Hooking Up with a Bed Cover

[JTrac]

I have always lined up the pin and the hitch visually. When I got the BakFlip folding bed cover it just did not dawn on me that when folded back for hook up and travel it would completely block my vision of the hitch. I hooked up today for the first time to see how things would sit. It took me several false tries and a few trips out of the truck before I finally got it lined up.

I was wondering if there are any tricks to doing this. The obvious answer is have someone directing me but today, and at times, this won't be possible. The other obvious answer is get a different cover but I bought it on line a month or so before I got the truck and have had it on for a couple of weeks now so I doubt I could return it. The boxes have gone to recycle heaven, also.

[Bob_Vaughn]

Dankenbring wrote:
At our local auto parts store I got a rear camera so I can view everything.. It can be mounted so you can see the fifth wheel.

I tried this but because the camera is in the shaded/dark the sun light coming from the back of the bed blinds the camera. I have thought of putting a back up light next to the camera to put light on the front of the hitch so I can see it. I have a remote that I can run the kingpin up and down. I know there is a solution but so far other than my wife running the legs up and down I have not found it.......

[Allworth]

X 54 on a piece of tape.

[stetwood]

Pipeman wrote:
... find reference points on the trailer with the sides of the truck and back in.

I also use a method of measuring the height of the TV box and the height of the pin so the pin is nearly always on the money. Rarely does it take a second chance at setting the latch.

[Pipeman]

I just line up the truck with the trailer, back up so far, get out and have a look, adjust if necessary, back into the king pin. Now I have a dually so the rear end of the truck is as wide as the trailer, almost so it's not to difficult. With a SRW truck find reference points on the trailer with the sides of the truck and back in.

[ronday]

I do basically the same thing. Painted a white stripe in the middle of the folded up cover. Look in the rear view mirror, line up the stripe with the king pin and I'm good to go. Ron

[shadows4]

I have a tri-fold tonno cover. I put a piece of this yellow electrical tape down the center of the pin box. I hooked up to the fiver then lined up a piece of the yellow tape on the tonno cover. Now when I back up I just have to line up the two pieces of tape in the rear view mirror. I also installed a Hopkins level plus to set the hitch height. Works for me! Good luck, John

[Lantley]

I Take a simple spring clamp and clamp it to the hitch. There is a large bolt on my hitch right in the center that I clamp it to!
The spring clamp (think heavy duty clothes pin)extends up high enough that I can see it over the cover. Essentially the clamp marks the center of the hitch allowing me to see it from the cab.
I simply align the clamp with the pin on the trailer. No mirrors,no cameras,very simple.

[Georgew48]

I have a bak flip also and I put a piece of blue painters tape on the inside of the folded panel that is on top after folding. It is in the center of the panel lined up with the center of the hitch. Works great and is easy to see from the drivers seat.

[lakeside013104]

Just for this purpose I put a small piece of white tape on the bottom center of my rear view mirror, a small piece of white tape on the bottom center of my rear sliding window and a small piece of white tape on the forward facing, center, and upper portion of my hitch. All I do is line up all pieces of tape while looking in my rear view mirror and slowly back up toward the hitch. I can usually back within a few inches of the connect point on the first try. This simple method is like lining up the sights on a rifle: align the front and rear sights (mirror and back window) to the target (white tape on hitch). If you can not see your hitch, try putting the tape on the part of your pin box that you can see from the driver seat. You asked for simple ideas, so here is what works for me.

Lakeside

[JTrac]

rtazz17 wrote:
I have a bak flip cover too.I put a mirror on the nose of fiver to see hitch.Works great.5 bucks.

How did you attach it and do you leave it attached?

[B_O__Plenty]

I have a roll up cover. Even without it I can't see my hitch with a crew cab shortbox truck. No big deal. I use a couple reference points on the trailer with my mirrors and I get out a couple times to check it before I hitch. It's the only way I have ever done it..

B.O.

[rtazz17]

I have a bak flip cover too.I put a mirror on the nose of fiver to see hitch.Works great.5 bucks.

[MTPockets1]

I have the BakFlip as well. My truck window has the center slider. I line up the edge of that window with the edge of the pin box; works for me. I suppose you could also make a mark on the cover fora target.

[Dankenbring]

At our local auto parts store I got a rear camera so I can view everything.. It can be mounted so you can see the fifth wheel.