backing up to the hitch

gkainz wrote:
Install laser levels in the bed of the TV, attached to the kingpin on the 5er and also alongside the TV roughly aligned with the 5er kingpin.

GoPro video cameras attached to TV bed with a clear view of the jaws of the hitch, and attached to 5er kingpin, pointing down onto the hitch.

Proximity sensors attached to kingpin and 5er hitch, with a beep frequency that increases as distance decreases, ending in a steady tone with the kingpin contacts the jaws of the 5er hitch.

Activate lasers, ensuring that the laser light paints the hitch and kinpin.

Enable cameras.

Enter TV cab and ensure all cameras are transmitting images to the in-cab laptop.

Exit TV and adjust cameras. Repeat until satisfied.

Begin backing slowly toward 5er, while watching the laser lights, the in-cab laptop and listening to the proximity beep.

Exit TV 4 times to check kingpin height.

Continue backing toward TV.

Exit TV to remove neighbor's cat that you backed over.

Return to TV and continue to back towards 5er.

Neighbor's dog just knocked over the laser levels. Shut down, exit TV, reset all lasers, cameras and start over.


OR .......

just eyeball the darn thing "close enough", back up - get out and eyeball as necessary, and "hitch up!" ... it gets easier with practice!

Now that there is funny. I can't believe how much trouble some folks seem to have, and how difficult some make it out to be to simply back in and hitch up. You don't have to be dead centered on the hitch, it's not a ball hitch. There is a reason for the V-notch in the hitch. It's called self centering... Back it in close, get out one time to check/adjust the height, or simply have your wife stand next to the trailer and adjust as necessary. Back in, check connections and GO. We are not trying to land a spaceship on some other planet, we are hitching up a trailer.