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Old 03-19-2019, 05:27 PM   #1
piperterri
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Unsure how to help husband hitch up

Hi everyone. My husband retired 2 weeks ago so now the fun really begins. We are brand new to RVing. My problem is I have trouble helping him back the truck up to hitch the 5th wheel. He has never gotten "short tempered" with me but it might only be a matter of time. HAHA. Does anyone have any helpful tips for me?? This issue is becoming very stressful for me. Thanks for all your help. Terri
 
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Old 03-19-2019, 06:31 PM   #2
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I recommend the Hand Signals Class at the Fall Montana Rally.
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Old 03-19-2019, 06:47 PM   #3
Vet4jdc
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I've been backing up to and hitching to a fifth wheel since 2013. Not once have I needed the assistance of my wife. (just sayin)

What does your husband want your help with?
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Old 03-19-2019, 06:51 PM   #4
GAinaMontana
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Don't give hand signals, give arm signals. If you cannot see him in the truck mirrors then he cannot see you. First things I tried to impress on the DW when we first started. Also 2x on course at the national rally.
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Old 03-19-2019, 06:51 PM   #5
BB_TX
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I am tall enough to look out my rear window. I painted a small vertical white stripe on the front edge of the 5th wheel hitch plate. And another small white line on the front edge of the pin box. Easy to watch out the rear window and line up the white markers as I back. And even then it doesn’t have to be exactly perfect. Hitch will self align if close.

I back until the pin box is near the hitch plate. Then get out and raise or lower the trailer until the pin box plate is just slightly lower than the hitch plate so that when I continue backing, the pin box will ride up onto the hitch plate. That ensures a good hitching and no chance of “high hitching”. Again I can look out the rear window and watch the pin box ride up on the hitch and (with the rear window open) hear it clank as it latches.

You DH may or may not be that tall.
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Old 03-19-2019, 07:07 PM   #6
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I use a pillow to sit on only for hitching while my wiife adjusts the height of the pinbox. Then and when we are parking she calls me on her cell phone and we talk back and forth thru the radio of the truck.
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Old 03-19-2019, 07:51 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BB_TX View Post
I am tall enough to look out my rear window. I painted a small vertical white stripe on the front edge of the 5th wheel hitch plate. And another small white line on the front edge of the pin box. Easy to watch out the rear window and line up the white markers as I back. And even then it doesn’t have to be exactly perfect. Hitch will self align if close.

I back until the pin box is near the hitch plate. Then get out and raise or lower the trailer until the pin box plate is just slightly lower than the hitch plate so that when I continue backing, the pin box will ride up onto the hitch plate. That ensures a good hitching and no chance of “high hitching”. Again I can look out the rear window and watch the pin box ride up on the hitch and (with the rear window open) hear it clank as it latches.

You DH may or may not be that tall.
I do this!
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Old 03-19-2019, 08:07 PM   #8
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I always hitch solo - it is easy and doesn't stress my wife.
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Old 03-19-2019, 08:54 PM   #9
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My wife is essential in helping me back up, but have never needed her help to hitch/unhitch.
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Old 03-20-2019, 04:34 AM   #10
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My hubby can see the hitch because we have an eight foot box. If he had the tonneau cover on, but folded up, he used a strip he put on the tonneau cover to match up with the hitch. That was when we had a standard hitch.



We changed to a PullRite hitch last year, so now I help him drive under the ball with the funnel thing. I make sure he has the window down so he can hear me. He has to be within and inch or two.
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Old 03-20-2019, 04:51 AM   #11
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My wife backs under the hitch !
I do the hook up.
If we’re parking in a tight spot we use the phones, using only right / left for the direction the rear needs to swing. Of course occasionally there is the high pitched STOP! Then I get out and look.
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Old 03-20-2019, 05:43 AM   #12
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X2 in BB TX! I did the same thing to my king pin and hitch in 2012. I make sure my wife is safely away from the trailer and truck--that helps me the most. On backing up, my wife
is a great safety lookout--never hit another trailer or tree or other fixed object in 13 years! I also get out and look many times with backing into a tight spot.
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Old 03-20-2019, 06:49 AM   #13
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When we had our fiver I did the "mechanics" of backing up and hooking up. My DW was my second pair of eyes. She stayed at a safe distance and monitored the process, tailgate down....etc....cord plugged in....etc....brake check.....etc.....

