Better jack wheel?

lkc001

Hello all--just wondering if anyone has replaced their jack wheel with something a bit wider or a different type of rubber that is more like a tire (still only 6" diameter) so that it rolls better?  I was not happy with the way the standard wheel rolled on my concrete driveway.  The jack wheel I had on my old little popup trailer was easier to get pointed in the right direction than this one.  I was expecting this trailer to turn easily as many people here have said it does, and I did not find that to be the case--I had to work to get the wheel going into the 90 degree pivot I was making in my driveway to get it into it's spot.    I checked Harbor Freight and they didn't have anything that was 6" diameter with the hole in the short post to run the pin through.

Also--is this a 2" diameter post?

BogieMeister

This may not be the answer you are looking for, but be advised that I purchased the dual wheel jack from harbor freight thinking that it would make maneuvering easier. It actually made it worse. 

Luckyj

I am curious, when you are manualy pushing and moving your trailer, is it level?  And what kind of tongue weight do you have on it?

Sharon_is_SAM

We use a heavy, nylon, dual caster wheel (?Amazon?) and it is easy to turn on our driveway.  We got it after trying to move the TaB in a sandy campsite with the single wheel.  

pthomas745

Here are some jack wheel mod threads:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=QNavXIGiAo_c-gSF_ruYCQ&q=jack+wheel+mod+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&oq=jack+wheel+mod+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2693.10898..11731...0.0..0.371.2272.29j3-1......0....1..gws-wiz.1w-EQuAG4GM

lkc001

@Luckyj I had the trailer a little nose high & have the spare, propane tank & battery in the front tub

Luckyj

lkc001 said:

@Luckyj I had the trailer a little nose high & have the spare, propane tank & battery in the front tub

Nose hight could make it a little harder to rotate, changing the angle a bit.  But could be marginal.  As for tongue weight, having all those could make it heavy, but it all comes down to how much does it weight.  This is all related to how your load is arange in your trailer.  Did you ever mesure your tongue weight?

lkc001

Have not measured tongue weight because I've just started going thru my camping equipment, paring it down & finding places for things, so it isn't loaded yet.  The tongue weight would be whatever Propane tank is (35-40?) + spare (40?) + battery (50?)+  plus whatever is standard weight that the hitch/jockey wheel would be.

I believe it's the crappy jockey wheel that's the problem.  I'm going to have to change it out to something else.

Thanks to everyone for your ideas and thread links!

lkc001

@Sharon_is_SAM is it this one from Amazon by any chance?  https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Wheel-Trailer-2000LB-Capacity/dp/B07MWHZGGX/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=dual+caster+wheel&qid=1555081380&s=gateway&sr=8-10

ckjs

I got this caster+brake (after forgetting to remove the original jack wheel and bending its mounting “pipe”):

    https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660371_200660371

and attached it to this plate:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QEJ6UQ

The ball bearings are very smooth and allow us to easily move the T@b on our driveway. The stock wheel took considerably more  force than my weak joints can deliver.

Sharon_is_SAM

@lkc001, could be.  We can’t remember where we got it, but that looks the same.  

lkc001

@ckjs. Does that foot have holes to mount the caster or did you have to drill?

Tabbieannecamper

Ikc001

Read your post about front jack wheels. Last your I went to Farm and Fleet in northern Illinois(southern Wisconsin) and purchased two softer 6in wheels and a long bolt. I put one on each side of the hard plastic wheel. Our camper moves a lot easier, even on grass. The wheels are out there, most farm supply stores will have them. Good luck.

Gary/ 2015 T@b MaxS 2016 Toyota 4-Runner

GibW

We use this. Very light.  No need to remove when traveling. Easy to move the tongue around on a variety of surfaces.
https://www.amazon.com/Curt-Manufacturing-28272-CURT-Jack/dp/B004QEJ6UQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2Y3WAVUZQ9V7U&keywords=jack+foot+plate&qid=1555116066&s=gateway&sprefix=Jack+foot&sr=8-3

ckjs

@lkc001 : That foot plate (the same one mentioned by @GibW) does not have any holes. The swivel caster’s plate did.

ScottG

ckjs said:

@lkc001 : That foot plate (the same one mentioned by @GibW) does not have any holes. The swivel caster’s plate did.

@ckjs, What holes are you referring to? The one in @GibW's link shows holes for securing the foot to the pipe with the pin.

I'm interested in getting this item. Can someone who has it confirm that the holes in the foot line up with the holes on the jack pipe? I can drill if I have to, but I'd rather not...

dsfdogs

@ScottG you are interested in getting the footplate posted in @GibW's link? I I think I have this brand, or a Bal brand foot plate. I just looked at mine and no brand listed and looks identical to this one and yes, holes line up. I  bought it last year as I found most of the time in camp, I couldn't get the wheel on. I am not able to move it around like a wheel though. Maybe a minor budge is about it for me.

ScottG

Thank, @dfsdogs. I don't particularly care which brand I get, as they all work the same. Now I just use a block of wood, but this seems a bit more elegant. I also sometime have trouble getting the wheel on in uneven camp sites.

lkc001

@ckjs  I would also be interested if anyone has found one of the flat footplates with holes in it that match up with that caster?  I'm talking about holes in the bottom of the footplate, not on the post part where the pin goes through.  What kind of a drill bit did you have to use to drill holes in the fooltplate?

ckjs

@lck001

I drilled the bottom of the footplate with a 1/4” twist bit (nothing fancy) for bolts hefty enough to match the caster. I didn’t look for a plate with pre-drilled holes in its foot. 

As @dfsdogs said, the footplate tube fit right into the jack tube, pin and all. 

ScottG

Ahhh, looking back, now I get it, you want to use the foot as an connector between a caster wheel and the jack tube.

@lkc001, since this is an improvised use of the foot plate, I suspect you will be hard pressed to find one with pre-drilled holes right where you want them.

DenisP

I have used two different feet for my 400 in place of the wheel and both had matching holes which appear standard for the jacks.