# Electric Tongue Jack To Junction Box



## jefflinn (Nov 24, 2008)

I just purchased an Atwood 3500 electric tongue jack and bolted it down to the tongue (no problems there).

I am now trying to figure out how to hook it into the junction box so I can run it off the batteries, my truck or the electrical supply when we are hooked up at our favorite spot.

Anybody have a tutorial out there or pictures.

I think I just access the junction box and then pull the scotch lock off and connect the wire lead from the tongue jack into the black wire coming in to the junction box from the tow cable.

I took a couple pictures of the junction box.

Any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

I have my jack connected directly to the positive (+) post on my battery. That is how they were connected on my last 3 trailers.

--Greg


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

Connect directly to battery and utilize the fuse that came with it.


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

Mine is connected to the + of the 2nd battery (duel 6v). You may want to avoid hooking it up through the J box. The wire feeding the jack would need to be a larger wire (10 ga) than the one that came with the jack (12 ga). It would also prevent you from having other electrical issues down the line. James


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

My junction box is for the trailer lights and brakes, the battery wire runs beside it into the camper bypassing the box. I have my box straight to the positive on my bat.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Same as the other guys...I have mine connected to my battery.


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## outback loft (Sep 22, 2008)

Connect the electric jack right to the battery. That way if down the line(if you haven't done so already) you decide to put in a battery disconnect switch the jack will work all the time.


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

Actually, the more I look at your photo the more I think yours is the same as mine. You can see the black pigtail coming into the box and you can see the gray battery wire in the bottom left hand corner of your photo, the battery does not go through that box.


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## bigdisneydaddy (Oct 26, 2007)

The blue and the orange/black stripe wire that are in your box (on the right side of the pic) need to be rerouted so that they do not pass through an unshielded hole as they enter the box. If they are left the way they are, they will eventually chafe the insulation and short out. I would suggest a small rubber grommet for each hole (or combine them into one hole) and then dab a little silicone over the hole to protect it from moisture. Radio shack will have the grommets.

Scott


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Hi jefflinn









I see this is your first post, so Welcome to Outbackers! 

Like most here, we have our Atwood jack connected directly to the battery. As long as the battery is charged, your jack will work any place, any time









Well...unless you disconnect the battery and forgot that you did and then wonder why the tongue jack doesn't work...
not sure how I know this...


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Dub said:


> Actually, the more I look at your photo the more I think yours is the same as mine. You can see the black pigtail coming into the box and you can see the gray battery wire in the bottom left hand corner of your photo, the battery does not go through that box.


The truck 12 vdc is routed through the box to the DC distribution panel which is in turn connected to the battery. So in a round about way it is connected to the battery in that box. The only issue with trying to use any of those connections is the length of the run and voltage drop to the trailer tongue jack.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

bigdisneydaddy said:


> The blue and the orange/black stripe wire that are in your box (on the right side of the pic) need to be rerouted so that they do not pass through an unshielded hole as they enter the box. If they are left the way they are, they will eventually chafe the insulation and short out. I would suggest a small rubber grommet for each hole (or combine them into one hole) and then dab a little silicone over the hole to protect it from moisture. Radio shack will have the grommets.
> 
> Scott


Those wires are done that way on most trailers. Not sure why they do not put grommets on them from the factory. Those two wires go to the emergency break away switch.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

As many have mentioned you want to go directly to the battery or to the 50 amp auto reset breaker right next to the battery, use the supplied inline fuse. You want to keep the wire as short as possible to minimize voltage drop.


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## psychodad (Dec 9, 2008)

I was wondering, in the case of no battery life or shore power is there a way to manually use power jack?


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

psychodad said:


> I was wondering, in the case of no battery life or shore power is there a way to manually use power jack?


I cannot speak on behalf of the Atwood, but my Barker Ultra Jack has a cap that is a level and can be removed for Manually Cranking.

Like others i am connected to the Battery, i disconnect the fuse to avoid kids or people messing with it when it is not in use. When connecting make sure you scuff the paint at your lock washer contact to the trailer to ensure "Ground".

And Welcome to Outbackers.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

clarkely said:


> I was wondering, in the case of no battery life or shore power is there a way to manually use power jack?


I cannot speak on behalf of the Atwood, but my Barker Ultra Jack has a cap that is a level and can be removed for Manually Cranking.

Like others i am connected to the Battery, i disconnect the fuse to avoid kids or people messing with it when it is not in use. When connecting make sure you scuff the paint at your lock washer contact to the trailer to ensure "Ground".

And Welcome to Outbackers.
[/quote]
x2, my UF had a manual crank access on top.

As for those boxes, on the front, I highly recommend replacing them with some outdoor rated (read: sealed) boxes. Otherwise corrosion will happen and electrical gremlins will come.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Mine is connected to the battery, through my battery disconnect switch. When the trailer is parked in storage, I disconnect the battery with a key-switch anmd that kills the tongue jack, also. Nobody can play with it that way, or leave the little light on and run down the battery. (I'd never notice that light in the daytime - which is when I usually take the trailer back to storage.)

Mike


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