Newbie-How hard is it to hitch & unhitch a 5th Wheel?

joelmyer wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Crazy Sadie,
Hooking up a 5th. wheel is not difficult and easy to learn. Suggest you have a friend who has a 5th. wheel, help you the first time you hook up. Just a couple of basic steps that will be helpful and keep you out of troublel:
1. when backing up to the trailer, make your trailer hitch comes in low enough to make the plate level, better a little low than too high.
2. Bump test. After you hook up the truck and trailer, raise the front jacks so they are about 1 inch off the ground, put a 4X4 block of wood in front of the 5th. wheel tire, slowly pull forward as if you were getting ready to take off. If the 5th. wheel stays hooked up then you know you hooked it up ok. If it comes apart then the 5th wheel will only fall 1 inch with no damage to your truck or trailer.

Easy.

I call #2 the pull test & do it immediately after hooking up with the jacks still down. You can feel the resistance.

Then, before putting the tailgate up, look at the pin. If you see the pin instead of the thing that grabs the pin, it's not hooked up.

Joel

You said this already 1/2 hour ago.

Agreed some hitches are harder to deal with. Also with bed hieght you will most certainly need a step stool.

djgarcia wrote:
Crazy Sadie,
Hooking up a 5th. wheel is not difficult and easy to learn. Suggest you have a friend who has a 5th. wheel, help you the first time you hook up. Just a couple of basic steps that will be helpful and keep you out of troublel:
1. when backing up to the trailer, make your trailer hitch comes in low enough to make the plate level, better a little low than too high.
2. Bump test. After you hook up the truck and trailer, raise the front jacks so they are about 1 inch off the ground, put a 4X4 block of wood in front of the 5th. wheel tire, slowly pull forward as if you were getting ready to take off. If the 5th. wheel stays hooked up then you know you hooked it up ok. If it comes apart then the 5th wheel will only fall 1 inch with no damage to your truck or trailer.

Easy.

I call #2 the pull test & do it immediately after hooking up with the jacks still down. You can feel the resistance.

Then, before putting the tailgate up, look at the pin. If you see the pin instead of the thing that grabs the pin, it's not hooked up.

Joel

My wife is 5' 2" and can't reach the hitch lever to pull the jaws open or pin the latch. I keep a 3 step ladder in the camper for her to use when she needs in the truck bed for any reasons.

I would get with a or neighbor friend who has a 5th wheel rig or a dealer who has one hooked up for you to see if you can manage hooking and unhooking procedures.

If you have not bought a hitch look at a B&W Companion or Patriot hitch. They are extremely easy to disconnect. Good luck.

Far easier than a travel trailer with weight distribution. You might want one of these iBall wireless backup camera.

djgarcia wrote:
Crazy Sadie,
Hooking up a 5th. wheel is not difficult and easy to learn. Suggest you have a friend who has a 5th. wheel, help you the first time you hook up. Just a couple of basic steps that will be helpful and keep you out of troublel:
1. when backing up to the trailer, make your trailer hitch comes in low enough to make the plate level, better a little low than too high.
2. Bump test. After you hook up the truck and trailer, raise the front jacks so they are about 1 inch off the ground, put a 4X4 block of wood in front of the 5th. wheel tire, slowly pull forward as if you were getting ready to take off. If the 5th. wheel stays hooked up then you know you hooked it up ok. If it comes apart then the 5th wheel will only fall 1 inch with no damage to your truck or trailer.

Easy.

I call #2 the pull test & do it immediately after hooking up with the jacks still down. You can feel the resistance.

Then, before putting the tailgate up, look at the pin. If you see the pin instead of the thing that grabs the pin, it's not hooked up.

Joel

Here are some clicky links to a few videos.

# 1
# 2

Many more on u tube- I used "hooking up 5th wheel" as a search.
1st one shows non sliding hitch- 2nd one shows slider hitch.
Randu

Crazy Sadie,
Hooking up a 5th. wheel is not difficult and easy to learn. Suggest you have a friend who has a 5th. wheel, help you the first time you hook up. Just a couple of basic steps that will be helpful and keep you out of troublel:
1. when backing up to the trailer, make your trailer hitch comes in low enough to make the plate level, better a little low than too high.
2. Bump test. After you hook up the truck and trailer, raise the front jacks so they are about 1 inch off the ground, put a 4X4 block of wood in front of the 5th. wheel tire, slowly pull forward as if you were getting ready to take off. If the 5th. wheel stays hooked up then you know you hooked it up ok. If it comes apart then the 5th wheel will only fall 1 inch with no damage to your truck or trailer.

It's the best of all towing. Just slow down and relax.:C