Speed up your stabilizer scissor jacks.

SailorDon

Well-known member
It takes a long time to deploy and retract stabilizer scissor jacks manually. And the "bend over and crank" exercise isn't the best thing for an old man's back.

Y'all probably use this method routinely, but for those who don't know, this might take some of the delay and agony out of deploying stabilizer jacks.

I bought a cheap cordless 12V electric drill at Wallyworld and an adapter fitting.

Here's a video of the result. Seconds to deploy. Seconds to retract.

The bent threaded shaft in the scissor jack is due to my shortcut of only partially retracting the stabilizers before moving the trailer. That was BCD (before cordless drill).

 

Lynn1130

Well-known member
Very nice. Now if I could just figure out how to speed up the electric jacks on my Cyclone.
 

priorguy

Well-known member
I used to do that with my pop ups, even to crank the roof/tent up as well. Nice that I don't need that anymore with the Caliber Edition North Trail and Lippert Remote.
 

Mizmary

Well-known member
Ha! As long as it doesn't make the crazy sound! I'm just being ornery- since we full time I see LOTS of craziness. Including the use of hammer drills for setting up all manner of things. 😜
 

priorguy

Well-known member
Sorry, might have been me when my drill conked out and only had my impact to set up my Tent Trailer. The crank rod didn't come with my first 20 year pop up.
 

Mizmary

Well-known member
Sorry, might have been me when my drill conked out and only had my impact to set up my Tent Trailer. The crank rod didn't come with my first 20 year pop up.

Ha! It really isn't that bad. I guess I should have used a smiley or something to show I was joking.

Just make sure you aren't dragging your sewer hose on your way out. (I've seen that too.) 😇
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
So what's the problem using a hammer drill? Don't they have more torque? The reason I'm asking is I use my hammer drill. I know that once it starts hammering, it's time to clean & lube the acme threaded shaft. Just curious...
 

priorguy

Well-known member
Ha! It really isn't that bad. I guess I should have used a smiley or something to show I was joking.

Just make sure you aren't dragging your sewer hose on your way out. (I've seen that too.) 

:angel:Guess I need a smiley too, but I really did annoy the neighbours once with a battery impact as my only means of setup on that first trip with my 1989 Bonair BA850 tent trailer. Had that little trailer for 2 weeks and 1 trip, DW was hooked on camping and we upgraded right away. After 4 trailers in 5 years and 3 tow vehicles in 5 years I hope we're done for a while. I did spend the $45 for a new hand crank for the take down at the end of the trip in the camp store.

I had a friend and neighbour drive across the US border about 300kms return trip with the steps down. He hit a post at the gas station up the street from his house. He Couldn't believe he made it all that way to clip it on the home stretch. I couldn't believe he told me about it, but I did weld the steps back on for him.
 

priorguy

Well-known member
So what's the problem using a hammer drill? Don't they have more torque? The reason I'm asking is I use my hammer drill. I know that once it starts hammering, it's time to clean & lube the acme threaded shaft. Just curious...

The only problem with the hammer drill is the loud sound pounding through the silence of the campground. An impact driver is even worse because it is even louder and constant when under load. The "hammer" can be turned off so it's just a drill, but the impact can't. It's something you realize is wrong when you finish what your doing and see the stares and glares from all the witnesses. :rolleyes: DW's are good for pointing out things after it's too late as well. Always a good idea to have a few extra apology pints on hand for those nearby.:cool:
 

Mizmary

Well-known member
So what's the problem using a hammer drill? Don't they have more torque? The reason I'm asking is I use my hammer drill. I know that once it starts hammering, it's time to clean & lube the acme threaded shaft. Just curious...

Ha. Nothing is wrong with it. It's just something I see a lot full timing. :) really it's only an issue if you pull in really, really late and don't have the common sense to wait until morning to set up. I've seen that too. Hammer drill away (between the hours of 7am and 10pm). 😝
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
I've seen a few people do this this summer in our travels, and even though I take my power tool set when we go camping, I haven't tried it yet.

I broke one of those scissor jacks the very first time I parked the trailer in our yard last fall when we bought our trailer just by putting a little too much torque (ie. - weight) on it, so I don't really trust them to stabilize the trailer when camping.

Or any other time for that matter.

I still use the old portable jacks (the kind with the screw-up center column) from our old camper to stabilize and just use the scissor jacks to help.

And, I also bought a set of slide-out support jacks . . . those things really stop the rocking!
 

SailorDon

Well-known member
I've seen a few people do this this summer in our travels, and even though I take my power tool set when we go camping, I haven't tried it yet.

I broke one of those scissor jacks the very first time I parked the trailer in our yard last fall when we bought our trailer just by putting a little too much torque (ie. - weight) on it, so I don't really trust them to stabilize the trailer when camping.

Or any other time for that matter.

I still use the old portable jacks (the kind with the screw-up center column) from our old camper to stabilize and just use the scissor jacks to help.

And, I also bought a set of slide-out support jacks . . . those things really stop the rocking!

Let me see if I got this right.
1. First deploy the scissor jacks to stabilize (or help stabilize).
2. Second use old portable jacks with screw-up center column to stabilize.
3. Third deploy the set of slide-out support jacks.

I guess you have some serious stability there for when you "Rock Around the Clock". :)


I'm so old that by the time I finished that 3-point stability set-up program, I wouldn't have enough energy left to "Rock Around the Clock".
Maybe just enough reserve energy left to climb into bed and fall asleep.
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
Don,
Good advice. The cordless makes it a lot easier.
As another guy with a bad back, may I make a suggestion?
If you are able to, bend your knees and not your back. Trace
 

SailorDon

Well-known member
If you are able to, bend your knees and not your back. Trace
If only I could bend my left knee. It went out about 5 years ago and I'm afraid the doctors can't be trusted. (The second opinion doctor didn't agree with the first joint specialist and neither of them agreed with the MRI radiologist.)
So I live with a bad knee, but at least I can still ride my motorcycle.
I had to stop running marathons.

My definition of a marathon is getting up from the TV chair, limp over to the refrigerator for a beer, and then back to the TV chair and hope that I haven't missed the next play of the football game.:cool:
.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Let me see if I got this right.
1. First deploy the scissor jacks to stabilize (or help stabilize).
2. Second use old portable jacks with screw-up center column to stabilize.
3. Third deploy the set of slide-out support jacks.

I guess you have some serious stability there for when you "Rock Around the Clock". :)


I'm so old that by the time I finished that 3-point stability set-up program, I wouldn't have enough energy left to "Rock Around the Clock".
Maybe just enough reserve energy left to climb into bed and fall asleep.

Here are some shots of my jack setup . . . definately no more rockin'!

CamperJacks-IMG_0507.jpgCamperSlideOutJacks-IMG_0510.jpgCamperJacksGulch-IMG_1575.jpg
 
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