Rotating the Lippert Tongue Jack - Full Time RV Living

[@davejohnson6211]

Paper towel - great idea! Love what I can see of the nature around the campsite.

[@jumpoffjoe6572]

AWESOME!! Thank you for the tip. A serious oversight by trailer manufactures but an easy fix. Going out to do mine now! You made it look so easy!

[@MikeS-m9i]

Replaced my 2019 Lippert tongue jack (binding) with the same one but the new jack had no pre-drilled holes as others have mentioned. The 15/16 tap works with a 1/4 drill bit for pre-drilling the hole. I found a good tap wrench @ Napa Auto parts $15 (one that takes 1/4 to 1/2). The key I found was after the first hole, put head back on, tighten and scratch the new hole with awl. Thanks for the video!

[@ronfox2886]

I followed your video to rotate the jack and it worked like a charm! It was the simple solution to my new 2022 Silverado tailgate issue. Thanks.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Glad it helped Ron! It was a game changer for us!

[@brucegoodman6743]

This was really very helpful. What would have been nice is if Lippert had pre-drilled the holes for the sideways turn. I lined them up as well as I could, but still didn't hit the mark on one of them... In hindsight, if I'd realized that there were no holes pre-drilled, I'd have done pilot holes and them drilled them out... But it works, and now my tailgate will come down. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Glad this helped! I guess we were lucky that ours was pre drilled. Sure is nice to be able to put the tail gate down!!

[@Jim-vi4hh]

Thanks for sharing. It is surprising how easy it is to fix this to accommodate a truck tailgate. I am glad my lift was pre-drilled. Too bad the manufacturers did not tap these holes and save us a trip to the hardware store and the expense of buying a tap that we will never use again. I wish I would have investigated this fix four years ago!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for watching Jim! I agree it's so silly those holes are not pre tapped. The newer jacks don't even have the additional holes!

[@reggiepoplin126]

This is what I was looking for! Thanks so much.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

You’re very welcome!! If you haven’t already please consider subscribing to our channel as it really helps us out! If you already have thank you very much!!

[@doug1olson]

Thanks for this one. I just rotated the tongue jack on my Escape 19 thanks to your video. I had to drill new holes but was fortunate to get them lined up close enough and now I can lower my tailgate also. I’m also happy that Lippert was thoughtful enough to allow a little play in the bolt holes in the head unit so the tapped holes don’t have to be perfectly aligned to make it work. I was hoping as a bonus that my original propane cover would fit between the storage box and jack, but that is still a work in progress.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Glad it helped Doug and thanks for watching!!

[@Rattletrap2]

Just want to add that after watching this, I ventured out to do my jack on a brand new Grand Design Imagine TT. It has the same Lippert jack though. There were no second set of holes! I had to layout the location, drill the two 17/64" holes and tap them. otherwise the info in this video is great!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Glad the video helped but sorry yours didn't have the extra holes!!! What a bummer!

[@enduro1198s]

I just finished mine, but also had no secondary holes like Rattletrap2. Figured out how to locate the spot for the new holes and drilled, tapped, and finished it up per your awesome video! I also had to cut the wire from the Lippert head to the battery as it had too little slack, even after cutting the tie wrap. No biggie. I used a 10Ga butt connector with heat shrink ends. Looks like it almost came factory! Thanks!!

[@salempoor678]

Thanks guys! Appreciate the tip about tapping the holes.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

You are very welcome, happy it was of help!

