drsolo wrote:
Perhaps I wasnt being clear about what I need. I intend to back the trailer into wherever it needs to go. Disconnect and go off sight seeing or whatever. Then, when I am ready to go I need to be able to back the van up to the trailer to hitch it up. But how do I hit right on the money so that all I have to do is crank the tongue down onto the hitch ball without moving it a little bit without having to actually lift it? It is one thing if there was somebody else outside guiding/directing, but alone and without a back up camera I just dont see how. Maybe somebody has a trick/method?
PRACTICE!Thats it, just practice backing up to the trailer, no need for wheels under the tongue.
Basically I try to line up the sides of my trailer so the the vehicle appears to be equally between the trailer sides. Since the trailer tends to be wider than the tow vehicle you check to see if you about the same amount of trailer on BOTH sides of the vehicle as you are backing in.
I tend to do this by myself (sometimes easier to do instead of having a helper trying to give directions), line up the vehicle to the trailer and slowly back in. As you get closer hop out and check the distance from vehicle to trailer and how close to being inline with the hitch you are.
At first you will find yourself climbing out a lot and needing to make a lot of corrections but with practice you will get the hang of it.
They do make extendable magnetic "flags" that you stick on the tongue and the hitch of the vehicle you could try until you get the hang of it.
After many years of hitching trailers I can typically back in the first or second try and be on the money with no help.
Personally trying to wrestle a 1,000 plus lb trailer on anything but completely level ground is asking for a disaster. I used to do that with a 4x8 utility trailer but it weighed 500 lbs empty and that was a workout. A 1,000 lb trailer is going to fight you and if it "wins" you may be chasing it OR it will be CHASING YOU.
I would rather take a afternoon of tries at backing up before I would ever think about what you are considering..