If I’m using my bumper-pull trailer frequently (twice/week), is it necessary to crank the hitch part down in between uses? Why do we do that, anyway??
I certainly don’t. Waste of time anytime I have to hook up to get out and adjust it.
Are you asking about putting the “foot” / jack down under the hitch while leaving your trailer hooked up to your truck?
Then the answer is YES - I always put the foot jack down.
Why? Because I don’t want the added wear and tear on the suspension and springs of the truck.
Depending on your trailer size, you are looking at 400 to 750 pounds of tongue weight on the truck. It would be the same as leaving that much cement in the bed of the truck 24/7.
Most rigs I have seen - the truck will rise up a little when the jack takes the weight - that tells me that the tongue weight was causing the suspension to compress - I don’t want to leave the truck constantly loaded like that.
Some may feel that it doesn’t make a difference, but I come from a family who drives their vehicles 300,000+ miles before they are done - and we take little steps like putting the jack down to save on wear and tear.
Appsolute - No, my truck is also my daily driver so I definitely unhitch! I mean cranking down the trailer hitch on a bumper pull, so the front is lower and it sits more level. Then when I need to hitch up again, I have to crank it back up so I can get under it. I’m probably not using the correct terminology, but hopefully that makes more sense. 
It doesn’t take long to do, but it’s just one more step early in the morning, with cold hands, blah blah blah. (I’m sure you can hear the violins, lol)
We put our hitch down for two reasons. 1. We park our big trailer for the winter and when the hitch is still up (ready to be hooked on to the truck), the weight is mostly on the back wheels and axle. I can pretty much spin the front tires, and the back tires will look almost flat. 2. If you are on a hill, it is possible for the trailer to move (happened to someone who had a car trailer and it actually rolled right into the garage and destroyed some very expensive cars. Almost hit some workers as well).
If you are hitching up often and are not on a hill, it might be ok for you. I would double check the back tires though and see how much weight is put on them when the hitch is in the “up” postition. That would be my only worry.
My trailer is not cranked up mega high anyway - but one reason I leave it cranked up is so there is a slant to it so any water on the roof or condensation inside or anything else - will drain off the back
I keep it chocked on the wheels even though it is “almost” flat where it sits. This helps keep it from moving anywhere
But mostly it keep water from sitting on the roof (which is fiberglass) and keeps it from sagging any
Ohhhhhh! Then I have no opinions on that Ours is parked on a slight downhill slope - and we leave the front cranked up a bit - its more level that way - and like others mentioned, water drains away then.
I know people who leave their truck and trailer hooked up - without the jack put down. Makes me nutty, but I guess its not my truck they are wearing out!
I usually crank mine down as it makes it a little easier to get into the dressing room that way( I work out of my trailer to tack up)
I keep mine as level as I can.
I try to keep mine level enough to not put undo stress on the back tires and unlevel enough for rain to run off the roof easily every use.
My trailer sits with the front higher then the back but still a little lower then what I need it to be to hook up.
This is so the water runs to the back and doesn’t sit inside. This what I was trained to do many many years ago.
[QUOTE=Eleanor;7968156]
My trailer sits with the front higher then the back but still a little lower then what I need it to be to hook up.
This is so the water runs to the back and doesn’t sit inside. This what I was trained to do many many years ago.[/QUOTE]
Same here - I leave the front slightly higher so the water drains off of it. But I never leave it fully up as I don’t want extra weight on the rear axles - you want it as level as possible.
Thanks everyone. Sounds like I’m better off taking that extra minute to crank it back down, as I’ve been doing.
Mine is under roof but I always crank it down to level. Not sure why, just makes sense to me to try and keep even weight on all tires.
On the inside door of my trailer there is all the info posted. It reads
"When the trailer is not in use, raise the jack as high as possible. It is also advisable to block the wheels whenever the trailer is parked.
[QUOTE=Eleanor;7970266]
On the inside door of my trailer there is all the info posted. It reads
"When the trailer is not in use, raise the jack as high as possible. It is also advisable to block the wheels whenever the trailer is parked.
That makes no sense whatsoever. You never want the majority of the weight on the rear axles/tires. My trailer guys (who do required State inspections, sell cargo and utility trailers, and do any needed repair work) have always said what I just wrote and these guys know their stuff.
Don’t get me going on the clueless people who have their trailer hooked up and loaded with horses and the front of the trailer is significantly higher than the back end. Not only is it unsafe and just a bad idea, think about the poor horses having to ride like that 
And you should always chock your tires!!
[QUOTE=DiamondJubilee;7967875]
… If you are on a hill, it is possible for the trailer to move (happened to someone who had a car trailer and it actually rolled right into the garage and destroyed some very expensive cars…[/QUOTE]
And this is an excellent example of why you should ALWAYS chock your tires. If the tires are chocked properly, not half-as*ed chocked, the trailer cannot roll.
Throwing a piece of 2x4 behind the tires IS NOT chocking them…
