Posted 2006-10-22 7:31 PM (#50418 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
I'm no help, but does that connect to the crank that is already on the jack? If I could find something simple to install I may be able to talk my husband into it.
Posted 2006-10-22 7:40 PM (#50419 - in reply to #50418) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2689
Originally written by Terri on 2006-10-22 7:31 PM
I'm no help, but does that connect to the crank that is already on the jack? If I could find something simple to install I may be able to talk my husband into it.
SImple to install ? Yes, I think so.
Remove existing crank, 2 bolts.
Clamp it around the input shaft boss, hook up the coupler, do the electrical - check it out. If it blows fuses - I suspect that it might, do the wiring right for 50 or 100 amps (I don't yet know which).
I measured the Bulldog gearbox and crank on my trailer, it appears that it would fit, i.e. the 4 7/8 measurement is right. I'll probably call them this week, then decide if it actually WILL fit on my trailer (-:
Posted 2006-10-23 4:19 PM (#50483 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 10
Location: iowa park tx
Reg, are you going to run the motor off the existing plug off the truck or are you running a separate battery on the trailer for the electric jack. I am interested as well in putting on my Chapparral stock trailer - it takes a lot of arm swinging to pick it up or lower it.
Posted 2006-10-23 4:29 PM (#50486 - in reply to #50483) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Originally written by ntxkboy on 2006-10-23 4:19 PM
Reg, are you going to run the motor off the existing plug off the truck or are you running a separate battery on the trailer for the electric jack. I am interested as well in putting on my Chapparral stock trailer - it takes a lot of arm swinging to pick it up or lower it.
Rick
I have a voice mail question into them right now to find out what sort of current it draws. I do have batteries on the trailer and if I do this I'll probably use those. I'm guessing over 30 amps (1/2 horse power ?).
I'll post again when I have their answer.
I know, I need the excercise anyway - and I'm cheap - Hmmmm, conflicted on all sides - I'm also lazy - and I park tight up against a prickly hedge on that side - and when it has snow in the hedge - and on and on and on....
Posted 2006-10-23 8:08 PM (#50503 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
Location: KY
Reg Thanks for the site. I need to call them to see if the single speed will fit my trailer. The only other one I found was over $600; so 399 looks good.
Posted 2006-10-23 8:46 PM (#50505 - in reply to #50503) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2689
Originally written by rose on 2006-10-23 8:08 PM
Reg Thanks for the site. I need to call them to see if the single speed will fit my trailer. The only other one I found was over $600; so 399 looks good.
Y'Welcome.
If you go up a level from the pointer that I gave, this page; http://store.towshop.com/store/products.asp?Category_ID=84
shows two of them. I had selected the 2nd one as it is for the 2 speed gearbox that I have and(I think) is used by several jack builders (Not to be confused with "Jack Builders", hmmm... nevermind).
Anyway, this; http://store.towshop.com/store/more_info.asp?Product_ID=725&Categor...
seems to be the one for single speed jacks, though I think I'd add about a foot or so of alumin angle to brace the goose wall against flexing.
This one looks as if it is sufficiently adjustable that it would fit just about anything and at a guess you could even put your old crank handle back on in an emergency, the shaft seems to go straight through.
Posted 2006-10-24 8:33 PM (#50554 - in reply to #50548) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Originally written by rose on 2006-10-24 7:31 PM
Reg: You are verrrrrry baaaaaad. Really, I'm serious, electric brake controller, what brand?
I'm using Tekonsha.
I'm not THAT happy with it, it is the model below the Prodigy, which I was told to avoid because I have electric over hydraulic brakes on the goosie.
As I understand it the hydraulic pumps have problems with the prodigy's frequent continuity checks - sort of a buzz on/off pulsing, motors don't like that sort of thing.
There's also some automatic compensation "feature" for electric brakes as they warm up. Without electric brakes I have to constantly fiddle with it to adjust out what it does as it "assumes" that my electric brakes get warm.
The Durango has a different controller, also Tekonsha but with a digital read out. I keep meaning to switch it for the one in the truck so that I can easily go back to repeatable settings on the truck. The Durango only tows the 2 BP horse trailer, so I don't have to re-adjust between the head to head gooseneck and the 2 horse BP.
I might rip the guts out of one some day and build my own;
Hmmm,,, bias, gain, temperature compensation, strain guage, pressure transducers ?
What else ?
I would want a braking force that is some function of how hard the trailer is pushing on the truck, ala "surge brakes", hence the strain guage input.
Posted 2006-10-25 1:42 PM (#50606 - in reply to #50554) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Originally written by Reg on 2006-10-24 8:33 PM
Originally written by rose on 2006-10-24 7:31 PM Reg: You are verrrrrry baaaaaad. Really, I'm serious, electric brake controller, what brand?
