Leveling while still connected

[Bisjoe]

We have an upcoming long weekend trip, and have no need to un-hitch while there. If I need to raise the front of the trailer to level it at the campground, is there any problem with having it still connected, and the back of the truck coming up some and staying that way for two nights??

[Javi]

Too easy to unhook and not worry about it..

[t_dogg80]

This. Just unhook it. Too easy to unhook and not worry about it..

[notanlines]

In a risk vs reward situation you are on the losing end. Unhook it. It is how things are done.

[66joej]

Chock the wheels and unhook the coupler. The rest can stay hooked up.

[sourdough]

I agree with all the rest.....just unhook it. Takes all of 3 minutes - no upside to not unhooking.

[Bisjoe]

OK, got it!

[spade117]

We have an upcoming long weekend trip, and have no need to un-hitch while there.

The only time not un-hitching would make sense that I can think of is if it's a quick sleep stop and nothing else is needed to be used during that time. I agree with the others that you should pretty much always un-hitch.

[JRTJH]

Unhook and then level. There's no need to stay hooked up, no need to add the extra weight of lifting the truck bed using the front gear (that aren't that big anyway) and in the event of an emergency or even a need for a loaf of bread, no need to have to essentially "undo" everything by getting it back to 'road ready" status so you can unhitch and use the truck "solo"....

Just unhitch when setting up, it's easier on the equipment and gets you a truck if you need it.

[Barbell]

My rig will not level itself while hooked up because the first action of the auto level system is to lower the nose well below the hook-up level. it may (or may not) raise the front jacks off the ground trying to dip the nose of the rig. Unhook.

[goducks]

If you're only talking about an inch or tow then no biggie to stay hitched. My concern would be needing to walk from one side to the other while connected. You'd always be climbing over the a frame or walking around the front of the truck or rear of the TT.
I would probably unhitch for a two night stay. One nighters I'd leave it hitched.

[captbozy]

I know that I would forget and jump in the truck pull out and mess all my jacks up. Maybe not the first day or second .

[mfifield01]

I will stay hooked up if it's a quick overnight stop. I will level the trailer side to side. I try to get it level front to back. I utilize the truck's air suspension to raise or lower the front (+-2"). I always disconnect the 7-pin.

[larryflew]

If we are fairly level I do it manually since as mentioned b4 the auto level can't drop down to position for auto level.

[bfisher003]

We do it all the time (stay hooked up) for one-nighters and yes, I level front to back if necessary by using the electric tongue jack to raise the front of the trailer (and the rear of the truck). We have done this many a night and have not had any problem so far. Now having said this, if I have to raise it several inches I either find another spot or unhook.

[scarlson42]

Famous weasel words, "it depends", "your mileage may vary (YMMV)". Although you have a travel trailer, the same criteria apply as for our fifth wheel. I have towed both.

We have a fifth wheel with automatic leveling. We will unhook for two nights or longer, but may not for overnight stops. Procedure for quick overnights:

1. If manual bubble levels indicate within 1 or 2 degrees of 0, stay hooked up and leave it alone. Don't put extra stress on the truck or trailer.

Jacks may be used only enough to take some of the bounce out of the trailer tires. If you do this, use the manual mode, not the auto level function. BE CAREFUL! If you are new to the manual mode, it is possible to twist the trailer frame. It depends on what you are comfortable with. Same cautions apply for manual scissor jack deployment.

2. If the trailer needs leveling, we follow normal unhook procedures, but only pull the truck far enough forward to clear the pin from the plate, and then use auto level. Re-hooking in the morning will just be a manual alignment of the pin to the plate slot and backing up a few inches.

[Harleydodge]

Famous weasel words, "it depends", "your mileage may vary (YMMV)". Although you have a travel trailer, the same criteria apply as for our fifth wheel. I have towed both.

We have a fifth wheel with automatic leveling. We will unhook for two nights or longer, but may not for overnight stops. Procedure for quick overnights:

1. If manual bubble levels indicate within 1 or 2 degrees of 0, stay hooked up and leave it alone. Don't put extra stress on the truck or trailer.

Jacks may be used only enough to take some of the bounce out of the trailer tires. If you do this, use the manual mode, not the auto level function. BE CAREFUL! If you are new to the manual mode, it is possible to twist the trailer frame. It depends on what you are comfortable with. Same cautions apply for manual scissor jack deployment.

