New Rear Jacks - Montana Owners Club

Montana_882 · 08-14-2005, 06:29 PM

Back on the first of March while visting family in my native state of WV,I bent the screw on one of the rear jacks. (It was only 6 degrees and it didn't want to turn} I waited until Camping World had the the large set of Power Twin 11 Jacks on sale and I bought them. I finished installing them yesterday and what a differance they make.Each jack has the lift capability to raise up to 6000 pounds.
They have seperate motors for each side and all I do is hold a awitch down. They lift the rear of the Montana like it isn't anything.
If you want to see them,look on camping worlds site or go on the web and find Power Tw2in 11 by Ultra Fab Products.

Fordzilla · 08-14-2005, 08:41 PM

I bent one of our stabalizer jacks about a month ago and have ben looking at these and other types of jacks to replace the factory ones. What did you end up getting these for on sale? And, were they hard to install? Did you have to peel back the underbelly protection? Or did they bolt up in about the same area as the originals?

Montana_882 · 08-14-2005, 09:39 PM

Ron
They were and are I beleive on sale for $500.00 and they were a pain to install to the frame.
You can put them togather loosely and then slide them under the unit.Once in the bassic location use a battery charger to raise or lower as needed.I used 4 half inch bolts (2 on each side}for the installation not the small one they recommend.The reason for this is because my frame was a little short to cover the full width of the mounting bracket.
You have to remove/loosen some of the under belly and then reinstall it when finished.They recommend putting the switches in a compartment but there wasn't one on mine so I used an electric outside box cover to put them in .I mounted it beside the ladder,you also need to run a no.4 or 6 powercable to provide the proper current for the units.
Let me know if you want pics and I will send them to you.
Ernie

Fordzilla · 08-15-2005, 02:11 AM

I may see what CW charges to install and proceed after I get the shocking news.

sreigle · 08-15-2005, 04:49 PM

I'm always looking to avoid problems when I can so hope you don't mind my asking how you bent the rear stabilizers? Do you use them to level the rig or just put them down and maybe snug them up a half turn or a full turn or so?

Thanks.

Montana_882 · 08-15-2005, 05:52 PM

I was in WV at 4:30 am and it was 6 degrees above 0 and probibly several degrees below by wind chill,I had traveled out of NC thru VA and in the process I ran thru water and melted snow.Simply put when I tried to let the jacks down and I bent one of the screw assy. I never try to raise the unit,these type of jacks are only for stabilazation.Normaly I don't pull at night but my MOM was sick and I wanted to get there.

Fordzilla · 08-15-2005, 09:18 PM

I was new to these type of stabilizers while trying to put enough pressure on them to stop the annoying movement inside the trailer.

I always ran them down snug with a cordless drill and themn turned them three or four more turns for good measure. I took the jacks apart and bent the pieces back to straight. Now, the other thing I have learned is not to pile so many blocks under them before cranking them down. I was always under the impression that the less these were extended the better they worked. So, I always had 10-12 inches of blocks under each of these. Now, I have learned it stabilizes better if I only put one board under the jack pad and let them be fully extended. It has seemed to help a bunch with the movement every time someone moves inside the trailer.

Montana_2785 · 08-16-2005, 02:08 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Fordzilla

[...] I took the jacks apart and bent the pieces back to straight. [...]

My old TT sagged in the back so I was used to more pressure than the Monty needs. When I bent my brace parts back, I heated them up with a torch first, straightened, then heated them up to a bright red (you want to heat until the steel looses its attraction to a magnet) then quenched in cold water. Hopfully, that added some heat treatment back...

Eric

Fordzilla · 08-16-2005, 05:42 AM

Thanks Eric, I will try that if they bend again. This time I just put them in a vise and tightened it down until they were straight. I was thinking I may need to do something to make them stronger anyway. This will do the trick next time.

Montana_2785 · 08-16-2005, 06:28 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Fordzilla

Thanks Eric, I will try that if they bend again. This time I just put them in a vise and tightened it down until they were straight. I was thinking I may need to do something to make them stronger anyway. This will do the trick next time.

Well, so far they are holding, but I've only been out a couple of times since I made the fix...

Eric

RADHAZJOE · 08-16-2005, 10:39 PM

can the power jacks fro CW be used as levelers if the 5W is just a little out of level, say 1 inch list to stbd?

Fordzilla · 08-17-2005, 12:41 AM

They claim they can be used to lift 6000 pounds per side. Must be a lot sturdier than the ones that we manually crank down.

richfaa · 08-17-2005, 02:47 AM

I am confused,,These are supposed to be STABILIZER JACKS..they are not meant to jack up anything.Are you saying that the Stabilizer jacks on the Montana are NOT strong enough to stabilize the RV. If so will NOT order them on the Rv when we order it???

