How to Use a Drill to Operate a Camper Jack
When you tow your camper, its suspension must be able to soak up bumps to avoid damaging the camper’s structure, so its axles are suspended on springs, much like your tow vehicle. When your camper is parked, it is desirable to be able to step up into the camper and walk across the floor without bouncing on the springs. This is where your camper’s stabilizing jacks come into play. They usually crank down manually, but if you have a drill, you can raise or lower your camper jacks with little effort.
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Things You'll Need
- Camper jack drill adaptor (available at camper supply stores)
- Electric or cordless drill
Instructions
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Loosen the chuck on your cordless or electric drill by turning the collar in a counterclockwise direction. Insert the small end of a camper jack drill adaptor into the drill chuck. Tighten the collar in a clockwise direction.
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Place the end of the camper jack adaptor over the end of the hex bolt on the camper jack. (Most campers have four jacks, one at each corner of the vehicle.)
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Switch the drill’s rotational direction to reverse if you are lowering a jack, or forward if you are raising a jack.
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Press the drill’s trigger slightly until the jack starts to move, then fully depress the trigger until the jack pad is touching the ground or the jack has been fully retracted, depending on what action you are trying to accomplish. Do not continue to depress the trigger once the jack has stopped, or you could burn up the drill’s motor.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are using a cordless drill for this procedure, make sure it if fully charged before beginning. A partially charged drill may not have enough power to fully retract or lower four camper jacks.
If your drill is not able to get the jack moving, you may need to loosen the jack slightly by hand with the jack’s hand crank. Once the jack is loose, continue with your drill. If the drill seems sluggish or the jack raises or lowers slowly, spray some lithium grease lubricant onto the jack screw so that it will operate smoothly.
