Recommended Replacement Jack for 2300 lb Pop-Up Camper

Question:

Hello, I had a trailer jack with a wheel that came with the 2,300 lb pop up trailer, this jack broke two days ago. I am looking to buy one but all of them say max capacity 1,500 Lbs. am I ok with a jack like that ? did I explain myself ?

asked by: Guadalupe R

Expert Reply:

You did just fine! What you'll need is a jack that can handle the tongue weight of the trailer, not its entire weight.

A trailers tongue weight is typically 10-15% of its total weight, so in your case the highest capacity you'll really need is about 350 lbs. That being said, choosing a trailer jack is one instance where you'll want to go for the overkill as far as capacity goes. A higher rated jack will be more heavily constructed and because of the reserve capacity it won't need to work as hard to lift the trailer tongue, therefore it'll last longer.

I'd recommend going with the 2000 lb capacity Dutton-Lainson # DL22781 top wind A-frame jack along with the # DL22539 caster wheel or the # DL22542 foot. The jack can be welded or bolted in place, and is manufactured in the USA.

The # FXPD15L jack you'd looked at is a decent product, but its a side mount jack that would typically be used on a trailer with a pole tongue like what you'd see on a boat trailer not an A-frame tongue which is what I saw when I looked up photos of your pop-up. Using a side mount jack on an A-frame trailer is problematic because it won't evenly support the trailer's tongue weight which would put some lateral force on the jack connection to the trailer tongue which could cause it to fail.

I've linked to a product install/demonstration video that you might find helpful.