TM angle while towing

[PopBeavers]

What should the angle of the TM be while towing? I would think level is best.

I measured mine this week. The tongue is about an inch low. I have not seen any hitch bar that is shorter than a one inch drop. I would need to mount the ball such that it is dead center in the 2" receiver. I have not yet seen a hitch bar with that shape. Ther apparenly is no shuch ting as a straight through hitch bar, meaning if you flip it over the result is exactly the same. It looks like I need to be either slightly high or slightly low. Which is better?

[Seleya]

An equalizing hitch will get you level. I prefer an equalizing hitch anyways since, even totally empty on both ends, I can feel a difference in the trailer/van combo. How many folks here use/not use WE?

Vicky

[PopBeavers]

An equalizing hitch will get you level. I prefer an equalizing hitch anyways since, even totally empty on both ends, I can feel a difference in the trailer/van combo. How many folks here use/not use WE?

Vicky

I don't think an equalizing hitch will change anything. The sag in the TV as measured at the rear bumper is about an inch, maybe a little less. The TM factory recommended that I *NOT* install a WD hitch and *NO* sway bars.

I tow with a 2002 Chevy Silverado 4wd 1500HD Crew Cab 6 liter engine automatic. This has a relatively long wheel base and is essentially a 3/4 ton truck suspension. The TV is pretty much the same length as the TM.

[RockyMtnRay]

What should the angle of the TM be while towing? I would think level is best.

I measured mine this week. The tongue is about an inch low. I have not seen any hitch bar that is shorter than a one inch drop. I would need to mount the ball such that it is dead center in the 2" receiver. I have not yet seen a hitch bar with that shape. Ther apparenly is no shuch ting as a straight through hitch bar, meaning if you flip it over the result is exactly the same. It looks like I need to be either slightly high or slightly low. Which is better?
Ideally both the TV and trailer should be level. If the trailer is tail low, you risk dragging the plumbing and rear bumper when crossing gutters. If it's nose low, that will drag as well but if I had to choose, I think I'd go with nose low on a TM that doesn't have horizontal front tanks (front slide models). With a front slide TM (very low hanging tanks), it'd be very hard to decide.

[Seleya]

I don't think an equalizing hitch will change anything. The sag in the TV as measured at the rear bumper is about an inch, maybe a little less. The TM factory recommended that I *NOT* install a WD hitch and *NO* sway bars.

I tow with a 2002 Chevy Silverado 4wd 1500HD Crew Cab 6 liter engine automatic. This has a relatively long wheel base and is essentially a 3/4 ton truck suspension. The TV is pretty much the same length as the TM.

I got the WD for my original van (an E-150), on the new van (an extended E-350) the van doesn't sag at all (the van just absorbs the weight -- even the dealer commented on it when we got our brake controller installed and they figured out where to set the chains for me), but I still feel a difference towing when I use the WD bars. It is a more solid, connected feel, especially on bumpy roads. I prefer keeping the trailer totally level and, since the question was asked, that is one way (even without using the eqaulizer bars) of leveling the trailer even with a receiver on level with the trailer since the ball can be positioned where you need it.

Vicky :)

[BrigCA61]

We use a weight distribution bar also, as recommended by the Trailmanor Dealer. The anti-sway bar was not needed however. I would recommend it to anyone towing a TM irregardless of the TV. It's just safer that way and makes for a less stressful tow. They are not expensive and easy to install.

PopBeavers, you may want to drive back to the dealer with your rig and see what they can recommend. Maybe there is a type of hitch that can bring the TM up to the height of the TV's hitch. Otherwise it sounds like you need the lift kit for the TM however if you can't fit it into the garage with it, you'll need to find another way to correct the problem. Maybe someone else can help... but definately get in touch with Dinuba RV.

[PopBeavers]

I already have the lift kit, and it does still fit in the garage with the a/c.

It just seems weird that I can get any amount of lift (or rise by flipping the hitch bar upside down) in one inch increments that I want. But the minimum drop is one inch below the bottom of the receiver slot. Flipped over this is one inch above top of receiver slot. This leaves a gap of 4 inches, center of receiver plus or minus 2 inches. If you want to be in that particular range there is just no one that I can find that makes a true straight through hitch bar. Rather amazing.

I have been researching this same topic on rv.net. The general concensus over there seems to be that slightly low is better than slightly high.

