# Electric Tongue Jack Advice



## booze123 (Jun 29, 2010)

Some of the Electric Tongue Jacks I've seen come in different weight ratings. 
ie: 1500#, 2500#, 3500#
If installed on a 250rs, tongue weight loaded ~800# would I be OK with the 1500# rating??


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

booze123 said:


> Some of the Electric Tongue Jacks I've seen come in different weight ratings.
> ie: 1500#, 2500#, 3500#
> If installed on a 250rs, tongue weight loaded ~800# would I be OK with the 1500# rating??


If you're going to raise the rear of the tow vehicle to help with hooking up the WD hitch, you'll want a lot more than that. I have a 3500#, and it groans when it picks up the back of my 5500 lb TV. I wouldn't want any less.

Doug


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## Bob in Virginia (Jul 15, 2010)

Just picked my 301BQ up last week, it has a 3000 lb power lift, wouldn't want anything smaller.


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## RIOutbacker (Jun 5, 2009)

booze123 said:


> Some of the Electric Tongue Jacks I've seen come in different weight ratings.
> ie: 1500#, 2500#, 3500#
> If installed on a 250rs, tongue weight loaded ~800# would I be OK with the 1500# rating??


I have a 3500lbs. jack on my 25RSS OB and it works great. Has no problem lifting the camper and truck to help putting on the bars. I purchased mine on ebay. It's a Ultra Fab 3502 3500# Refurbished with a one year warranty for $120 shipped. I rather have more power then needed then having a jack that is too weak. Hope this info helps.


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

I have an Atwood 3500 on our 26rs and wouldn't trade it for anything. I don't use it to raise the TV for the wd bars but have figured out if the hitch is over the ball, I can attach the wd bars with little to no effort and then drop the trailer on the ball. Now getting the bars off is a little different, but only if the trailer is uphill from the TV causing more tension on the bars. But normally I level the trailer, unlock the hitch pin and start lifting the trailer, once the hitch is on top of the ball I can undo the wd bars by hand (not always, if your picky finger can't undo the bars use the rod, there can be ALOT of tension and things/fingers hands will break) I use a Reese HP dual Cam setup and am very happy with the WD and Sway it provides.

You say 800lbs tongue weight, 2500lbs is more then plenty if you "don't" lift the TV when you hitch up.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I have a 3,000 lb Barker VIP on the 21RS. Have never had a complaint about it.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

More lifting capacity is better.

The key is not only the tongue weight--it is that to install the WD hitch bars, you will want to lift up the ball/socket (and thus the TV and TT) a few inches so the WD bars can be installed (jacked) into position. Unlifted, I need a 24" pipe to get the leverage to jack the bars up, and the strength required is significant. DW cannot do it, but when we lift the whole assembly with the electric jack, she can do it easily.

The difference in cost between a 1500# jack and a 3000# - 3500# lift jack is trivial. eBay and others will have rebuilt ones, and mine is a rebuilt Ultra-Fab that I did NOT buy from Ultra-Fab.

It died (switch problem) after 3 weeks. I called the factory and they shipped me a replacement immediately, no questions asked. They even paid for the return shipping for the dead one!

That's Service with a capital S!

(and no, I do not work for them or have any connection with the RV industry other than as a TT owner.)

I recommend the 3000# to 3500# capacity jack.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

booze123 said:


> Some of the Electric Tongue Jacks I've seen come in different weight ratings.
> ie: 1500#, 2500#, 3500#
> If installed on a 250rs, tongue weight loaded ~800# would I be OK with the 1500# rating??


We have a 250RS and have a Barker VIP 3500 and its perfect....


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I have a tounge weight scale that I bought when we downsized TT's. Well for the fun of it, I put it under the jack and monitored the weight in measured during hitching up. Starting tounge weight was ~425 lbs and it went up to ~800 lbs when I had it raised up enough to just slide the equalizer bars onto the brackets. I need to camp near an OB'er and bring the scale so I can see what weight it goes up to on a big trailer with a truck hitched, however, I would say you want at least double what your loaded tounge weight is so any OB'er needs at least a 2k with the bigger ones at least a 3k. Of course why not just get the 3500 and have some safety margin too?


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

most 3500 lb jacks use a ball screw mechanism. Most <3500 lbs use an acme thread. The ball screw has way less friction and less strain on the motor than an acme thread, especially when it comes to lifting the trailer to snap up the WD bars. Atwood says not to use anything less than the 3500 lb jack if you have a WD hitch.


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## booze123 (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks, great advice. I'll look for one on EBAY, or just buy new. thanks again.


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