What size drill?

[GuyWhoTris]

I want to use a drill to raise and lower my stabilizers. I have tried two different sized drills including my 18V Black and Decker with a new battery. After one lowering the drill couldn't raise them again due to low battery. What size cordless do people use? I suppose the problem could be my drill. Maybe it's time for a new one but this one isn't that old.

I'd like to install electric stabilizers but that isn't in my wife's plan right now. Of course she is the one sitting in the air conditioned truck while the boys and I are setting up the outside of the rig, so the current system works perfectly for her. :-)

[SmokeyWren]

I have three different 18-volt drills, two DeWalt and one Makita, and all three work fine to raise and lower the 4 stabilizer jacks on my TT. One is an impact driver, and that works best. But the other two will do the job if the battery is fully charged.

But that's the ticket - fully charged battery. And don't try to raise or level the trailer with the stabilizer jacks. Just get them down good and snug, then they should come back up with no big problem. Get the trailer level side to side using wheel leveler blocks or lengths of 2x6 boards, and front to rear using the tongue jack, before you put down the stabilizer jacks. We haul a 4' carpenter's level with us, and use it to get the trailer level side to side and front to rear before we put down the stabilizers.

If you do have a problem without not quiet enough drill power to bring the stabilizers back up, then use the hitch jack to take some weight off the front stabilizer jacks and they should then be easy to raise. Then lower the hitch jack until the rear stabilizers are off the ground, and they should also be a snap to raise the rest of the way.

Don't spare the WD-40. Keep the screw threads of the stabilizers nice and lubricated with WD-40. Then they will raise and lower much easier.

I carry 16 of this type of leveling blocks for side-to-side leveling:
RV Leveling Blocks, 8 pack - Intersource Enterprises D10-227 - Chocks & Levelers - Camping World

I haul all three of my 18-volt drills with me on RV trips, along with their battery chargers. I charge the batteries to full when connected to shore power at RV campgrounds. Then no problem with a low battery when you need it to raise or lower the stabilizer jacks.

I'm too lazy to get out the ratchet and socket to raise and lower the stabilizers, so that's why I have overkill in the number of 18-volt drills I haul along.

DeWalt is the heavy duty version of the Black and Decker. I gave up on trying to get by with Black and Decker and now buy only more expensive power tools, such as my DeWalt and Mikita 18-volt drills.

[alvinc]

When I had a trailer I used a 120v AC impact wrench, but then we had either a plug in at the campsite, or used a generator to power it.

Don't do this late at night or early in the morning....too much noise.

There are 12 volt versions, but I'm not sure they would have enough power.

[NomadBD]

I use a Riobi 18v with lithium battery

[njs42]

Lithium battery would make a huge difference in drill preformance.

[GuyWhoTris]

Thanks for the replies. I was telling my wife about this thread. She said, "You bought a drill that didn't work. Then a battery that didn't work. Now you want to buy an expensive drill that may not work." I think I'll let her set up next time while I sit in the air conditioned truck.

[IWillRVToo]

Conditioning new batteries is very important. A charger that conditions, charges and floats batteries is best. I bought a Hilti cordless for about $240. It came with 2 batteries and a charger. It is only 12 volts. It will run stabs up and down quite a few times per battery.

HOWEVER, I would not use it to put pressure on the stabs. I think that should be done by hand.
Cordless drills are... well... drills. They are meant to spin small diameter bits through metal or wood. You are asking them to do something that they are not designed to do.