First 5er pull - Gotchas?

[ErnieSC]

I admire Truckers. It's a hard job. I flash my lights to let them know they can change lanes in front of me. I give them all the considerations I can.
BUT, NO, they Don't Own the Road! A Trucker can cause Road Rage as easily as any other driver. Everyone be thoughtful of each other and all will arrive at their destination safely.

[Thudly]

I had a few years in between 5ers, my old truck had an 8 ft box. When I picked up my Montana with a 6.5 ft box it never hit me that the clearance would be an issue until I had to do a tight turn and took out the back window. 100 % my fault, I just wish the dealer selling me the hitch and hooking up the camper the first time would of mentioned it. My buddy just bought one and his dealer made him do a turn to check radius.

[Doug Brown]

Don’t forget to give it a little shot of WD-40 on the rails. Don’t overdo it you’re supposed to do this every day when towing.

[ErnieSC]

Not WD-40.
Silicone Spray Lubricant.
WD - 40 is for what it stands for - Water Displacement. Also helps with many things likes helping break loose
rusted nuts and bolts but never for lubricating.

[newowneroldmontana]

Originally Posted by ErnieSC

I admire Truckers. It's a hard job. I flash my lights to let them know they can change lanes in front of me. I give them all the considerations I can.
BUT, NO, they Don't Own the Road! A Trucker can cause Road Rage as easily as any other driver. Everyone be thoughtful of each other and all will arrive at their destination safely.

I didn't say truckers own the road. I said specifically that when a truck is making a turn, it's best for everyone to act like that truck owns the road. I said I still give truckers and RV'ers the same consideration while they're making turns, after learning first-hand a long time ago how much space it takes for large vehicles to safely clear turns.

That means that, for instance if I'm waiting at an intersection and I see that a truck, an RV, or a schoolbus is going to make a turn and might need to temporarily use a little bit of the lane I'm in, in order to safely clear the turn, I don't pull up all the way to the traffic light or the stop sign--I hang back a bit, to give that vehicle and its driver more space.

I, too, am talking about extending common courtesy, in an effort to get everyone to where they're going, safely. It's common courtesy to act like a large vehicle's driver *does* own the road, when that driver needs to make a wide turn.

[prndl]

Originally Posted by ErnieSC

Not WD-40.
Silicone Spray Lubricant.
WD - 40 is for what it stands for - Water Displacement. Also helps with many things likes helping break loose
rusted nuts and bolts but never for lubricating.

The Pullrite manual says WD40 to prevent rust.

MAINTENANCE
Inspect all mounting bracket and hitch hardware, that it is securely fastened. The Fifth Wheel Plate should be removed and inspected, checking all moving parts for wear—clean as directed above. Inspect all mounting bolts periodically for tightness and general condition, and re-torque if necessary. 1/2’ bolts to 75 ft. lbs., and 5/8” bolts to 150 ft. lbs.
#2300 and #2700 models utilize a castle nut and pin in the roller assembly. To re-torque, tighten roller bolt to a minimum of 125 ft. lbs., then tighten more until next nut slot aligns with the stud cotter pin hole. Install cotter pin and bend one leg upward.
When storing the SuperGlide hitch, you should be sure that the Fifth Wheel Plate parts and Way Tubes are lubricated with WD-40 to retard the formation of rust. Cover the entire assembly to prevent accumulation of dirt, grime, or rust.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by prndl

...The Pullrite manual says WD40 to prevent rust....

I don't know where they got that information. ErnieSC is correct, use a silicone or similar lube, not WD 40.

[twindman]

Originally Posted by Cat320

I don't know where they got that information. ErnieSC is correct, use a silicone or similar lube, not WD 40.

I think it may depend on what pullrite you have. The Superglide manual says if made after 2009 (or so) use 3-in-1 oil or WD40. Older models use a heavier grease. I don't know about the other Pullrite models.

[prndl]

Originally Posted by Cat320

I don't know where they got that information. ErnieSC is correct, use a silicone or similar lube, not WD 40.

On the Pullrite website in the manual for the hitch. It's not that hard to find.
I had a pullrite before I started to use the sidewinder. Was a good hitch just bulky and temperamental while hitching.

[BB_TX]

Per the WD-40 web site:


A QUESTION OF LUBRICATION

Myth: WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not really a lubricant.

Fact: While the “W-D” in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, WD-40 Multi-Use Product is a unique, special blend of lubricants. The product’s formulation also contains anti-corrosion agents and ingredients for penetration, water displacement and soil removal.

[Cat320]

WD-40 has branched out and now makes a regular lubricant, it's not carried in all stores.

[Daryles]

We spent three months in Key West Florida over the winter.
EVERYTHING that wasn't painted, rusted!!
The salt air just ate everything.
The E-bikes were particularly susceptible. I was told if you don't want it to rust, spray everything that's not painted with "Fluid Film" (Napa auto parts store). I cleaned up the bikes with WD40 and a green scotch bright pad. Then sprayed the surfaces I just cleaned with Fluid Film. No more rust. I repeated that process on the rig and the truck.
I read somewhere the Navy has been using it for over 30 years.

[DutchmenSport]

If you are still looking for "tips", here's mine.

Always consider the distance between the bed rails of your truck bed and the bottom side of the over hang (king pin area) of your camper.

If one twists one way, the other twists the other way, it's easy for the underside of the trailer over hang to make contact with the bed rails and ding-up both camper and truck.

You don't have this problem with a bumper pull trailer. So, always watch that rear view mirror and keep an eye on that distance. If it looks too close, back out and readjust your approach over that dip, or twisted slope.

Regardless of how much distance you have between bed rails and bottom of the over hang, this is a real potential for problems that does not exist with bumper pulls.

[DebNJim B]

Also, one note on the auto level. Where you are parked is a downward slope. When you start to auto level the nose needs to be a bit high. Then the first move on the auto level will be to drop the nose down, I think to get it's bearings. If the nose is below level, auto level will fail. So on that slope you will need to unhitch and then raise the nose quite a bit to start off with. If you scroll down on the panel you can see where you are front to back. Just get the front above level and you're good to go.

[Derby6]

Congrats on new Rig. You are same as me. I am a self certified expert at backing of bumper pulls TT, car trailers, etc...LOL
Still in the learning stages of backing 5ver. Pivot and catch much different, but still better than many I see trying to back. You'll be fine!!