2. If the trailer needs leveling, we follow normal unhook procedures, but only pull the truck far enough forward to clear the pin from the plate, and then use auto level. Re-hooking in the morning will just be a manual alignment of the pin to the plate slot and backing up a few inches.


I would recommend to Never, Ever do this.
If you use auto level, be sure the truck is completely clear of the 5er.

[Ken / Claudia]

Are you going to a RV park or camp ground with RV pads? If so I will bet they are close to being level.
This is what I do, when stopping for the night and leave in morning. Since the pads are normally level or damn close.
I put down the jacks and tongue to make a solid contact. Check the bubbles and damn near level than stay hooked up to truck.
If not level, disconnect is what I do.

[scarlson42]

I would recommend to Never, Ever do this.
If you use auto level, be sure the truck is completely clear of the 5er.

Is your concern that the auto level will run amok and completely retract the front jacks?

If that’s the concern, it’s not a problem for me since I always extend the front jacks to within a few inches of the ground using the locking pins before turning on the leveling system. Please state your exact concerns.

[travelin texans]

I agree, NEVER, EVER level without moving your truck completely clear!!!
It has to drop the front nearly all the way before it starts the auto level sequence & doesn't care or stop if your trucks in the way, that thin fiberglass/filon is no match for the corners of your truck bed. It's not "running amok", but doing exactly as its supposed to.

[scarlson42]

I agree, NEVER, EVER level without moving your truck completely clear!!!
It has to drop the front nearly all the way before it starts the auto level sequence & doesn't care or stop if your trucks in the way, that thin fiberglass/filon is no match for the corners of your truck bed. It's not "running amok", but doing exactly as its supposed to.

Understood. It hasn’t been a problem, guess I’ve just been lucky. Rather than trust to luck, I will take your advice.

PS. I assume that you refer to dropping the front jacks all the way, not the trailer nose.

[travelin texans]

[QUOTE=scarlson42;290201]Understood. It hasn’t been a problem, guess I’ve just been lucky. Rather than trust to luck, I will take your advice.

PS. I assume that you refer to dropping the front jacks all the way, not the trailer nose.[/Q

No, on mine the trailer nose drops, the front legs "retract" almost completely before it starts the "auto level" sequence. If I don't move my truck, there WILL be damage. Yours may work differently, but my instructions stated to move truck completely.

[scarlson42]

[QUOTE=scarlson42;290201]Understood. It hasn’t been a problem, guess I’ve just been lucky. Rather than trust to luck, I will take your advice.

PS. I assume that you refer to dropping the front jacks all the way, not the trailer nose.[/Q

No, on mine the trailer nose drops, the front legs "retract" almost completely before it starts the "auto level" sequence. If I don't move my truck, there WILL be damage. Yours may work differently, but my instructions stated to move truck completely.

Mine works differently. Jacks extend until nose is above level, then jacks retract until level. Then the fine tuning begins. I can see that if my whole rig starts with the nose above level, there will be a crash as the system tries to bring the nose down to level and the truck is in the way.

Thanks for the education.

[schwalbach]

I rarely ever unhook, in fact when i do it is a such a rare situation I catch hell from the group we camp with, If you have auto level it may be a different situation, I manually level, by getting it close with blocks under wheels and fine tune with the jacks and fifth wheel stands, it is much more stable with the truck under it, no bouncing, if you are good it is level when you park and jacks only stabilize it. My theory is by staying hooked up it is one less chance to have a disconnect by unhooking and then hooking back up with interruptions of fellow campers making you forget a step and missing something.
I bet in the last 100 trips I have made over several decades I have unhooked 10 times.

level it with the unit hooked and good to go.

[LewisB]

Looks like I'm out of step with most responses - I see absolutely NO reason to unhook unless you need the truck by itself or you are horribly off level. Level side-to-side with blocks under trailer tires. Level front to back by putting blocks under the back tires of your truck. Get it within an inch or so. We commonly "dry camp" at truck stops and rest stops - they consider putting jacks down as "camping" - using blocks to get level is considered "resting". We've been towing for 40 years - while unhooking is not complex, I think there is a greater probability of equipment damage or human injury by constantly and unnecessarily hooking/unhooking. If you don't need to unhook, don't! (The only place this doesn't apply is when using a tent trailer where you have to unhook to get the beds extended.) That's just my opinion, of course...