Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Tow Vehicles
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-26-2014, 01:15 AM   #1
Richard6959
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 127
Can't open my tailgate - Tongue jack is in the way

So on my new TT when I am hooked up I can't open my tail gate. Is there a way to correct this?
__________________
4-Bear's (Britt-Marie, Emma, Amanda, Richard)
2010 Ram 1500 Big Horn, 5.7L HEMI
2014 Keystone Laredo 320TG
Richard6959 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 03:33 AM   #2
x96mnn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 502
Depending in the hitch and the toung weight you may be able to. I had a reese hitch that had a long shank and two connection points. The furthest back was rated for 1500pds while extending it rated it for a 1000pds. My first trailer it was no issues with a toung weight in the 600pd area but my second one was cutting it too close.
__________________
2008 Jeep Liberty
RVision TS25s
2011 Ram 4x4 Hemi, Airlift 1000' e rated tires
2012 Sprinter 266
2014 RAM 6.7 Cummins Diesel
2015 Sandpiper 30IOK

All I care about is camping, maybe three people and beer!
x96mnn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 04:27 AM   #3
{tpc}
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Berkley
Posts: 750
I don't recall which maker of tongue jacks but I have heard there is one that is shorter? Or maybe longer? that helps with this situation. I have also heard on some brands, husky I think , you can rotate how it is mounted to help as well.

With my wifes truck, an envoy, it opens just fine. We don't pull with that anymore, and with my tahoe I can't. In fact I am always mindful to disable to auto opening thing so I don't accidentally mess something up. Thankfully for have glass that opens in the back for access when we need it.

Just realized you have a pickup. So maybe rotating the jack 90 degrees would help?
__________________
2022 Ford F150 3.5 Ecoboost SCrew 4x4 MaxTow
2020 Salem Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 25RBHL
{tpc} is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 05:44 AM   #4
BOWWOW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: colorado
Posts: 209
Maybe try a fifth wheel air gate, unless you have a topper.
Upside it might also weigh less.
__________________
2007.5 Silverado 3500 HD,DRW, LTZ red, afe II airbox w/ torque tube, transferflow 56 gal replacement tank,
banks speed brake, transgo jr shiftkit, aux trans cooler, b&w companion hitch.

2010 Fuzion FZ 302 has 12ply F-loads, Dexter ez-flex w/ wet bolts, 6 volt Deka GC 15 batteries, 1 gen battery, solarpanels, leds inside, replaced clear textured door glass with tinted, 87 gallons of loc-tite.
Decals removed.
AKA CONFUZION / PORH HONKY.
BOWWOW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 10:00 AM   #5
Katt
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 14
I use to have this problem until I bought an Atwood power tongue jack. The power unit is up higher and it allows me to lower my tailgate with about a 1/4" of clearance.
__________________
2012 Cougar X-Lite 28RBS
Ford F150 FX4 Crew 5.4L 3.73 Rear
Equalizer Hitch
Prodigy 3 Brake Controller
Firestone Air Ride and Compressor
Katt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 10:26 AM   #6
crohill
Member
 
crohill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 45
What kind of truck do you have...I had this issue with a GMC Yukon.
__________________
https://www.keystonerv.org/forums/pic...pictureid=2777

2014 Keystone Passport 2920BH

2005 GMC Yukon 5.3L 3.42 ratio with trans cool and
Heavy Duty Tow Package

Pro Series WD Hitch with Dual Sway Bars.

Previous trailer was 2006 Fleetwood Orbit hybrid 20'
crohill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 05:38 PM   #7
tech740
Senior Member
 
tech740's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hemlock
Posts: 816
I think it varies by truck. I had a Silverado and mine worked fine. Now I have a F150 and the tailgate is physically taller. Rotating it won't help on my case. Not sure about the dodge lineup.
__________________
R.J. and Ginger

2019 Ram 3500 6.7 HO, Aisin Trans 3:73
Reese Goosebox
2019 Sandpiper 379FLOK
tech740 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2014, 05:50 PM   #8
wayfun
Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central KY
Posts: 79
I couldn't open the lift gate on my Tahoe due to it hitting the jack. I drilled new holes in the jack flange and rotated it 180 degrees and obtained about 1/2 and inch of clearance.