I'm using Tekonsha. I'm not THAT happy with it, it is the model below the Prodigy, which I was told to avoid because I have electric over hydraulic brakes on the goosie. As I understand it the hydraulic pumps have problems with the prodigy's frequent continuity checks - sort of a buzz on/off pulsing, motors don't like that sort of thing. There's also some automatic compensation "feature" for electric brakes as they warm up. Without electric brakes I have to constantly fiddle with it to adjust out what it does as it "assumes" that my electric brakes get warm. The Durango has a different controller, also Tekonsha but with a digital read out. I keep meaning to switch it for the one in the truck so that I can easily go back to repeatable settings on the truck. The Durango only tows the 2 BP horse trailer, so I don't have to re-adjust between the head to head gooseneck and the 2 horse BP. I might rip the guts out of one some day and build my own; Hmmm,,, bias, gain, temperature compensation, strain guage, pressure transducers ? What else ? I would want a braking force that is some function of how hard the trailer is pushing on the truck, ala "surge brakes", hence the strain guage input.
I think Reg is an Engineer, not the kind that drives the train.
Posted 2006-10-27 8:42 AM (#50714 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2689
The tow shop called me back EVEN_2_ALLY...
They said that the current draw depends on the load
(like, Duhh - without a fairly hefty load there is no reason for this thang).
3 or 4 amps coming down, 27 to 28 amps going up - - somehow I don't think this would be the stall current, but the guy seemed to be reading from the manufacturer's literature.
Anyway, they suggest/recommend a 30 amp auto-resetting circuit breaker from a trailer mounted battery.
I think my Aux +12 is good for 30 or 35, but I havn't checked.
I have 3 big deep cycle batteries in a truck underbody box that I mounted under the gooseneck. It is lockable and in there I have a (relocated from the tack room) switch for the air-ride as well as a couple of switches for heaters that I made up to warm the compressor's intake air. This is off topic, maybe I'll write up my experiences with air ride frosting separately (-:
(If I do this) I'll probably wire it into the lockable box.
A slight additional theft deterrant, more importantly to keep curious little fingers from playing with it. The "attractve nuisance" liability issue at shows, home, wherever.
"Lookit, see the truck's rear end is right off the ground and there's smoke coming out of the jack motor."
Posted 2007-01-08 11:18 AM (#53512 - in reply to #50714) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 167 Location: Monroe, WA
Originally written by Reg on 2006-10-27 8:42 AM
The tow shop called me back EVEN_2_ALLY...(If I do this)
SOOOOOO..... Reg, did you do the e-jack thing??? How did it work out for you if you did?
Now that hubby and I are looking at a big ol' 5-horse Trail-et GN with dual landing gear..... I "think" they are the Bulldog jacks, and even with nothing in the trailer it takes some armstrong to crank that baby upward (OOOF).
Posted 2007-01-08 12:17 PM (#53516 - in reply to #53512) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Nope, I'm still getting the BENEFICIAL exercise.
I guess the most attractive thing about this particular solution is that it can easily be moved from trailer to trailer, assuming I trade it in.... awww 20 or so years.
Posted 2007-01-10 10:06 PM (#53683 - in reply to #53512) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2614
halfpint23,we had an Ejack put on a big LQ trailer.When we traded trailers,this one had a hydraulic jack.For not much more $ we could have had a Hjack put on the first one.We loved the difference.Our Ejack was already making a strange sound when we traded the trailer.And the difference in the speed of the thing is unreal.
Certainly not as high tech as some answers on here (!),but to the point ,plain and simple.
Posted 2007-01-11 10:14 PM (#53749 - in reply to #53695) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2614
Having had both kinds,e + h,I can say the same.Hydraulic was so much faster,and really smoother too.I think our trailer was too much for that electric jack that the dealer put on there.(Lunde.) But maybe they are load rated too,don't know.
Posted 2007-02-12 8:15 PM (#55454 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
Location: KY
Bringing this thread back up; want to know if anyone has used the Magnum Lift add on electric.... Have just gotten the add on from Barker, but haven't gotten it on the trailer yet....
Any comments from anyone who has installed one of these add ons, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Rose
Posted 2007-02-12 9:46 PM (#55460 - in reply to #55454) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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Posts: 2689
Maybe when I'm 70, or 80, I'll see how things go.
Until then - as long as I'm fit enough to ride, shovel stuff, hump hay bales, whatever else, I can probably use a manual crank.
IOW I think this gadget is a damned waste of good money.
Posted 2007-02-12 10:23 PM (#55464 - in reply to #50413) Subject: RE: Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
Location: KY
As a female person of a certain age, I simply cannot crank the lq, even tho I can the gn stock trailer; and clean stalls; and shuffle hay and feed; I do have trouble putting my 30+# saddle on my 15 hand horse; I am vertically challenged too!
All comments are welcomed tho! Thanks Rose
Electric conversion for manual Gooseneck trailer jacks.
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