Copper canyon front jacks

[charger]

Well all the hype about having trouble with the jacks is true, we just got our trailer home unhooked it, got it packed up, hooked it back up again, lifted the front jacks and blew the jack fuse the first time we used them! Oh well I guess we just keep a pocket full of fuses, unless some one knows of a way to cure this problem?

[SteveC7010]

Well all the hype about having trouble with the jacks is true, we just got our trailer home unhooked it, got it packed up, hooked it back up again, lifted the front jacks and blew the jack fuse the first time we used them! Oh well I guess we just keep a pocket full of fuses, unless some one knows of a way to cure this problem?

If you lift the jacks tight against the stop the motor will strain, pull too much current, and pop the fuse.

The cure is to mark the jacks just a half inch or so before the stop and never lift them higher. I used a bold Sharpie, but most anything will work.

If that does not solve the problem, there may be something else going on, but this is the most common issue with landing gear and fuses that I have heard about.

[Outbackmel]

I have a good view of the jacks while retracting. Am able to stop them "near" the top position. Many members have had similar issues with fuses blowing, including me. BUT, never hurts to have spare fuses handy, just in case...:eek:

[JRTJH]

Some owners have resorted to replacing the fuse with an automatic reset circuit breaker. Usually, as Steve said, if you don't run the jacks up to the stop, you won't overload the motor and the fuse will be OK. Frankly, I'd much rather blow a fuse than damage the gearbox. Fuses are about a dollar, but a gear box is about $300.

Steve recommended a marker to mark the spot to stop. I put reflective tape around my lower (inner) jack posts, so that when the reflective tape disappears, it's time to stop retracting. Actually, I've got two colors of tape. Yellow on top that goes inside the upper jack and red right below it. When the yellow gets close to the upper jack post, it's time to be careful, and when it disappears, and only red showing, it's time to STOP :)

[jol]

Some owners have resorted to replacing the fuse with an automatic reset circuit breaker. Usually, as Steve said, if you don't run the jacks up to the stop, you won't overload the motor and the fuse will be OK. Frankly, I'd much rather blow a fuse than damage the gearbox. Fuses are about a dollar, but a gear box is about $300.

Steve recommended a marker to mark the spot to stop. I put reflective tape around my lower (inner) jack posts, so that when the reflective tape disappears, it's time to stop retracting. Actually, I've got two colors of tape. Yellow on top that goes inside the upper jack and red right below it. When the yellow gets close to the upper jack post, it's time to be careful, and when it disappears, and only red showing, it's time to STOP :)


Okay now I see a new use for the orange reflective tape and the blue reflective tape

[Ayotte]

I have a 2012 cougar x-lite and I believe there is a breaker in the line-not a fuse. I painted a black line on the drivers side leg to leave about 1 inch before end of movement. seems to work ok.

[SteveC7010]

I have a 2012 cougar x-lite and I believe there is a breaker in the line-not a fuse.

Some have the breaker and some have the fuse. For anyone trying to locate the protection on your landing gear (or tongue jack), watch for either.

[Ruffus]

Hey Charger, I've had my Copper canyon going on three years and have had no jack problems at all. I never run them up all the way or down. I raise them a couple inches, pull the lock pin, push the extension up then raise the jacks until they just clear the spare tire. If the tire hits then the jacks won't. Good luck.

[08limited]

We had problems with our Cougar it ended up being a loose battery connection causing high amp draw but only when raising, I did change out fuse for a CB for peace of mind.

[JRTJH]

If you're looking for "ease of operation" and "reliability" changing the fuse for a circuit breaker will make it easier to operate the system if you're prone to blowing fuses, but many have never blown a fuse, so it's not really something to fret over. However, if you regularly get "close" to the upper or lower limit of travel, you may want to buy a couple of shear pins from your dealer and tape them to the crossbar between the left and right jacks. If you're in the middle of "nowhere" and happen not to blow a fuse when you hit the limit and just happen to shear the pin, you're not going anywhere unless you've got a pin or a "hardware substitute" such as a bolt or nail or ??? all of which don't offer the right shear strength and may possibly not support your jacks to retract them or worse, not shear if something locks up and destroy your gear box. Pins are about $2 each and if taped to the crossbar, they're always readily available if needed.

[charger]

Thank you to all the great ideas for not bottoming the jacks out. I will probably just wrap some reflective tape around them. Other than that one incident, we love our 5th wheel. I think I'm going to get the steady fast system to make the trailer a little more ridgid. Thanks again.