Hitching a fifth wheel - in pictures

ependydad wrote:

SandSOrrell wrote:
Thanks for a great tutorial ependydad! About the only thing I can think of to add is to check that the breakaway switch plug is firmly in its receptacle. I used to never do that. But one day I drug my trailer about half way out of the camp ground with the trailer brakes locked. Left some pretty good ruts in the gravel drives. Not being much of a mechanically minded guy, I thought there was something wrong with the truck. I went into the office to call someone and the lady owner asked if my breakaway had pulled out. She said it had just happened to someone a few days before. I said "DUH" and went out to look. Sure enough! Plugged it back in and all was well. I thanked her profusely and we hit the road.

To this day, I don't know how it came out. The fit is tight and I did not make any tight turns. I HAVE heard some folks think it is funny to walk by and yank it out as a prank. I'd love to catch me one! I didn't think it very funny. Anyway, now I check it nearly every day I'm parked in a camp ground and definitely before finishing my hitching process.

Thanks for the idea. I think most of our processes come from mistakes we or someone else made (or want to avoid!). I'll see about adding a mention.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Full-Fledged, I love it!

What stinking pull test!

LOL, I thought you were firmly in the "do a pull test"-crowd? (j/k!)

Yea I think most who have read my posts know I don't do a "pull test". I do a "VISUAL" pull test.

Me thinks when the kingpin plate is touching the hitch plate and the handle is closed and "locked" then I use my two eyes and take note to see the 1" thick jaws are fully closed around the kingpin.

When I had a RBW hitch I did do pull test. I would do a pill test if I had a Reese with the high handle or others like that for sure!

MewshawManor wrote:
Good pictorial.

We always do a pull test even with our B&W.

The walk-around is critical. We do it after every hookup.

I do a "quickie" walk around visual at each stop but we don't test brake lights and turn signals.

Thanks! And I'm the same way at stops a it's a quick "look high/look low/check on the hitch" walk around. I didn't clarify that, but I'm the same.

Good pictorial.

We always do a pull test even with our B&W.

The walk-around is critical. We do it after every hookup.

I do a "quickie" walk around visual at each stop but we don't test brake lights and turn signals.

gkainz wrote:
One of my pet peeves as well, along with break vs brake, hanger vs hangar, affect vs effect, sale vs sell, etc .... but when I discover I just did it myself, I usually blame it on typing before adequate coffee ... :)

I've just accepted that I'll never understand the difference between affect and effect. I've tried. I've googled it. I've read. I've asked people. It just doesn't stick. Such is life. :)

One of my pet peeves as well, along with break vs brake, hanger vs hangar, affect vs effect, sale vs sell, etc .... but when I discover I just did it myself, I usually blame it on typing before adequate coffee ... :)

handsome51 wrote:
I might have missed it on everyones coments. But you need to put some grease on the pin

Do you do that on every hitch up? Or as seasonal maintenance?

gkainz wrote:
looks great! Only thing I saw was a minor nit ...

Step 14. Next up is a pull test. Raise the landing gear so that the camper is just off of the ground. (Remember, you're wheel chocks should still be in place.)

"you're" should be "your"

Thanks for pointing it out. "your" vs. "you're" is a pet peeve of mine, ironically. I get so paranoid about using "your" incorrectly that I tend to over/incorrectly use "you're" as shown here. Fixed!

looks great! Only thing I saw was a minor nit ...

Step 14. Next up is a pull test. Raise the landing gear so that the camper is just off of the ground. (Remember, you're wheel chocks should still be in place.)

"you're" should be "your"

ependydad wrote:
Does anyone care to comment on my steps/pictures to hitching a fifth wheel?

Hitching My Fifth Wheel - a pictorial

Other than those that feel that B&W doesn't need a pull test (smile), does anyone have input for things that I could clarify better, are missing, or simply are blatantly wrong?

Cheers.

(Edit to fix typo in post title.)

I might have missed it on everyones coments. But you need to put some grease on the pin

rhagfo wrote:

So as to the strain, there is a fair amount of play in the front landing gear. Try this some time once hitched and with the pads just off the ground, push and pull on the legs back and fourth and see how far the easily move!

That's my point actually. The landing gear have very little stiffness laterally. And even though you are chocked, the coach is going to rock quite a bit when you do a pull test with a load on the gear. The landing gear isn't very strong vertically either, especially the gear sets, but I don't think the coach will have much vertical inertia when it slides off the hitch. In a half inch of travel.

JMO of course. In fact, I do my pull test with the gear fully retracted. Obviously if my test fails, I'm probably going to damage the truck and trailer. But I already know it is safely pinned, I'm just testing the brakes and adding a little reassurance in my mind.

ependydad wrote:

bpounds wrote:
Now we will start the quibbling over minor details. You can always count on RV.net for that entertainment.

So I'll join in with - I would not worry about stress on the LG when leaving the feet 1/2" off the ground. You won't be "dropping" the trailer on the gear, even though we commonly call it that. If your pull test fails, your pinbox will ride down the fifthwheel ramp and gently land on the gear. Lots of folks unhitch that way routinely.

Minor quibbles? Here? NO WAY! :D

BUT- that's a good point. It still may not be gentle, but IMO- I still prefer it than constantly straining the LG (even if slightly) on each hitch up.

So as to the strain, there is a fair amount of play in the front landing gear. Try this some time once hitched and with the pads just off the ground, push and pull on the legs back and fourth and see how far the easily move!