Setting Pin Height for Hookup - Montana Owners Club

pbahlin · 10-20-2010, 12:52 AM

It has always been a minor annoyance for me to set up the correct height of the rig for a clean hookup to my hitch. Usually I get the truck (tailgate down) under the pin then eyeball the height to make an adjustment that will allow me to back into the jaws. Usually this takes a couple of attempts as I ease into the hitch.

I have a Trailer Saver that has a lot of articulation in the head so when hooking up it has a pretty good ( 30 degree ) downward tilt and it can be 20 or 30 degrees tipped to one side as well. This makes guessing the height a guess at best, duh! I want to avoid a high hitch so my goal is to have the truck come in a bit high so that it forces the truck to take some weight from the rig as it slides over the hitch plate.

Here is a way to eliminate this guesswork. I measured the height from my hitch base plate to the bed of my truck. Then I took a short piece of chain and hung it from the pin (off to the side of the pin in one of the holes in the Moryde mount). I adjusted the length of the chain so that the distance to the end of the chain from the pin plate is the same as the dimension I took from the hitch to the truck bed. When I back the tailgate under the chain, all I have to do is move the rig up or down until the end of the chain just kisses the open tailgate floor.

Voila! Only one adjustment of the height and it goes in perfectly every time.

Enjoy!

NCFischers · 10-20-2010, 01:02 AM

That's why we are on the top of the food chain!!!!

pbahlin · 10-20-2010, 01:09 AM

But Jim, I didn't make my chain from cookies. It's steel.

8.1al · 10-20-2010, 02:04 AM

I use the hookup memory level. Just set the marker when you unhook, when it's time to hookup just align the bubble with the mark and you're ready to go
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...p-memory/15718

TLightning · 10-20-2010, 03:39 AM

I take the rod that opens/closes the awning, measure the height of the pin when unhooked from the truck and place a small piece of tape at that spot on the rod. When it's time to hook back up, I raise/lower the pin to the mark on the rod.

kylec2 · 10-20-2010, 03:59 AM

Like Charlie, I use the memory level from Camping World (can be found elsewhere). The memory level works great when unhooking as well, I set the memory bar on the left edge of the bubble level before lowering the jacks, lower the jacks till the bubble is centered on the memory bar, and now I am at the correct separation height.

I like the idea of using the chain to set the height for hooking up to the rig; I wonder if there is a way to use it for disconnecting as well?

KTManiac · 10-20-2010, 07:27 AM

I just use my remote to raise or lower the pin to match the hitch as I am backing in to it. Works for me. Once I am close to engagement, I lower the pin to put some trailer weight on the hitch, and back up the final 4 or 5 inches to engage the jaws. ....and always, ALWAYS, immediately get out of the truck and do a visual check of jaws and pin for proper engagement (jaws fully closed, not high-hitched, etc.) and secure the locking lever.

Then I do a test pull with the landing gear about an inch above the ground, just for good measure.

CORattler · 10-20-2010, 04:15 PM

That's exactly the same method I use. My Superglide has a distinctive sound when the jaws close around the kingpin. Visual and tug test are most important.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by KTManiac

I just use my remote to raise or lower the pin to match the hitch as I am backing in to it. Works for me. Once I am close to engagement, I lower the pin to put some trailer weight on the hitch, and back up the final 4 or 5 inches to engage the jaws. ....and always, ALWAYS, immediately get out of the truck and do a visual check of jaws and pin for proper engagement (jaws fully closed, not high-hitched, etc.) and secure the locking lever.

Then I do a test pull with the landing gear about an inch above the ground, just for good measure.

Fire5er · 10-21-2010, 04:34 AM

We also use the hookup memory level. If I can just get the DW to set the marker when we unhook. If we do remember to set it then when it's time to hookup we just align the bubble with the mark and we're ready to back up under the pin. Works great.

sreigle · 10-21-2010, 03:30 PM

We also use the hookup memory level. Before they were available I used a similar device my Dad made for me back in about 1995. I tried several methods with strings, etc, but never found them accurate enough. If that method works for someone else, great. For me the level works beautifully.

SteveHirsch · 03-10-2024, 05:25 PM

On the Montana 295RL 2023 there is a memory height that the trailer goes to when getting ready to hook up. This is an option on the menu. I just can't remember how to set the height memory when getting ready to detach. Someone at a campground told us about it. As I recall you hold the left and right buttons on the leveling system panel before detaching. Tried that but the system didn't like that. Anybody familiar with that. Thanks

Foldbak · 03-10-2024, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveHirsch

On the Montana 295RL 2023 there is a memory height that the trailer goes to when getting ready to hook up. This is an option on the menu. I just can't remember how to set the height memory when getting ready to detach. Someone at a campground told us about it. As I recall you hold the left and right buttons on the leveling system panel before detaching. Tried that but the system didn't like that. Anybody familiar with that. Thanks

I have the same unit. It's hitch height memory. Nothing for you to do but unhook. The auto level will remember the height and return to it once you press auto hitch height.

seasure1 · 03-10-2024, 08:42 PM

I have the same RV and this is the first I am hearing of this. Tony is this something that is preset at the factor or do I set this up and it retains in the memory.

Thanks in advance

Foldbak · 03-10-2024, 10:06 PM

Scroll through the arrow until you see the option

**Carl n Susan** · 03-10-2024, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seasure1

I have the same RV and this is the first I am hearing of this. Tony is this something that is preset at the factor or do I set this up and it retains in the memory.

Thanks in advance

It has been a standard feature since inception in 2012. Turn on the Level Up and press the left and right arrows simultaneously. The sytem will return the pin to the height when you last unhooked.

*EXCEPTION* If the pin was below "level" when you unhooked (normally not an issue except for sites which slope down hill from the rear), the system will give you an error and you have to adjust the pin height manually.

Foldbak · 03-11-2024, 08:44 AM

Here's the instructions

DutchmenSport · 03-11-2024, 05:35 PM

The auto memory works quite well on the Lippert self-leveling systems ... UNTIL .... you decide to hit the "auto level" a second time because the trailer has settled in the sand, dirt, gravel, whatever. Even a slightly deflated tire can throw it off causing a re-level to happen. When you do that, you looses the original height.

Actually, the OP's system is pretty creative and would work, under any conditions. And .... no electronics to fail or "error" out codes to deal with!

Theunz · 03-12-2024, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCFischers

That's why we are on the top of the food chain!!!!

Well darn, I guess I’m on the bottom of the food chain.☹️ For years before I got an Andersen hitch I would just eyeball it to make sure the trailer was a little low and then backup until the 5th wheel plate just contacted the pin box. I would then raise the trailer until there was only a slight angle on the hitch plate, then back under the trailer lifting it about a half inch. This brings up my only complaint about the Andersen, hitching is all done by eyeball😱

You may also like: