Dropped It (Insert expletive here)

[boyscout]

Always appreciate advice. One question. If you do the pull test with the trailer brakes on, don’t you want your landing gear down, at least partially? If not, you stand a pretty good chance of pulling it out of the hitch and doing what I just did of it isn’t locked in properly. Or is that just your last double check to make sure it doesn’t drop on the Highway

Unless there's a likelihood that the trailer can roll back on its own (an un-level site AND brake failure) I usually do it with the jacks up, ready to roll if the creep test is successful.

As I've emphasized, the creep test is done very gently and slowly so if the trailer starts to move much at all I can stop the truck while it's still under the trailer. Raising the jacks only an inch or two before this test, and then getting out of the truck and finishing the departure routines is even safer, and I guess I can understand you being more nervous about that. YMMV.

 

[zinman]

We are new to 5th wheels and learned a horrible lesson yesterday. We got a little sloppy pulling our Solitude out. My wife backed up the truck. I heard a click. Closed the arm on the B&W hitch, put in the safety pin, raised the landing gear. I never looked to make sure the kingpin was locked in place. It wasn't. Side rails of the truck damaged, tailgate a total loss along with my self-esteem.


I share this just so my mistake may be a reminder to everyone not to get sloppy when hitching and unhitching. Fortunately, insurance will cover less the $500 deductible. An expensive lesson for sure.

Chris

Been there done that with my first 5th wheel. It only takes once........

 

[Bamaman]

Join the club. Every time you move to either pickup or drop a trailer, the tailgate must be down. I was fortunate to have not retracted my landing gear but a few inches, and the damage was just to the tailgate.

 

[MattShan]

Thank you for sharing your experience. You give the community a reason to continue to read these blogs, and learn from mistakes. I hope all get repaired to your satisfaction. Safe travels.

 

[telder4]

Demco hitch

We are new to 5th wheels and learned a horrible lesson yesterday. We got a little sloppy pulling our Solitude out. My wife backed up the truck. I heard a click. Closed the arm on the B&W hitch, put in the safety pin, raised the landing gear. I never looked to make sure the kingpin was locked in place. It wasn't. Side rails of the truck damaged, tailgate a total loss along with my self-esteem.


I share this just so my mistake may be a reminder to everyone not to get sloppy when hitching and unhitching. Fortunately, insurance will cover less the $500 deductible. An expensive lesson for sure.

Chris

Demco hitch has a lock bar, so there is no mistake if it's locked or not. Easy to see a bar across the hitch opening and locking pin will not go in if the bar isn't in all the way. Superior locking system.

 

[coastn]

Yes! The jaws encircle the kingpin and the lock bar slides behind the jaws. Easy to see. Love it with the Demco Glide Ride also.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

Would this be possible with one of those Anderson hitches that connect to a goose neck?

 

[barr0208]

Would this be possible with one of those Anderson hitches that connect to a goose neck?

no once you are on the ball its not going anywhere.

 

[Lane Hog]

When I dropped my FW onto the gate and bed, it gave me an excuse to get a flow gate.... I had spray-on bed liner on the rails which minimized the damage a bit, so I left the rails as is and never bothered with insurance.

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[Band1t]

Tough lesson from a easy mistake to make. Just ordered a new 3500 dually, and once we decide which 5th wheel to go with, it will be Reese Goosebox for sure.

 

[Foothiller]

My Curt hitch has color codes about hitched, ready to hitch, in-between. Almost everybody has a bad trailering experience, mine happened today when I didn't use my manual slider and turned at too large an angle, denting the cab and blowing out the rear window of the truck. A 5.5' bed can do that, my previous truck had an 8' bed and didn't. Painful & embarrassing, but you learn and move on.

 

[Jerryr]

I never make mistakes !??. NOT!

Don’t feel bad if no one gets hurt. We learn from our mistakes.

 

[lorend]

Boyscout. are you not just describing a pull test? I back in and then make sure the jaws are locked in place and the handle secured and then do a pull test with the landing gear still down. Once you raise the landing gear and then do a pull test are you not running the slight chance of dropping your RV on the vehicle, even when done slowly. Been driving semis for 40 years and their king pins and handles are spring loaded and even then we do a pull test and sight inspection of the jaws before raising the landing gear.

 

[bshgto]

sameo sameo

Here's the solution........load from any angle.....pretty much idiot proof

https://www.pullrite.com/2400

They won`t listen. The best one I`ve seen is a brand new Dodge dually still with the new truck tags on it with crushed bed rails in front of a new 40`er. Made himself look real good in front of the wife. With this hitch or the Andersen it can`t happen, it`s ether on or off no in-between.

 

[cmonnette]

They won`t listen. The best one I`ve seen is a brand new Dodge dually still with the new truck tags on it with crushed bed rails in front of a new 40`er. Made himself look real good in front of the wife. With this hitch or the Andersen it can`t happen, it`s ether on or off no in-between.

I’m sorry I think I missed your point. My truck was reasonably new. We had just upgraded from 1500 pulling a 27’ TT. The 5th wheel hitch was foreign to me. The trailer still has temporary tags. Isn’t that when more mistakes happen? When things are new? In my case, “the wife,” was behind the wheel and I told her to pull forward when the trailer wasn’t hitched properly. I really don’t understand your point.


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[bshgto]

mUSt bE spECial

I’m sorry I think I missed your point. My truck was reasonably new. We had just upgraded from 1500 pulling a 27’ TT. The 5th wheel hitch was foreign to me. The trailer still has temporary tags. Isn’t that when more mistakes happen? When things are new? In my case, “the wife,” was behind the wheel and I told her to pull forward when the trailer wasn’t hitched properly. I really don’t understand your point.


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I know you don`t.

Hitching is the simplest but the most important task when preparing to pull anything.

 

[Gronk1]

When I had my Reese hitch, it gave me nothing but trouble, it would close but not completely. It wouldn't give up the pin when unhitching at times. Put up with the finnicky thing for over 15 years. Bought a B&W Companion & love it.
I do a pull test with landing legs off the ground 1/2 to 1 inch. Being hydraulic, I don't want to them in a bind if I get carried away with the throttle & the trailer creeps forward. Same for loading, lower the strike plate below the hitch which will lift the legs slightly off the ground.

 

[LanerC]

We are new to 5th wheels and learned a horrible lesson yesterday. We got a little sloppy pulling our Solitude out. My wife backed up the truck. I heard a click. Closed the arm on the B&W hitch, put in the safety pin, raised the landing gear. I never looked to make sure the kingpin was locked in place. It wasn't. Side rails of the truck damaged, tailgate a total loss along with my self-esteem.


I share this just so my mistake may be a reminder to everyone not to get sloppy when hitching and unhitching. Fortunately, insurance will cover less the $500 deductible. An expensive lesson for sure.

Chris

Ive done that...twice! The first time my excuse was I was on pain pills and forgot to latch the arm. The second time I got interrupted and forgot to put in the pin. Yea, it squashes the truck rails, no damage to the 5th wh though both were slow speed thankfully. Quite a noise though.

 

[cmonnette]

Ive done that...twice! The first time my excuse was I was on pain pills and forgot to latch the arm. The second time I got interrupted and forgot to put in the pin. Yea, it squashes the truck rails, no damage to the 5th wh though both were slow speed thankfully. Quite a noise though.

Yep, you can’t hide that sound, or forget it.


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[stroing]

Thanks for sharing as painful as it is.