[@acarwile]

I fixed mine this evening and it worked great. Our unit is a 2021 Grand Design 23BHE with a 2021 F150. The jack did not have the other two holes pre-drilled. To mark them, I put the head back on in the normal position, turned it sideways 90 degrees so that it is in the right height. Then I put an old skinny screwdriver through the bolt holes to mark dots on the post/tube and tapped it a couple times with a hammer (Couldn't find a proper punch). Then took off the head unit, and I used a 1/4" bit in a Ryobi drill to create the rough holes. The tiny tap points were sufficient when drilling as it is soft metal and one can go slowly. Then I used the tap you link to, with a 1/4-to-hex adapter and a small tool to slowly prep the thread. Then I proceeded as you did. I was not very accurate about angles but thankfully I did not need to disconnect the jack from the tongue. WARNING - I DID make the mistake of tightening the bolts too far which gave a "sad-must-be-busted-and-loud-clicking" sound when I tried to raise or lower. I loosened 2 full turns for each bolt and that was great. Those bolts are really just holding stuff in place. Tighten and then back off some to be sure. ... I made this change for a 2021 Ford F150 Lariat short bed supercrew pickup. I was not sure this would even work, but it did and this is so much better. I turned the vehicle-settings-tailgate back to Power mode now since there is always room.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for sharing how you added the other two holes! This was a game changer for us!

[@imatt6566]

Wow! You are incredibly handy!! Off to give this a try myself!! Thank you for the video!!

[@gileaton4324]

Going to do this for my 2016 Jayco/ 2006 dodge 2500. Thanks for showing the way!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for watching Gil!!

[@sandramichaud8033]

5/24. Exactly what I need to do. Thanks for giving the sizes and showing the package so I know what to buy. Liked and subscribed so I don’t miss anything. 70F travels solo❤. You have to know how to fix and do things.

[@augustcalderaro3797]

Very clever, you guys are so talented, great job. You would think that would be done at the factory as I am sure other folks have the same problem. Thank you for sharing as always stay safe and healthy!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks August! Hope you are doing well!

[@SH-ms8ek]

I just did this over the weekend. The V2 model does not have pre-drilled holes to rotate. I removed the entire jack and used my drill press along with a self-centering drill press jig. The stand is heavy so it helps to have an extra set of hands to hold the end. Before drilling I removed the side bolts on the unit head and rotated the head to where I wanted it. It would be best to do this before you remove the entire jack so you can stand back and look at where the buttons will be facing and how straight it will be. I then put the bolts back into the sides, pressing firmly and rotating with my fingers to scratch a circle in the black paint so I knew exactly where to drill. I used plenty of 3 In One Oil while drilling with a 5/16 bit and then tapped it. Definitely pack it with a rag because it does create a lot of shavings. Everything works great now.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

That's a bummer there's no pre drilled holes anymore!! Sounds like you did great though with the revision!! Do you mind me putting your method in the description of this video in case it helps others?

[@SH-ms8ek]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness Please do. Not everyone owns a drill press but most know someone who does. They sell the self-centering drill press jig at Harbor Freight for $9 and it helped a lot since you are drilling into a round pole. This was a fairly easy fix for an unfortunate flaw. I'm happy now though.

[@martinscanlon9423]

I'm no expert by any means, but I have read that to create 5/16 inch threads, you have to use a 17/64 inch drill bit (ie 4.25/16 inch).

[@myjavadogs]

Angie you make everything look so easy!! That would be a 1/2 day project for me and then I'd mess something up!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Awww thanks John LOL!!! 20 plus years of being an airplane mechanic!

[@marksee7336]

Thank you for this!!!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

You're so welcome!

[@marlaking7866]

Wonderful!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi Marla, thanks for watching!

[@peterb.7437]

Cool. I found out yesterday I can’t fully open my tailgate after installing the Lippert.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Makes a big difference when you can open it!

[@pamperlich7839]

Thanks so much. You made this easy!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks and glad it helped!! Made a world of difference for us!

[@billcade3325]

Good job good video

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks Bill, glad you liked this one!!! :) 😀

[@valerierachal9983]

Very timely video for us! We just got our Escape 19 this week and were unhappy to discover that we couldn't lift the rear hatch on our Tahoe to get to our gear. I called Escape and was told that it was not possible to turn the head of the power jack. (maybe just not recommended for some reason?) SO -- we will definitely be doing this! Thanks gals!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

So glad this video helped Valerie!!

