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04-17-2021, 12:17 AM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Glendale
Posts: 195
M.O.C. #27658
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Hitching up....blind!
I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem and sure someone has developed a simple method to remedy the situation.
I have a 2019 F-350 4x4 XLT short bed truck pulling a 2020 Montana 3121RL. Having a difficult time seeing the hitch and lining up the hitch pin to the jaws. Has anyone came up with a better idea than getting it close and then going back and looking several times to make sure the hitch jaws and the hitch pin are lined up correctly? I just cannot turn around and see it that good while sitting behind the wheel and backing up!! Guess I'm getting older plus my eye sight is not as good as it once was!!
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Larry & Marilyn Gubbels
2019 F-350 Diesel 4X4, Short Bed, BW 18K slider,
closely followed by a 2020 Montana 3121RL
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04-17-2021, 03:51 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,145
M.O.C. #25165
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I saw another camper who had put a 1" stripe on the pin box at the center of the pin and one on the top of the hitch with reflective tape of some sort. He can apparently see them in the rear view mirror. I can't see my hitch at all in the mirror and the "mirror" on the nose of the 5'er is useless for me.
Would something like that help you at all? I don't think I could hook up if I couldn't turn around and watch the pin go into the hitch when backing up.
When I first got my TT years ago, a friend gave me a set of magnetic base rods about 4 feet long. One set on the ball on the truck and the other on the top of hitch. I really didn't use them much, but it did make it easy to line up the rods in the mirror and back up until the one on the ball was pushed off.
Really neat idea. https://www.campingworld.com/magneti...ods-28563.html
Maybe something like that would help you see in the mirror? Shorter and modified for a fifth wheel hitch, of course.
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Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
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04-17-2021, 03:59 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,145
M.O.C. #25165
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Ok. You got my curiosity up on this. Found a set of telescoping ones at Harbor Freight and only $10!
https://www.harborfreight.com/magnet...BoCp5oQAvD_BwE
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Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
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04-17-2021, 05:28 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 1,788
M.O.C. #14547
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Being fairly tall and sit higher in the truck's seat I can see the hitch with the truck mirror but am contemplating painting a light colored stripe on the hitch and pin box for those off camber or angled sites where I tend to miss the first attempt (or several).
Those Harbor Freight telescoping gadgets would sure have helped in my TT days and probably would have prevented a well dented license plate
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Dave W
2014 Montana High Country 343RL (Sold!)
2011 Ford 6.7 Lariat CCLB (Went to PU Heaven)
2019 F150SC XLT SE Sport,w/full tow package
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04-17-2021, 07:28 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Jose
Posts: 527
M.O.C. #6790
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In my old truck, no problem I could see the hitch. New truck bed box sits up higher. Bought these, https://www.harborfreight.com/magnet...kit-69778.html
They work great. I just line them up in the rear view mirror. I do use one of those long handled grabbers to take them off. I put one centered on the king pin and the other one the front part of the hitch plate.
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2006 Montana 3650RK with Improvements.
2014 Ford 6.7L PSD 4WD CC LB Dually & Hadley's.
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04-17-2021, 07:35 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Carson City
Posts: 2,017
M.O.C. #21963
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Buy a new truck that has a bed cam.
__________________
2016 3160, Legacy, Sailuns, Splendide 2100 xc vented, 1 1/2" axle lift blocks, disk brakes. 2014 Ram 3500 SRW SWB 4X4 6.7 Aisin Mega Cab, EBC slotted disks and brakes, Titan fuel tank.
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04-17-2021, 07:38 AM
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#7
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Nampa
Posts: 114
M.O.C. #21247
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I just line it up with the middle headrest in the back seat. I get out & check it when I’m about a foot away.
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04-17-2021, 07:44 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SWFL
Posts: 964
M.O.C. #17801
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Spotter.