Towability is not an issue. I can stop nearly as fast with the TM as without it. Accelleration is only slightly below normal. Bouncing does not occur. TV sag is about an inch. Perhaps I'm just too picky. It looks close to level but I got curious and measured it. Then I started reading the forums on the topic and every one seems to be saying to keep it level.

Maybe one of these days I'll get lucky and find a true straight through hitch bar. Until then I don't think I'll worry about it.

Thanks for all the good suggestions though.

[B_and_D]

We've moved our TM about 4 or 5 feet further away from our driveway retaining wall where we regularly park it, and now, when we lower the tongue all the way down with the crank, while we're attaching the TM to the truck, it's too low to get the wheel off (underneath the tongue crank-up jack). I think we have a 4" drop in our hitch. When we went to Seacliff Beach last month, I had to use a bottle jack to get the TM receiver off of the truck hitch ball. It's weird, because we have never had this problem before. I guess the solution will be to buy a 2" drop hitch receiver. We have a really heavy duty one (solid) and the ones I've seen at KMart & WallyWorld are all hollow, so I guess I'll have to go to the local hitch store. Maybe our tires are worn enough that it makes a difference...they have about 5K left, maybe the truck shocks are getting worn out too? It does kind of seem like the truck used to be higher up in the back. We haven't driven it that much, though. I'm still scratching my head over this. What else could it be?

[Bill]

You have mentioned that the rear of the truck drops by an inch when you add the tongue weight of the TM. But you haven't told us how much the front end rises.

Ideally, both should DROP by the same amount. But without a WDH, the rear end drops, and the front end rises, so you have more than a 1" total effect. A WDH enables you to equalize these effects.

Bill

[PopBeavers]

You have mentioned that the rear of the truck drops by an inch when you add the tongue weight of the TM. But you haven't told us how much the front end rises.

Ideally, both should DROP by the same amount. But without a WDH, the rear end drops, and the front end rises, so you have more than a 1" total effect. A WDH enables you to equalize these effects.

Bill
I'll have the TM out of the garage this weekend and will take some accurate measurements.

[jimair1548]

In reference to the thread on not being able to remove the wheel from the trailer jack once the TM was hooked up to the TV hitch, here is what I did to facilitate that. I added a 1" spacer, just below the mounting bracket of the hitch so that it raised the jack on the tongue just enough to have clearance for the wheel to drop free when the jack is retracted to it's stop. This was not a problem most of the time, but occassionally the terrain was such that the wheel would not drop free. Works for me....Jim

[Bill]

Jim -

In your picture, I immediately noticed that your safety cables are attached to the jack's mounting bolts. Did it come from the factory that way, or did you move them? Do you cross them under the hitch coupler before you clip them into the two vehicle's chain loops?

On both of my TMs, the cables were bolted to the inside face of the two main A-frame members, about 14" aft of the jack. This is probably done because of the swing tongue - prudence would suggest that the cables be mounted to the stationary part of the frame, not the swinging part. But as a result, the cables are too short, and I have had to splice about 8" of chain into each one.

Bill

[Freedom]

In answer to Pop Beavers original question, there are "high rise" balls available if you want to raise the front of your trailer a smidgen. They look like a regular ball except that the neck right under the ball is longer, raising the ball about an inch. This might be enough to level your trailer. Picture is on: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=high%20rise%20hitch%20balls&Nty=1&D=high%20rise%20hitch%20balls&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial
Many other manufacturers also have high rise hitch balls and in fact I think I saw one at Wally World once. Maybe try Schucks-Kragen-Checker whichever name they use in your area. Also, I'm positive that NAPA carries them.

[B_and_D]

Thanks for the ideas on raising the hitch connection - the high rise ball looks like it might be the easiest. The spacer idea is good too. We need to do something because having to use the bottle jack to get the TM off the truck is a bother.

Jimair1548, what kind of material did you use for this spacer? My safety cables are attached there too, so it would have to be pretty strong. Looks like some kind of solid plastic?

