Trailer brakes while hitching

[jasin1]

watched a video today and they mentioned hooking up your trailer harness while your backing up and activating the brake controller while backing into the hitch…to avoid pushing against the landing gear.

Is this something worth doing?…i’m careful when hitching but first i heard of this

[JRTJH]

I suppose there's as many ways to hitch as there are people who hitch a fifth wheel....

IMO, that's what chocks are for. On my trailer, with electric brakes, the brake magnets don't really "expand the shoes" when in reverse (they expand "some" but not nearly as tight against the drums as when rolling forward) and, on top of that, the drum has to turn at least 1/4 turn (or more) before there's any expansion of the shoes. So, (again, IMO) plugging in the 7 way plug and squeezing the brake control level may be a "feel good measure" but it ain't gonna do much to lock up the wheels before the landing gear "gets that stress"... I've found much MUCH less movement of the landing gear just by having "properly placed chocks on the tires"....

Since this is a "IMO post", YMMV applies !!!!!

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I suppose there's as many ways to hitch as there are people who hitch a fifth wheel....

IMO, that's what chocks are for. On my trailer, with electric brakes, the brake magnets don't really "expand the shoes" when in reverse (they expand "some" but not nearly as tight against the drums as when rolling forward) and, on top of that, the drum has to turn at least 1/4 turn (or more) before there's any expansion of the shoes. So, (again, IMO) plugging in the 7 way plug and squeezing the brake control level may be a "feel good measure" but it ain't gonna do much to lock up the wheels before the landing gear "gets that stress"... I've found much MUCH less movement of the landing gear just by having "properly placed chocks on the tires"....

Since this is a "IMO post", YMMV applies !!!!!

I believe your right…now that i think about it when i do a pull test, it takes a partial revolution until the brakes lock up

[RJS3791RD]

Personally, I would be hesitant with the standard electro magnetic brake systems. However, if you have the electric over hydraulic (which I do), you can use this type of technique. Personally, I leave my chocks in place but do use the manually brake controller to apply braking to the trailer. My opinion is that I am going to use everything I have to hold the unit.

[chuckster57]

I have since 1989, backed into the kingpin and listen for the “locking” and then put it in drive NO gas pedal until I feel tension.

[NH_Bulldog]

I would file this with along with the idea that you have to partially deploy your awning and pause for the hydraulic struts to “catch up” before continuing. Sounds good in theory but not really based on reality. I think chocks are more than sufficient to get the job done. Personally I have never liked having the cord connected without truck and trailer securely attached to each other. Too easy to rip the cord apart if you forget you are plugged in and pull away to realign.

Ahem, I just may have some firsthand experience with that

[Pull Toy]

+1 for Bulldogs post!

I also STRONGLY advise against closing your tailgate, and raising your gear, before a test pull to check latching. Only once!!! Never again!!! Ask me how I know…

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I have since 1989, backed into the kingpin and listen for the “locking” and then put it in drive NO gas pedal until I feel tension.

2X!
This is the way I do it! Never understood putting weight on the pin before doing a tug test! With 2,000# to 4,000# of weight on the pin might not move, but before weight is on the pin, if not locked will release much easier without weight.

[lonev]

Originally Posted by jasin1

watched a video today and they mentioned hooking up your trailer harness while your backing up and activating the brake controller while backing into the hitch…to avoid pushing against the landing gear.

Is this something worth doing?…i’m careful when hitching but first i heard of this

Just block the wheels properly and you won’t have to do this at all as the trailer can’t move forward or backwards if wheels blocked both sides front and back of tires. This way no chance of damaging the trailer wiring if you pull away to far to line up the trailer ball or hitch pin…

[rlh1957]

Originally Posted by jasin1

watched a video today and they mentioned hooking up your trailer harness while your backing up and activating the brake controller while backing into the hitch…to avoid pushing against the landing gear.

Is this something worth doing?…i’m careful when hitching but first i heard of this

We put wheel chocks down before unhitching or putting down gear.
Same with retracting gear, hitching up. Never pull against landing leveling gear, use chocks. Don’t try to pull test with trailer unbiblical cord connected, isn’t productive to use trailer brakes.
Chocks are last thing to pick up before leaving.
Hooking up:
Chocks are in tight, raise rear jacks up, then put front gear down to raise nose enough to connect, lock in king pin connector. Lower nose onto truck by raising front gear. Raise jacks off ground just enough to come off ground. Then with chocks in and gear slightly up, do a pull test.
After test is good, forward or back truck to loosen pressure from chocks to remove and raise front jacks gear.