Procedure for hitching and unhitching your 5th wheel.

[traveldawg]

Just want to clear up one thing.... I don't really ram the truck into the pin. Sometimes after I get under it I have to give it a bit more throttle and then it latches sometimes it latches smooth-as-butter. And because it is an autoslider hitch when not on an exact alignment it might need some extra effort as it latches; I think that is to move the hitch head into alignment a bit. Such is life - always some special case/

It looks like I might be in the minority here. Since my DW and I make hitching and unhitching a joint effort (she actually does the final hitch/unhitch while I monitor) this way is working out well - for now. If I did it myself I'd probably skip the idea of connecting the 7 pin connector.

Thanks for all the ideas so far.

[Txfivver]

I'm always hitching up by myself and I leave the trailer wheels chocked and use the trucks CHMSL camera to get me pretty close side to side and back in slow. When I see the pin get close to the hitch plate I get out and eyeball the pin and the jaws. I've found with the Companion you need the pin a little low in relation to the jaws and it will ride up and in. I can always get it close but don't mind getting out and looking. The companion locking lever always swings closed with a satisfying clunk, I put the lock on it and don't even bother with a pull test. On the Companion if that lever is closed and the safety pin is in it is NOT coming open. Easy peasy.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I rely on the chocks and dont use the brakes at all. Backing up to hitch the drum brakes will not do anything anyway I don't think? Never really checked. However, I do notice the trailer can move a bit which puts some kind of stress on the landing gear.
What is this pull test you speak of? After the hitch (B&W Companion) closes into position, I lock it and then look at the jaws around the kingpin. If the jaws are encompassing the pin, I figure I'm good and I drive away. Should I be doing something else?

I've found with the Companion you need the pin a little low in relation to the jaws and it will ride up and in.

Ya, I eyeball it to hit about halfway up the plate.

[traveldawg]

I rely on the chocks and dont use the brakes at all. Backing up to hitch the drum brakes will not do anything anyway I don't think? Never really checked. However, I do notice the trailer can move a bit which puts some kind of stress on the landing gear.
What is this pull test you speak of? After the hitch (B&W Companion) closes into position, I lock it and then look at the jaws around the kingpin. If the jaws are encompassing the pin, I figure I'm good and I drive away. Should I be doing something else?


Ya, I eyeball it to hit about halfway up the plate.

After you are all connected/hitched/happy and before you raise the front landing gear you get in the truck, engage the brakes on the RV manually and easy ahead slightly to see if you can pull away from the RV. If all is connected/hitched then the RV shouldn't come hitched. You leave the landing pads down in case the RV does pull free from the truck. All this is to be sure you RV is hitched real good to the truck.

[Richter]

Andersen. Back under, let it down. Set the locking pin and move on with the rest of the process.

[Walaby]

You leave the landing pads down in case the RV does pull free from the truck. All this is to be sure you RV is hitched real good to the truck.

I raise my landing gear just an inch or two max so Im not stressing them with the pull test. if it drops, it will only drop an inch before it hits landing gear and still won't do any damage.

Mike

[frank4711]

Auto level resets height and bed camera gets me close I confirm height and just ease it in no need to slam it. With my B&W hitch there is no pull test needed. later Frank

[KamFlyer]

It might be different for tt but we were told by the dealer when we picked her up not to activate the tt brake as the current that runs through the brake away switch might fry it in the lock position. Is this true or not I don't know but our small brake away box is made of plastic and doesn't look to durable.

In many jurisdictions where you need an endorsement if your trailer is over 10K lbs, part of the standard pre-trip inspection is a 4 way brake test. TV parking brake, trailer brakes both with brake pedal and manual application, and breakaway switch. Miss any one of those on the road test and you fail! The reason to test the breakaway, is that circuit is typically fused. Blown fuse, no breakaway braking! Actually had it happen on my wife's road test. The fuse had blown due to an intermittent short in the trailer brake wiring. The regular brakes worked 95% of the time just fine and we likely wouldn't have found the problem without doing the breakaway test.
-Rob-

[pilot1]

In many jurisdictions where you need an endorsement if your trailer is over 10K lbs, part of the standard pre-trip inspection is a 4 way brake test. TV parking brake, trailer brakes both with brake pedal and manual application, and breakaway switch. Miss any one of those on the road test and you fail! The reason to test the breakaway, is that circuit is typically fused. Blown fuse, no breakaway braking! Actually had it happen on my wife's road test. The fuse had blown due to an intermittent short in the trailer brake wiring. The regular brakes worked 95% of the time just fine and we likely wouldn't have found the problem without doing the breakaway test.
-Rob-

When I hitch up I line up and go slow. If I'm aligned aligned with the pin it latches easily easily. I ook up the 7 pin plug and pull a way cable. I then apply the Brakes and try to pull to see if I locked the pin. To un hook I set the chocks lower the front gear then pill the pin and 7 way plug and pull a way cable and pull out from it. I move well pas the trailer the hit auto-level.

[orbsah]

I agree with most that it's ill advised to have the electrical hooked up at any time the hitch isn't.

On the pull test, even though I understand it to be not necessary w/ the Companion, we're convinced the ONE time we don't, that's when we'll have an issue (that's just how things go with us). It's been on our checklist since day 1 just for a little piece of mind.

By the way, the Morryde pin box also helps take a little of the shock if we're a little energetic while hitching.