# Fifth Wheel Landing Gear Power Switch



## OB--One (Aug 1, 2007)

Here is a mode that I did after seeing a camper with the landing gear fully retracted and the camper appearing to do a nose dive, while the owners were away from their camp.










This is a very easy mod: 
1. purchase an automotive grade 10 amp two position toggle switch. I used the one that has the on and off indicated. 
2. disconnect the battery
3. find the heavy red wire that connects to the landing gear motor and cut it. There should be enough wire so that you will not have to add any. However, if you do add a new wire from the condenser, as it is not recommended that you spice the 10 g wire.
4. drill hole in one of the cross member supports (non support structure). The best position is light angle iron the is wielded to the vertical tube frame on the right side of the front storage area.
5. connect the two ends of the wire you cut to the two connectors on the toggle switch (does not matter which side)
6. place the toggle switch up through the hole you drilled and tighten the supplied fastener.

Now when you leave your camper no one can operate your landing gear because the control switch is locked behind your storage hatch.

The only thing I would do different if I do it again, I would purchase a lighted toggle switch.


----------



## RLW7302 (Feb 27, 2005)

That's a great mod, OB--One!









We Padawan Learners can learn much from you


----------



## jgheesling (Sep 28, 2004)

Be careful with the 10 amp switch the motor is rated to pull up to 30 amps.


----------



## pjb2cool (Apr 8, 2004)

Great suggestion...I like the helpful pictures too


----------



## emsley3 (Feb 27, 2007)

Great mod OB--One.

I had been thinking about doing the exact same thing with the power tongue jack. I know how some people can get at the races and would hate to have someone mess with it at 4:00am.

Anyways, thanks for the pic and instructions, I now know exactly how to do this and know it will work.

Thanks,
Paul


----------



## ron4jon (Sep 26, 2005)

That's what I did too when I first bought our 5er. However, later I bought a battery disconnect switch from Harbor Freight rated at 100 amps and mounted it in the "wall" between the front storage compartment above the battery and the LP gas compartment with the lever pointed to the LP tanks. Actually it's behind the left LP tank behind the valve assembly. This switch has a removable lever that I take with me when I store the 5er. I initially installed this switch because I wanted all 12 v circuits shut down so that there will be no battery drain during storage. As a bonus, it secures the 5er from thief. I have heard of 5er being stolen from public storage lots. My neighborhood has restrictions on camper and boat storage even in the back yard. This is the type of rented storage that I have to use and even though it has a gate with key code lock and self open/close motor, "things get stolen" even from these places. I also use a pin lock.

I also have a bass boat that I store at the same place and I installed battery disconnect switches on it also because of leak currents runs the batteries down over time.


----------

