Acceptable Methods of Providing Power to Trailer Jack Mounted on Horse Trailer

Updated 05/29/2013 | Published 05/23/2013

Products Featured in This Question

Stromberg Carlson Electric Trailer Jack - Drop Leg - A-Frame - 23" Lift - 5,000 lbs - Black

(893)

$357.85

CTEK MULTI US 7002 12-Volt Universal Battery Charger w/ Pulse Maintenance and Backup Power

(98)

$199.99

Question:

We will be installing this jack on a horse trailer with electric brakes and full light and brake connections. Can we wire this jack to be powered through the plug into our truck and if so How do we do that? or If that cant be done, how do we get power to it? Do we need to get some other device or part? We just received this jack to day and need to get it installed correctly so it will run correctly. We need to detach the trailer from the truck. We broke the other jack so we need this one installed asap. I know that it can be used manually but we want to be able to use it powered asap. We have CM THREE HORSE SLANT LOAD Trailer. We hook it up to a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 heavy duty truck.

asked by: Peggy S

Expert Reply:

You can either power the jack through the accessory circuit on the 7-way or via an auxiliary battery installed on the trailer.

If you decide to power the jack through the accessory circuit, it is advisable to use a jack whose capacity exceeds the tongue weight of your fully loaded horse trailer. If the jack is working very hard to lift the trailer, the wire that carries the accessory circuit can overheat. To provide plenty of wiggle room, I would say that if the capacity of the jack exceeds the actual fully loaded tongue weight of the trailer by 50 percent, installing the jack using the accessory circuit would be acceptable. The # JET-5000 Stromberg Carlson has a 5000 lb lift capacity, so It'll have plenty of capacity. I have linked you to an FAQ article that discusses exactly how to determine your trailer tongue weight.

If the tongue weight of the trailer is greater than 50 percent of the jack capacity, you would be better served by installing an auxiliary 12-volt battery on the trailer. The accessory circuit from the 7-way can be connected to the positive terminal of the auxiliary battery in order to help maintain the battery. Keep in mind that the circuit is not capable of charging a fully depleted battery. If the battery is fully depleted, you can charge the battery using shore power and a battery charger like part # CTEK56353.

expert reply by: Mike L