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Old 04-05-2016, 09:48 AM   #1
papi
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Hitch help

I just got a Cougar 339 BHS. I have a 2500 Dodge Ram Megacab diesel short bed with a superglide FW hitch. I have towed a TT FOR OVER 15 years. Because I am new to this set up, I would like to hear some tips on how to hitch up and unhitch the FW.
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Old 04-05-2016, 09:04 PM   #2
Pmedic4
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Hitching up your fiver

Went through the same thing 3 years ago when we got our Cougar. What's the best way, how do you do it, don'ts, and must do's. We were showed by the dealer, but still had questions and concerns. What we prefer, is to have my DW hold the hitch plate level, so it's easy to see and ensure I'm going into the pin slot - this isn't required, as I've also done it without, just makes it easier.
The trailer pin height should be about 1/4" to 1/2" lower than the hitch plate which you set with the landing gear, and go easy.

There is a difference between brands of hitches also, so you have to follow your brand's mechanism; our first was a Pullrite, and if you lined up and hit it just right, the latch snapped into place, and it was good, we upgraded our truck, and got a Curt Q16, and this hitch requires you to line it up correctly, and then pull the hitch level to latch it into place, and then you put a pin into the plate to lock it in place. There are other brands, so there may be different latches/locking mechanism too.
Personally, latching isn't the big issue, unhooking is where I prefer the Curt. To unhook, we adjust the landing gear/pin height just to see when the is a hair of separation between the hitch plate and the pin plate. With the Pullrite, to release the lever, we usually had to get in the truck, put it in neutral to release the pressure on the pin, put it back into park and then get out and release the lever/pin. The Curt hitch when you've set the height, you just pull the lever, and it pushes the pin out of the hitch plate, 1 less step.

Overall, we found it's definitely better to line up as straight and level as possible. You may be have to hook and unhook at a small angle, but much difference, and you might be fighting it. One time we blew out 2 fuses, and ended up having to manually crank the landing gear because the RV leaned some after we setup. Possible, but cranking landing gear up and down to hook and then unhook is somewhat tiring.

Don't forget a tug test... When you've hooked up, raise the landing gear about 4-5 inches, pull forward about a foot. Hopefully, keeps you from dropping the fiver on your truck bed rails if you failed to hook up all the way. Be sure and raise the landing gear all the way up after the test!

Actually, hooking up the fiver is easier than the Weight Distribution hitch for a TT, because it's right in the bed where you can see the hitch, instead of relying on cameras or your poor DW going left, right, right a little more, no left, right, oh pull up and try again....
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Old 04-06-2016, 05:15 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Pmedic4 View Post
The trailer pin height should be about 1/4" to 1/2" lower than the hitch plate which you set with the landing gear, and go easy. ..
The single most reason for hitches not locking properly is referred to as a 'high hitch'. If the pin box plate is too high in relation to the hitch plate, the jaws will close around the flange portion of the kingpin and will appear to be locked. May even pass the tug test. Then, the first time you encounter a hump or dip in the road, such as leaving your driveway, the pin pulls up out of the jaws and you are buying a new truck bed. ALWAYS visually confirm that the jaws are closed and locked around the shank of the pin - ALWAYS.
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Old 04-06-2016, 07:01 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by jsmith948 View Post
The single most reason for hitches not locking properly is referred to as a 'high hitch'. If the pin box plate is too high in relation to the hitch plate, the jaws will close around the flange portion of the kingpin and will appear to be locked. May even pass the tug test. Then, the first time you encounter a hump or dip in the road, such as leaving your driveway, the pin pulls up out of the jaws and you are buying a new truck bed. ALWAYS visually confirm that the jaws are closed and locked around the shank of the pin - ALWAYS.
X100!
Always visually check.
I have a CurtQ20 and have never held it level. I have always hitched and unhitched by myself. I don't want my DW anywhere near it. The 5th kingpin needs to "climb" the hitch plate. So I am usually 1 inch lower than the hitch plate. When I do the tug test, and I always do, I raise the front legs just off the ground, maybe an inch. If the trailer isn't hitched and it falls, I don't want any truck damage.
Speaking of damage. If you have "auto level", be sure you have the truck completely out from under the trailer before you hit the "auto level" button. Even if a thunderstorm is approaching, even if the DW wants in the trailer ASAP, etc, etc.
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Old 04-06-2016, 07:03 AM   #5
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Visual check

