Solitude 5th Wheel Front Levelers Position When Doing a Pull Test

[WeirdAl]

After connecting to hitch, I always engage trailer breaks and do a pull test to ensure hitch is locked. Of those that have a Solitude 5th wheel, you know that the front levelers retract one at a time. Before I do a pull test, I retract the front jacks (Retract All) and then go inside to control panel to manually set each front jack to about 1in above ground. And then do a pull test. I am hesitate to select arrow down and take the pressure off of front jacks (just before one jack starts to retract) as the jacks will still "drag" a little when doing a pull test. Is there any other way to retract both front jacks a little (inch above ground) using the outside panel without having to do it manually from the control panel on the inside?? I use to have a Reflection and the control panel was on the cargo door but the Solitudes have them on the inside. I can understand why they put them on the inside with lighting control and other options but wish there was a separate control panel just for the jacks on the outside. Am I over thinking this and do the pull test with pressure off of jacks when they are both down with minimal forward motion (drag) of front jacks?

Another reason why I don't like the control panel on the inside.....I store my Solitude in a storage facility with other RV's side by side. If for some reason, I get a fault when selecting Hitch Height, the only way to reset the fault is on the main control panel (clearing fault). Well, parking in a RV spot with others parked on both sides, I can't bring the stairs down to get inside to access control panel I haven't had this problem yet on the Solitude (did have a fault on the Reflection a couple of times) but wondering if you can clear the fault from outside, disconnect battery?

Thanks for any recommendations or comments.

Tim

Moderator - feel free to move if posted in the incorrect section.

If I hit HITCH HEIGHT (and the trailer is already at HITCH HEIGHT like it was when I dropped it off for storage) and get a fault. I clear it by disconnecting the battery. I never use the pad on the inside. (Too paranoid about the steps of the 5er not put away while it goes up/down) And I rarely use the phone app.

[Roll With The Changes]

There are a couple issues here that come up from time to time and in the interest of making everyone safer, here we go:

"The tug test should be a gentle tug to make sure the hitch is latched." I believe it should be a pull hard on it test. I think of it as trying to find what is going to break while in a position to control the damage. I would much rather drop the trailer an inch onto the landing gear than drop it on the road. That doesn't mean pull as hard as you can, but pull FIRMLY.

Using the trailer brakes for the test is not as straight forward as one might think. The problem here is with conventional electric brakes. These brakes do not apply immediately. The design of the brakes requires the wheel to rotate to force the shoe against the drum. So in this case, if the landing gear is on the ground (as someone said) and the trailer has not moved, you have only pulled on the landing gear. I have disc brakes which do apply immediately, but there is still a little movement from suspension travel so I never pull with the gear on the ground. And if you have electric brakes, always use chocks for the test.

Hope all this helps and makes somebody say... hmmm....

[huntindog]

While I don't do a pull test with my B&W hitch, there's nothing to keep anyone from doing it. But when you back into the B&W and the handle comes back to the locking position, the hitch is locked. If it's off, even a little, the handle won't come back. You can't high hitch one, you can't knowingly partially hitch one. It's just personal preference. But I have read of a guy who pinned his hitch open and then tried to drive off, and dented his truck pretty badly. Which shows you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

I know of that person... If you have a B&W hitch NEVER pin it open. There is no reason to do so... I do a visual check, then pin it closed.... DW double checks it... I skip the pull test. This was one of the primary reasons I chose a B&W.

[Malco1]

I’ve read/heard a pull test isn’t necessary with the B&W hitch as long as you do a visual on the locking bar position and the jaws around the pin. Well even though we have a B&W, we still do a pull test anyway as who knows, it might uncover some other unknown issue.

Same here for me

[Butcher]

I've looked into and never understood the pull test. If the hitch is latched, then how would it unlatch. I can see the pin engage and it is impossible to engage and not latch.

I'm all for safety and what not, but just don't understand the need for this test. Maybe it's because there are some hitches that you cannot see that it's engaged.

I'm open to hear suggestions but at least I am glad there is at least one comment that say's it's not needed.

[Hoopy Frood]

Some hitches will show every indication that it's hitched, but is not completely locked, and will disengage when you pull forward. Mostly a thing called "high hitching", where the pin sits on the jaws, or the jaws go around the large part of the pin, and don't lock in place. B&W owners don't worry about this because they can't happen on a B&W hitch. Unless you're blind of course.

[lorend]

Maybe it is too many years driving a semi but we have always taught that a pull test is not to check your brakes, it is to check if you are hitched up to the kingpin. Standard method for a semi is to back into the kingpin and then gently try to pull forward. With my fifth wheel I can see the handle close and then I even get out and look at the jaws to make sure they are closed properly and then get back in and place the rig in gear for a gentle pull. This is all done before you hook up any lines and with the landing gear still down. Then after hooking up all lines and raising the landing gear you do a brake check to just check that the brakes are working, you already know that you are hitched up and the trailer will not come loose. I have seen drivers do a pull test with the landing gear up and drop their trailer and have the landing gear collapse. Not a good outcome.

[Second Chance]

Maybe it is too many years driving a semi but we have always taught that a pull test is not to check your brakes, it is to check if you are hitched up to the kingpin. Standard method for a semi is to back into the kingpin and then gently try to pull forward. With my fifth wheel I can see the handle close and then I even get out and look at the jaws to make sure they are closed properly and then get back in and place the rig in gear for a gentle pull. This is all done before you hook up any lines and with the landing gear still down. Then after hooking up all lines and raising the landing gear you do a brake check to just check that the brakes are working, you already know that you are hitched up and the trailer will not come loose. I have seen drivers do a pull test with the landing gear up and drop their trailer and have the landing gear collapse. Not a good outcome.

I agree - it is to confirm that the king pin is latched in the hitch. However, the landing gear in our RVs is not nearly as robust as that on a semi-trailer. A safer approached (in terms of protecting expensive hydraulic rams) is to hitch up and connect the brakes. Raise the rear landing gear all the way and situate the front landing gear an inch or two off the ground. Manually engage the trailer brakes (with the brake controller in the truck cab) and do a very gentle pull forward. Doing it this way there are no lateral forces on the landing gear and the gear is there to catch the trailer should the pin not be securely locked.

Rob

[Butcher]

I never knew there were hitches that you cannot determine that they are latched or not. I've only had one and I can. Those that you cannot determine that they are latch must have a lot of bells and whistles that would cause me to choose that one. Sadly, I purchased mine by price and after 15+ years, it's worked out well.

I guess if you got one of those that you do not know, a pull test is the only way to determine that. Thanks for the explanation. It totally makes sense why this needs to be done [with the landing gear down].

[Second Chance]

I never knew there were hitches that you cannot determine that they are latched or not. I've only had one and I can. Those that you cannot determine that they are latch must have a lot of bells and whistles that would cause me to choose that one. Sadly, I purchased mine by price and after 15+ years, it's worked out well.

I guess if you got one of those that you do not know, a pull test is the only way to determine that. Thanks for the explanation. It totally makes sense why this needs to be done [with the landing gear down].

Our PullRite has never failed to latch, either. When I was flying, I never ran out of fuel - but I still checked fuel levels against projected flying time and fuel consumption to make sure I had the required reserve (and did a complete pre-flight inspection). It's just all part of being safe.

Rob