[Larry_Loo]

Jim -

In your picture, I immediately noticed that your safety cables are attached to the jack's mounting bolts. Did it come from the factory that way, or did you move them? Do you cross them under the hitch coupler before you clip them into the two vehicle's chain loops?
Bill
Bill, I don't know if I mentioned this to you offline before, but, my 3124KS' safety chain was secured underneath the frontmost of the tongue jack's 3 mounting bolts. A large washer was placed over the link that's midway between the hooks and the bolt run through it into the hitch's frame. I think that it was installed this way by the factory. I didn't like that arrangement and fabricated a steel link piece to which the chain is attached. It is better, in my opinion, to have the bolt snugged down on a flat piece of steel rather than a washer over a chain link (the washer was badly bent).

[Bill]

Thanks, Larry -

I'm confused, then, about why the chains on my rig are carefully attached to the frame so far behind the jack. Surely the two pins that secure the swing tongue are MUCH stronger than a single jack bolt.

Bill

[Larry_Loo]

I can't visualize the attachment point of your safety chain, Bill. Will you post a photo?

[jimair1548]

Bill, My 3023, w/o the swing hitch, came with the safety cables attached to the bolts that secure the jack, just as the picture shows. I installed the block( it is a heavy duty, dense, plastic?? used in commerical applications...very strong), used longer bolts, and it has stood the test of time for over a year now. A metal spacer could be used in place of the plastic but would be much harder to fabricate.
I do cross the safety cables under the hitch. Hope this helps....Jim

[PopBeavers]

Jim (aka Freedom)

Thanks for the tip on the high rise hitch ball. I had never heard of them. After I get some accurate measurements (I lied when I said I would have it out this weekend to measure). It might be just the ticket.

Regarding safety chains mounting location: My 2005 2720 with swing away hitch has coiled safety cables bolted to the inside of the frame, 3 inches back from the pivot point, centered vertically in the box tubing, bolted on with a washer. Not sure what type of bolt, as it does not go all the way through to the other side. Technically, it isn't a bolt, more of a large screw.

FWIW, I never thought of crossing the cables under the tongue. I'll have to take a look at what happens in a tight turn. However, there is a lot of slack that is taken up due to the coiling of the cables. Years ago, when I towd something there was always chains nearly dragging on the ground. I like the coiled cables much better.

The cables have been tested, sort-of. See one of my other posts regarding why you should disconnect the saftey cables *AFTER* unhitching the TM when you forget to chock the wheels.

[PopBeavers]

Well, I finally had the TM out of the garage and took some measurements. however, I forgot to measure lift on the front of the TV.

When the TM is hooked up to the TV the front of the TM is 2.75 inches too low to be dead level. This is more than I had guessed. If I flip the hitch bar upside down, to get a lift instead of a drop, then it would be dead level. Sounds like I ought to put the hitch bar in upside down.

The TV rear end drops 2.25 inches as measured at the receiver socket when I attach the TM. This is with 1.5 propane bottles full, water full at 40 gallons. Water heater full. Toilet empty. Gray water tank empty. Fridge empty. Other cargo normal for a weekend trip. I have no idea if the front lifted or not.

What I am real curious about is at what point in trailer weight or tongue weight should one consider adding a WD hitch? There is a big difference between towing a motorcycle trailer and a 30 foot TT. The TM factory, I can't recall who I talked with, said that I probably had no need to use sway bars or WD hitch because of the size of the TV. The 1500hd is essentially a 3/4 ton truck. It has a pretty long wheel base with the full crew cab and 6.5 foot bed. Overall the TV and the TM are both pretty close to 20 feet long, each.

I was originally concerned about some bouncing that was happening when I hit large bumps at freeway speed. Adding air to the tires seems to have helped a lot. Also, the original shocks have 64k miles on them so I should probably consider replacing them soon.

Things may change in the future. I'd like to aquire an ATV (quad) for my wife and an offroad motorcycle for me. That will quite likely result in more sag in the TV due to the increased cargo. Until I weigh it all I don't actually know how much additional cargo capacity I have.

For the moment, since it is towing well and stops well I don't think there is any *NEED* for a WD hitch. Maybe when I add more cargo next year.

Someone mentioned that a WD hitch was pretty cheap. Cheap to me is under a hundred bucks. My guess is that a WD hitch is somewhat more than that.

[RockyMtnRay]

Well, I finally had the TM out of the garage and took some measurements. however, I forgot to measure lift on the front of the TV.