Quote:
Originally Posted by jsmith948 View Post
The single most reason for hitches not locking properly is referred to as a 'high hitch'. If the pin box plate is too high in relation to the hitch plate, the jaws will close around the flange portion of the kingpin and will appear to be locked. May even pass the tug test. Then, the first time you encounter a hump or dip in the road, such as leaving your driveway, the pin pulls up out of the jaws and you are buying a new truck bed. ALWAYS visually confirm that the jaws are closed and locked around the shank of the pin - ALWAYS.
Good Point, I forgot to say that. Like most things with our RV, we do it without thinking after 4, 5 or 100 times.
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Old 04-06-2016, 07:17 AM   #6
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Add: To do the tug test....slide the trailer brake switch on your truck dashboard and hold it while you put the truck in gear and give it a "tug". I hitched mine this morning and did the tug test and rolled 6 feet. Jeez...NO BRAKES!! I checked the plug in the truck bed and it wasn't all the way in. I looked and the little locking tab on the truck connector wasn't down behind the tab on the cord connector. That would be good to know before you pull out on the highway.
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Old 04-06-2016, 07:37 AM   #7
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My first rule when hitching or unhitching is to have the DW keep all spectators away from me. Nothing like a casual conversation while you are trying to concentrate on the job at hand to make you miss a step. We have a Blue Ox Bedsaver, so when I hook up, the pin is lowered to just barely touching the bedsaver. Backing in, the hitch snaps shut. Before I raise the jacks any at all, I do a pull test, both holding the trailer brakes on and with jacks on the ground. Then, secure the latch, bring in the chocks, raise the jacks and we are ready to go. Unhooking is the reverse; place the chocks, raise the trailer to take most of the weight off the hitch, pull the pin and pull forward out from under the trailer, hit the auto level and we are in business.
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Old 04-06-2016, 05:59 PM   #8
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I have BAL X chocks so I leave those in for the tug test. I don't check brakes until I start out of the campground space. If your doing your light/ brake light check before you leave, there shouldn't be an issue with brakes.
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Old 04-07-2016, 05:54 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by mets721 View Post
I'm new to 5th wheel as well and really appreciate all of the tips I've seen here. I've hitched and unhitched twice (once coming home from the dealer and once more at the house just to practice). When I first did it at home, I had a pit in my stomach hoping I did it right. I did the "tug test" but didn't have the trailer break applied, so that's something I have to remember. My dealer told me to keep the wheels chocked when doing the test. Do you guys chock as well? I have a Reese Titan 16k and line up about an inch below the skid plate. It looks like it's the wrong thing to do, but the king pin rides right up into the hitch and locks in...at least so far. After I hooked up on my own and rode around the neighborhood, I saw the 5th wheel rocking slightly back and forth, but I assumed this is normal.
I keep mine chocked, but not "tight". Maybe an inch or two away from the tires on the back side. I pull the front chocks away when I do the tug. My 5th will roll a little bit and I don't want to be against the chock and thinking I am pulling against the brake, or I pull over the top of the chock. If you have your legs just off the ground when you do the tug, and it unhitches, hopefully it won't roll. I haven't done that yet.
I have concerns about doing the tug with the front legs on the ground and any weight on them. I "think" that may be too much side force on them.
I'm not familiar with your hitch, but I think you're doing it right. I would say as long as you are below the truck hitch plate you should be good.

Don't get too stressed over it. Just go slow and don't get distracted. Just think how many old guys that are dumber than me and you that are doing this everyday. Ahem.
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Old 04-10-2016, 03:16 AM   #10
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All of the comments above plus this one:

I'm a pilot. We don't do *anything* without a checklist.

Write down the steps for hitching and unhitching your specific unit using your specific hitch in the order they should be done, from the moment you start packing up to leave until you're on the road, and don't deviate from it.

