Leveling The Trailer - Dexter Axles

We purchased the electric scissor jacks for our new Elkmont as we thought it would reduce the workload in the process of setting up/packing up the trailer.

Previously, on our 3326, we placed leveler blocks on the low side and drove over them for side-to-side and used the electric tongue jack for fore and aft.

We had a concern that reducing the load on one side or the other did not strain the Dexter axle in any way or otherwise void the warranty. A Dexter engineer told us that so long as the scissor jacks are bolted directly to the frame there is no stress to their axles including raising one side completely off the ground; but then most of you probably already knew that.

For us the electric scissor jacks were well worth the price we paid for them.

Are these self-leveling?

Not the ones on my Elkmont. I put levels on both sides of the front of the trailer and one on the side. When setting up I look at th levels if they are way off I run the low side of the trailer on blocks and then do the fine work wih the electric jacks. So far so good.

Non-electric jacks here. Like John, I still use blocks for side to side, then the electric tongue jack for fore/aft. The scissors jacks are just used to keep things stable, and so require very little heavy-duty movement. But if my shoulder gets any worse, I may just bring along my battery operated drill with the right socket.

Self-leveling electric jacks have always intrigued me, but that's just my inner geek.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by brulaz

Non-electric jacks here. Like John, I still use blocks for side to side, then the electric tongue jack for fore/aft. The scissors jacks are just used to keep things stable, and so require very little heavy-duty movement. But if my shoulder gets any worse, I may just bring along my battery operated drill with the right socket.

Self-leveling electric jacks have always intrigued me, but that's just my inner geek.

I use a Craftsman (2-speed) 1/2" cordless drill to run my jacks up & down. It is fast & easy. I also use it for the awning.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...1&blockType=G1
I also have a $300 DeWalt drill that I use for my job. This Craftsman drill has just as much power.

In high gear, the jacks are on the ground in 2-3 seconds. If I put the drill in lo-gear, I can actually lift the tires off the ground with the jacks.

Thanks for the comments. No, the electric scissor jack option is not self-leveling.

[Wavery]

If anyone is interested in installing electric motors to your existing scissors jacks, check this out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Watch the video. I'm happy using my drill motor but for some, this might be a great deal @ $350 for 4 motors and switches.