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Here are the basic steps for hitching and unhitching a
trailer and a fifth wheel. As you gain experience at doing this, you may
find other techniques that work better for you and your particular
combination, so these may be somewhat generic instructions on how to do the
job.
Hitching
up trailers with a weight distribution hitch
- Raise the trailer tongue until there is enough room
for the hitch ball to go underneath.
- Back the tow vehicle up until the ball is directly
under the coupler. It might help if there is someone that can assist you
with this, but it can be done solo (it just might take a little more
time).
- Open the coupler latch mechanism and lower the
coupler onto the ball just enough so that there is a little bit of weight
on the ball. This should allow the latch mechanism to engage correctly so
that you can lock it in place with a pin or lock.
- Raise the tongue (and the rear of the tow vehicle)
about 3” with the tongue jack so it is easier to install the weight
distribution spring bars.
- Insert one end of the spring bars into the hitch
head.
- Lower the snap-up bracket (sometimes called the
saddle) and place the proper chain link onto the hook. If a dealer
installed your hitch components, they should have shown you which link to
use. If you did the installation yourself, you should remember which link
to use. (It might be a good idea to mark the link with some tape, in case
you forget some day.)
- If you have the Dual-cam setup, rest the spring bars
on the ends of the cam.
- Using a short piece of pipe that should have come
with your snap-up brackets, raise it back up to its normal position and
secure it with a safety clip.
- Repeat these last 2 steps on the other side.
- Raise the tongue jack so that there is plenty of
clearance between it and the road when traveling.
- Attach the safety chains to a permanent part on the
tow vehicle, usually the hitch receiver. Cross the chains (like an X)
under the hitch. This will form a cradle for the coupler and prevent it
from hitting the ground should the hitch come out of the receiver or the
coupler come off the ball. Make sure the chains are long enough to allow
the tow vehicle and trailer to turn sharply, but not too long that they
might drag along the ground.
- Attach the breakaway cable to a permanent fixture on
the tow vehicle. This should not be attached to any other part that is
used to pull or support the trailer tongue, like the bumper or receiver
platform. Should the bumper or receiver fail and the breakaway cable is
attached to it, the trailer brakes will not come on as intended, which
could lead to serious injury or property damage to someone else.
- Plug the trailer electrical cord into the receptacle
on the tow vehicle and make sure all lights work correctly.
Unhitching a trailer
- Before unhitching, make sure the trailer is as level
from side to side as you can get it by placing boards or blocks under all
of the tires on the low side.
- Chock the trailer tires so they won’t roll.
- Disconnect the electrical cord from the tow vehicle.
- Disconnect the safety chains.
- Disconnect the breakaway cable.
- Raise the tongue high enough to take some
weight/pressure off of the spring bars
- Remove the safety clip from the snap-up brackets and
use the short piece of pipe to lower the bracket so the chain can be
removed from the hook. BE CAREFUL! If there is too much weight still on
the spring bars, it could cause the pipe to come out of your hands. Raise
the tongue higher to relieve more pressure if needed. If there is an
angle difference between the trailer and the tow vehicle (the trailer is
on level ground but the tow vehicle is going slightly uphill), this could
also cause a problem. Repeat on other side
- Lower the tongue so that more weight is on the ball,
which will allow you to release the coupler latch mechanism (after you
remove the pin or lock).
- Raise the coupler until there is enough room to move
the tow vehicle forward and the hitch out from underneath the coupler.
Hitching
up a fifth wheel
- Set the hitch plate slightly below the coupler head,
so the fifth wheel is lifted slightly as the two pieces mate up by using
the landing gear.
- Open the coupler lock so the king pin can engage the
jaws on the hitch plate.
- Lower the tailgate (if needed, there are special
tailgates that have a “cut-out” so you don’t have to lower it) and slowly
back up. Depending on your combination, you may need to raise the
tailgate back up once the king pin has entered the truck bed area. It
might help to have an assistant since they would be able to make minor
adjustments to trailer height and lower/raise the tailgate.
- Back up until the king pin is close to the hitch,
and you can close the tailgate if necessary.
- Plug in the trailer electrical cord.
- While using the manual lever on the brake controller
to apply the trailer brakes, back up until the king pin has fully engages the coupler
jaws.
- Close the locking mechanism and the safety latch.
- Raise the fifth wheel landing gear so there is
plenty of clearance for traveling.
- Make sure all lights work correctly.
Unhitching a fifth wheel
- Before unhitching, make sure the trailer is as level
from side to side as you can get it by placing boards or blocks under all
of the tires on the low side.
- Chock the trailer tires so they won’t roll.
- Put pins in the landing gear and raise the trailer
until all of the weight is off of the hitch plate.
- Open the coupler lock and safety latch.
- Lower the tailgate.
- Slowly pull the tow vehicle forward while using the
manual lever on the brake controller to activate the trailer brakes, making sure
that all the weight is off of the hitch plate. Again, an assistant would
help here with these last 2 steps. Don't pull too far forward until
the trailer electrical cord has been disconnected.
Again, an
assistant would help here with these last 2 steps.
Questions? Comments? Need
help? Send me an
email.
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