Posted 2007-11-20 4:02 PM (#71559) Subject: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 51
Location: DeWitt, AR
I'm looking for some kind of power tool I can use to make my electric jack work when my batteries are dead.
My husband moved the LQ trailer so we could hook it up to the electricity and charge up the batteries since we had it parked for sometime in a place we don't usually keep it. I don't quite understand all that happened and am not in the mood to ask him all the necessary questions, but from what I can tell he hooked the trailer up to the truck then brought it to where we hook it up to the electricity and then the batteries weren't charged enough and he couldn't unhook it from the truck using the electric jack. He needed the truck to get to work the next morning. He let it charge all night then went out this morning and all @#$%^&*^*%&$% broke loose and all I heard was we were selling the #&*%*#@ trailer and somehow it all became my fault, that is everything from skyrocketing fuel prices, the malfunctioning jack and the continuation of wars in the MIddle East. After he took the clunker truck to work, I went in the trailer checked the charge on the batteries and went out and pressed the "up" button and it took awhile but the trailer raised up off the ball just like it should . It did act if it was a bit hung up at first.
Without do much of a smug look on my face, I drove the truck in to help him inject turkeys for the hospital fundraiser.
He took everything out of the manger storage area to find the crank arm for the trailer jack only to find there's no way to hook it on. So since we can't use the crank arm, what can we use, power tool wise, that we could hook up to the generator or run off a battery pack to make the electric jack work or crank up the electric jack without electricity. Again, we see no way to put the hand crank on there in this type of a crisis situation.
Also, since this looks like a new responsibility for me, can you tell me how I should clean or oil this electric jack so maybe it doesn't stick as hubby claims it did this morning? Do I wash or grease the jack stand or oil any other riggings on it?
Posted 2007-11-20 7:41 PM (#71568 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
It could have stuck, It was probley a dead battery though. It takes a little amperage to get the motor to move. I am assuming that the batteries got enough charge to make the motor move after your hubby blew his fuse. If you can isolate the wires going to the control box for the jack(should be 2 wires) you could cut them, install a connector(male/female) then also make a connector for your battery pack and bingo you would then be able to use your battery pack to raise the jack. Then reconnect the jack to the LQ batteries after they have charged. I hope I didn't make that to confusing.
Posted 2007-11-20 9:51 PM (#71575 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303
Location: Grapeland, Texas
That happened to me one time. The crank arm wouldn't line up on mine either, gear box drops the connection down to far. I ended up using a screw driver stuck thru a hole and did it by hand with the screw driver, wasn't a lot of fun.
Posted 2007-11-21 10:52 AM (#71612 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 500
Location: West TN
I have gone out before and had the trailer batteries dead and no where close to a cord to plug it up. I was able to hook up the lights on my truck and leave it running and it powered the jack.
Posted 2007-11-21 10:29 PM (#71648 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: washington
I bought my first trailer with an electric jack a month ago. The first time I tried to use it the batteries were dead and I had to jack the trailer up with the hand crank. The hand crank fit on a bolt, barely visible on the outside and it was really really hard to crank (the motor turns with the hand crank - how in the world can you disengage the motor if you have to hand crank??) It took everything I had to get the flippin trailer on and then off my truck at the end of the day. I took the 2 12V deep cell batteries home and charged them so now I am good to go, but I think I will be super careful not to let the batteries get that low. I have the trailer plugged in the electric for the winter. I am hoping that helps keep the batteries charged?? I will be vigilent and hook up the charger again if I need to. I also need to read my manual very closely - haha Are hydrolic jacks better?
Posted 2007-11-21 10:39 PM (#71649 - in reply to #71648) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 64
Location: Paulding Ohio
My husband has set me up with 2 different things, a speed drill, battery, to use if they die, and a ratchet which was a pain, and dont know if it helped or hindered, a friend (I was at a show) "jumped " the batteries, enough to put it down on truck;
wendy
Posted 2007-11-22 7:36 AM (#71660 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 51
Location: DeWitt, AR
Thank you all, this is very, very helpful.
Now my other question was, are there parts on the jack or the jack motor that need to be kept cleaned or periodically oiled? Does the jack itself, the part that goes up and down, need to be oiled or kept free of dirt? Ours looks dirty.
As a stallion owner, I could explain the parts I am refering to in a more biological fashion but I realize this is a family and not a reproduction related website, so I hope I explained myself adequately.
Posted 2007-11-22 7:45 AM (#71661 - in reply to #71568) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 51
Location: DeWitt, AR
Originally written by HWBar on 2007-11-20 7:41 PM
It could have stuck, It was probley a dead battery though. It takes a little amperage to get the motor to move. I am assuming that the batteries got enough charge to make the motor move after your hubby blew his fuse. If you can isolate the wires going to the control box for the jack(should be 2 wires) you could cut them, install a connector(male/female) then also make a connector for your battery pack and bingo you would then be able to use your battery pack to raise the jack. Then reconnect the jack to the LQ batteries after they have charged. I hope I didn't make that to confusing.
Try that for the connector, $5 you will need 2 of them for the trailer and one for the battery pack.
Thanks, what kind of battery pack? Sadly, the only ones I am familiar with are the kind that run cordless drills, and I imagine this will take something more than that.
Posted 2007-11-22 9:50 AM (#71670 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Veteran
Posts: 247
Location: NW
Was the trailer not plugged in to the truck? Maybe my old one was set up differently, but even if my LQ batteries were low, if the trailer was plugged in to the truck, I could still raise the trailer off that battery.
Posted 2007-11-25 11:07 AM (#71783 - in reply to #71670) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 51
Location: DeWitt, AR
Originally written by AbbyB on 2007-11-22 9:50 AM
Was the trailer not plugged in to the truck? Maybe my old one was set up differently, but even if my LQ batteries were low, if the trailer was plugged in to the truck, I could still raise the trailer off that battery.
Good question, No when I went out to "fix the problem" the trailer was not plugged into the truck.
Posted 2007-11-25 10:21 PM (#71798 - in reply to #71559) Subject: RE: How to get an electric jack to work when batteries are dead?
Regular
Posts: 93
Location: Southern Indiana
HWBAR is right on target!!! I bought my jumper box, air pump, portable battery charger at the Bass Pro Shop for 70 dollars. It fits in any horse trailer and boat !!! Works like a charm!!! You can even plug a small radio into the darn thing!! Use it all the time to air up the tires on the manure spreader and tractor!!! Great investment