Amperage Draw of Motor and Power Wire Gauge of Stromberg Carlson # JET-2500 Electric Trailer Jack

Question:

What is the voltage of these jacks? The wire shown attached is a small diameter which indicates they may NOT be 12 volts. If they are 12 volts, do you have to wire up another pin on the 7 pin plug for current? If not, what is the amperage draw at full load as most of the 12 volt accessory wires are 14 or 16 gauge wire.

asked by: Paul C

Expert Reply:

The Stromberg Carlson JET-2500 Electric Tongue Jack uses a 12-volt motor. Under load, the motor draws 24-25 amps and the motor is fed by a 12 gauge wire.

The best practice is to power the jack via a trailer mounted battery. You can use the 12-volt accessory circuit from the 7-way to maintain the battery, but it cannot charge a depleted battery. Using the accessory pin on the 7-way to directly power the jack can be problematic because of the long run from the vehicle battery. Drawing the 24-25 amps through a long wiring run can cause the wire to heat up excessively, which can cause the insulation to melt and ultimately cause a short.

expert reply by: Mike L