Tongue Jack Size Newbie Question

[dbhausen]

I am new to Trailering and getting my rig set up. I am towing a 19 Ft Riverside Retro with a Toyota Highlander. 3500# trailer with the 6 cylinder Toyota that is rated at 5000#. The front end of the Highlander lifts up a fair amount so I am going to install an Anderson WDS. My question is how much capacity do I need on my new electric tongue jack? The ratings on tongue jacks make no sense to me. My tongue weight spec. is about 380# but nobody makes a 380# tongue jack. I know I will also be lifting part of the vehicle weight with the jack but can't figure out what rating jack I need. The manual jack currently on the trailer is doable but a work-out. My wife has never tried it but I am pretty sure she would have a hard time. I think loading up the Anderson WDS with a manual jack would get old in a hurry.

a) is 3500 enough?
b) is 5000 way too much?
c) is 1500 to small?

If you have a guess or could make a recommendation either on rating or a specific jack it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Rosy]

You should have 10-15% of your trailer weight on the tongue and I would typically plan for about 1000 lbs of gear so get one that can lift more than 675 lbs. Maybe 1000 lbs to be safe?

 

[dbhausen]

Thanks Rosy, Your numbers seem about right for the trailer and cargo with a little room for error. Adding some for lifting up part of the tow vehicle (maybe another 500 lbs?) Comes to at most 1500 lbs total. Even with a huge safety margin it sounds like I don't need anything more than 2000 lbs.