How to Install a Power Tongue Jack for Your RV

All travel trailers have some type of tongue jack to crank the trailer up and down for attaching to the tow vehicle, and also for leveling the trailer. Commonly, this is simply a manual jack that must be hand-cranked. You can upgrade your RV by replacing the manual jack with an electric one. This can help tremendously when connecting up your weight distributing hitch or when leveling your RV, taking out the physical exertion required.

Here are the steps for this simple upgrade.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jack or safety stands
• Wheel chocks
• Power tongue jack
• Simple hand tools: wrenches, sockets, etc.
• Electrical ring terminal
• Heat shrink tubing

1. 
    
   Lowering the tongue

   Place the jack stands under the tongue on each frame rail of the trailer, then crank the tongue of the trailer down until it is supported on the stands.

2. 
    
   Removing the manual tongue jack

   Remove the three bolts that hold the old tongue jack in place, and carefully lift the old jack out of the tongue.

3. 
    
   Installing the electric jack

   Install the new electrically controlled tongue jack, orienting it in the same manner as the old jack. Secure the new jack with the three new bolts and nuts.

4. 
    
   Heat shrink tubing on power wire

   Next, you'll need to wire the new jack to the battery. Remove the battery cover so that you can access the terminals. Following the manufacturer's instructions, connect and route the wiring for the jack. Before connecting the power wire, slide on some heat-shrink tubing at the end of the wire. Use a crimp-style ring terminal to connect to the end of the power wire. Slide the heat-shrink tubing over the base of the crimp connector. Use a hair dryer on high heat to shrink the tubing, providing a weatherproof seal.

5. 
    
   Connecting the electric jack to the battery

   Now connect the wire to the positive terminal of the battery. The jack is grounded to the frame by virtue of the metal to metal contact between the tongue of the RV and the jack itself.
   
   The jack wiring has an inline fuse as a safety feature. In the event of an electrical malfunction, the fuse would blow before damage to the system could occur.

6. 
    
   Operating the electric jack

   With the new jack secured in place, and the wiring properly connected, you can check the operation of the new jack with the control switch.
   
   That's it. Don't forget to replace the battery cover!

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have jack stands to set the trailer tongue on, you can hook up your RV to your tow vehicle as an alternative way to support the tongue.
• To ensure that the RV does not roll during the tongue jack installation, chock the front and back of the wheels of the RV.
• As a standard safety precaution, always disconnect the RV's negative battery cable before you begin work on any of the RV's electrical or mechanical components.

Resources

• RV Mods and How-to's