Print it out. Maybe even laminate it for those inevitable bad weather days when you're tempted to go fast. Do not skip steps, do not pass Go and collect a large insurance claim.

Mike starts inside with the things necessary to safely bring in the slides. It continues outdoors to unhooking shore power and sewer and doing all of that stuff. Once the trailer is truly buttoned up, the stairs are up and the door handle is folded. (Never fold up the door handle with the stairs down, is another rule of mine. If I see the handle sticking out in my mirror, I know something was missed. Stop and rewind the checklist to the stair raising and go from there.

Hitching up is only done after completed trailer button up and a walk around that everything is stowed properly and all doors and hatches are locked. Including (an important one) the rear stabilizers being raised. Too easy to forget and "pitching" the trailer up and down with the landing gear will just bend things with them down.

Trailer is still chocked at this point. My hitch has a padlock through a pin hole that keeps the jaws from opening. Padlock is removed and jaw lever is pulled out. Hitch is level or *slightly* tipped rearward. Here's an important one -- tailgate is down! (seen people back into their tailgate more than once, staring at their kingpin box). Trailer legs are raised or lowered to a mark I've made that is the correct height on perfectly level ground for hitch up. (This won't be the right height in all scenarios but it's close enough to start.)

Truck is backed up to where kingpin is inside the bed and headed for the hitch, but not all the way to the hitch. I get out and eyeball the height so that the trailer is going to be *slightly* low. We're talking very slight. I want the plates touching but not dragging if at all possible.

Back under and next step is ALWAYS to go lock the jaws and visually check they grabbed the shank of the pin before ANY other steps are completed. Padlock is also inserted at this time in the locking mechanism for the jaw bar such that there can be NO chance the pin is not in the right place.

Once that's done, next step is always to hook up the in-bed trailer electrical cable and make sure the cover latches over the nub on the connector.

Only then will I mess with landing gear retraction. I don't need the "tug test" for my jaws if I visually inspected them and the lock is in place. Good?

Time to bring the gear up. After that, next up is a dual purpose trip aft. The hazard lights are activated on the TV and the headlights are turned on. I should see both running lights all the way around and brake lights flashing at the rear as I walk around and retrieve chocks. TV is now shut off and in gear (manual trans) with parking brake set. Don't need the whole thing rolling away on me at this point.

If a chock is stuck due to the way the pressure on it is holding it under a tire, I note it and pick up all chocks I can and stow them, and then move the rig slightly forward or back as needed to clear the rear of the chocks, shut it down and apply brake and put it in gear and then go get them.

TV lighting can now be shut off if desired. I usually just continue and don't worry about it yet.

If I have room, next I'll back down off of any leveling blocks to keep the nose of my TV from being in the road, or go forward if I have to, and retrieve and stow those.

Once that's all done, a full walk around from driver door to the right and all the way around the rig, looking at everything. Tires look normal on TV and unit? Tree branches overhead, or other close obstacles noted, all the way around the trailer and back to the cab.

Now: Some of this CAN be done with slides out and DW still packing up, but I always go back and double check with the printed checklist after the unit button up is completed. Every item in order.

There's stuff in the button up checklist that can be visually checked from the outside like the TV antenna being down, slides all in all the way and look right, etc. Those are printed last on the checklist. Other reminders like never to place body parts between the trailer and truck bed rails until those jaws are latched, confirmed visually, and the padlock installed are printed near the appropriate sections.

In all, it's a consistent order of operations, written down, and after a while you automatically do it from memory.

Write up the checklist and follow it deliberately and thoughtfully. If it needs changes, write them in and reprint. An example would be when we did our first trips with the generator, packing it up and stowing it had to be added. And then I learned that it needed to be moved higher on the list and split into shutdown and stow steps at different places, because it needed to cool down.

There's lots of little steps I've left out of this. This is from memory and I know there's both tire pressure checks and lug nut torque checks on the checklist, too. Those are done pre-button up because the tools and compressor are available.
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Old 04-10-2016, 05:52 AM   #11
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^^^Very well written. Thanks. I need to make a list.
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Old 04-12-2016, 07:55 AM   #12
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Thanks for all your help.
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