I am sure this has been discussed before, but since I wasn't really sure how to search because I don't have a fiver, I thought you good people could help me out. My parents and grandparents both have fivers. One of the biggest frustrations they have his hooking up. Their problem is they cant see from the cab if they are aligned correctly and if they are at the correct height.
I know there are products out there to help in aligning and hooking a TT up, but I was wondering what products might be out there to help in hooking a fiver up???
Thanks
pmfinnegan2
1998 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport
318 5.2L V-8, 3.92 Rear end
HD Transmission Cooler
2006 Max-Lite 24RS
Equalizer Hitch, Prodigy Brake Controller
Wife, 6 year old Daughter, and 2 year old son
A camera would work. All Class A motorhomes have them.
With us, I can't see the hitch, but my spouse stands back by the buttons to raise or lower the jacks on our 5th wheel. Uses hand signals to tell me which way to turn the steering wheel how far to back up to hook up. Works for us.
Nolan and JoAnn
2000 Kenworth T600. (The Little Blue Truck)
2004 NuWa Hitchhiker Champagne 33LKTG
2003 Kawasaki Nomad. The Cow. (mine)
2004 Harley Road King. The Hog. (hers) http://community.webshots.com/user/2ontheroad
On the back window of my truck, I put a little piece of tape directly in the center of the window (side to side). Then when I'm backing up, I line the piece of tape up with the kingpin of the trailer. Then when I'm close enough, I get out of the truck, adjust the height, and then back straight up and hitch up. I've never had to pull forward and try to re-hook.
On height a clever suggestion that has mentioned on these boards:
Put a weight (bolt will work) on a piece of string and BEFORE unhooking you can drop the bolt down from the hitch pin and put a piece of tape to mark the string at the height you feel comfortable with. When you are ready to hitch then you can use the bolt to set the pin height.
The tape trick works well for a bunch of folks. I would suggest an old bus driver trick, ever wonder how they know were the back bumper is when they parallel park a bus? Many use landmarks, I have seen them put a dab of nail polish or another mark on a rivet on the bus body. In the mirror, the mark lines up with their line of sight to the bumper. I can't use my back window a bunch of the time; I have a back window graphic and when it gets wet it is impossible to see out of. There is a light on the front of the trailer, on the passenger side, that I align with the bed of the truck in the passenger side mirror; on the drivers side I use the rocker switch that raises or lowers the camper as a target to align the side of the truck to.
On the side of the 5er is a little bubble level and normally I can get the trailer hight close enough to the right height without getting out to look at it. The trick is to note where this bubble is when you unhook and get the height close enough when you re-hook up.
This fella mention his parents and grand parents. This to kind of sounds like a bunch of folks who can no longer turn around and see. Old codgers like me. The tape trick is probably the best (free) and simplest. I use a paint mark on my Fold-A-Cover in the center, and I can see that from the mirror to know when I am aligned up. As for the height, either get a tape measure, or a stick of the correct length and raise the landing gear until you are at the right spot for hitching up. Simple, neat, and right every time.
For height, I use DW as I am backing in close, she is adjusting height w/ the landing gear. I can still turn to see out the back window, but had seen those snazzy mirrored front areas on several 5er's, and wondered if they help.
Puller: '04 HD2500 4x4 SB,EC Duramax/Allison. Airaid intake, 4in. exhaust turbo back, ORU leveler.
Pullee: '02 Keystone Cougar 276EFS Reese 16k w/ slider.
(map is for current 5er only)
When I first got my 5er, I had the same problem. I could never back the truck and get it aligned with the kingpin on the first try. I came up with a method that works 100% of the time. I pasted a small white round label in the center of my rear window. When I’m ready to back up, I stick a three-foot long foam swim noodle vertically in the center of the crack between my open tailgate and the bed of the truck. Then, as I’m backing up, I just look in the rearview mirror and align the label on the window with the noodle and the kingpin. When the noodle hits the kingpin, it bends out of the way and I’m in perfect alignment.
To get the proper kingpin height every time, I bought the Memory Level at Camping World and stuck it next to the landing gear switch on the side of the 5er. It has a pointer that slides so you can mark a position. When I raise the 5er to unhitch, I slide the pointer to the bubble so I’ll “remember” the proper height when I’m ready to re-hitch. It works every time.
* This post was
edited 04/10/08 08:27am by CactusJohn *
My neighbor went and had a piece cut from a sheet of thin polished stainless and glued it to the front lower piece of the cap. He can see the hitch by looking at the reflection in the stainless.
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