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2016 Montana 3711FL
2005 Ford F350, 6.0 diesel, short bed
Demco Hitchiker Auto Slide hitch
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04-17-2021, 07:46 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,559
M.O.C. #2283
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I do this a little different. Your rear view mirror and the small slider window are in the center of your truck. Look in the rear view mirror and place your camper hitch in the center of your rear view mirror. Your camper hitch will be lined up with the hitch in the bed of your truck. As you get close make sure the camper is the right height and back up until it hitches. So you don’t need to see the hitch.
Lynwood
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04-17-2021, 08:58 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Mesa az
Posts: 2,956
M.O.C. #5651
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gubs
I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem and sure someone has developed a simple method to remedy the situation.
I have a 2019 F-350 4x4 XLT short bed truck pulling a 2020 Montana 3121RL. Having a difficult time seeing the hitch and lining up the hitch pin to the jaws. Has anyone came up with a better idea than getting it close and then going back and looking several times to make sure the hitch jaws and the hitch pin are lined up correctly? I just cannot turn around and see it that good while sitting behind the wheel and backing up!! Guess I'm getting older plus my eye sight is not as good as it once was!!
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I am in the same shape as you, Gubs! My neck and body don't turn like they did a few years ago and I can't pivot in the seat to look for the hitch in the bed. That used to work, but now I find it easier to just get out of the truck a couple of times to line up.
__________________
Tom and Gail
2013 Mountaineer 362
2012 Silverado 2500
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04-17-2021, 09:01 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,177
M.O.C. #6433
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I used a white paint pin to paint a stripe on the center of the hitch plate and the pin box plate. That makes it a lot easier to get within an inch or so of alignment. That is enough to let it self align for the pin to enter the hitch.
And I am tall enough to see the hitch out the back window.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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04-17-2021, 09:02 AM
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#12
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Montana Fan
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Columbia
Posts: 144
M.O.C. #19789
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I am in charge of backing up our truck onto the hitch. My only job as far as driving goes. I have trouble seeing the hitch unless I lower the back seat. Once it is down, problem solved and visibility is fine. Did have a problem once with the roll-up tonneau cover, it had ice on it and didn't roll up as tightly. It took a while to figure out what changed to prevent me seeing. Unrolled it, scraped off the ice, rolled it up again and all was fine.
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Ray and Susan
2017 - HC352 RL
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04-17-2021, 09:15 AM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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I just use a small pillow to boost me up enough to see over our cat cages etc.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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04-17-2021, 11:44 AM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Colorado Rockies
Posts: 1,926
M.O.C. #19755
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gubs
Has anyone came up with a better idea than getting it close and then going back and looking several times to make sure the hitch jaws and the hitch pin are lined up correctly?
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Nope, not if you can't see it. Unless you have a good spotter. I'm still flexible enough (for now) to see mine, but I still get out and look.
Is it just me, or do I see a new activity at National: "Hitching up...blind! The driver is blind folded and the spotter gives directions; can't wait!
__________________
Scott & Alta
2017 Montana 3160RL, Legacy, Onan 5.5Kw, Solar
2022 F-450 Lariat Ultimate
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04-17-2021, 01:27 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Anderson
Posts: 2,606
M.O.C. #22835
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My first obstacle I had to over come after a lifetime of travel trailer towing was how to hitch my first ever fifth wheel. I have a 4-fold bed cover over my long bed which does not allow me to see the hitch at all. Add to that the crew cab and It's impossible to see the hitch by simply turning around in the driver seat ... impossible in my truck with the cover.
At first I purchased a set of the magnetized balls on the telescoping stick. And actually, these worked great! But putting them on the fifth wheel hitch every time was a real pain. But after about 5 or 6 hitches using them, I began to get the idea of how this "hitching" actually works.
Now, I use the plastic mirror on the camper, and it actually comes in very handy.
At first, I put a white strip of tape down the center of the truck bed. Looking at the mirror, I could follow the white line . That was good until the tape came up, which did not last very long on my sprayed bed liner and actually hauling stuff in the bed.
