subversive wrote:
Ok, my wife is going to be taking the trailer out to a campground next weekend for Canada day on Thursday without me, since I have to work. This will be her first time unhitching the trailer by herself, so she asked me to write up a list of instructions. Anyone care to proof read to see if I missed anything obvious?
Trailer Instructions
Hooking Up
1. Insert sleeve into hitch receiver
2. Insert hitch, ensure bolt is secured in 2nd hole (ie: hitch is furthest inserted possible). Insert facing to the driver side (ie: the pin is on the driver side)
3. Ensure hitch raised high enough to fit truck underneath
a. Wire from the power jack may need to be connected to the positive of the battery on the driver side. You can’t get a shock from it.
b. If it fails to work, pull the fuse out (it’s about halfway down the cable) and make sure it’s nice and dry, and insert it nice and tight. Sometimes you have to hold it in while trying to use the power jack.
4. Back truck up to under hitch head using backup camera.
5. Lower hitch onto ball, ensure latch is slid up and back
6. Once hitch drops onto ball, slide latch down and forward, put pin in, towards passenger side so loop is on driver side
7. Next, put sway bars on
8. Ensure only 2 links hanging loose on each side
9. Ensure links are not “pinched”, 2 extra links should be hanging loosely
10. Slide breakaway cable through loop on hitch pin and loop over pin in hitch receiver such that it will not fall off
11. Crisscross chains underneath and hook into holes on bottom if hitch receiver. Ensure latches closed on chain ends (wiggle them back and forth to get them to snap shut)
12. Plug trailer into truck receptacle tight (only fits one way)
13. Retract jack until leg is high enough that road bounces won’t cause it to touch the ground.
14. Remove wheel chocks, place in easy location to get at for when you arrive.
15. Double check all connections
a. Are your pins in place and secured?
b. Is your hitch latch down and forward?
c. Are your chains crossed and hooked securely?
d. Is the trailer plugged into truck receptacle
16. Do a light check (as well as possible with one person)
17. Close all doors, latch compartments
18. Do a final walk around.
19. Extend your mirrors.
20. Drive away slowly, use trailer brake with hand in truck (the slidy thing on the dashboard left of the steering wheel) to make sure you can feel the trailer “grab” behind you (do this while still driving slow)
21. Drive carefully, plan ahead for lane changes and exits.
Unhooking and Setting Up
1. Scout your stall, figure out where power, water, sewer are and where you want trailer to be relative to them.
a. Unload bikes from back rack if they are on there before backing into any stall.
b. Pull through stalls, bikes can likely be left until last.
2. Get positioned in the stall as close to side to side level as you can (use level from passenger side hatch). Drive onto a board if necessary.
3. Place wheel chocks under wheels.
4. Put blocks under jack leg.
5. Pull pin out and slide hitch latch up and back
6. Extend jack leg onto blocks, lift mostly off ball
7. Remove bars, be careful if they are still under any tension
8. Unhook chains, hook on pegs inside and under hitch so they are not sitting in wet mud or on the ground
9. Unhook breakaway cable, drape inside propane cover
10. Unhook power cable from truck receptacle, drape inside propane cover to keep out of rain
11. Lift hitch remaining way off ball, with enough space to move truck.
12. Do a walk around; make sure nothing is still connected.
13. Move truck out of way.
14. Turn on propane (keeps fridge cooling)
15. Use level to get trailer level front to back
16. Extend stabilizer jacks onto wood supports, tighten but do not lift
a. Ratchet for stabilizers is in passenger side hatch, hanging on wall
17. Connect electricity if you have it.
a. If you need extension cord, throw the spot where they join under the trailer so as to avoid moisture or rain
18. Connect water if you have it (make sure it’s tight, check for leaking water coming from under the tub in trailer bathroom)
a. If you have water, do not turn on water pump in trailer
19. If you have sewer, connect hose at trailer front pipe (do not open yet) and run to sewer pipe. Try to make it as straight as possible.
a. Once hose is safely down sewer, you can open the two connections which feed the front pipe (this is bathroom sink and tub water, plus toilet water)
20. Turn on water heater in trailer
21. Ensure switch on water heater on outside of trailer is set to “on” (this provides dual propane/electric capacity if we have electricity)
22. Extend slide outs
23. Put everything away where it was before initial hookup.
23. Interior prep.
24. Pour a glass of wine, and relax!
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