Using drill to raise/lower

[LACamper]

Newbie question: What do I need (other than a drill) to raise/lower my coleman popup with my drill? I've got a good 1/2" VSR electric, but how do I attach it?

[Recumbentman]

Newbie question: What do I need (other than a drill) to raise/lower my coleman popup with my drill? I've got a good 1/2" VSR electric, but how do I attach it?

You can use a Socket Jenie.   But I just bought a second crank handle and cut off the back end. works well and cost a lot less.

[LACamper]

You can use a Socket Jenie.   But I just bought a second crank handle and cut off the back end. works well and cost a lot less.

The back end of the crank fits in your drill? I haven't pulled mine out lately, but I remember the shaft being rather thick...

[tknick]

I bought an electric drill from Harbor Freight with adjustable torque and a "T" handle (Drill) and a spare crank handle from fleetwood and it fit just fine.  IIRC I got the drill on sale for $39.99 and the crank handle for about $8.  Because I got the extra crank handle, I didn't have to worry about the fact that the socket jeanie no long works on the stablizer jacks.  I can use mine for both....

I also do not use the drill to raise the roof completely.  Just most of the way.  I do not want to accidently crank the thing up so fast I break a cable or the entire lift system.  The drill just eliminates the majority of the cranking.  Coming down is the same story.  I use the drill to get close, but finish the job with hand cranking.  The jacks are another story.  I'll use the drill all the way up or down.  It's pretty hard to hurt them

travis

[badabing67]

i use something like a socket genie but mine came from the Coleman Dealer and was 15 -16 dollars. it raises the roof and the levelers. I also use a craftsman 1/2" 19.2 volt cordless drill that's rated at 410 inch pounds of torque. I used to use it on our 30 ft TT to raise and lower the jacks. It does great on the roof, I just pay attention to each end of travel so as not to over crank the top either way.

[no_draws]

Is there any change of cranking "TOO FAST" with this approach? I have a new 2007 Jayco Select 12 HW and I had thought about this but being new to PUP's I wasn't sure if I was trying to get too far ahead of myself. I love it for the jacks, the guy at the dealership showed me that "trick"...

On that subject, how much load do you guys and gals put on the jacks when you set up your camper? I've only taken mine out once and I pretty much just lowered the jacks until they pressed into the dirt so as not to load it. It was fairly level ground. Are you supposed to use them to actually level the trailer or do yo udo that with blocks under the wheels and then just hold is stable with the corner jacks? If this has been answered in another post I'll gladly hide in shame. Also do you leave the tongue jack in play or do you raise it out of the way?

[wavery]

Is there any change of cranking "TOO FAST" with this approach? I have a new 2007 Jayco Select 12 HW and I had thought about this but being new to PUP's I wawsn't sure if I was trying to get too far ahead of myself. I love it for the jacks, the guy at the dealership showed me that "trick"... I wish the thing came with a bit for that..

On that subject, how much load do you guys and gals put on the jacks when you set up your camper? I've only taken mine out once and I pretty much just lowered the jacks until they pressed into the dirt so as not to load it. It was fairly level ground. Are you supposed to use them to actually level the trailer or do yo udo that with blocks under the wheels and then just hold is stable with the corner jacks? If this has been answered in another post I'll gladly hide in shame. Also do you leave the tongue jack in play or do you raise it out of the way?

You need only put enough pressure on the jacks to just stabilize the camper. Putting too much pressure on the jacks can actually bend the frame on your PU.

[no_draws]

You need only put enough pressure on the jacks to just stabilize the camper. Putting too much pressure on the jacks can actually bend the frame on your PU.

That's kind of what I was thinking but wasn't too sure. I figured I would err on the side of caution.

Thanks,

Jeff

[tknick]

the "jacks" on the corner of your PUP are for stablizing only and NOT for lifting.  Although the jacks are probably more than capable of lifting your PUP off of the ground, the frame of the PUP is not designed to handle the twisting loads jacking the corners up would place on it.  You must level the PUP left to right using the wheels.  You can lift the low side wheel using wood blocks, lynx levelers, BAL leveler, etc.  After you've leveled left to right, you level front to back using the tongue jack.  Once everything is level, then you put the stabilizers down so that when you walk around and climb in the bunkends the PUP doesn't rock around.

So, to actually answer your question, just put them down until you seat them firmly in the ground (or on a board or anything else you've placed under the foot) and take out any movement on that particular corner of the trailer.

As for going too fast, I don't think you can crank the roof up too fast.  The problem would be getting to the top too fast, not being able to stop and overcranking the top.  My drill doesn't stop instantly and so when I get close I remove it and switch to the hand crank.

You won't hurt the jacks with the drill, but you could hurt the lift system.

travis

[Toby]

I was thinking of buying the socket jennie myself but I just cant get it out of my mind that using a drill to crank up the lift would be to fast and cause excessive wear on the gears wearing them prematurely.  Am I over thinking this I do this to my self all the time.  


Toby

[tknick]

you need a variable speed drill.  the purpose is to eliminate the tedious cranking, not to raise the roof quickly.  don't get me wrong, it is quicker, but i go pretty slow with my drill.  better safe than sorry

travis