When backing we started out only using extremely simple hand signals like her pointing left, right, or holding up her hand for stop. We always used our phones and just communicated.

We did it the exact same every time and through 3 more RVs we still do it the exact same to this day.
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Old 03-20-2019, 07:16 AM   #14
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My wife backs up the truck and I monitor the height of the 5th wheel. She is perfect every time! I don’t know what trick she uses but she always lines up correct. And there is some play as hitch will align.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:02 AM   #15
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I also back up the truck onto the hitch and my DH stays out of it until I have it aligned properly. Being short, I do have to lower the back seat on the driver's side to see the hitch plate but the whole process is pretty easy. Last winter, the tonneau cover had snow and ice on it which made it roll up a bit higher than usual. I couldn't see over it so we had to unroll it and clean it off. Took me a while to figure out why I couldn't see what I was doing.
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:47 AM   #16
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Be patient, practice, and it will work out fine. Don't forget to look up for trees and other obstacles and always be in sight of the driver in the rear view mirrors.
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:14 AM   #17
jeffba
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DW takes dog for a walk while I hitch. Peace in the family and no witnesses.

I am able to push myself up with left foot so no pillow needed (NOT the right foot) and get close. Tehn use bed camera to finish hitching. I also set pinbox height a bit low to allow it to ride up on to hitch
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:20 AM   #18
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Helen can hitch and unhitch and drive as well as anyone.Rv'ing is a partnership and both should be able to do all the tasks and anyone male or female can learn how to do them.

Helen usually backs the truck into the hitch and I assist. When unhitching I usually raise the RV off the hitch and Helen drives the truck out from under it. We are equally proficient in both tasks. Helen usually does all the backing and I do the spotting. We share the driving when on a road trip all of this makes for a pleasant trip.

I was a trainer for school bus drivers most of which are female.The most common thing i heard from females was my Husband, Boyfriend, brother, ect told me I would never be able to drive tis big bus which was complete BS.

We have a ladies driving school at the fall rally.The ladies can drive these things.
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:27 AM   #19
daveinaz
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This can be a touchy subject. When I drove a semi, unless I knew that the spotter was experienced, I preferred to get out and look myself. We even had that decal on our mirror -- GOAL (Get Out And Look).

Numerous times at truck stops I saw drivers back into other rigs or stationary objects because they were relying on someone else to guide them into a spot.

As for hitching up, I lower the tailgate, back the truck up within ten inches or less from the 5er hitch, then get out and go to the rig and adjust the landing gear to hook up. From the side of the 5er I can eyeball the 5er hitch and I raise/lower it until it is about 1/2" above the 5th wheel plate. Then I just back the truck up into the 5er and she locks up just fine. Same thing for unhooking. Once I get to where I want to unhook, I unplug the 7 pin and safety cable, then start raising the 5er until I can see a 1/2" gap between the pin and plate, then pull out from under it.

IMO, trying to hook/unhook with her assistance would be more frustrating.

I do use her backing up though -- primarily when I am backing straight in and she let's me know how much farther to come back. She knows to be in my mirrors so I can see her. I don't have her tell me how much to cut the trailer or stuff like that. Her signals are pretty much either "come back" or "stop".
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Old 03-20-2019, 05:54 PM   #20
timandsusan
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Great responses! I am sure that all of the responders do this hitching, unhitching and backing up very SLOWLY! No need to rush. Enjoyed the responses.
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