Unsure how to help husband hitch up - Montana Owners Club

piperterri · 03-19-2019, 05:27 PM

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

Recumbent · 03-19-2019, 06:31 PM

I recommend the Hand Signals Class at the Fall Montana Rally.

Vet4jdc · 03-19-2019, 06:47 PM

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?

CITRIX43 · 03-27-2019, 03:01 PM

We discussed prior to attempting hookup what we were to do. Next, we both have cell phones, phone(s) are in operation as I back up, wife tells me whoa, to left, to right or whatever. Seems to work.

GAinaMontana · 03-19-2019, 06:51 PM

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.

BB_TX · 03-19-2019, 06:51 PM

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.

**DQDick** · 03-19-2019, 07:07 PM

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.

LindaV · 03-21-2019, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DQDick

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.

Hubby generally does the backing up and I do the spotting/aligning for both backing into the spot or hooking up. We use the handheld radios, but we never thought about just using the cell phone and truck radio! That is an excellent idea. I have yet to drive the Montana more than traveling the road into our storage site and backing it in to our storage spot..but intend to go somewhere to practice with it. I was comfortable driving with our travel trailer but it was only 30' long. I feel it is important for both of us to know how because we have been in a situation with friends where due to a health emergency the wife had to drive their rig to the hospital..and leaving from there I had to drive our rig while my husband drove theirs home for them. You just never know!

Vet4jdc · 03-19-2019, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BB_TX

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!

**AZ Traveler** · 03-19-2019, 08:07 PM

I always hitch solo - it is easy and doesn't stress my wife.

1retired06 · 03-19-2019, 08:54 PM

My wife is essential in helping me back up, but have never needed her help to hitch/unhitch.

Loneoak · 03-20-2019, 04:34 AM

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.

Dusters · 03-21-2019, 09:14 AM

Loneoak and about the Pullrite ball hitch. At Camping World I got a set of magnetic adjustable antennas, with a bright yellow foam ball on end. I put one just dead center in front of the bowl and the other center front of the pin. The bright yellow foam balls are extended to a height I can see in the rear view mirror. As I am backing they line up and just touch, that's when I check to see if I can lower the unit. It has simplified the mounting procedures and eliminated the need for a spotter. This is even better than the attachable magnetic camera I tried using previously.

MidMOTraveler · 03-20-2019, 04:51 AM

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.

timandsusan · 03-20-2019, 05:43 AM

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.

JandC · 03-20-2019, 06:49 AM

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.

Hawkpat · 03-20-2019, 07:16 AM

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.

rslopez65 · 03-20-2019, 08:02 AM

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.

Montana Man · 03-20-2019, 09:47 AM

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.

jeffba · 03-20-2019, 10:14 AM

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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