Hitching & Unhitching

[Rodbuster]

Hello,

I'm looking for advice, tips and/or tricks to hitch and unhitch my 5th wheel. I'm very new to all this, just picked up my Key Largo last weekend. I received my "new guy" lessons at the dealership and I thought that everything would be pretty easy.
When I got home, it took me 45 minutes to unhitch. I was tired so I left it alone for the rest of the day.
The next day I tried to hitch up, just to get some experience under my belt. Again, it took me over 50 minutes to get the kingpin lined up good enough to close and lock it in.
Same thing again trying to unhitch it. At least 45 minutes trying to get the pressure off the kingpin so I could pull the handle.

My driveway has a "very slight" incline and also a "very slight" right to left pitch (the right would be the passenger and higher side). When I say very slight I mean the incline would be about 2 to 3 inches in 60 feet.

I don't feel good about asking you about this because I feel it's something pretty simple that I'm just not doing right, but I'd rather learn now before I get to a campground.

It's a 40 foot Key Largo being pulled by a F350 dually.
The hitch is a Reese Elite 25,000K

Thanks for any help
Rodbuster

 

[jayc]

Practice, practice, practice! Thats the best way to learn it.

 

[Bighurt]

Are you dropping the trailer with blocks under the wheels?

I agree it takes practice and the blocks should have little effect but there is very limited side to side roll on the hitch more pitch front to rear.

When I got mine I tried to be careful and less abusive than I am with a tractor trailer. Turned out that was the problem. I was trying to get it vertically perfect and that just isn't possible. With suspension you it's hard to tell when the weight is on or you begin to lift the TV up. This is made worse with a lube plate as it seams to take that little gap away leaving you with no visual que.

I typically dolly down until it takes the load then give the landing gear another 1" or so of extension, guesstimate. I then chock the wheels, I use x chocks. Dis-engage the kingpin lock and pull forward. Depending on site orientation I sometimes have to back up a bit set the brake to take the tension off the jaws. With the chocks in place landing gear down and the jaws unlocked she won't move. However the truck can sometimes jump up as the suspension uncompressed. This is why I give the landing gear an 1" or so after taking the load. Once you get it figured out you'll be set. Until you change TV's fivers or put an air-rid pin box on...LOL

If your issue is getting the jaws unlocked, for practice purposes, and I did this with mine. Have the DW hop in the bed or you let her man the wheel. While the trailer is chocked, gear down and load taken. Move the TV for and aft while pulling the release. Once you figure it out you'll be a pro.

 

[cookie]

I find it is easier to pull the pin before I take the pressure of the hitch. I just get the landing gear to just touch the ground then pull the handle.
Like Jay said, practice. Not all of us have the same procedure. You will find the sweet spot for your set up. Just be sure you do not high hitch. Let the pinbox ride up on the hitch a little when you hook up.

Peace
Dave

 

[porthole]

Hitching up I use an extendable magnet. Just stick it on the saddle near the center of the opening and then line up the magnet with the pin box in the mirror, backing in.

The magnet should just "roll forward" as the pin box hits, unless you have too little load on the pin box and a bit of gap between pin box and saddle

 

[GOTTOYS]

Sometimes it can be difficult to pull the latch to open the jaws on the hitch. Always chock the trailer before you unhitch to prevent it from rolling. After doing this put your truck in reverse and put a little rearward pressure on the kingpin. This will make it much easier the pull the release handle to open the jaws...Don

 

[brianharrison]

Hello Rodbuster,

My experience with the Reese Elite is similar to yours; as GOTTOYS suggests, taking the "pulling load" off the sliding jaw should free up the handle to be able to pull it out. Chock the wheels on the trailer and allow the truck to back up a bit to release the load before pulling the handle.

For hooking up, I have found leaving the trailer king pin an little lower than the hitch and "sliding under" the king pin as you reverse (only a 1/2 to 3/4 inch downward movement of the truck) helps to lock in the jaw.

I have the Trail-Air king pinbox on my Landmark and I have found the "downward" angle of the jaw is a bit more difficult to get the jaw to automatically lock in. Hence the backing up and sliding under the hitch . I have one of those teflon disks under my king pin and it helps "slide" the kingpin onto the hitch.

If you have bent the automatic locking tab on the Reese Elite by coming in high and lowering the kingpin onto the tab, it will have to be bent back up. I did this by mistake the first time on the Trail Air - I took the top plate off, turned it over and hammered the auto-locking tab back into place. Tis might be preventing the automatic locking in and giving you troubles on hooking up.

Hope this helps.

Take care,
Brian

 

[trvlrerik]

I hook up to a several different trailers for work (other than my Cyclone). To make it easier to line the truck up to each trailer I have a small dot painted on the center of the trailer directly over the kingpin. I have a bolt drilled into the center of my tool box so I can see it from my rear view mirror. When I back up I just steer the bolt on top of my toolbox to the dot on the trailer and it does not matter what angle I am at the kingpin is centered over the hitch. With the any trailer I set the kingpin to the height of my hitch prior to backing in by measuring from the ground leaving the kingpin about 3/4" lower than the hitch height, when I get close I get out and visually check it will not high hitch, and then back in till the hitch engages. I have also put marks on the trailer legs showing me when the trailer is "in the ballpark" for hitching and unhitching. Like everybody else is advising practice will help more than everything else. Find a system that works for you and follow it every time, this will help to prevent any hitching / unhitching accidents. I hope this helps some.