NJ Hillbilly · 08-17-2005, 02:48 AM

The only problem with trying to level with them is that the front will stay in the same place. The raising of a rear corner will twist the frame and cause problems. If You want to lift the rear to take some load off the suspension to take away movement then yes, I wouldn't reccomend trying to level with them since the front jacks don't operate independently.

John

Montana_2785 · 08-17-2005, 03:58 AM

Rich, there are two different power jacks that I've seen on the market. One is, as you suggest, just a stabilizer. It won't have enough power or strength to lift any real weight. What Eagleone is refering to is a leveling jack that does have strength & power.

NJHillbilly is correct in that if you use a leveling jack at the end of a Montana and "crank'er up" it will do nasty things to the frame & body. Perhaps if a leveling jack was installed as close behind the axles as you could reasonably get it, it might be better. But then you still have the issue of the front jacks not moving with them and still twisting the frame & body.

I'd be careful of any powered jack that can lift a lot of weight. You may do damage if you are not careful...

Eric

Montana_882 · 08-17-2005, 04:48 PM

Howdy Again
First the jacks that I am refering to ( POWER TWIN 11 )are about five times heavier than the ones that came on my unit.In fact when I tried to get a new screw assy. I was told that they don't make my orignal ones any longer.The original ones on our 2004 were realy flimsy just as some of yours are.They stated they started makeing a heavier one in Jan of this year.The new ones from the same manufacture are about twice as strong,which really isn't saying a lot.
They sold me a pair at a good price as a replacement for my broken ones.I have them and I have been giveing consideration to installing them midway of the unit,but I decided to wait and see how these electric ones work.
The new Power twins 11 that I did installed are as I stated about five times heavier than the originals.The POWER TWIN 11'S are stabilizer jacks !! What most people don't realize is that our type of jacks lift more as the the angle between the jack foot and the frame gets wider.The wider the angle the more the jack can lift.
I have been reading that you can't raise the front of our units by only one side.Wrong,if one side needs to come up tp make a unit level all you need to do is drop yhe leg down on the low sie first,only do this while you are still hooked to the truck!!This willl raise the low side first and when you are almost level then release the oposite leg,once it is engaged the unit comes up level or close to it.
I have done this on both fifth wheels and I have NEVER had any oroblems with the frame.By doing this I can level the unit in all directions without any difficulty.

Montana_1197 · 08-17-2005, 06:33 PM

I was taught to first level left/right, then unhook and lower the nose a little below level. Then run the stablizer jacks down firm I use a cordless 3/8 drill, then bring the nose back up level. That seems to remove a lot of the trampoline effect. Anybody do it different? I was also taught to avoid more than 1 block/board/plate under the front jacks in case it moved while hooking/unhooking. that way it won't freefall very far and the boom won't be so big.

Montana_4256 · 08-18-2005, 06:22 PM

I'm with you, Don

RMccord · 08-24-2005, 01:55 PM

I have a question. The Power Twin II that Eagleone is mentioning should provide better stabiblity as they are facing at and angle outwards to the side of the trailer rather than straight down as the scizzor jacks on the unit do. This opposing stability should by itself help reduce some of the rocking effect. As far as lifting the trailer with them when they are capable of doing so and everyone saying it will harm the frame I am curious. These are mounted to the frame already. If jacking the rear up some is going to hurt the frame what the heck is it going to do to the frame to jack it up near the tires to fix or replace a flat? When I change a tire I only jack up the side with the flat and probably would have to raise it a great deal more than I would to level left to right a bit. I find it hard to imagine these frames are this fragile. I am very new and niave about this subject so some help here is appreciated.
I think even if these power jacks are only good to stabilize they should be more effective than the stock ones for a couple of reasons. Thier design opposes the opposite jack which should counter the rocking a great deal. They are beefier and in my mind even if only stabilizing probably better at doing it, plus I kind a like the motorized part. Should or may speed up the process of setting up the trailer once positioned correctly.
Straighten me out whereever I am wrong please.
Thaks

Broome101 · 08-24-2005, 02:33 PM

My two cents worth we use the stabilizers that came on the unit and took a lesson from Steve Regile and added scissor jack 6,lb capacity $70.00 for the pair at CW. Installed them about two feet or so behind the rear tire. You would not believe how much this helps take almost all of the bounce out of the unit especially when running the W/D.

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