Please Help. Hitch tipped forward

[laurgo]

An unfortunate mishap when I tried to move my camper in the driveway and now the trailer hitch is on the ground.

Any thoughts about how to lift it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. I haven't attempted anything yet, but thought I get some expert opinion before I started. I can't be the only person this has happened to, can I?

I was thinking of using my car jack, but worry that I won't be able to stabilize it because of the angle.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have!!

Laura

[Dale M.]

If you cannot physically lift it... Get car jack, block wheels so it can not roll and lift tongue a few inches and put 2x4 block under it, preposition jack for stability, jack it up some more add another block... Repeat process till its back up to where you want it....

Dale

[Mary C]

welcome, are you talking about the hitch.....Ball on your car for that I recommend professional help now as far as the trailer hitch I have used a jack to lift it up. I used a system of boards and the jack and backed the car under. I am 65 years old I could not just lift. My TD trailer is fairly light the other thing is to put lots of weight on the back of the trailer, Fill up a cooler with water and set it on the back if that doesn't help put more weight on the very back the more weight on the back the easier to lift on the front. ..... think about a tetter totter. You want the weight behind the wheels. You can do this. I have had to do this with my boat trailer. It is a home made trailer with a very heavy pipe at the front. I have to move it every once in a while and it may take me an hour to get enough weight on the back but finally the front comes up . Good luck

Mary C.

[citylights]

The other advice already posted is good. Jack and block, jack and block.

When this crisis is over--- you need to get a tongue jack installed. That will prevent this from happening again. Tongue jacks are also so useful in pushing the teardrop around, leveling it, and connecting it to the tow vehicle.

Something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Fulton-Pounds-Swivel-Trailer-Tongue/dp/B003IHPR4G/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1403445827&sr=1-6&keywords=tongue+jack

[eggsalad]

Yes, a tongue jack is a grand idea if you can't lift the tongue by hand. That's quite possible if you have a 1500 lb trailer with 15% tongue weight - 225 lb is a lot to lift!

My tongue weight is 68 lbs. I lift it with one hand

[Mary C]

It has been several hours I sure hope you got the camper back up/

Mary C.

[Fyddler]

I had a similar experience while camping one night, I had a bolt on tongue jack that twisted while we were in the trailer, scared the hell out of us. I had to dig a hole under the tongue (luckily it was a dirt camp spot) and got the car jack under it enough to get it up. I went straight home and welded a tongue jack on! Hope you got your tongue up!

[ctstaas]

Please remember to play it safe while jacking and block your wheels.

[cherokeegeorge]

Is looking for a flour jack like going snipe hunting. Why would you need a jack to lift a bag of flour?

[Dale M.]

Kind of went right by you, didn't it....

Dale

[coop74]

a good cheater way to lift it if there is very little space is to put a deflated basketball under the crack formed by the tongue. Then inflate the basket ball. secure the wheels first however so the trailer will not move. This assumes you have a basketball and access to the needle and compressor. All of which can be bought at walmart ect. Will work with soccer ball too...

my two cents for a unique method.

[nevadatear]

Randy says remember you don't have to jack it up all the way at the front of the tongue. Put the jack back closer to the wheel, where there is some space between the ground and the frame. This gives you room to work.