hooking up a travel trailer

[2freelife]

I'd like opinions about how difficult it would be to hook up a travel trailer for a person who isn't strong. I would want a anti sway bar, & thought about getting a backup camera. Is there strength needed. I am a 5'2" / 125 lb woman. Would there be other equipment that would make this easy?

[fallsrider]

Your profile says you bought a 5th wheel, but based on your original post, I'm assuming you are considering a travel trailer instead? If I'm wrong, ignore most of my post! 🙂

You can definitely travel with a TT alone. There are things you can do to make it easier.

Someone mentioned your hitch. That is the heaviest thing you have to handle. There is a carry handle you can buy to carry the hitch around. Hitch Grip Coupling Tool. I don't have one, but it looks like it would make carrying the hitch much easier. Here's a video and diagram of how it works.

The spring bars for the hitch are also a little heavy, but I saw someone's post where the bars for a Blue Ox SwayPro are lighter. I don't have any experience other than my own old WDH. The labels are gone off it, so I don't know what brand it is. It came with the trailer. It is the basic spring bars with chains and snap-up brackets.

I hitch and unhitch just fine with my manual tongue jack. It does require some cranking, but that doesn't bother me. If you found a manual jack too difficult, though, an electric jack would be easy to install, and easier to work with.

I bought a mirror from CIPA that works on the back of my Suburban (with the glass door up). It is cheaper and simpler than a backup camera, unless one came installed on your TV. The CIPA mirror I have is this one. I just slide it down over the lift gate with the window opened. Note: the suction cups don't work. They only hold for a couple of seconds on glass, then the mirror falls off.

Use an 18 volt battery drill for your stabilizers. It saves a LOT of cranking. You can just about have all 4 down with the drill before cranking 1 down manually. I forgot my drill on my last trip, and I vowed that would never happen again!

I don't see why you can't do this alone. Of course, you know your limitations infinitely better than I do, but there are definitely things you can do to make it easier. Good luck.

[MarkTwain]

jerem0621 wrote:

BarneyS wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Snip...
2. Buy "Coupler Connect HItch Aligner" from Cabella's, item # lK-521806 $39. Eliminates the need for a backup camera. You can be 2 to 3 inches off center to the right or left and this device will automatically line your hitch right over the ball, dead center. It is a V shaped piece of steel, just drop it into the slot on your truck hitch, no bolts needed.
Snip...

Have you actually used one of these? I cannot see how it can work/be installed with a WD hitch head. :h

Also, I can certainly see how it would work great with a boat trailer or other smaller trailer that has a wheel under the tongue jack but I don't think I would want to try to use it on a trailer that has a lot of tongue weight and no wheel under the jack. It would bend the jack post if you were just a couple of inches off.
Barney

Edit:
I just looked at the OP's profile and noticed that she has a 25ft 5th wheel trailer. Unless she is getting a new rig, all this advice is doing no good whatsoever. She should have probably posted this in the 5th wheel forum instead of here and would have received some good, relevant advice.

Andersen has a lightweight fifth wheel hitch now... 40 lbs and fits in her rails. I digress, this is the TT forum anyhow.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Hello Jeemiah,
Yes I used the coupler hitch aligner on my 32' Holiday Rambler for 12 yrs. successfully with no mishaps or damage to truck hitch and/or trailer . My trailer weighed 12K loaded. The coupler has 2 parts. The truck ball has to be removed and then a plate with a hole in it is put in place then the ball is reinstalled. This plate operates like a "tongue and groove". The coupler hitch aligner has a metal tongue design. You simply drop the tongue into the metal groove and then remove after you have the trailer hooked up. It is probably not clear to you based on my explanation but once you have seen the device you will be amazed how simple and effective the design is. The Backing up and aligning is no different than you normally do it. You visually line up your truck and very slowly back up until you think you hear the coupler hitch aligner gently bump the trailer hitch, then get out and lower the trailer . It might help you if you go on line to Cabella's web sight and look at the photo of the Coupler Hitch.

[APT]

The $2000 navigation system in my Suburban is worth every penny for the backup camera system. Besides that, you don't have to be strong to hook up.

[gmw_photos]

rrev wrote:
....snip.....

Use whatever tools you need. Work smarter, not harder.

^^^ This right here is the key to all of this. None of us are "strong enough" to do all we need to do with these trailers.
So we use the appropriate tools and our brain.

[jerem0621]

BarneyS wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Snip...
2. Buy "Coupler Connect HItch Aligner" from Cabella's, item # lK-521806 $39. Eliminates the need for a backup camera. You can be 2 to 3 inches off center to the right or left and this device will automatically line your hitch right over the ball, dead center. It is a V shaped piece of steel, just drop it into the slot on your truck hitch, no bolts needed.
Snip...

Have you actually used one of these? I cannot see how it can work/be installed with a WD hitch head. :h

Also, I can certainly see how it would work great with a boat trailer or other smaller trailer that has a wheel under the tongue jack but I don't think I would want to try to use it on a trailer that has a lot of tongue weight and no wheel under the jack. It would bend the jack post if you were just a couple of inches off.
Barney

Edit:
I just looked at the OP's profile and noticed that she has a 25ft 5th wheel trailer. Unless she is getting a new rig, all this advice is doing no good whatsoever. She should have probably posted this in the 5th wheel forum instead of here and would have received some good, relevant advice.

Andersen has a lightweight fifth wheel hitch now... 40 lbs and fits in her rails. I digress, this is the TT forum anyhow.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[BarneyS]

djgarcia wrote:
Snip...
2. Buy "Coupler Connect HItch Aligner" from Cabella's, item # lK-521806 $39. Eliminates the need for a backup camera. You can be 2 to 3 inches off center to the right or left and this device will automatically line your hitch right over the ball, dead center. It is a V shaped piece of steel, just drop it into the slot on your truck hitch, no bolts needed.
Snip...

