With the installation of the ARB Simpson III roof top tent on the M416 Military Trailer it became necessary to have adjustable jack stands in both the front and rear of the trailer. For the front jack I used a normal crank up jack and the install can be seen here. For the rear I got a little innovative and fabricated a scissor jack that is tightened with a strap.
The materials used are:
- 1″ Steel Tub for Legs
- 3″ “L” Steel for cross member
- 1″ Tie Down strap for cinch strap.
- Miscellaneous steel for feet and pivot points.
- 6 1/4″ Bolts for assemble
- 2 5/16″ Bolts to mount to trailer
M416 Rear Scissor jack deployed
The jack cost all of about $25.00 in materials and about 3 hours time to build. The jack is built with 2 feet that drop down and pivot from a cross member that is attached about 4 inches forward of the rear of the trailer.
Jack Cross member
Leg Pivot
Each leg has a foot attached with a single bolt so they will pivot. About 3″ about the feet there is a strap that is fixed to one leg and run through a roller on the other.
Foot with Strap and Roller
When the legs are dropped they are pulled together by tightening the strap. The feet do not have to be at the same angle so they will accommodate uneven ground.
Another view of the deployed jack
The strap is attached to my Roof Top Tent rack with a simple loop. When the feet are down the strap is pulled tight.
The jack from the sides
From the Left Side
I then tension the strap more by lifting the front of the trailer a little more with the crank up stand.. With 3 people in the tent we had no movement of the trailer with both the front and rear jacks deployed. I will be adding a pin that holds the feet up when not in use. When the feet are stowed they are clear of the rear break over angle for the trailer.
Though my welding skills are not fantastic this makes for a simple solution for a stable trailer.
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