[@mattmook9089]

Just an FYI, just did the rotation of the tongue jack yesterday! 2019 GD Imagine 2400BH, and it had the second set of holes ready to go! Removed, tapped, rotated, reinstalled in about 25 mins with the help of your video!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Woohoo, glad you had the 2nd holes! Makes it a lot easier! Thanks so much for the comment and for watching!

[@williampellegrino473]

Great video! Thanks

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks William! Glad you liked it!

[@ameliaemerson2650]

Ok, you have inspired me to be brave, and take this on with my 17B. That tailgate "interference" is not helpful, time to fix it. Thanks so much for the exactly-right, informative video!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for watching and glad it helped!

[@ameliaemerson2650]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness It absolutely did - got it done, and the jack still works perfectly! :-)

[@davetanksley499]

Awesome job Lady's!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thank you!!

[@bobabooie6389]

You Can install a longer Shank on your hitch that's what I did, also it will help so your trailer won't hit your bumper on Sharp turns

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks Bob, great idea!

[@robsalthouse4911]

My 2024 has the holes already tapped. Took the propane bottles and brackets off to loosen the wire harness only to find out I could have just rotated it and re-bolted it at 90 degrees.😄 If you have a more recent jack, you might want to see if the holes are tapped before you pull the head off

[@seanhenriques808]

Thanks for sharing this video. Y’all make it look so easy. I am going to try this today literally. Wish me luck! LOL

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

You got this!

[@joannepepe8512]

I'll keep this in mind for if I get a tow behind rig.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

We can help you do it if you get a trailer!

[@paulwilley8680]

Just as a note, you need a starting tap make sure you don't try using a bottoming tap.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks Paul!

[@jenkinsra]

Glad to see you two figuring things out. We picked up our new Escape 19 (after selling our Escape 15 B in 45 minutes) last July. I had not thought I would need a power jack, but then learned that we really did need one. So I bought a Bulldog 500199 Powered Drive A-Frame Tongue Jack, mounting it forward (like the problem you solved) was not an option, because it interfered with white cover over the dual propane tanks. So rather than take your approach, I mounted the entire assembly sideways, rather than just the motor portion of the powered jack. The device fit perfectly in the mounting holes (on the tongue) for the original manual jack, so I did not need the creative way you tapped the holes in the pipe. Many ways to skin a cat. I was wondering if you had considered the option of mounting the entire assembly sideways. I hope the Canadians open their borders soon. Happy Escaping!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi Roger, thanks for watching and for the comment! We didn't consider mounting the whole thing sideways but I guess we could have! Many ways indeed!

[@pwm001]

Great job! Was thinking though, can you turn it 180 degrees? That way you wouldn't have to tap or drill a second set of holes.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hey Philip, I like the idea but I don't think the mounting holes on the trailer frame will match up.

[@julieboulanger6714]

Hi Ladies, hope you are both staying safe! So, I installed my new Lippert today and there where no predrilled holes so, for now I put it back together, because I was running out of daylight... I had just had my electrician help me with the wiring and after he left, the dang thing stopped working! We wired the red to the black on my vehicle light harness coming from the trailer, because he felt the black was more suitable size wire...is it possible that I fried the motor??? Geez, Im so bummed!!!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Oh no, that is a bummer!! It's totally possible but I don't know. I hope you've been able to get it fixed! I know other people without the second set of holes ended up drilling their own but you'd need to be pretty precise.

[@Scubaken2022]

I think I will try that as well. Did you have to drill the two holes before you tapped with that 5/16 tap? I couldn’t tell in the video if there was already holes there once you rotated the jack head 90 degrees.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hey Ken, we did not have to drill the other two holes. They were already there. I have heard from someone else that the holes were not there and they had to drill them themselves.

[@Scubaken2022]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness Well I finally rotated the jack head and your video was great to show how easy it was. “But” in my case it didn’t help because it still wasn’t enough space to drop the gate. I guess my f150 tailgate is just a bit to tall to work.

[@greatescape9128]

Good idea, next on my exterior list, did you do the disconnect security mod?

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi Great Escape! No we didn't do the disconnect security mod but we still might in the future.

