PoppynDinks
Vacaville California
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When the trailer is hitched to the truck I can't open the tailgate. It's a minor inconvenience but it would be nice. I'd need to add a 6" or 7" extension to clear the electric tongue jack. Does anyone know how much this would add to my tongue weight? Also would I need to readjust my the weight distribution hitch?
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Huntindog
phoenix arizona USA
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What you need is an extended drawbar. They are available in lengths up to 18". Sit down when you hear the prices.
You may need to make some adjustments to the WD. Depends on the angle that the drawbar is to the ground as it may make the ball height lower or higher. Also you may need to fine tune the amount of pressure on the WD bars. On my old truck the longer bar made the ride stiffer and choppier. On the new truck, I don't notice it. Depends on the suspension I guess.
But it does it's job well and is worth it if you need the clearance.
We had a long debate here a while back about the effects on the reciever and the consensus was that it made no difference in the reciever rating.
I'm betting that you have a side motor on the jack like a Barker or Ultra Fab. If so, then you can rotate the jack to move the motor to the side. Of course then the light will shine in the wrong direction, but it's a free fix. Or you could get a top motor mounted jack like an atwood. The are several advantages to this, but I'll leave that for another day as I'm not 100% sure that is your clearance problem.
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ShadySkins
Douglassville, PA
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Step 1. Loosen the screws on the head of jack
Step 2. Sip Beer
Step 3. Rotate Jack head 90 degrees
Step 4. Sip Beer
Step 5. Tighten screws
Step 6. Sip Beer
Step 7. Open tailgate for a big win
Step 8. Celebrate a job well done with beer
** note - this works if you already have a long bar - like on the Reese Dual Cam
From the Barker manual:
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If it is necessary to change the position of the powerhead relative to the post and flange (in order to provide clearance between powerhead and LP gas bottle or LP gas cover, or more clearance between the lift gate and the powerhead) loosen set screws and rotate head without lifting off coupling. Retighten set screws when head is in desired position
* This post was
edited 06/07/11 06:55pm by ShadySkins *
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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You certainly COULD be asking for trouble depending on the tongue weight of your trailer AND the tongue capacity of the new stinger. Even if you have a light tongue weight and find an adequate capacity stinger you will still pay a price in ride comfort with the extended stinger. Your WD system will work entirely differently also since it won't have the same leverage on the trailer if you move the attachment forward on the tongue. Seems like a number of potential problems for a minor improvement.
Good luck / Skip
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PoppynDinks
Vacaville California
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Thanks for the help, I think I'll try to rotate the Jack. I found this on etrailer. I don't think I want to reduce the capacity of my hitch by 50%
Specs:
•Designed for 2" x 2" trailer hitches
•Measures 7-1/2" from center to center of hitch pin holes
•Measures 11-5/8" long (overall)
?Measures 2-1/2" from end of shank (that slides into hitch on vehicle) to center of hitch pin hole
?Measures 2-1/8" from center of hitch pin hole to the 2" x 2" opening (for accessory)
•Has weight capacity that is the lowest of the following
?50% of the hitch's overall weight capacity
?Load rating GTW 3,500 lbs; Tongue 350 lbs
?Load rating with weight distribution equipment GTW 7000 lbs; Tongue 700 lbs
Please Note: Using a hitch extender will reduce your hitch's overall capacity by 50%.
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BobsYourUncle
Surrey, BC Canada
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I was in a hitch shop a couple years ago looking to replace my OEM GM hitch when I saw a truck with camper towing a cargo trailer pull in across the road and park.
I glanced and looked away but something didn't look right so I looked back. I stared for a moment until I realized they had a hitch extension to put the trailer a decent distance away from the TC.
Closer examination revealed that the tongue of the trailer was nearly dragging on the ground and the back of the hitch was bent down on a crazy angle. When I checked it out I was wide-eyed at seeing the OEM truck hitch horribly twisted and torn part way off the truck.
They had a fairly long extension, at least a foot.
The further you go back, the more torque you apply to the mounting point of the hitch.
When the people came into the store, it turns out they were one of my solarium customers so I asked him about his setup. He told me they hit a good sized dip in the road and thats when the hitch let go.
The guy at the hitch shop spouted some statistics and numbers about how you increase so much weight for every inch of extension.
Just be careful how you do it.
I have a hitch extension on one of my trailers, my mobile showroom for my business. It's only 6 inches but without it I would hit my truck tool boxes to the trailer by turning a tight forward circle. I am rather leery of it and I am also very careful, but the trailer is only a few hundred pounds tongue weight.
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ROBERTSUNRUS
Lakewood, Ca.
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PoppynDinks wrote:When the trailer is hitched to the truck I can't open the tailgate. It's a minor inconvenience but it would be nice. I'd need to add a 6" or 7" extension to clear the electric tongue jack. Does anyone know how much this would add to my tongue weight? Also would I need to readjust my the weight distribution hitch?
 Hi, if you buy one of those $3,000.00 hitches, your tailgate will open. My Navigator liftgate won't open, but the rear window will and that's enough most of the time. I just live with it.
Bob
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H & E
North Texas
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I have an Atwood 3500 electric jack that lets the tail gate open. Motor is on top. I sold the Ultra - Fab that would not let the tail gate open. Also if I remember corectly the hand crank would not operate because the gas bottles were in the way. Turning the jack did not work for me.
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Beverley&Ken
Tottenham,Ontario
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Any hitch extension that I have seen have been labeled that they REDUCE the hitch capacity by 50% and one said not to use with weight distributing systems. IMHO your choice would be to move the jack or the cheapest of all, live with the minor inconvience.
Beverley and Ken
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eric james
Sioux Falls, SD
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Turning the head on my electic jack took care of my clearance problem
If the head doesn't solve the problem, a deep shank would be stronger than an extension.
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