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Old 06-17-2018, 10:32 AM   #1
vgweaver
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New truck need Receiver suggestion !

I am a single woman and just purchased a Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually diesel long bed. I have a 2015 Montana 38 ft. Prior to a divorce the truck we had used a Reese Elite RE18 in the bed. I am lost on this. There are so many out there Whats easy when you are doing this by yourself? Ive pulled a big Montana for 12 years and done all the driving but hooking it up alone I have not done. Any ideas? Thanks so much Valerie
 
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Old 06-17-2018, 12:17 PM   #2
whutfles
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So you need to buy an in-bed hitch for your 5th wheel? I know some of the newer trucks can come with options such as the full hitch or the connections for the hitch. I had a Chevy Silverado 2500 when we bought our Montanna. We bought our hitch as part of the package when we bought our RV and that included the RV dealer installing the hitch. An important part of this was he adjusted the hitch so that the RV was sitting level. A few years later we traded for our Dodge 3500 dually. Because the Dodge bed sides were taller, we lost the clearance we had between the top of the bed sides and the underneath side of the RV that overhangs the truck. We took it back to our RV dealer and he releveled it for us. You can purchase your hitch from anywhere - an RV dealer or Reese, or other. But as part of the package you will want to pull your RV back to them for a free final adjustment. It will probably help if you measure from the flat surface at your RV Pin to the underneath side of your RV so they know what your clearance is. Also measure from your pin back to the front of your camper so they how much of your truck will be sitting under the RV. That way when you first hook up they can error on giving you enough clearance so you can pull it back to them for the final adjustment.

As far as hooking up yourself, my wife is a lot of help. But I do it myself a lot. When I park it at our storage, when I return to hoop up, the height is still accurate. But when parking at an RV park, since my Montanna doesn't have hydraulic load levelers that have memory that you can push a button and it will return the hitch to the height you were at when you unhitched, I try to remember the number on my level bubble on the side of my RV when I'm at the height where I can unhitch. That way when I'm ready to hitch back up, I run the landing gear up to about that number. Then when I back up to the RV, I try to stop just a little before the RV hitch plate connects with the hitch surface. Then I take my remote and go between the truck and RV and eyeball the hitch plate and adjust it with the remote until the RV hitch plate is just a hair above the truck hitch plate. Then back under till it connects. Then I close the hitch lever and connect my break-away cable and the RV power chord. Then before closing the tailgate, I go back into the truck, put it in Drive, release the emergency brake, and with my hand I slide the RV manual trailer brake on, relase my foot on the truck brake, lightly press my foot on the accellerator and see if the trailer brakes will prevent the truck from moving. This verifies that my hitch is properly connected. If that all checks out, then I put the truck back into park and apply the truck emergency brake. Then I go back and lowere the RV by raising the landing gear and properly stowe up my landing gear feet.

When adjusting the height of your RV before backing under with the truck, the back of your truck hitch plate should angle downward. I use a plastic round plate that fits around my RV pin and covers the under side of the RV hitch plate (can be purchased at any RV dealer). That way the plastic acts as a lubricant between the 2 surfaces (RV & Truck) and I don't have to put any grease on the plates. So you want this plastic plate to be near the top of that rear angled surface on your truck hitch plate so that when the truck hitch plate slides under the RV hitch plate it just slightly raises the RV. Now in cold weather I have broken that plastic lube plate by having the RV too low. But the main point here is you don't want your RV hitch sitting too high when you back on or that larger round ridge on the bottom of your RV hitch pin will ride above the 2 fingers on your truck hitch that close behind the RV hitch pin. If this happens, your hitch will close when you back on, but the pin is above the fingers. When you pull away, the pin will slide back off those fingers and your RV will fall down onto the sides of your truck. I've seen this happen and it ended a nice getaway for some people.

I mentioned I don't use grease on my hitch plate. But I do keep a small grease gun in my RV and once or twice a year I do put a couple squirts of grease around the sides of the pin. This is to prevent the pin and fingers from wearing. Not too much grease or it will be all over the bed of your truck and the front of your RV - I know.

As far as backing my truck up to the RV by myself, with my Chevy, I was able to view the RV hitch pin in my center rear view mirror and I could also view my truck hitch receiver in that same mirror, so as I backed up I just watched the two come together. But with my Dodge, I have a full crew cab and I have a tool box in the front of my truck bed, so I cannot see my truck hitch in my center rear view mirror. But my truck's dually fenders are the same width as my camper. So I just watch those fenders in my 2 exterrior rear view mirrors and match them up with the sides of my RV. I know about where the front of the RV sits in my truck bed I also watch that in my center rear view mirror and try to stop a little before the pin would connect. Then I go back and see if I have to move the truck right or left and if the RV hitch height is right.

Just don't forget to put your tailgage down before you back on, or before you pull away from the RV. And after connecting to the RV and letting the RV down on the hitch, don't forget to put the tailgate back up. Now if you get one of those RV tailgates for your pickup that has the lowered recess in the center, you won't have to mess with putting the tailgate up and down. I had one on my Chevy, but my Dodge tailgate has the rear camera in it which I use a lot. So, not replacing it.

I trhink some of the newer trucks might have an option for a rear view camera that is up on the back of the cab near the cargo light. If your truck has that, then you might be able to utilize that for seeing where you are backing. In all cases, just stop short of where you are backing so you can check your distance before hitting something.

Good luck
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Old 06-17-2018, 01:20 PM   #3
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I have a Reese Elite and it has worked great for 6 yrs. B&W makes a very good hitch and has lots of fans.

I can see thru my back window and easily line up the hitch to the pin when backing. I put a white paint mark on the center of the hitch plate to make it even easier. But I am 6’-4”. A camera mounted behind the cab aimed at the hitch would simplify hitching for a shorter person.

There are steps you can buy that temporarily hook over a rear tire for a shorter person to reach over the bed for securing a hitch or the breakaway switch.
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Old 06-17-2018, 01:54 PM   #4
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I just bought a set of those tire steps. I'm in the 200+ weight range so I bought the ones with 400 lb capacity - Heininger 4040 Hitchmate Tire Step. A lof of reviews complained that they rested against their rims. Mine rest against my tire with at least an inch clearance from my rims. We used to have a step we use by our RV steps that doubles as a step by our tire. But going from that step up onto the top of my tire gets harder each year. My tire step can be adjusted to 3 different heights. The lower height puts the step in the center of the tire and I can reach my hitch.
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Old 06-17-2018, 02:05 PM   #5
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And establish a consistent procedure.

Hooking up; lower tailgate, back under trailer in as direct line as possible, stop before reaching hitch, get out and check that hitch plate is just slightly higher than bottom of the pin box plate (so that pin box will ride up onto hitch plate), back truck until hitch latches, put truck in D and let it try to pull forward at idle to ensure hitch is securely latched, get out and pin the hitch arm, hook breakaway cable, connect cord, raise tailgate, raise jacks, remove chocks, check lights, test brakes with manual brake switch.

Unhooking; chock wheels, lower jacks until most of weight is off of truck, lower tailgate, unplug cord, unhook breakaway cable, remove pin and pull hitch release handle, pull truck forward.
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Old 06-17-2018, 03:31 PM   #6
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Curt Q24 is the easiest/best hitch we have used.
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Old 06-23-2018, 07:22 PM   #7
powerhaulic
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Check out the PullRite 2400 for a simple to use hitch
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Old 06-23-2018, 07:55 PM   #8
GLS3950
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I have the Curt Q24 also and like it. A once you back up the latch locks in and there is a lock on the latch handle so as long as you are not high with your trailer you know you know you are good to go.
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