Mod for expo trailers

[Stumpalump]

I can't be the first one to think of this and may have seen it in my travels but I always thought a good idea for a small trailer would be to put a wheeled tongue jack on the rear. Replace the wheel with about a cheap 8" pneumatic tire from Harbor Freight. This way if you got bound up in a trail or tight spot you could simply lower the wheel and shove the rear end of the trailer sideways. Short trailers are tuff to back up and light enough to move on a wheel. Is this a crazy idea or not and has anybody tried this with good results?

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: It's a great idea, I did it last summer for my TENTRAX

The trailer is light enough to manuever without the wheel, but I got the parts from HarborFreight and welded the tire onto their trailer jack and I've used it a couple times

It's just leaning against the tongue for the pic !!

:costumed-smiley-007:victory::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[ntsqd]

If I understand correctly the OP is saying to put it on the rear of the trailer, not on the tongue.

This may or may not work. It will be teetery when lifted up at the rear, so how well it works will depend on how heavily the trailer is loaded. Also run the risk of rolling the trailer if it is jacked too high or some such similar event were to happen.

 

[JIMBO]

:bike_rider: Yea, I think thats what he means, but

If I understand correctly the OP is saying to put it on the rear of the trailer, not on the tongue.

This may or may not work. It will be teetery when lifted up at the rear, so how well it works will depend on how heavily the trailer is loaded. Also run the risk of rolling the trailer if it is jacked too high or some such similar event were to happen.

Although I have a receiver on my trailers rear bumper, I have no use for the jack there, I was just showing the HarborFreight combo that he mentioned !!

:costumed-smiley-007:victory::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[Poorboyota26]

I hadn't even thought about that. A removable jack for the rear, using the existing reciever. hmmmm

 

[Stumpalump]

The idea would be to make the jack like Jimbo and use a receiver to mount it on the front. If you get into a tight spot you could put the wheel on the back and push or winch the rear over to get you back in line. You could just about parallel park. I doubt it would get used much but I have seen people have to un hook and re hook trailers after they got in a jam so just being able to scoot the rear a foot may be all it takes to keep you going.

 

[Martyn]

It's an interesting thought.

If you lift the trailer on a single wheel at the back it will rest on the coupler and one of the wheels on the axle.

How would you balance the trailer on the coupler and the single wheel at the rear to move it ?

Would two wheels make more sense (but take up more storage space)?

 

[Hilldweller]

Take the next step and make the trailer wheels able to steer....

 

[Martyn]

Take the next step and make the trailer wheels able to steer....

Nice idea, but comes with a hefty price tag.

 

[mrchips]

Not the same idea, but I have thought of putting a tongue jack in the rear, and using it as quick stabilizer for the rear.
Pull into camp, disconnect from tow rig, and then level trailer side to side, with the air bags, wedges, etc, then front jack to get the length level, then drop the rear leg to stabilize the whole unit. Makes trailer stable for RTT deployment.
Any thoughts?

 

[RHINO]

guys this is what hi lift jack is made for

jack up the back of the trailer slightly off center favoring the side you want to push two, this way your dragging one tire instead of pushing, jack up the trailer a foot and just push it over off the jack. you will want to practice this a couple times on flat ground so you can get the feel and fine tune the position of the jack, but once you know how it works everytime with a trailer or vehicle.

mrchips, ya dont need rear jacks, just legs or something to hold some weight and stabilize. for example lower the tongue slightly, drop down the rear legs, then raise the tongue back to level, wallah, simple.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Although I have the Jack/tire combo (as shown) I have done just what RHINO says, using my HiLift

guys this is what hi lift jack is made for

jack up the back of the trailer slightly off center favoring the side you want to push two, this way your dragging one tire instead of pushing, jack up the trailer a foot and just push it over off the jack. you will want to practice this a couple times on flat ground so you can get the feel and fine tune the position of the jack, but once you know how it works everytime with a trailer or vehicle.

mrchips, ya dont need rear jacks, just legs or something to hold some weight and stabilize. for example lower the tongue slightly, drop down the rear legs, then raise the tongue back to level, wallah, simple.

Rather than take a chance on hitting my fiberglass trailer back side, I have used the lunette side of my Pintel/lunette combo, that I carry as a spare towing unit, just sliding the lunette into the rear trailer receiver

Doing just as RHINO suggests the trailer can be moved either way, it's easy with my trailer, but would be a little more trouble, with the heavier AT/KAMPERO/CONQUERER brand expedition size trailers

I don't carry the Jack/Tire combo with me cause it does take too much space and space is precious !!

I also have a portable winch, that I do carry with me, much more usable that the extra Jack/Tire
:coffeedrink::costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[Stumpalump]

guys this is what hi lift jack is made for

jack up the back of the trailer slightly off center favoring the side you want to push two, this way your dragging one tire instead of pushing, jack up the trailer a foot and just push it over off the jack. you will want to practice this a couple times on flat ground so you can get the feel and fine tune the position of the jack, but once you know how it works everytime with a trailer or vehicle.

I think thats the way to go for me. Thanks. I guess the rear wheel option may still be OK for some that don't carry a high lift or pull a small trailer all the time. I also think if you were fabbing up a new small trailer then to make the tongue jack removable and mountable on the rear is an easy option.

I noticed on some boat trailers that the tongue and bar going all the way to the trailer frame is removable so the boat and trailer will fit in a garage. I think I'd make the tongue and it's bar the same size as a receiver. That way if I really got into a bind I could remove the whole tongue, mount it on the rear and pull the trailer out back wards.

 

[HenryJ]

... I think I'd make the tongue and it's bar the same size as a receiver. That way if I really got into a bind I could remove the whole tongue, mount it on the rear and pull the trailer out back wards.

Wow. Nice idea. Mine is already to do something like that should I need to. My front hitch is long enough and the rear receiver is the same size. tongue weight would be nonexistant with out a major shuffle.
The option is there though. Thanks for pointing it out.
Gonna have to rename it the "Push-me-pull-you"

 

[Poorboyota26]

Not the same idea, but I have thought of putting a tongue jack in the rear, and using it as quick stabilizer for the rear.
Pull into camp, disconnect from tow rig, and then level trailer side to side, with the air bags, wedges, etc, then front jack to get the length level, then drop the rear leg to stabilize the whole unit. Makes trailer stable for RTT deployment.
Any thoughts?

That's what I was thinking exactly:sombrero: