Troubleshooting Trailer Jack that Won't Raise With Just Battery Power

Question

Question:

My jack will not raise the trailer unless we are plugged into outside power. The battery is fine and all connections have been cleaned. The motor does work on the battery itself but not enough strength to lift. Help.

asked by: Larry

0

Expert Reply:

Its sounds like the battery has seen better days. Was it always like this or did this happen recently? A battery can sometimes have a high enough voltage to appear good but it doesn't have the amperage to power anything.

expert reply by: Jameson C

0

Larry

3/12/2025

New battery. All connections checked and cleaned. Same issue.

Jameson C.

3/12/2025

@Larry Does the motor try and work on just the battery? Or does it just not work at all? When it's plugged to outside power does it strain at all or does it work totally normal? If you have a vehicle nearby and a set of jumper cables I would try jumping it to the trailer battery and trying the jack again. This will for sure tell us if the problem is battery related in any way.

Larry

3/12/2025

@JamesonC the motor runs fine but very weak when just on battery. NEW BATTERY. Last thought is power cable from battery to jack?

Jameson C.

3/12/2025

@Larry Well it could be power wire from jack to the battery or even the ground wire. Is it at least 10 gauge wire? If not, I would try that as it sounds like the jack is just not able to get enough power. Does the power or ground wire get warm to the touch when it's in use?

See All (17) Replies to Larry ∨

Answer 1

For your electric jack, there are only three possible explanations for your jack not working with a charged battery. Either power is not getting to your motor, your motor is bad, or your ground connection isn't working properly. To test power,…

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Answer 2

Typically what people do to mount the propane tank covers like the part #CAM40542 is to use a bungee cord like #EM06755 to secure it below the tanks. The cover has two tabs on the bottom of it that allow for the hooks of the strap to be attached to…

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Answer 3

In order to ground the Stromberg Carlson Trailer Jack, #JET-2500, I recommend doing just as you said. I would run a wire like #10-1-1 from one of the mounting bolts to the negative terminal on the battery to ensure an adequate ground.

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Answer 4

Since the lights work on a different trailer then like you said the issue must be on the trailer. To determine the issue you will first want to check the trailers connector. If there is any dirt or corrosion you will need to clean it out on the pins…

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Answer 5

George, I suggest checking to make sure that the 12v pin on your 7-way is actually receiving 12v. The reason your jack is not working off shore power could be caused by a bad connection in your 7-way. This pin should be located at the 1 o'clock…

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Answer 6

The trailer battery does not need to be grounded if you are just using it to power a winch. If you were using the battery to power other items that were also ground to the trailer frame then you would need to ground the battery as well. That said, I…

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Answer 7

Hey Chris! The black wire on the etrailer Electric Trailer Jack #e23ZV is just a ground wire. Realistically you can ground it however you want but I would say running it to the frame with a self-tapping screw as indicated in the instructions is the…

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Answer 8

The Electric Jack with Footplate part #EJ-3520-BBX only has one wire which is for power. There is no ground wire as it uses the mounting plate for the ground. Therefore, in order for the jack to work properly you'll need it mounted to the frame…

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Answer 9

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 10

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 11

Hey Bryan, that's a good question. The pricing can definitely be misleading, but I wouldn't use it to judge the quality of the tire. A lot of that comes down to promotions, inventory, and whether you're looking at a tire by itself or…

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Answer 12

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Troubleshooting Trailer Jack that Won't Raise With Just Battery Power

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