Boat Trailer Jack as Support

[JZammetti]

Question for you non slipped guys who keep your boats on trailers, when you unhook your tow vehicle do you just rely on the trailer jack to keep the nose propped up? I've always have and was wondering if maybe I ned to block up the tongue with another support system. What do you fellow trailer boaters do?

 

[convergent]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

I was just thinking about the same thing. My last boat wasn't that heavy so I just used the jack, but this one looks like its a lot of weight to be sitting on that jack all the time.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

The jack is usually on one side or the other, tends to twist/torque the tongue on my trailer a bit if I just keep it on the jack for long periods of time. I lower the tongue onto a piece of 2X8. I keep the jack wheel just touching the ground in case the kids hit it...it wont fall and squish them. I use the board because I got sick of moving around the concrete block. My boat stays in the garage so I don't have to worry about water, I lower the jack as far as it will go to lessen the chances of it being tipped backwards or sideways when the kids are fooling around.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

If the jack can't safely support the trailer it needs replaced with a bigger one... If the tongue twists noticably from the jack being mounted on the side then the trailer needs replaced with a heavier one.... It is ok to block the tongue but should NOT be needed. My 5,500 lb carver and my 10,000 lb wellcraft set on their jacks and are rock solid.... my 38' camper sits on it's jacks at all times and I LIVE in it.

 

[SangerTom]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Because I'm paranoid - and live in earthquake country - I put a block underneath with a piece of carpet on the block (don't want to scratch the underside) and drop it on to the block. I also keep the jack down - as said before - just in case.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

If the jack can't safely support the trailer it needs replaced with a bigger one... If the tongue twists noticably from the jack being mounted on the side then the trailer needs replaced with a heavier one.... It is ok to block the tongue but should NOT be needed. My 5,500 lb carver and my 10,000 lb wellcraft set on their jacks and are rock solid.... my 38' camper sits on it's jacks at all times and I LIVE in it.

Absolutely agree. The jack is intended to not only support the trailer/boat, when not on the tow vehicle, but enables the rig to be moved about by including a wheel.

If either the trailer or it's jack is distorted by the jack's being used then you have a MAJOR problem just waiting to happen.

Addressing the problem jack is comparatively cheap, just replace with a quality (not H.F. quality) heavy duty jack.

Replacing the trailer , on the other hand, isn't so cheap!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

remember, the trailer should be balanced so the weight on the jack, which is the weight on the hitch, should not be that great.
And if you are outdoors, even with a cover, you have to raise it enough to drain. This can be an issue in a sloped driveway. I often see larger boats (20'+) with a slight slope, so you know waer is ponding towards the bow even if major water will drain-->rot.

 

[royal0014]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Nothing wrong with blocking up the trailer, but you you should not HAVE to. The jack should be sized according to MFG recommends....

 

[rwidman]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

I used an automotive type jack stand resting on a couple of short pieces of 2X10 lumber for long term storage.

I'm a belt and suspenders sort of guy.

BTW: That wheel on the tongue jack is just meant to roll enough to get the hitch aligned with the ball. It's not designed for long distances, gravel, dirt, etc. It's not the wheel, it's the leverage the wheel puts on the jack itself.

 

[convergent]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

For those of you using "blocks", I would suggest that you not use cement blocks for this and instead use a jack stand. Cement blocks are not structurally designed to be used this way and the rail of the trailer is not distributing the weight on the block the way it would be done in a block wall. I have had this crack the block. Used to use them under an old 69 Camaro when under it and after seeing them crack, never again. Jack stands are pretty cheap and they aren't going anywhere.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

For those of you using "blocks", I would suggest that you not use cement blocks for this and instead use a jack stand. Cement blocks are not structurally designed to be used this way and the rail of the trailer is not distributing the weight on the block the way it would be done in a block wall. I have had this crack the block. Used to use them under an old 69 Camaro when under it and after seeing them crack, never again. Jack stands are pretty cheap and they aren't going anywhere.

Good advice.

