I want a tongue box, but the jack is in the way!

[Cliffmeister2000]

I want a tongue box, but the jack is in the way.

As you can see in this photo (it's old, but is the best shot I have of the tongue) the tongue is 36 inches long, but it has a flip out of the way jack right in the middle of it!



Okay, it's actually 18 inches from the body when upright, so slightly closer to the truck than the cabin.

I've thought about making a 15" W tongue box, but I'd bash my knuckles cranking the jack.

What you can't see is a 1/2 inch thick plate welded on the tongue that the jack is bolted to.

So, the only idea I've come up with is getting a bolt on jack that doesn't rotate out of the way, and moving it way up toward the coupler. I juess I'd have to find one that raised up pretty good.

Knowing full well that many, if not most of you know more than I do about this stuff, I thought I'd ask for any other options I might not be thinking of?

[CliffinGA]

Cliff you might have to do what I'm planning on doing and that is to cut and extend your tongue. Mine is just so short that I'm going to cut mine and extend it out and add bracing to put the box on too it.

Cliff (the other one)

[Cliffmeister2000]

Thanks, Cliff. I considered that first, but the tongue is already 36 inches. How long can a tongue be before it causes issues?

I don't want my tongue to wag!

[doug hodder]

Maybe check with Fulton for a short jack. I've gotten the 600# ones total length is 20 inches from the bottom of the wheel to the top of the jack, fully retracted. 13" from the bottom of the wheel to the top of the frame. It's also a top winder, so you can lift the handle for a smaller cranking radius. Folded up...it tucks under the tongue box on the Voyager, but then I modified the bolt up feature and welded it on. As a side bar....you can also drill another lock-up hole that isn't exactly at 90 degrees if you have enough dolly wheel clearance. Just an idea. Doug

[CliffinGA]

Not sure bud I remeber as a kid my dad got tired obending the tongue on his boat and he added 4ft to it LOL!! Never had an issue towing it though! I'm adding 2' to mine but mine is just so short it needs it other wise I worry that if for some reason it gets side ways I'll crush the edge of it.

Cliff

[eamarquardt]

I don't want my tongue to wag!

Yer gonna get in trouble making statements like that! I had a tongue jack that had a tube welded to it that fit on a short tube that was to be welded to the trailer frame. It wouldn't be hard to adapt your existing tongue jack so it could be quickly pinned in place when required/removed for towing. A short piece of reciever tubing and a bit of 2" square tubing and a couple pieces of plate to mount it to your tongue.

A good reason to visit So. Cal.

Cheers,

Gus

[Miriam C.]

Jeff, Warpony, had a removable tongue so he used jack stands on the front and back of the trailer.

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Domar/TJ01RT.html

[caseydog]

Who says the tongue box has to be "on" the tongue?

Can you build a "shelf" up a bit higher on the front wall of your TD? You can always run a brace down to the tongue to support it, if necessary. Your jack will swing up under the shelf.

BTW, I took the handle off of my tongue jack, and use a cordless drill to crank it up and down (is that lazy, or what?). That might help -- you wouldn't need cranking clearance.


CD

[Gage]

Hey Cliff, this is what Martha did. Look closely.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Hey Cliff, this is what Martha did. Look closely.

That's clever! Does it lean to the right?

[afreegreek]

tongue jacks are for girls..

[Gage]

tongue jacks are for girls..

At least they have a teardrop.

[Cliffmeister2000]

I had a tongue jack that had a tube welded to it that fit on a short tube that was to be welded to the trailer frame. It wouldn't be hard to adapt your existing tongue jack so it could be quickly pinned in place when required/removed for towing. A short piece of reciever tubing and a bit of 2" square tubing and a couple pieces of plate to mount it to your tongue.

A good reason to visit So. Cal.

Cheers,

Gus

An interesting idea, Gus!

[S. Heisley]

Put the tongue box on each side of the jack with a small bridge-type area in the middle that allows room for the jack to be pulled down and up, sort of like this:
______
|' '_' '|
|_| |_|


(I hope you can picture what I'm trying to say. The single quote marks are just to hold the space as the forum program squeezes down empty areas. )

You wouldn't need a lot of area for the bridge, as the jack wheel is supposed to pull down and not be put up any higher than the tongue is, so you would still be able to make a pretty decent box.

[Cliffmeister2000]

I've thought that might work too, Sharon. I had dismissed it because I didn't want the gap in the middle to be as big as it would have to be to accommodate the crank.