Measure this. It's at least as important a number as the rear sag because it will tell you how much the front is being unweighted...and front unweighting greatly reduces front tire steering and braking. Weight that's coming off the front due to unweighting is also being transferred back to the rear suspension, compounding the load problem there and further increasing your rear sag.

When the TM is hooked up to the TV the front of the TM is 2.75 inches too low to be dead level. This is more than I had guessed. If I flip the hitch bar upside down, to get a lift instead of a drop, then it would be dead level. Sounds like I ought to put the hitch bar in upside down.

Yep.

The TV rear end drops 2.25 inches as measured at the receiver socket when I attach the TM. This is with 1.5 propane bottles full, water full at 40 gallons. Water heater full. Toilet empty. Gray water tank empty. Fridge empty. Other cargo normal for a weekend trip. I have no idea if the front lifted or not.

What I am real curious about is at what point in trailer weight or tongue weight should one consider adding a WD hitch? There is a big difference between towing a motorcycle trailer and a 30 foot TT. The TM factory, I can't recall who I talked with, said that I probably had no need to use sway bars or WD hitch because of the size of the TV. The 1500hd is essentially a 3/4 ton truck. It has a pretty long wheel base with the full crew cab and 6.5 foot bed. Overall the TV and the TM are both pretty close to 20 feet long, each.

There is no hard and fast answer...it depends on lots of variables (like size, weight, wheelbase..or more accurately ratio of wheelbase to rear overhang) of the tow vehicle. My standard is if hooking up the trailer removes more than 5 to 10% of the weight on the front wheels, you need a WDH. Only way to know this is to go get each axle weighed on your tow vehicle with/without the trailer attached...which is exactly what the folks from the RV Safety Education Foundation do at their RV safety weighins. Until I got my WDH properly adjusted, the area that caused me the most concern was front axle unweighting and corresponding loss of steering and braking effectiveness plus a tendancy to have front bounding/bouncing on poor roads.

I was originally concerned about some bouncing that was happening when I hit large bumps at freeway speed. Adding air to the tires seems to have helped a lot. Also, the original shocks have 64k miles on them so I should probably consider replacing them soon.

Things may change in the future. I'd like to aquire an ATV (quad) for my wife and an offroad motorcycle for me. That will quite likely result in more sag in the TV due to the increased cargo. Until I weigh it all I don't actually know how much additional cargo capacity I have.

Exactly. Since you have a 1500 series, even with the HD option, I suspect you'll find that a Quad and a M/C in the back in combination with the undistributed tongue weight and the transferred weight from the unweighted front suspension will put you near or even over your rear suspension's axle rating. A WDH will make a big difference because it not only transfers a lot of tongue weight to the front, it also prevents the transfer from the front to the back due to front unweighting.

For the moment, since it is towing well and stops well I don't think there is any *NEED* for a WD hitch. Maybe when I add more cargo next year.

Someone mentioned that a WD hitch was pretty cheap. Cheap to me is under a hundred bucks. My guess is that a WD hitch is somewhat more than that.
A bare bones, non-name brand, round bar, no-sway control WDH runs around $200 to $250...which is pretty cheap to me. Name brand round bar hitches w/out sway control can be had for around $250 to $350. I paid about $300 for my Reese brand round bar WDH from my TM dealer and was told that was his dealer cost. Go to cam type sway control on a trunnion bar style WDH and the price shoots up to well over $600.

[fcatwo]

On getting the jack wheel off: I seldom use the wheel unless I know I'll need to maneuver the TM after unhitching. This is especially true when The TM is on an unlevel surface. I normally use a gizmo that is similar to the wheel & housing but has a flat, 8" round base. My real preference is to not unhitch at all if we are stopping for only one night-- or longer if we won't need the truck for a grocery run. I carry several 2X8X12" blocks that I use under the rear truck wheels or the TM's wheels in various combinations to level the TM while it is still attached to the truck. I just like the solid feeling the TM has when still attached to the TV. I do lower the tongue jack and stabilizers, release the WDH bars and unplug the power cable from the truck.

[Denny_A]

For the moment, since it is towing well and stops well I don't think there is any *NEED* for a WD hitch. Maybe when I add more cargo next year.

Someone mentioned that a WD hitch was pretty cheap. Cheap to me is under a hundred bucks. My guess is that a WD hitch is somewhat more than that.Well, since I totaled my 2720, guess what I don't use anymore! Right; my WDH. I paid $180 for it and used it from Mar. '02 to Feb. 05.

