My checklists so "it doesn't happen to me"

[Bruce M]

With the new season here and this being my first year with a 5th wheel, having only hooked up and unhooked a handful of times,I think it is time I made a printed checklist of these procedures so I can post it in the pass through right where the jack controls are.
I've read everywhere that we should make a checklist of this but have never seen anyone post their checklist so I'm going to post mine.
I would appreciate very much if you seasoned vets would pick apart my procedures so I can adjust them and maybe I won't have to post in this forum in another thread of "it happened to me"

Thanks in advance and here is what I came up with;

On edit; I already see a misstep on the hookup list and that is to retract all jacks after pull test.

 

[WhittleBurner]

The pull test may work better if the chocks are removed in the direction you are pulling before the test instead of after. just a slight order of things change

 

[Bruce M]

maybe I'm mistaken but isn't the trailer supposed to be secure/immovable while the truck tries to pull away or are you saying that it is unnecessary to have the chock blocks there because I would be accomplishing that with the trailer brakes already fully applied.
Not at all arguing but really trying to fully understand proper procedures and the reasons for those.

 

[trailrydr]

@OP, what type of 5er hitch do you have?

On our Reese 16k hitch we leave our hitch handle in the closed position and the hitch latch lock safety disconnected. When backing onto the king pin, the hitch jaws will open and then close around the king pin. Then all we have to do is a "visual jaw closed" check around the king pin and reconnect the hitch latch lock safety on the handle.

Maybe not all hitches work this way, but, I prefer the above because it removes a step from our checklist via the final inspection of the jaws around the pin. Maybe yours works the same way?

 

[Hoopy Frood]

The pull test may work better if the chocks are removed in the direction you are pulling before the test instead of after. just a slight order of things change

To me it makes more sense to leave the chocks in place until after the pull test, that way there's no doubts that it's hitched. I don't do a hitch test, but that way seems to make the most sense.

 

[Bruce M]

@OP, what type of 5er hitch do you have?

On our Reese 16k hitch we leave our hitch handle in the closed position and the hitch latch lock safety disconnected. When backing onto the king pin, the hitch jaws will open and then close around the king pin. Then all we have to do is a "visual jaw closed" check around the king pin and reconnect the hitch latch lock safety on the handle.

Maybe not all hitches work this way, but, I prefer the above because it removes a step from our checklist via the final inspection of the jaws around the pin. Maybe yours works the same way?

No my hitch (B&W) needs to have the latch manually opened up before backing into the pin.

And as far as the chocks go I'm kind of in the same thought process as Hoopy Food on this. I certainly don't know all the aspects of this that could have reasons that would make it less beneficial than removing the forward chocks before the pull test.