Power Stabilizers

Has anyone ever installed the Power Twin II Stabilizers? These operate off 12 volt motors and lift the unit to take out the slack, providing front to back and side to side stability when parked. I'm wondering if its possible to install this device and maintain good ground clearance etc.

2007 2720SL
2002 Toyota 4Runner 4x4
Supercharged

As a prospective TrailManor buyer, I would love to have some information about installing the Power Twin II jacks. Would a pair in the rear be enough, or would the trailer need front jacks also? I do not want to hand crank any jacks. This is my sixtieth birthday resolution! Thanks for any input.

I don't know of anyone on this site who has done that - I may be wrong - maybe some one who has will chime in here. A lot of us use a 1/2" drill and various things such as a large (3/8") Allen wrench to run the stabilizer jacks down to avoid all the cranking. I use a drill and a concrete anchor bolt from Home Depot. once the jacks are in contact, it only takes a couple of turns of the crank to snug them up.

[shunter917]

We looked into the power jacks, but using the cordless drill and anchor bolt made it really easy and A LOT cheaper. I occassionally had to finish off the jacks by hand, but that was pretty rare.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Freedom

I don't know of anyone on this site who has done that - I may be wrong - maybe some one who has will chime in here. A lot of us use a 1/2" drill and various things such as a large (3/8") Allen wrench to run the stabilizer jacks down to avoid all the cranking.

I use a cordless 18-volt 3/8 inch drill, and a 1/4 inch Allen wrench. Not as powerful as a 1/2 inch drill, but lots lighter and plenty fast. Mine won't actually lift the TM more than about 1/2 inch, but that's more than enough, since I level the TM first. After levelling, I use the drill to crank the stabilizers down in firm contact with the ground.

Bill

In regard to the power levelling jacks discussion, I just looked at the TM factory website, and they have a new listing under factory options for "Power lift/level jacks W/remote" for $2170.00. Pretty expensive, but inline with the Power Twin II jacks with remote control. I assume these are the jacks the factory is now offering. I would much rather have the factory install these than an aftermarket supplier. They have also added several new options and raised prices on every option.

An additional thought...it does seem to be necessary to avoid unnecessary weight in our TM. I wonder what the power levellers would add. My thought is quite a bit. I agree with most folks when I say I just use a power drill to spin the levelers down, then use the handle to raise the trailer a little if necessary. We level side to side with wheel blocks, so it is rare we have to do anything to the levellers other than stabalize the TM. Please keep us posted as to what you decide to do.

Regarding the additional weight of the power jacks-since they would replace the standard factory jacks, the extra weight of the power jacks would be offset somewhat by the deletion of the scissor jacks. I don't know the difference in weights, however. Also, I would like to thank Texas Camper for his PM to me for his overall thoughts on TM ownership.

Recently, I was able to get an extremely good deal on the UltraFab Power Twin II lifts and am in the process of installing them. Here is a link to a review for those who are unfamiliar with them:
http://www.toyhaulermagazine.com/ultrafab06.html
I will chronical my installation escapades replete with photos if anyone is interesed. So far, I am very impressed with the construction and design. They will greatly increase the stability of any RV you install them on. The pads are huge and I doubt I will have any future need for the 2x6's I was putting underneath my scissor jacks. They have two models; the 22" and the 30". Any TM would use the 22".

Like the power tongue jack and my Powermover, I have to agree they are not necessary. (Extrapolating skewed logic even further, my TM is not necessary since I do have a nice backpacking tent!) But, they are both fantastic options and I don't know how I lived without them prior to purchasing them. Even though I was using the cordless drill, it was a bit of a challenge to contort my body in order to lower the one scissor jack inside my garage because of clearance issues.

Although I primarily use the TM as a base for backpacking, kayaking, cycling, and other outdoor adventures I still have my moments of laziness. But make no mistake, it is a luxury item! Given the list prices and the labor to install I would say the price that TrailManor charges isn't too far out of line. But again, I got an incredible deal and installation hasn't been too challenging for me thus far.

On the technical side, the Power Twin II has more than enough power to lift the TM and most other trailers or motorhomes. (I will be uninstalling them and taking them with me should I ever sell the TM.) As far as the weight is concerned, here are the figures: each unit weighs about 100 pounds, and you'll need one in the front and one in the rear. I believe the existing scissor jacks (which need to be removed) weigh in the vicinity of 15 pounds each, so (2x100) - (15x4) = 140 pounds of added weight. Ground clearance is not a concern; if they added an extra inch I would be surprised.

The levelers come with a separate switch for each motor/pad (4), made to withstand the elements which can be mounted most anywhere. I was fortunate to be able to get the optional remote control so I will be able to level the TM while sitting on my lazy behind, or if it's dark and/or raining I can always use the remote while standing inside the TM to level it whilst drinking my favorite beverage and watching my levels. The brain box for the remote will be installed in the back in my battery/storage compartment and its weight is negligible. If you should ever lose or misplace the remote, the brain box has switches built on it. If a motor should ever fail, an emergency jack handle (like the electric tongue jack) is included.

I am a bit of a perfectionist on projects like these, so it will take a couple of Sunday's to finish the install. But so far, no real issues with having to relocate anything underneath and the clearance and fit on my 2720SL is fine.

[countrygirl]

Cool...I would love to see your pictures and hear about the installation!