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Old 11-16-2006, 03:06 PM   #6
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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Walter -

Not to flog a dead horse, but ...

I use the drill-and-Allen-wrench approach, and I never have to actually get down on my knees. I just squat.

I saw another approach a while back - can't remember where. Someone had bought a 2-foot length of 1/4" round steel rod from a hardware store, put the last inch of one end into a vise, and bent/hammered it to a right angle. At the other end he filed the round rod into a triangle shape, so the chuck of the drill could grip it. The idea was that while standing, you could insert the bent end into the jack socket, then squeeze the trigger and crank from a standing position. I tried it and it worked after a fashion, but it ran kind of rough since the rod really should extend straight out from the jack socket.

I thought about putting a universal joint into the short end of the rod, but never got around to trying it. Or maybe using a flexible shaft like these.
www.mcmaster.com, then put "1083" into the Find box.
Kind of expensive, but certainly cheaper than a $1500 set of electric jacks from Camping World!

Quote:
I have been leveling the TM using the hand crank, rather than bothering to unpack the drill and Jenie bit.
Hmmm. I carry a cardboard box way at the rear of my tow vehicle. In the box, I carry everything needed for the hitch/unhitch process. Things like the springbar lift handle, hitch safety clip, a tube of grease and a can of oil for the hitch ball and the springbar stubs, hitchball rubber cover, rubber gloves, paper towels - you know the kind of stuff I mean. It is all instantly accessible when the tailgate is opened. In this box I also carry the drill, with the Allen wrench already chucked in it. So there is no such thing as "unpack the drill and bit". It takes about the same amount of time to grab the drill and lower all four stabilizers as it would take me to open the TM's bumper storage bin and grab the manual crank.

YMMV, of course.

Bill
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