How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Receiver and ball-mount basics still matter when the trailer sits on a jack foot overnight. Keep tongue height honest before you lower the pad onto soft ground.
Watch on YouTubeTrailer Jack Foot Pad Tips (Canada)
A larger foot pad under the tongue jack spreads load on soft ground and on asphalt that softens in summer heat. A jack wheel is a different tool for rolling short distances. This page keeps those jobs honest for Canadian shoppers: when a pin-on foot pad helps, when a wheel still makes sense, how swivel-mount and tongue-jack habits fit the same trailer, and which live CURT jack and foot SKUs we stock. No invented legal cutoffs.
Built for Canadian trailers that sit on grass, gravel, and hot asphalt. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Pair this page with
jack wheel versus foot,
trailer tongue jack tips, and
jack swivel mount tips.
Prefer the full index?
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). Use them for class selection, install habits, wiring basics, and ball-mount height before you dig into the product cards below.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Install habits on the tow vehicle are separate from jack foot work on the trailer. Use this clip when the hitch and trailer setup share the same trip plan.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Lights belong on the trailer wiring path. A larger jack foot pad does not replace a working harness when you park for the night.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Ball-mount height and jack height work together. Level the trailer, then set the foot pad on firm ground rather than on a soft rut.
Watch on YouTubeWhy a larger foot pad helps
A narrow jack foot digs into wet grass, soft gravel, and warm asphalt. A wider pad spreads the same tongue load across more surface so the jack sinks less while you unhook or leave the trailer parked. That is practical yard and lot advice, not a legal cutoff. If the pad still sinks, add a board under it rather than cranking harder.
Summer heat softens some asphalt lots. A larger footprint reduces the chance the jack punches a dimple into the surface while the trailer sits. On frozen ground in winter the pad still helps by giving you a predictable flat contact patch when you drop the tongue.
CURT 28272 is the in-stock pin-on jack foot we point to most often on this store for trailers with a matching two inch jack tube. The live card rates about two thousand pounds and lists a one and eleven sixteenths inch height. Confirm your jack tube size before you order. A foot pad does not raise the jack capacity printed on the jack itself.
CURT 28272 pin-on jack foot
In-stock pin-on foot for matching two inch jack tubes. Spreads tongue load on soft ground and hot asphalt when the live card fits your jack.
Open live 28272 product →Parts-counter note. Match tube size first. A foot pad is not a wheel, and it is not a substitute for chocking wheels on a grade.
Foot pad versus jack wheel
A foot pad is for parking and unhitching. A jack wheel is for rolling the tongue a short distance on firm ground. Mixing those jobs is how casters bend and pads dig trenches. Our deeper jack wheel versus foot page walks through when each tool earns its keep.
If you need to move the trailer without a tow vehicle, a wheel can help on smooth concrete. On soft lawn or gravel, a wheel often sinks and twists. Drop a foot pad once the trailer is where you want it, then chock the trailer wheels.
How to use a foot pad without drama
Step 1Match the tube
Confirm the live foot card fits your jack tube before you pin anything on.
Step 2Pick firm ground
Aim for packed gravel, boards, or cooler asphalt. Soft ruts swallow small pads.
Step 3Lower slowly
Crank until the coupler lifts clear, then stop. Do not use the jack to level a loaded trailer alone.
Step 4Chock the wheels
A foot pad holds tongue height. Wheel chocks handle rolling on a grade.
Soft ground
Grass and gravel
Wider pads float better on lawn and loose stone. Keep a scrap board in the trailer if you park in the same soft spot often.
- Watch for sink after rain
- Re-check tongue height before you recouple
- Do not invent a capacity the jack card does not show
Summer asphalt
Heat softens lots
Hot blacktop marks easily under a tiny foot. A larger pad spreads load and reduces dimples while you shop or wait.
- Park out of deep tire ruts when you can
- Use a board if the lot feels soft underfoot
- Still chock wheels on any grade
Swivel and tongue
Same trailer habits
Swivel-mount jacks need clearance to swing. Tongue jack travel still has to clear the coupler. Pair this page with the swivel and tongue-jack tips already on this store.
- Jack swivel mount tips
- Tongue jack tips
- Confirm handle side and travel on the live jack card
Live CURT jack and foot SKUs on this shelf
These are storefront-available CURT pieces we stock today for jack and foot work. Confirm tube size, capacity, and mount style on each live card before you buy.
Foot padCURT 28272Pin-on jack foot for matching two inch tubes. About two thousand pounds on the live card.
A-frame jackCURT 28204A-frame jack with side handle. Confirm travel and capacity on the live card.
Swivel jackCURT 28321Side-handle swivel jack for trailers that need the jack to swing clear.
Wheel jackCURT 28115Marine jack with wheel when short rolls on firm ground matter more than a parking pad.
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Foot pad job | Spread tongue load for parking and unhitching on soft ground or hot asphalt. |
| Wheel job | Short rolls on firm ground. See jack wheel versus foot. |
| Capacity honesty | The jack card sets capacity. A foot pad does not raise it. |
| Legal note | No invented legal cutoffs on this page. Follow your trailer and jack labels. |
| Related setup | Pair with tongue jack tips and swivel mount tips. |
Related guides worth opening next
Wheel versus footWhen to roll and when to park on a pad.
Tongue jack tipsTravel, handles, and coupler clearance habits.
Swivel mount tipsSwing clearance for side-mount jacks.
First tow checklistLights, chains, coupler, and tire pressure habits.
Parts-counter summary: use a larger foot pad to spread tongue load on soft ground and summer-soft asphalt, keep wheels for short rolls on firm ground, match CURT 28272 to a two inch jack tube only when the live card fits, and leave legal cutoffs to the labels on your trailer and jack. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
