How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Class and tongue-weight mindset so the jack rating is not doing work the hitch and vehicle cannot.
Watch on YouTube →Trailer Jack Wheel vs Foot: When Each Helps (Canada)
A tongue jack either ends in a foot pad or a wheel. The foot is stable for parking and soft ground when you put a board under it. The wheel helps you roll a light trailer around the yard or couple up without dragging the tongue. This Canada parts-counter walk covers when a swivel wheel jack helps versus a foot jack, what soft ground and storage change, and which live CURT jack SKUs we keep on this shelf. Pair it with tongue-jack tips, coupler-latch habits, and tongue-weight basics before you buy.
Built for Canadian shoppers choosing tongue jacks. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Related reading:
tongue jack tips,
coupler latch checklist, and
tongue weight explained.
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 hitch class basics, install habits, wiring, and ball-mount height so the jack you pick still matches a level, safe hookup.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Hardware habits that keep mounts and brackets solid before you wind the jack under load.
Watch on YouTube →How to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Lights and harness basics so you are not chasing a dark turn signal while the tongue sits on the jack.
Watch on YouTube →How to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Ball-mount height once the coupler is off the jack and on the ball.
Watch on YouTube →What a foot jack is for
A foot jack ends in a flat pad or a pin-on foot that sits on the ground. That is the stable choice for parking, overnight stays, and soft ground when you put a wide board under the foot so it does not punch a hole in gravel or mud. A-frame jacks and many square weld-on jacks ship with a foot style end. You wind the handle until the coupler clears the ball, unhitch, then leave the trailer standing on the foot.
For the raise-and-lower habits that keep knuckles clear of the handle, open tongue jack tips. For latch and pin checks once the coupler is back on the ball, open coupler latch checklist.
When a swivel wheel jack helps
A wheel jack puts a caster under the tongue so you can roll a light trailer a short way on firm ground. That helps in a crowded yard, a storage stall, or when you need to walk the coupler onto the ball without dragging the tongue. Marine-style wheel jacks are common on boat trailers for exactly that reason. Swivel brackets still let you flip the jack up for travel so the wheel is not hanging in the road.
A wheel is not magic on soft ground. On mud, sand, or hot asphalt the wheel can dig in and make the tongue harder to move, not easier. Use a board under the wheel the same way you would under a foot when the surface is soft. And do not treat a jack wheel like a highway caster. It is for yard moves and coupling, not for towing with the jack down.
Soft ground, storage, and travel
Soft ground favours a foot with a board, or a wheel with a board, so the tongue weight spreads out. Storage stalls with smooth concrete favour a wheel when you want to roll the trailer by hand. Travel always wants the jack swiveled or folded up and pinned so it cannot drop. Confirm lift capacity and support capacity on the live card. Tongue weight still has to fit the vehicle and hitch — see tongue weight explained.
Live CURT jack SKUs on this shelf
These are live CURT jack and foot SKUs we keep in stock for the jobs shoppers ask about most. Confirm capacity, travel, mount style, and whether the card is a wheel, a foot, or a swivel tube on each product page before you order.
Wheel jack · marine style
CURT 28115
Marine jack with an eight inch wheel for yard mobility and coupling. About one thousand five hundred pounds support and lift on the live card. Swivel bracket for travel.
Swivel jack · side handle
CURT 28324
Pipe-mount swivel jack with side handle, about two thousand pounds lift and fifteen inches of travel. Swings up for the road.
Swivel jack · ten inch travel
CURT 28321
Side-handle swivel jack with about two thousand pounds lift and ten inches of travel when you want a shorter tube.
Swivel jack · top wind
CURT 28304
Top-wind swivel jack with about two thousand pounds lift and fifteen inches of travel for weld-on bracket mounts.
Foot style · A-frame
CURT 28204
A-frame jack with side handle, about two thousand pounds lift and fourteen and one half inches of travel. Bolt-on or weld-on A-frame mount.
Pin-on foot · two inch tube
CURT 28272
Pin-on jack foot for two inch tubes, about two thousand pounds, one and eleven sixteenths inch height. Deepest foot qty on this shelf.
Heavy foot style · square weld
CURT 28575
Direct-weld square jack with side handle, about eight thousand pounds support and fifteen inches of travel for heavier tongues.
Heavy foot style · top handle
CURT 28570
Direct-weld square jack with top handle, about eight thousand pounds support and fifteen inches of travel.
Parts-counter notes before you leave the yard
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Foot first | Stable parking and soft ground with a board under the pad. See tongue jack tips. |
| Wheel first | Short yard rolls and easier coupling on firm ground. Not for towing with the jack down. |
| Soft ground | Board under foot or wheel. A bare wheel can dig in on mud or hot asphalt. |
| Storage | Smooth stalls favour a wheel. Soft gravel pads favour a foot and a board. |
| Travel | Swivel or fold up and pin. A hanging jack is a road hazard. |
| Capacity | Read lift and support numbers on the live card. Match tongue weight to vehicle and hitch. |
| Coupler habits | Latch and pin after the coupler is on the ball. See coupler latch checklist. |
| Tongue weight | Jack choice does not rewrite tongue weight. See tongue weight explained. |
Step 1Pick the job
Stable parking foot, or yard-roll wheel, based on where the trailer lives.
Step 2Mind the ground
Board under soft surfaces either way. Do not tow with the jack down.
Step 3Match capacity
Confirm lift, support, travel, and mount style on the live CURT card.
Step 4Latch and weigh
Coupler latch checklist after hookup, and tongue weight still has to fit.
Foot
Stable pad
Parking and soft ground with a board under the foot.
Wheel
Yard mobility
Short rolls and easier coupling on firm ground.
Swivel
Travel pin
Flip up and pin so the jack is out of the road.
Honest limit
Not a tow caster
Jack wheels are for the yard, not highway miles.
Tongue jack tipsRaise, lower, and before-unhitch habits
Coupler latch checklistLatch and pin after the coupler is on the ball
Tongue weight explainedWhy jack choice does not rewrite tongue weight
First tow day checklistLights, chains, and latch before you leave
Shop CURT 28115
Marine jack with wheel when yard mobility and coupling are the main job.
Open product →Shop CURT 28204 for an A-frame foot-style jack.
Shop CURT 28272 for a pin-on jack foot.
Tongue jack tips for raise and lower habits.
Coupler latch checklist after hookup.
This trailer jack wheel versus foot guide is practical Canada advice for shoppers and shops. Confirm lift capacity, support capacity, travel, and mount style on each live product card. Confirm vehicle and hitch ratings on the door sticker and owner manual before you tow. We do not invent jack SKUs that are not on the live shelf.
