Help me choose a new trailer tongue jack

Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I've never bought one by itself before, so it's not something I have ever given much thought to, or had any experience with. I've sifted through dozens of them on etrailer and other sites, but have not been able to make a decision.

This is for our C22 trailer, which has a tongue weight of about 350 pounds, but I wouldn't mind having one rated for substantially more. It's a fairly critical piece of equipment, as far as I'm concerned. 90% of what we do is in salt water, so resistance to rust and corrosion is as important as structural strength. I'm willing to open my wallet pretty wide if necessary.

Any thoughts? Brands to look for, or avoid?

Am I overthinking it? :D
 
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
A sidewinder is nice, you have less chance of banging your knuckles against truck tailgates, and one that tips up to give more ground clearance. A wheel on the bottom is nice also, but then tend to roll on smooth surfaces only.
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
I've had a few different ones on various trailers over the years but have never bought one, so I've never paid much attention to the specs. I would say try to get the longest stroke you can find that will fit. You want to be able to get it up as high as possible for clearance when towing, but also be able to reach the ground and still have some jacking stroke left. Unless you have to move the trailer around a lot when it's empty I wouldn't bother with a wheel. They're great for shuttling an empty trailer around the driveway but it would be difficult (and probably not very safe) to try to roll the trailer around with a C22 on it.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
We go through a lot of them the Fulton one seem to last longer than the Reese ones. Make sure you get the one with the zerks to grease it whenever you have the grease gun handy. I put the one with the larger wheel on my boat it makes it much easier to push the trailer around if you need to do that from time to time I t also has a higher lift which was another benefit. The first failure for many of ours is the bolt that the wheel rides on rusts, swells and cracks the wheel. Ours sit in sand which probably accelerates that process if you take that apart on occasion and knock the rust off and grease it will probably last longer greasing the gears helps too.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
This is a timely thread. I'll be watching it as well. I've been thinking of getting two extra jacks for the back two corners of the trailer so I can jack the tires off of the ground an inch when the trailer is sitting for a long time. But then... I wonder if that is a necessary precaution. I'm thinking that if it was a good idea, people would already be doing it.
 

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
This is a timely thread. I'll be watching it as well. I've been thinking of getting two extra jacks for the back two corners of the trailer so I can jack the tires off of the ground an inch when the trailer is sitting for a long time. But then... I wonder if that is a necessary precaution. I'm thinking that if it was a good idea, people would already be doing it.
Or you could be the first to think of it. My car jack works but dang it’d be cool to have one on both sides.
 
  • Like
Likes: rgranger
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
This is a timely thread. I'll be watching it as well. I've been thinking of getting two extra jacks for the back two corners of the trailer so I can jack the tires off of the ground an inch when the trailer is sitting for a long time. But then... I wonder if that is a necessary precaution. I'm thinking that if it was a good idea, people would already be doing it.
Yup, that works good, I welded one on each corner of mine when I built it.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Likes: rgranger
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
I've been thinking of getting two extra jacks for the back two corners of the trailer so I can jack the tires off of the ground an inch when the trailer is sitting for a long time
Careful, most trailers are not made to support the weight that far out and from a single point.
 
  • Like
Likes: justsomeguy
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Unless you have to move the trailer around a lot when it's empty I wouldn't bother with a wheel.
That's something I had not considered. Mine has a wheel, but I have very little use for it, now that I think about it.

We go through a lot of them the Fulton ones seem to last longer than the Reese ones.
Noted. Thank you.
 

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Careful, most trailers are not made to support the weight that far out and from a single point.
Good thinkin’, Batman. How about putting jack stands under the axles? (Just a question. I’m just axin’.)
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Look at a swing away adjustable height tongue jack with two wheels. If tires are sitting in direct sunlight, you might want to consider tire covers
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
I went with the double wheel Harbor freight one as I do roll the trailer a lot with the boat on it. I figured it would last a number of years before replacement and at only $30 I would get my money out of it. So far its been 2 years rolling on gravel, concrete, and grass(empty) with no issues. Just lower the jack fully before you push the boat.

https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...wheel-swing-back-boat-trailer-jack-67500.html

Also I put my old jack with worn out wheel on the back left corner so I can work in the boat without it attached to the truck and not worry about it tipping back. A trick I learned from the main Brace articles.

In the end I would not spend much on the jack as it gets submerged often when I launch with the extension for my wing keel so no jack will last forever.
 

AaronD

.
Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
I've had this one for a couple seasons now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CE0FRO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It gets dunked in salt water a couple times a year, so it probably won't last forever, but for ~$35, I have no complaints. The wheels roll well enough that I can push the boat around a bit by hand on my shop floor. Enough to snug it up tighter to the shop wall than I can manage with a tow rig (I'd have a straighter shot backing in if I wasn't under orders to avoid the flowerbed :)
 

LloydB

.
Jan 15, 2006
804
Macgregor 22 Silverton
I store my boat in the back yard on dirt so during wetter years it sinks a bit. One year i found a trailer dolly on sale for ~$50 at HF after my wheel jack rolled off the tile that was keeping it too from sinking. With the 600 lb rating you can lever the tongue off the ground even when the ball socket is at ground level. I plan on taking it with me if ever going to a shallow ramp to help me launch.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Only the tongue need to be jackable. Simple drop legs ( or jack stands) in the back. Put the tongue on the ground, drop the rear legs and secure. Now jack up the front. The wheels will come off the ground. Lots cheaper and simpler. (I thought of soo many things to say about frog tongues, but I held mine for you Kermit.