With my previous travel trailer, I had put a small piece of black electrical tape in my rear view window, right in the center of the window, near the bottom. The truck at that time, had a shell. I put a piece of tape in the middle of the back window on the shell. On my trailer, I put a small piece of tape in the center of the end cap. When the 3 lined up in my rear view mirror, I knew I was OK. This worked great for over 15 years of travel trailer owner ship.
With the fifth wheel, I ended up putting a bubble level over the fifth wheel king pin. I also put a piece of white tape on the center of the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck. I kept the tape in the back window of the truck.
Using the rear view mirror, using the mirror on the front of the camper, and using the center line of flip top cover on the bed of my camper, using the center of the bubble level, and using the center of the hitch head, I have 4 center points I can see all the time when back up. When all 4 are in a straight alignment, using my rear view mirror, I am in perfect alignment to hitch.
I stop the truck when the king pin almost touches the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck and get out. I check for the height. Sometimes I have to raise or lower the trailer a bit. Once at the right height, I can simply go an extra 8 inches and "SNAP!"
Ever since I started using my 4 center point alignment method, I've not had any problems whatsoever. Now .... getting everything aligned in some tight campsites .... that's a different story!
__________________
History is not about the past, it's an explanation of the present.
2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Silverado Duramax, 6.6L Dually
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04-17-2021, 02:03 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,754
M.O.C. #7560
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I've painted a white stripe on the hitch on the Monte, exactly down the middle. I've also got a small loop on the middle of the back seat that you connect a child's car seat to. I've put a clip clothes pin in the middle of that loop and when I'm hooking up I look in my rearview mirror and line up the clothes pin and the white stripe and bring the truck back to the hitch. After a few times you can actually judge when the hitch is at the right position and right height to run the pin into the truck hitch and since I have the locking rod I can hear the pin going into the hitch and locking in.
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04-17-2021, 07:50 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Frostproof, FL USA
Posts: 2,362
M.O.C. #13272
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I hitch up about the same every time. Make sure my mirrors are fully extended then back up perfectly straight and lined up with the fiver, keeping the exact same distance showing on each side of the truck compared to the front of the fiver. I'm not saying using a interior rear view mirror wouldn't work, I just never considered using it. Just before the king pin gets to my jaws I get out (or have the DW spotter do it) and check for correct height and alignment. Easypeasy.
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Previous: 2008 Montana 3400RL & 2014 3725RL
Current: Full Time 2022 SOB TT Toy Hauler
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04-17-2021, 08:51 PM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Hesston
Posts: 735
M.O.C. #25060
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In our old truck, I could barely see the top plate of the hitch, but I couldn't see the cutout. Over time, I learned where to put the base plate on the 5er with regards to the hitch, and could hit it almost every time.
MM mentioned it above, but the new trucks with the cameras above the bed are really the bomb, and they spoil you in a hurry for sure. I new truck has one of those, and now knowing EXACTLY what is going on is much much easier.
In the end, though, it's really all about practice. The more you hitch, the better you get at, or you find little tricks to make it easier. Be patient, you'll get there...
__________________
2020 Montana 3741FK
2020 Chevy SRW 3500HD Duramax/Allison High Country
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04-18-2021, 07:16 AM
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#19
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Montana Fan
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Livermore
Posts: 492
M.O.C. #17391
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I have a Short Bed super cab and I can see my hitch in my rear view mirror. It would be difficult with a Crew Cab. If I had to get a crew cab I would have to have the camera in the high mount stop light. Wonder if you can add a camera like that.
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04-18-2021, 07:21 AM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 1,046
M.O.C. #5329
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I have the same truck, same problem. Mine is an Super Cab, and when I roll up the tonneau cover I can’t see the hitch at all. I bought those magnetic wand things, and they help a lot. My wife acts as a spotter, too.
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