 

[caissiel]

I have a one pivot hitch and will never have anything else after watching my friends hookup and reading this, I have way less trouble hitching my trailer to the truck. I have my setup so the trailer is level when I unhook and if it needs adjustment in height I note the location on the front to back level.
I can be off by 1/2-1" on the height and side . When I back in the trailer will rise and it can also slide sideways. I usualy hook up on the first try.
If not level side to side, I have plenty of room at the pin because I never use a teflon plate. learned my lessen on the last trailer. Thats the setup transports use for the last 50 years and it suits me.

 

[Bighurt]

I hook up to a several different trailers for work (other than my Cyclone). To make it easier to line the truck up to each trailer I have a small dot painted on the center of the trailer directly over the kingpin. I have a bolt drilled into the center of my tool box so I can see it from my rear view mirror. When I back up I just steer the bolt on top of my toolbox to the dot on the trailer and it does not matter what angle I am at the kingpin is centered over the hitch.

That bolt and dot is a great idea, I'll have to steal that one.

 

[TedS]

I follow the instructions for my Reese 16k hitch:
http://www.hitchpro.net/application/support/instructions/n30047.pdf

Especially leaving the hitch handle 'in' while I hitch. The handle moves out as the pin is pushed into the jaws. Then the hitch handle snaps back in after the jaws close around the pin. It give me a clear indication that I have captured the pin.

 

[brianharrison]

I follow the instructions for my Reese 16k hitch:
http://www.hitchpro.net/application/support/instructions/n30047.pdf

Especially leaving the hitch handle 'in' while I hitch. The handle moves out as the pin is pushed into the jaws. Then the hitch handle snaps back in after the jaws close around the pin. It give me a clear indication that I have captured the pin.

Hi Ted,

Excellent recommendation to follow the hitching instructions for everyone's specific hitch.

The Elite Series from Reese requires the hitch handle to be pulled "out" before hitching (page 13 of the link). http://www.reeseprod.com/content/downloads/installation/N30143.pdf

The OP indicated he has the Elite series.

Take care,
Brian

 

[Birchwood]

As others have recommended your hitch manual may give you the best instructions.
At first it will take you 45 min to hitch and unhitch and that is good as you are noticing
all the important things .Sounds like you have all the correct gear to make your RVing
pleasurable.

 

[Birchwood]

Never mentioned to not use high blocking under your front landing gear.It is common for new RV'ers to
block their trailer thinking it will add to trailer stability.
The probem is if you bump your trailer when hitching and the wheels are not securely chucked the
RV wiill fall from the blocks and could land on the rail of your truck causing lots of damage.
You may of seen some tow vehicles with damaged rails .

 

[bdb2047]

I have Elite 18k hitch.I pull latch in open position it seams to be critical to pick some weight on hitch when backing into it.The pictures in instructions show pin box contacting hitch on slope.If i do not do this I will have trouble latching.Also need to have same when disconnecting.I also have face of latch yellow so I can look and see it is closed easily.Still have to check for proper latching

 

[rumaco]

I would never put blocks under the landing gear! Drop off is common and if the wheels are not blocked watch out! Bishes RV in Idaho Falls just paid out $12,000.00 on damage to a customer truck because they had it on blocks and when backing hit the pin and the 5er dropped on the bed with full weight!

 

[lmcclure]

Above all do a pull test before you pull out after hitching up. Hitch up as the manual says then raise the landing legs 1/2" off the blocks and engage the trailer brakes. Put the truck in gear and try to pull forward while holding the trailer brakes not the truck brakes. If the rig is hitched properly it will not fall on your truck bed. Get in the habit of doing this EVERY time before you pull out.

 

[caissiel]

I put max 2 x 6 under my front landing legs.
In the early days I use to put 4 in blocks under the trailer and my friend backed in his truck to move my trailer and for some reason he just bumped the hitch and the trailer moved off the blocks and the trailer just missed the top of his box. I realy felt bad about the close encounter so I always advise against any blockage on the landing gear.
I see some with heavy 8 x 8 or 10 x 10, it just scare me of the possible trouble waiting to happen.
I do see all kinds of different habits that are completly weird, and just pass on and grin because with the years of 5th wheel ownership, I know what is good for me and keeping it simple has been my best phylosophy.

 

[JohnDar]

I use these pads under my four jacks (Ground Control system), and the rear electric stabilizers. Highly unlikely that I will knock the trailer off them or the rig will fall off on its own. They're three sections of 4x4, topped with 5/4 PT deck board. The whole thing is screwed together so it's a single unit. These aren't "blocks", they're cribbing.


View attachment 13351

 

[Boca_Shuffles]

I have a tri-fold cover on my truck. Since I can't see my hitch when I back up, I use a 2 foot piece of PVC pipe as my guide. I place the pipe in the hitch and let it tilt backwards. Using this I back up until the pipe hits the kingpin. I then remove the pipe and back up the remaining few inches.