[@jeastrise]

This is great I tried it and what do you know... my tailgate goes all the way open!!! Thanks

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Glad it helped!

[@janicecrockett1400]

Just my luck when we took the jack head off there were not holes on the other side, so we are going to have to drill two holes.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

I'm a little slow in replying but hope it worked out ok!

[@janicecrockett1400]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness it did. As a matter of fact we did it this afternoon. The tailgate now opens all the way with room to spare and the tongue jack works fine.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

@@janicecrockett1400 awesome!!!

[@hughconrad1715]

Couldnt you remove the 3 mount bolts and turn the whole jack??

[@carminered]

yall are seriously my spirit animal. question: do you use a weight distribution hitch?

[@CC_Marauder]

Ok Pats

[@leecummings6912]

It looks like you did not need additional support for the tongue jack, assuming it continues to support the trailer with the head off? Also is the tongue storage box an add-on? If you can you tell me about it And finally, thanks for sharing.

[@l.k.b545]

Did the storage area behind the propane tanks come with your trailer or was that purchased ? Great video !!!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for watching! It came with the trailer as an available option

[@jiansy]

Thanks so much for posting this video. It's greatly appreciated. I would add a comment, not to over tighten the 2 bolts when putting them back. I think the thread material is aluminum (bad design) and could easily strip.

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks so much for watching! Good point to not over tighten the bolts!!!

[@suebrown2206]

Very nice job ladies! It looked easy peasy!!! Very proud of you! I like doing these kinds of things too!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks so much Sue!!

[@raylabrecque8265]

So. Going out to do this to my tongue jack right now. You gave me the confidence I needed to tackle this! BTW. that storage box behind your tanks- did that come with the camper or did you add it on? Been thinking of something like that, Would put the batteries in there and 'stuff'.

[@martinscanlon9423]

Did you need to put jack stands or something to support the tongue after you removed the motor assembly, or does the stand part stay safely in place?

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi Martin, we did not need to put a stand under the tongue to support it. It stays in place!

[@martinscanlon9423]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness Thanks, got it done the other day, holes in place already, just had to tap them. F150 tailgate just clears the jack now, but only if the trailer is level. On a slight downhill slope outside my house, the two come together enough to touch- easily overcome by raising the jack stand.

[@Mavrik6258]

What kind of water tank do you have in the truck? Nice job BTW!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi John, thanks for the compliment! The one we installed is no longer available on Amazon but this one is similar amzn.to/36NriCP Hope that helps!

[@kemcgraw]

Would you explain what tapping is and why you have to do it? Thanks

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi Kathy, thanks for watching and for the question! The two holes I used to rotate the jack did not had threads. There's no way for the bolts to screw into those holes without threads. I used a tap to make threads in the holes. Hope that answers your question!

[@kemcgraw]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness Thanks so much.

[@pjmartin6690]

I am a new subscriber and really like your videos!!! I have a couple of questions... I want to start my nomadic adventure soon... but have you found RV parks to be gay friendly???? What about Thousand Trails?? and Do you now have any other and or recommend any friendly RV clubs??? Thank you for sharing!!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Hi PJ, thanks so much for subscribing and glad you like our videos! So far we haven't had any issues with rv parks being anti gay. That being said most of the rv parks we've stayed in have been in CA, OR, and WA...all pretty liberal states. We haven't had any issues at Thousand Trails and that membership has worked well for us. If you buy a membership definitely do a LOT of research on it and buy a used one. Never buy a new one from Thousand Trails! You can get them a lot cheaper and a good place to go in Campground Membership Outlet. I would also try the zone pass first to see if you even like it. We have boondocked more than anything the past few months and LOVE it!!

[@pjmartin6690]

@@AdventuresInNoMadness Thank you for the advice and answer to my question!!! Have fun and be safe!! PJ

[@mikejustice1196]

😂🍪

[@danfranks4437]

That music is irritating!

[@AdventuresInNoMadness]

Thanks for the feedback!