Hitching up....blind!

[Zilos6]

I use a 3 foot pylon like an aiming post in the front of my hitch. Works great for me.

[Dave10]

I had that problem until I learned to use my mirrors. Youtube has many videos of driver school training for 5th wheel trailers that I found useful. They give excellent pointers for backing up. These are same training video commercial drives use and there are video of RVers.

[whutfles]

If you can see your pinbox but not the pin, the suggestion to align the sides of the pinbox within the slider rear window works, if you have a slider. I have a RAM 3500 longbed crewcab. I have a toolbox in the front of the bed which hides the pin. The toolbox has a door on each side that lifts up. Those doors are about 10 inches apart in the center leaving a recess that I align with the pinbox. Works everytime. If you don't have a rear slider window, put a couple of pieces of dark tape in the rear window. vertically about 10 inches apart. Align the pinbox with it. It helps to double check that your dually fenders align with the side of the RV too.

[sberlin]

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!!

These pokes work like a charm.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007772HG4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

[miatadoc]

I pulled the center rear headrest on our 2011 F-350 to improve visibility. i also ran a strip ion orange gorilla tape down the centerline of the bed (in line with the hitch jaws) and continued the strip onto the tailgate. I can see the stripe on the tailgate with the gate up in order to line up with the kingpin. When I get close enough to lower the tailgate, I can see the tape stripe on the gate and the bed by looking in the inside rearview mirror at the mirror on the front of the 5er. This makes it much easier to keep the kingpin and the hitch in line.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by Hornet28

I can see where more attention is needed if coming into it at an angle. But otherwise if you have the truck centered on the trailer using both side mirrors it should line up fine. This is the way I hitch up my bumper pull car trailer by myself. Do I have to get out sometimes to check? Of course but usually not more than twice and that's for having the ball directly under the coupler

This. I wonder how everyone think that semi's do it, or farmer's with goosenecks? We use our side mirrors and know what it should look like.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by Todd727

This. I wonder how everyone think that semi's do it, or farmer's with goosenecks? We use our side mirrors and know what it should look like.

Unfortunately most of us are not trained truck drivers nor farmers and only do these hookups occasionally, not on a daily basis. I'm lucky in that I have military training as a truck mechanic and wheeled vehicle driver trainer as well as 45+ years (1975) of 5er ownership.

[Byron B]

Originally Posted by mlh

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

^^^^^^^^^^
That is how I do it as well....

[Slugchick]

Originally Posted by scottz

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!

I would pay to see this competition! Great idea👍..
I would also enter my husband in this activity, amazes me every time!

[Slugchick]

Yes you are the “hitch “up king! Even when the little yellow ball falls over! Lol

[R.S.O'Donnell]

My brother was an OTR driver for 36 years. If the pin hit the yoke (which is pretty wide on a big truck) they would force it in.



I think it's better to be a bit more precise on an RV to avoid unnecessary frame stress so I take the extra two or three minutes to be sure I'm perfectly lined up.

[StageCoachDriver]

Semi drivers do it all to time. 1) I have a stripe of yellow tape down the middle of my truck bed, 2) I line up the sides of the trailer in my exterior mirrors. Back up and watch the hitch pin housing in the rear view mirror and the mirror on the front of the trailer.

[jjf1putt]

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!!

Harbour Freight sells magnetic yellow balls on a stick- I attached one the the hitch and the other to the camper- It helps a lot.

[Hornet28]

Originally Posted by Dave W

Unfortunately most of us are not trained truck drivers nor farmers and only do these hookups occasionally, not on a daily basis. I'm lucky in that I have military training as a truck mechanic and wheeled vehicle driver trainer as well as 45+ years (1975) of 5er ownership.

I look at it as common sense and the easiest least complicated way of hitching up whether 5th, bumper or gooseneck. A job/task is only as hard as you make it

[jeffba]

I use my WIFI enabled tracker to find my camper. (Sometimes I forget my site number) Then I run a script on my laptop to reposition an NSA satellite. (They have better resolution than my truck's backup cameras) I then have the satellite paint my hitch and kingpin with a laser. The satellite imagery is then sent to truck's display. And finally I run a second script to back the truck up for me. Lastly I spoof my IP address to the neighbor's WIFI. You know the one with the yelpy dog.

Some of the suggestions here just seem way too hard and too much thought has gone into it.

[JandC]

Originally Posted by Dave W

Unfortunately most of us are not trained truck drivers nor farmers and only do these hookups occasionally, not on a daily basis. I'm lucky in that I have military training as a truck mechanic and wheeled vehicle driver trainer as well as 45+ years (1975) of 5er ownership.

Can't argue with that statement. However, when an RVer buys and starts traveling in a large RV they have a responsibility to learn the correct way to not only hook up but how to do all the other things involved. We all need to know the correct (and safest) was to hook up, drop our trailers, maneuver on the highways, and back in a site.

I too was trained as a young man by the U.S. Army to drive large & small vehicles (64C20).

[DebNJim B]

Originally Posted by RETCHIEF

I bought a magnetic mounted video camera and place it where it shows me my alignment. It has a small monitor for the cab. It was on Amazon and is called EyeBall
I also put a strip of reflective tape at the right spot to help make it easier to see. That handles forward and reverse. I have a magnetic rod to mark right and left. One person hook up is a breeze.

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Magn...9443966&sr=8-6


I had the eyeball with my previous TV but my 2017 F350 has a cam at the brake/cargo light with distant and close up views. The system also uses all the cams of the truck to form a 360 degree view that looks straight down on the truck and trailer that is really helpful. That view is also helpful when negotiating the truck through tight spaces like fast food drive thru's.

There are other magnetic cams that you can use for either bumper pull or 5th wheel set ups that use your call phone for the monitor. I can get a perfect alignment but I still get out to check the pin height before I make the
connection

[Cobra13]

Bed cams are cheap and easy to install. If your in Oklahoma let me know, my friend and race car buddy owns a shop that does this work

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Gubs

..........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?

Sure .......... buy a Magnetic Telescoping Pick Up Tool for Small Metal Tools Extends from 7 to 30 inches and set just behind the hitch in the center. You can buy one #7 - 9 on-line or at your local hardware store.


https://www.amazon.com/magnetic-exte...etic+extension

[P&Nsmith]

My tonneau cover blocks my view. My wife bought me and inexpensive camera that has magnets. It works great for lining up. It syncs with my iPad and I can watch everything.
This is the link on Amazon in case you’re interested
Rampage Products 7710 Universal Portable Wi-Fi Ba...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QHZV7IQ...ing=UTF8&psc=1