Dennis
wayfun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2014, 03:52 AM   #9
davidjsimons
Senior Member
 
davidjsimons's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Virginia
Posts: 865
I could not open the tailgate on my Dodge either. I replaced my tongue jack with a 24" stroke Barker 3500 VIP, rotated the head 90 degrees and now my gate opens with plenty of clearance.
davidjsimons is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2014, 06:21 AM   #10
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,839
Quote:
Originally Posted by tech740 View Post
I think it varies by truck. I had a Silverado and mine worked fine. Now I have a F150 and the tailgate is physically taller. Rotating it won't help on my case. Not sure about the dodge lineup.
It does vary by truck and/or by hitch (as well as by trailer)

The tailgate height transforms to tailgate "length" when open. The taller the bed rails/tailgate, the more it will extend when the tailgate is down.

The hitch receiver is permanently mounted to the truck frame. It won't move, but the hitch head that inserts into the receiver can vary in length. The closer the hitch head (ball) sits to the truck, the closer it will position the trailer A frame to the tailgate. There are available hitch heads with more than one hole for the hitch pin. If you have an adjustable hitch head, moving it back may give added clearance. If you do this, check your hitch as some weight limits are changed on some hitches. Also, the further from the rear axle the ball sits, the greater the chance of sway, so you may find it won't work for you.

The trailer A frame is almost as "personalized" as human fingerprints. Almost every trailer brand has a slightly different configuration and where the hole is drilled for the jack can vary as much as a couple of feet or as little as an inch or so.... Many times, it's possible to have another plate welded behind the existing one, remount the jack and gain significant clearance. Or, as stated, simply turning it 120 degrees can make for enough clearance.

No matter the reason, being able to get into the bed of the truck without damaging it by hitting the trailer jack is a necessity for most campers. There are solutions, depending on the distance, it is probably not as difficult as it might seem.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2014, 08:19 PM   #11
sibwolf
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Langley, BC
Posts: 11
I have same problem. Bought a longer shank. Simple fix. I don't recall the brand, maybe curt. But now I can fully open tailgate.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
sibwolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2014, 11:04 PM   #12
golfpro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Hermiston or
Posts: 128
you should check to see if the head of the jack will or can be turn to the side position so it will clear the tailgate.
golfpro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2014, 09:47 AM   #13
mflrjhn
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 7
I ran into the same problem. Also I carry a golf cart in the bed and the rear seat footrest goes beyond the jack area. I moved my propane tanks, jack and battery back 12" . Fabricated new brackets and jack mounting plate. The ball mount I used was a curt D900 from etrailer. If I remember correctly the ball mount gave me an extra 7" over a normal length. That alone would probably give you enough.
http://www.etrailer.com/p-D900.html
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_20140925_131316730_HDR.jpg
Views:	597
Size:	97.7 KB
ID:	7202  
mflrjhn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2014, 11:46 AM   #14
Richard6959
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 127
I was successfully able to spin the head of my jack so now I have the necessary clearance. It only took about 45 minutes and was a little hairy as I wasn't sure what I was doing.

I first placed a jack under the tongue since I didn't know if the integrity of the jack would be compromised while working on it. I then unscrewed the top plastic cover, then the top of the jack. The jack would not spin, so I lifted the head and the attached screw up about 6 inches and heard a metallic clunk down in the shaft. That is when i got worried. I was then able to turn the head to face the rear. When I tried to set it back down into place it wouldn't go. So with some help we bumped the switch a couple of time to get the shaft turning a little at the time. about a half turn later, the screw/shaft fell right into place again. I bolted everything down again and test the jack. All seems well.

Thanks everyone for the tips.
__________________
4-Bear's (Britt-Marie, Emma, Amanda, Richard)
2010 Ram 1500 Big Horn, 5.7L HEMI
2014 Keystone Laredo 320TG
Richard6959 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2014, 11:48 AM   #15
Richard6959
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 127
I should have mentioned, the bolt patters didn't allow me to spin the whole jack. Also, I mounting plate was not square so turning it to the side was not an option. I had to spin it 180 degrees.
__________________
4-Bear's (Britt-Marie, Emma, Amanda, Richard)
2010 Ram 1500 Big Horn, 5.7L HEMI
2014 Keystone Laredo 320TG
Richard6959 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2014, 05:34 PM   #16
billandjan
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Hayden, ID
Posts: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by sibwolf View Post
I have same problem. Bought a longer shank. Simple fix. I don't recall the brand, maybe curt. But now I can fully open tailgate.
I had the same solution. Eaz-Lift had a long shank to solve the problem.
billandjan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.