Trailer jack and trailer neck toolbox clearance issues

[Hay Dude]

Getting my 7K Retco trailer ready for use for the mowing season.
It has a typical top crank jack handle, but it leaves only 15” of space between top handle swing arc and the front trailer guard rail.
This leaves me no room for most trailer toolboxes which are at least 18” front to back. My hands hit the front of any would-be trailer toolboxes as most are 18-20”.
Has anyone found a taller/deeper toolbox?
The Buyers “triangular” plastic toolbox on my little single axle is perfect…my single axle has more clearance between front of trailer & it’s’ jack.
I am running out of options on tool boxes and have started to think “outside the box” (no pun intended).
Should I replace top-wind jack with another jack instead? There are limitations to clearance for them, too.

Any other ideas? Placing tool box on the front of the trailer deck is NOT an option.
Inevitably, it will get smashed by mowers and I don’t want to sacrifice the space, either.

I also found this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNLYS2...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[Hay Dude]

 

[2manyrocks]

Electric jack or maybe a sidewinder if the handle would clear. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/bulldog-side-wind-round-a-frame-trailer-jack

 

[groundcover]

I changed to one of these, that and a 1/2" cordless drill will change your world !

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Trailer-Valet/TV64FR.html

 

[Hay Dude]

I changed to one of these, that and a 1/2" cordless drill will change your world !

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Trailer-Valet/TV64FR.html

I like that one, but I don’t know how it would mount on a typical “V” trailer neck.

 

[Hay Dude]

Electric jack or maybe a sidewinder if the handle would clear. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/bulldog-side-wind-round-a-frame-trailer-jack

I think sidewinder might still contact front of tool box.

Review on the Lippert Electric

 

[2manyrocks]

The crank handle is oriented right towards the hitch. It will clear the tool box. Could be harder to reach to crank.

Another idea would be to see if you could reweld the collar lower on your present jack so the crank handle clears the top of your tool box.

 

[Hay Dude]

The crank handle is oriented right towards the hitch. It will clear the tool box. Could be harder to reach to crank.

Another idea would be to see if you could reweld the collar lower on your present jack so the crank handle clears the top of your tool box.

Yes I tried to find a taller jack (above mounting flange) Would prefer not to make a mess grinding welds and re-welding.

 

[2manyrocks]

How much higher would you have to raise your present jack to clear your tool box?

 

[Hay Dude]

How much higher would you have to raise your present jack to clear your tool box?

Probably at least 6”
Current handle is about 12” above trailer frame. Tool box I have is 18” tall.

I ordered the drill powered jack from amazon. I always have a cordless drill in my truck, so it should be ok.

 

[dstig1]

I guess it depends how deep you want to get into customization. You could custom make a tool box with proper clearance - either make it shallow enough all around or allow for the swing of the handle just in that area.

You could probably fab up a shaft extension for the jack where you pull the handle off, add on an appropriate extension and then put the handle back on but higher up. I would bet the extension would not be too hard to do, but I can't tell from what little I can see of the jack.

Or maybe combine a couple of these ideas here and take the handle off and put on something in its place that you can drive with your cordless drill.

I have also seen jacks mounted at the front rail of the bed with an extension out to the side so you crank it standing out next to the front corner of the bed. They have a 90 deg turn box built into it to do that.

 

[Joel/ak]

I hate those "mounted" Jack's at the tip of the V. They seem to always hit the tailgate if I need to open it.

I always switch them out with a retractable jack or in the past I have mounted 2 retractable Jack's, one at each corner on the front of trailer. Kinda PIA but it works and nothing on the tongue

 

[Hay Dude]

Mounted the Lippert Jack and then mounted toolbox. Manual crank is obstructed, but I can use 3/4” socket and cordless drill to attach/detach trailer.
Tried it a few times and it seems to work well.
I would prefer full use of the manual crank in case no drill, but the need for the toolbox was greater.
In a desperate situation I could do 1/2 cranks by flipping the handle, or remove the toolbox to allow full swing.

 

[grsthegreat]

i made my own custom tool box on my old trailer similar to yours. i simply added an electric jack inplace of the old handled one. instead of adding a battery, i wired jack into pigtail wiring so it only worked when trailer was plugged in.

 

[bcp]

Maybe:

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/etrailer/TJA-5000S-B.html

Bruce

 

[grsthegreat]

also, watch out about adding a taller jack, found out the hard way when the tailgate hit it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Maybe:

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/etrailer/TJA-5000S-B.html

Bruce

I’m almost certain a side winder would hit tool box, too.

 

[bcp]

Rotate it 90 degrees so it is a front winder.

Bruce

 

[2manyrocks]

It could be awkward to wind a front winder if there isn't much space to operate the crank handle between the tailgate and the jack.

Rather than rely on a cordless drill battery to always be charged, I'd think about keeping a ratchet wrench with the right socket in the toolbox.

 

[flyerdan]

Could you make an extension tube that slips over the sliding spline that the handle is on and relocate the handle to the top of it? It would need to have a floating outer tube with a big washer or similar to provide the upward force to engage the splines unless you can shim under it or find some kind of spring that would work, like a miniature clutch fingers spring.