Question:
I want to replace four corner hydraulic jacks with either electric jacks
or mechanical screw type, operable with rechargeable drill/driver.
It is a matter of convenience for frequent loading and unloading.
I would like to hear pros and cons on electric and or mechanical versus
hydraulic jacks and any other related advice or experience you would
like to share.
Answer:
-I have the Atwood electric jacks on my camper and really love the ease of
use. The front 2 jacks have controls on the front left jack and the rear 2
jacks have controls on the rear left jack. I just walk back and forth
incrementally raising or lowering the camper without breaking a sweat. I
can load or unload my camper in 20 minutes. I've seen jacks with a little
remote control pad where you could run all jacks together. If the wife is
around, I can do the same thing. The only problem I've had is some noise in
one front jack, but mainly if I get too far out of level while jacking.
I can't think of any disadvantages except the big one of cost and maybe
higher weight.
I'd also suggest going to the slide-in forum at www.irv2.com . There's
been much discussion on jacks.
-My Elkhorn camper came with 4 mechanical jacks. After loading the camper a
couple of times, I worked out a deal with the dealer to trade for electric
jacks. The camper was prewired for electric jacks, so it was a simple
installation. The electric jacks are great. There is no effort involved and
most importantly for me, one person can load or unload the camper. You
really need to operate the jacks in pairs, to keep the camper stable and to
avoid uneven stress on the camper and jacks. I briefly considered the
electric drill idea, but would need 2 drills and 2 people, so this was not
practical. irv2.com has a slide in forum that is helpfull, and I am sure
jacks have been discussed there in the past.
