Quick removal camper jacks?

[ETAV8R]

This does make removing the jacks much quicker.

 

[Vic Harder]

cool. Air tools make short work of the process too.

 

[DoGMAtix]

Great ideas and impressive work, all of you. I'm still wondering why you all feel the need to take the jacks off in the first place, though... We have a Hallmark with Happijacs and the jacks only stick out 3 inches beyond the sides of the camper, and the legs retract way up to where they're pretty much completely out of the way while driving. We've used the jacks while out on the road to jack the camper and truck up simultaneously to change a flat (camper jacks only to take the weight of the camper, OEM truck jack for the unloaded weight of the truck). We do have a Hi-Lift mounted to the rear platform for extrication purposes and could use that without using the camper jacks if we wanted, but I'm a bit leery of using the Hi-Lift as a go-to solution with the full rig. We've also used the jacks to drive the truck out from under the camper and reposition when it got torqued out of position on a rough road. And last but hardly least, we always put the jacks down when we camp to make the rig more stable. Especially helpful when it's windy.

 

[ETAV8R]

With a Tacoma every pound matters. No sense in taking the jacks. I've taken the camper places that hadhad the jacks been on it would have damaged the camper and/or jacks. I've never had want for the jacks on any trips.

 

[DoGMAtix]

I suppose an overloaded Tacoma would be a different story than our 3/4 ton diesel truck. Also seems we're from an area (or stick to roads) without those lurking jack hazards. Most of our trips are in 4 corners area - desert or southern Rocky Mtns. Having said that, we are equipped to remove the jacks on the road if we hit a stretch that's too narrow or whatnot. Would just put them right back on afterward, though, which is I guess the point of this post.
When exactly do people run into things with their jacks?

 

[ntsqd]

The jacks that came with our camper don't reach the ground on our stock height truck, but they do hang low enough to be a problem in some of the places that I've gone with the truck. I'd have to carry18"-24" of cribbage of some sort per jack for them to be useful.

 

[PackRat]

The end of my old Lance occurred when some kind soul made a U-turn and as he came around he clipped the LF jack and basically tore open the camper. Didn't stop, no note of course.

Rocks and branches might catch on them as well when out boondocking. If you are "Asphalt Camping" you should be OK.

 

[DoGMAtix]

I suppose it only takes once... maybe worth rethinking this and doing some strategic jack removal if there’s any question. But really we haven’t been in any situations that worried us, even on rough roads in the Maze district and jeep passes in CO. Saving minutes would not be important in our case, since we’d be out on the road with jacks often enough that a system that’s too easy to release may result in the jacks “walking”’ away. The hand-tightened/loosened knobs are definitely too slick and easy for our purposes. We always carry a Makita drill/driver for raising/lowering jacks anyway.

Edit: I just went out and looked at the jacks again - they really are bomber - the setup overall seems much better than the flimsier-looking ones pictured in most posts about jacks (the ones 4 wheel camper and Alaskan use, anyway). I wonder if anyone who owns a Hallmark takes their jacks off routinely? I'd tend to doubt it. The way they're fastened on with bolts pointing inward would require using a wrench, not an electric driver, but that's OK because I really don't think they're coming off except for once in a blue moon.