If you are ever interested, I'm prepared to offer it to you for $90 (or?) + shipping. Since the whole magila weighs 85 lbs, it would cost $30-40 to ship. I paid about $35 for shipping fron Tuscon to N.E. WI. If interested PM (private message) me.

Link to mfr site: http://www.quality-s.com/children/hitch/wtDist.htm

Unit is the DELUXE, ADJUSTABLE, 750 lb rating.

Link to Instructions: http://www.quality-s.com/PDF/wdh1002a.pdf

Model #752A.

The WDH is just gatherin' dust (rust - will clean up aand repaint also).

Denny_A

[PopBeavers]

Measure this. It's at least as important a number as the rear sag because it will tell you how much the front is being unweighted...and front unweighting greatly reduces front tire steering and braking. Weight that's coming off the front due to unweighting is also being transferred back to the rear suspension, compounding the load problem there and further increasing your rear sag.


Front end lift due to hitching up the TM is 3/8 inch. Seems pretty minimal to me, but what do I know, I'm the one with all the questions.

[PopBeavers]

I haven't taken the time (yet) to wiegh the TV alone. However, the last trip out I loaded the TM up to try to simulate a pretty heavy load. On the theory that another newcomer might be interested in my weights, at least as a point of interest here goes:

2002 Chevy Silverado, 4wd, crew cab, 6.5 foot box, 6 liter engine, not sure of the trans
Wife and I in the truck
gas tank nearly full
rear seat folded down and loaded with:
Coleman electric cooler with food for 2 for 5 days.
Two laptops
clothes for 2 for 5 days
ice chest full of cold drinks and ice
some other stuff
truck bed loaded with:
two bicycles
Honda 2000i generator
box of blocks, chocks, etc.
TM 2720 loaded with:
40 gallons fresh water
water heater full (6 gallons I think)
toilet charged (guess 2 gallons)
propane, 1 full other 90 percent full
3 gallons bottle water under curb side dinette seat
well stocked bar
fridge half full of beer/soda/juice
normal (for us) load of pots/pans/dishes etc.
some clothes
2 travasaks
8 folding chairs
1 folding table
1 small bbq in rear
TM factory options:
awning
swing away hitch
over sink cabinet
microwave cabinet
a/c

Weight was:

front axle 3500
rear axle 3860
TM axle 3380
total 10740

What I learned is I was approaching maximum for the TM. This is OK as I had loaded the floor of the TM much more than I normally would. The bed of the truck was mostly empty, except for the bikes. In any normal trip most of the stuff on the floor of the TM would have been in the bed of the truck.

When I have a moment I'll dig out the truck limits. Still need to see if I have the capacity for a quad ATV (probably 350-400cc) plus a street legal offroad motorcycle (probably 250cc)

One of these days I'll weigh the truck empty.

One of these days I'll weigh each side. With all the water on one side I could be pretty lopsided.

One of these days I'll try to see if I can find a recommendation for tire pressure based upon load for the truck. I don't think I really need to put all 80 pounds in the rear with only 50 in the front as posted on the driver's door.

The CAT scale in Dunnigan said I would need to weight the combo twice as it was too short. The cost was 9 dolalrs per weigh. I left.

The CAT scale in Orland (at TravelAmerica) said they would do a two part weigh for the single price of 8 dollars. But I was able to stradle all three scales so we weighed it all in a single shot.

Didn't catch his name, but the guy at TravelAmerica in Orland was very helpful.

I did flip my hitch bar upside down. Now the TM is a little high instead of a little low in the front. So far I have never scraped the ground at all with either setup. Front high does give me a little more roof clearance getting the a/c through the garage door. The a/c dropped slightly as it is mounted behind the axle.

[fcatwo]

PopBeavers

Thanks for sharing your weight info. Am I correct in assuming you are still not using a WDH? I'm asking because it occurs to me you may need one if you start hauling several hundred lbs of ORVs in the back of your truck. The WDH will not only shift weight from your rear axle to the front but back to the TM axle as well. You may not want that.

