amount of lift from your drop leg to raise the trailer off the ground, while making sure that it retracts enough to stay out of the way when you're not using it.
I think the safe bet is to try to get the foot of the jack level with the bottom of the trailer. This should give you enough room so that it's not causing any bottom-out issues, as well as leave you with sufficient leg drop to get the trailer off the ground. For reference, a jack like the Reese Electric 5th Wheel Landing Gear # RP500708 has an 18" drop leg. If your trailer is 8" off the ground, the leg still has 10" of lift before it tops out.
