Trailer Scissor Jacks Lower On Their Own

Published 11/17/2022

Question:

This is my 2019 travel trailer. In 3 years I have only used my trailer a handful times. This issue started with one and now 3 have the same problem. The jacks wont stay up. They slowly rotate loose even on minimum pressure. These hacks are original with the trailer They are 5000 lbs. and trailer is 5,200 lbs empty. Do I need stronger jacks? Any idea why this is happening? Any advise? Thank you!

asked by: Armando G

Expert Reply:

The most likely cause of the scissor jacks extending on their own can be attributed to a stripped or worn jack nut. The jack nut is simply the nut attached to the pivot which the long threaded rods screw in and out of to raise or lower the jack. This can fail for a few different reasons, one being overextending the jack. These jacks are designed to stabilize the trailer, not lift it which would put too much pressure on the jack and cause it to strip. That's not to stay this is your exact cause or that you did anything wrong but it's a possible scenario.

Nonetheless, the jacks will need to be replaced as there aren't any repair parts for this. I recommend the Ultra-Fab Ultra Scissor Jacks part # UF48-979031 as they have a higher rating than most other jacks at 6,500 lbs compared to 5,000 lbs and they have a jack nut in each pivot whereas most others only have one so that will make operation faster, smoother, and reduce the chance of accidental damage.

expert reply by: Conner L