Cptnvideo wrote:
We're not new to RVs but fairly new to 5th wheel RVs. A forum member recommended the Hensley BD-5 hitch to us and after doing some research, we bought one. And we are very happy with it. Very comfortable ride.
I guess I don't understand what all the fuss is about "pull tests". But it might be because I only know about the above mentioned hitch.
When hitching up, we visually look to see if the jaws are closed on the king pin and check to see if we can see that the bottom flange of the king pin is below the jaws. We then check to see if the locking arm is in the 8 o'clock position (which locks the jaws around the kng pin). If all that is correct, I simply don't see a reason for the pull test. Am I missing something?
Belt & suspenders approach. In theory either will work but if you do both, the rare failure modes for either tend to be canceled out. Just takes a minute to do.
Also, do you do a brake test when pulling out of a site? I know it's not quite the same as chocking the wheels but confirms that the trailer brakes are functioning. Even with a bumper pull, I always hit the manual switch for the trailer brakes when pulling out of a site to makes sure it brings me to a quick stop.