As an aside, I've been looking for a place to post some info I picked up a few days ago and will do so here: I was comparing the specs on both the Suburban/Silverado and Tundra/Sequoia and noticed that the SUVs have close to equal weight on their front and rear axles (like 52%-48%) while the pickups are closer to 60%-40% with significantly more weight on the front. This is probably why you've been getting by without a WDH and would probably need one if you had a Burb. It also tells me that the "one-size-fits-all" rule for setting up a WDH needs to be adjusted for the type of tow vehicle and the load it's carrying. Ray is right; we need to weigh them as you have done.

Just one other minor point: I noticed in your packing list that you carry bottled water under a seat. I'm probably overly-cautious but we always carry our bottled water in the tub. I'm afraid one of the bottles will get tired of being bounced around and look for a sharp corner to relieve itself of the weight :-). We use the spendy blue tinted bottles and even those eventually crack and leak. The thicker 2 & 5 gallon bottles probably last mush longer.

[PopBeavers]

PopBeavers

Thanks for sharing your weight info. Am I correct in assuming you are still not using a WDH? I'm asking because it occurs to me you may need one if you start hauling several hundred lbs of ORVs in the back of your truck. The WDH will not only shift weight from your rear axle to the front but back to the TM axle as well. You may not want that..

If I move some of the excess weight out of the TM and into the truck bed that should help. Another thought is to add a front receiver hitch to the TV and put the 250 cc motorcycle (when I get one) on the front of the TV. Not sure about that. It is just a thought for the moment.

By the time I actually get around to buying the ORV's the current TV might be getting old enough that it will be time to consider replacing it. Since February this year I have already driven over 10,000 miles.The next TV could be bigger. For the moment I really like the size of the 1500hd. Big enough without being too big.

It may become very interesting to get the weight spread evenly across three axles without going ove the limit of them.


Just one other minor point: I noticed in your packing list that you carry bottled water under a seat. I'm probably overly-cautious but we always carry our bottled water in the tub. I'm afraid one of the bottles will get tired of being bounced around and look for a sharp corner to relieve itself of the weight :-). We use the spendy blue tinted bottles and even those eventually crack and leak. The thicker 2 & 5 gallon bottles probably last mush longer.

Never thought of that. My strategy was to try to offset the weight of all the water on the street side by locating the bottle water to the curb side, in front of the axle. I'll have to rethink that one.

[srscmh]

Hi:

I have a 2004 8 cyl 4WD Toyota 4Runner and use it to pull a 2003 2619. When I hitch the trailer to the TV is almost level. I just spent a week in Northern Michigan which is about 500 miles from home and drove 65 to 70 on freeways with no sway, even when passed by a semi.

When I bought the 2619 this Spring, the seller included a 300-500 lb WDH. he had a front wheel drive mini-van. I asked the service guy at my local TM dealer and he said he didn't think I needed to use it.

What is the consensus?

Don in Columbus, OH ;)

[Bill]

There is near-universal agreement that a TM doesn't need sway control.

Re a WDH, the best way to answer your question is to ask you to weigh your tow vehicle four times. First, with no trailer and with the tow vehicle empty except for the driver, weigh the front wheels, and then weigh the back wheels. This is the weight distribution that the manufacturer intends. Then, load up the tow vehicle with the "stuff" you will carry in it when you camp, pack up the TM with the "stuff" it will have when you camp, hitch up the TM, and again weigh the front wheels and the back wheels of the tow vehicle. If the weight distribution (percent of weight on front wheels and on back wheels) has not changed, then you probably don't need a WDH.

Let us know your results, and we can go further.

Bill

[Fdxflyer]

I bought a Rapid Hitch which allows numerous adjustments up and down. They are pricey but I think are well worth it. I previously towed with a F150 and now a F250 and agree that a WDH is not really necessary with those vehicles.

[grakin]

I had the same issue - trying to get things level on a 2500HD truck without a weigh distributing hitch required a ball nearly in the middle of the receiver, no drop.

Camping world had a weight carrying hitch that was adjustable height - I bought that and it solved that problem. There's one adjustment just about level. The other benefit is when I need to tow something else (most trailers are lower than my TM), I can easily adjust it. I can also easily adjust it higher if I need a way of leveling the TM on very uneven ground (such as a driveway I park in) - I can unhitch and raise the TM all the way up with the jack, move the hitch ball up a ways, rehitch and lower the jack, put boards under the jack, and raise things again (I know, it sounds very complicated and it sounds like I need an electric tongue jack!).