# Tongue Jack Failure (Crash)



## deepvee16 (Jan 27, 2014)

We went to hook up the other day and needed to raise the trailer about 2" to clear the hitch ball. I pressed the extend button, the trailer started to raise, then seemed to sound a bit labored. All of a sudden, BANG! Something inside of the jack broke and the whole front of the trailer came crashing down. Probably fell about 12"-14" inches I suppose. It was loud and certainly attracted an audience at the RV park. A bottle jack and some wood blocks got us hooked up and on the road. 
Fortunately no one was hurt, and there doesn't appear to be any real damage. I have no idea what failed inside the Stromberg-Carlson Model 181794, but one thing's for sure, I won't own another of this brand or model. 
Lesson learned; don't trust these things...


----------



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Sorry to hear about that...good thing everyone was ok.

I had Atwood 3500 power jacks on both of my Outbacks...never had any issues. Not the cheapest...but something are worth the extra price.


----------



## Leedek (Nov 28, 2010)

Catastrophic failure of the tongue jack can happen with any jack. The Husky Brute on mine failed but I was lucky in that it failed while the TV was connected. In any case, we all should take note here:
*
*
*WHEN USING THE ELECTRIC TONGUE JACK BE SURE THAT ALL PEOPLE AND PETS ARE CLEAR. KEEP YOUR FEET FROM UNDER THE TONGUE.*
*
*
I shudder to think of my wife having to call 911 while I'm pinned to the ground by the tongue of my trailer. Glad you were not injured.


----------



## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

I've had manual jacks fail also. The gears inside them sometimes break or get stripped.


----------



## deepvee16 (Jan 27, 2014)

I replaced with the "Husky" brand. Perhaps the roller bearing design will be more durable. It came with (2) wireless remote controls. Isn't that wonderful? Can't imagine ever needing them. This jack is advertised to be faster than the old one, not so that I can tell. It sounds a lot less labored than the old one, but no quieter. 
Now for peace of mind (and being a little gun shy), I extend the front stabilizers while the trailer is stored.


----------



## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Knock on wood, I haven't had any issues at all with my Husky Brute. At first, I thought that the remote control feature was kind of hokey. But I have grown fond of being able to stand at the side of my camper (away from the possible collapse zone), looking at my bubble level and knowing exactly when to stop. My reason for picking the unit that I did is that it was the heaviest duty one that I could find at the time.


----------



## Mack95 (May 25, 2015)

Mine hasn't crashed but the motor is gone. I have a 2014 323bh. The jack is 3000lbs. I want to get a replacement with more lift and looking for recommendations. Thanks.


----------