 

[security6]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

remember, the trailer should be balanced so the weight on the jack, which is the weight on the hitch, should not be that great.

Depends on the size of the boat. Seems like the rule of thumb for tongue-weight is 10% of total weight. My boat and trailer weigh 5000 lbs, so my tongue weight should be 500 lbs.

And if you are outdoors, even with a cover, you have to raise it enough to drain. This can be an issue in a sloped driveway. I often see larger boats (20'+) with a slight slope, so you know waer is ponding towards the bow even if major water will drain-->rot

+1. For this very reason I use jack stands instead of the tongue jack. My driveway is an incline, and the tongue jack won't get the tongue high enough. I have to jack it up so that the tongue jack won't even touch the ground so I can get any rainwater to run towards the stern.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

I leave mine on a jack stand not because I'm unsure of the jack but why not take all the pressure off the gears inside the jack. Plus over the winter I remove the jack all together, my driveway slopes toward the rear anyways so thats not an issue, plus its seems it would be much harder to steal if you had to lift it up onto a ball. But I do agree that the HF jacks even the 1500lb ones are junk.

 

[stic88]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

my cousin had his boat in the garage on just the jack and the wheels were not chocked and on easter when we had the 7.1 with the epicenter about 35 miles south of us the outboard went into the garage wall. living in earthquake country, 5 miles from the san andreas, i have my boat resting on a block and the wheels chocked. better safe than sorry and a big whole in the carport wall.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Because my kids and wife had a tendency to back into the coupler, making the rear of my cars look like a sack of walnuts, I blocked the trailer. I use a 2 X 8 about 6 feet long. I attached to it a piece of heavy angle iron and a 2 inch ball. This goes into the coupler and then the jack is lowered until the 2 by takes the weight.. I painted the wood flourescent orange for visibility. They still hit it but less damage is done now and I get a LOT less aggravated.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Good question, never really gave it much thought. I just let it sit on the trailer jack. Normally boat is in slip, but spends several months on the trailer in the off season. I do chock the trailer wheels, and have considered getting one of those "donut" things to put the jack wheel on but so far haven't.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Bottom line: That is the purpose of the jack. If its not rated high enough for your tongue load, get a higher rated jack. End of story.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

A regular jack stand or similar wood blocking is cheap insurance when looking at a $100 tongue jack. As far as the tongue not twisting from the tongue jack, look more closely, I'm not talking 20 degrees of rotation, but think of the torque on that tongue unless your jack is directly under the center beam. Is it enough to do harm...probably not, buy why take a chance. Now push that boat back and forth a couple times on the jack and look at the torque on the wheel. I abuse/misuse mine regularly, so I'll give it a break when I can by blocking.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Because my kids and wife had a tendency to back into the coupler, making the rear of my cars look like a sack of walnuts, I blocked the trailer. I use a 2 X 8 about 6 feet long. I attached to it a piece of heavy angle iron and a 2 inch ball. This goes into the coupler and then the jack is lowered until the 2 by takes the weight.. I painted the wood flourescent orange for visibility. They still hit it but less damage is done now and I get a LOT less aggravated.

Hang a couple of your fenders in front of the trailer.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Boat Trailer Jack as Support

Bottom line: That is the purpose of the jack. If its not rated high enough for your tongue load, get a higher rated jack. End of story.

It turned out it wasn't the end of the story.

I understand what you're saying, but what about those of us who don't agree with you? Are we all wrong? Is it a crime to use a jack stand or blocking and the tongue jack as a backup?

It's important to be able to raise and lower the tongue with the jack to get it on and off the ball, but for some folks, especially those who want to raise the bow high enough to drain the boat, the tongue jack, even the best tongue jack can be a little unstable when fully extended.

I found that when working on my boat (inside it), with just the tongue jack, it would tend to move from side to side even though wheels on both sides were blocked. Using a jack stand, I did not have that problem.

Anything presented in web forums is just "opinions". It's up to the reader to read these opinions and decide for him/herself which opinions make sense to them.

So - There can be no "Bottom Line" or "End of story".