Hitch/Unhitch
After seeing the post "Bad Day" it made me wonder how people hitch and unhitch their 5er. I always make sure the rig is higher by just a bit than the hitch. Maybe a 1/4 to 1/2" and then back the truck...
Forum Discussion
laknox wrote:
Most hitch instructions I've read all say to let the king pin ride up the hitch while hooking up, and compress the truck's springs just a touch. Main reason for this is to prevent high-hitching (not that it's possible to high-hitch a B&W Companion). When I unhitch, I get level, chock the wheels, drop the gear, make sure the snap-pins are locked in place on the landing gear, raise the FW until the motor starts to strain, open the hitch jaws, drop the tailgate and pull forward. The truck will usually raise about 1/2-1" as I slip out from under the pin, but the vast majority of the weight is already on the legs. The jaws on my Companion are tight enough that it's nearly impossible to see daylight between the hitch and the pin box and I really don't want the landing gear motor lifting much, if any, of the truck's weight.
Lyle
Lyle, if I get low enough- I can see the king pin separate from the coupler. Then, to make sure I'm not lifting the truck- I watch the bottom of the pin and the jaws. There is a sweet spot where the king pin isn't pressing on the truck at all.
Otherwise, for the OP- I wrote up my Hitching and Unhitching Steps for my 5th wheel.