Have you actually used one of these? I cannot see how it can work/be installed with a WD hitch head. :h

Also, I can certainly see how it would work great with a boat trailer or other smaller trailer that has a wheel under the tongue jack but I don't think I would want to try to use it on a trailer that has a lot of tongue weight and no wheel under the jack. It would bend the jack post if you were just a couple of inches off.
Barney

Edit:
I just looked at the OP's profile and noticed that she has a 25ft 5th wheel trailer. Unless she is getting a new rig, all this advice is doing no good whatsoever. She should have probably posted this in the 5th wheel forum instead of here and would have received some good, relevant advice.

[MarkTwain]

2freelife wrote:
I'd like opinions about how difficult it would be to hook up a travel trailer for a person who isn't strong. I would want a anti sway bar, & thought about getting a backup camera. Is there strength needed. I am a 5'2" / 125 lb woman. Would there be other equipment that would make this easy?

1. buy an electric trailer jack and have installed at the dealer
2. Buy "Coupler Connect HItch Aligner" from Cabella's, item # lK-521806 $39. Eliminates the need for a backup camera. You can be 2 to 3 inches off center to the right or left and this device will automatically line your hitch right over the ball, dead center. It is a V shaped piece of steel, just drop it into the slot on your truck hitch, no bolts needed.
3. If you have a pick up, buy some red duck tape 2" wide, measure the center of the top of your tail gate, tape a 8 inch strip(front to back). Tape a 2 inch wide, 8" piece of duck tap from the top of the electric jack housing down so it is facing you in the driver's seat. You can also put a strip of duck tape in the center of your rear window (top to bottom).
Now sit in you truck, look at the pieces of tape and line them up with your strip of tape on the electric trailer jack. Now slowly back up until your truck hitch ball hits the Coupler Connect Hitch Aligner and lines up your trailer hitch is directly over the truck hitch ball. Stop, get out and look to make sure the hitch is directly over the ball, now just lower the trailer until you can put your safety pin in. Pull the Hitch Aligner out of the slot, throw it into the back of your truck. Now hook your sway bars and lift the trailer up until it takes min. physical pulling to get your bars hooked up. Bring up the electric jack all the way up. Job done!!!! Easy for one person to do with no help from others.

[rbpru]

My TV has a back-up camera so with a little practice it becomes easier to find the hitch. I have a manual tongue jack but an electric would be easier.

To me the biggest problem is the WD hitch, mine weighs about 50 lbs. the bars are about 10 lbs. apiece. The bigger annoyance is I have to remove the hitch with the tail gate up, set it on the ground, drop the tail gate, then pick the hitch up again to set it in the bed.

I am 70 and my DW is a couple of years younger and either of us can handle it. At home the DW puts it in a small garden wagon so it can be rolled into the garage till the next trip. Long term we will put it in the TT’s front storage.

Rest assured, no matter how neat you are, you will get grease on you.

[2freelife]

Thank you all for your great suggestions. I will research these suggestions so I get it right. I appreciate this great site.

[rrev]

The power tongue jack will help. Use a bar for the wd bars. And a back up camera will help but experience will too. I never had s camera backing up to my Yukon Xl to my trailer. I either had a spotter or was in and out a bunch. On the Yukon, i could line up the bubble level with the raised section of the rear glass w3here it latches. I have a camera on my Duramax now but i still don't trust myself with it. Use whatever tools you need. Work smarter, not harder.

[rockhillmanor]

I'd like opinions about how difficult it would be to hook up a travel trailer for a person who isn't strong. I would want a anti sway bar, & thought about getting a backup camera. Is there strength needed. I am a 5'2" / 125 lb woman. Would there be other equipment that would make this easy?

No problem all you need to add to your arsenal are these 2 items.



This attaches to your TT tongue and the wheel swings up when traveling and when in the down position the crank raises and lowers your TT with the flip of the handle. Easy peasy.
http://magnet-tool.com/magnetic_hitch_aligner.html

AND

These for backing up by your self to hook up. One goes on tongue and the other on the hitch. You look thru your back window until they match up, done.




http://magnet-tool.com/magnetic_hitch_aligner.html


You don't need a partner and you don't have to be built like Arnold Schwarzenegger to RV solo with a TT. :W

[dadmomh]

We had an Equalizer WDH on our HTT and the bars were just too heavy for my old body to lift. On our new TT we got a Blue Ox 1000 WDH and they are much lighter and the whole set up is much easier to use. Suggest you check both our. Definitely an electric tongue jack.

[Cobra21]

Dick_B wrote:
Playing the Devil's advocate have you considered a Class C?

If you can swing it, this is the way to go. We had a travel trailer, now a C. Would never go back.

Brian

[wannavolunteerF]

I am a +50 yr woman, who while heavier is not necessarily stronger. I have arthritis in my right wrist so am limited as to hand strength. I have a TT that I tow on my own. I do have an electric tongue jack and use it to lift so that weight distribution bars easily hook up. I do use the pipe to swing up the latch, although my son can do it by hand. (as I said, not much hand strength). I use the "hitch guidance balls" to line up, so I don't have to get in and out so many times.

I use a drill for stabilizers and have pull handle type power cord ends. My biggest challenge is getting the water hose tight, so I use pliers for them.

Use as many tools as needed to make things easier and go.

[jerem0621]

You may want to take a look at the Andersen "No Sway" weight distribution hitch

No heavy bars or snap up brackets.

You can buy them on Amazon or from Tweety's, even eBay.

Thanks!

Jeremiah