Re-hook -- High Hitch ???

[TenOC]

I have a 6-point leveling system. When I unhook my 5er I raise the trailer up until the trailer weight is off the truck. I will try to explain. I can tell when I am high enough because there is a very small gap between the hitch head and the 5er kingpin plate. Since the trailer weight is off the truck, the truck does not “bounce up” when I pull out. I then do an auto-level of the 5er.


When I go to rehook the 5er there is a “rehook” function on the 6-point leveling system that returns the 5er to the height that it was when I un-hooked. HOWEVER, this height is with no weight on the truck/hitch. I think this could lead to “high hitch”. Therefore, I always need to lower the 5er from the re-hook position about 4-6 inches so the king pin box slides up the slanted part of the hitch and puts weight on the truck.


Do other people do the lower from the rehook position or do you hook up at the rehook position?

[BB_TX]

I agree the trailer pin box plate should be a little lower than the truck hitch plate when hooking up. That essentially guarantees you will not high hitch. My older trailer did not have auto level so I manually adjusted the trailer height so the pin box plate was lower than the hitch plate and would ride up on the hitch plate as I backed under. My truck would squat an inch or so as I backed under the trailer. But I also agree you should make sure of that condition with the auto level rehook system

[Theunz]

I don’t use the re-hook option. I “eyeball” it and then back the truck up within an inch or so of the pin plate, adjust the trailer height so that it’s about half to an inch lower than the hitch plate, and then complete my hook up making sure the truck slightly lifts the trailer. Do a tug test and a visual inspection and then a final better tug test with the trailer brakes applied before departing. You should really do a tug test with the trailer brakes applied and the legs lifted about an inch off the ground in case it does come loose from the hitch. This will prevent it from landing on your bed rails, full disclosure… I usually don’t do this last part, but with the initial tug test and a thorough visual inspection I think I’m ok, err hope I’m ok����

[dhuhn]

When you put back to hitch height it gets it close to where you unhitched. You always want to lower it so the king pin rides up on to the hitch, your truck should squat down a little when hitching up. Then always do a visual check to make sure the jaws are closed, and do a tug test.

[DutchmenSport]

I always use the re-hook feature, but then I also double check hitch and king-pin height and make manual adjustments. Sometimes the trailer weight will cause the front landing jacks to sink in the ground or dimple on asphalt. This actually lowers the original position.

Because of an incline on the campsite pad, it's possible to have the front of the camper too high or to low to activated the auto level feature. It has to be manually raised or lowered first, then hit the auto level. When doing so, the return feature will always go back to the original position when you hit the auto level feature, not the actual unhitch position. So then, yes, ... you need to manually make the difference in hight to hitch properly.

[Gonefishing]

I do it the same way

[jsb5717]

I use the rebook feature as well on our electric levelers. It always gets in the ballpark but I almost always have to adjust it slightly for a clean hook up.

[MandK]

I never use the auto re-hitch. 1/2 the time it doesn’t work because the nose is lower than than rear when I unhook, and the DW has gotten to be really good at pushing the buttons while I slowly back up. She knows that those “ramps” on the hitch are meant to be the contact point for the pin box plate, causing the truck to be pushed down slightly by the weight of the trailer. But, there are more ways than one to skin the cat, whatever works for you.

[Carl n Susan]

I always use the "re-hook" feature and it is always a tad too high. I automatically drop the pin 3" or so before backing into it with the truck.

[RMcNeal]

I have never used that feature. Honestly, I didn't even know it existed until reading about it here on another thread. Since I raised our jacks, I tend to level manually to try and keep the rig as log as possible for the ramp at the door we use for our dogs.
When I get it back from Elkhart, I'll have to try it and see how it works.

[MandK]

I guess from what I’m reading is that if I use auto level after unhooking and then manually adjust the jacks a little, that disables the hitch height feature? If that’s the case, that would explain why the feature hardly ever works for me. I use auto level to level the rig then raise the front manually an inch or two so that the rain water runs off the back of the dining slide topper instead of pouring down on the steps. They didn’t mount the topper rail high enough and water ponds on top of it until it runs off the ends. I guess I could get it the way I want and then re calibrate it.

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by MandK

....I guess I could get it the way I want and then re calibrate it.

Absolutely! The Autolevel will have you with that slight slope you want and the "return to hitch height" will work (assuming the nose was above level when you Autoleveled.

[Jruff51550]

I manually Retrack the rear jacks and center jacks if you have them before I engage the reconnect function. I still look to see everything lines up.

[Foldbak]

I always use auto hitch height, and it's always low. It's an easy two button process to raise the rear jacks and bring the nose up. I use a teflon plate so I try to couple the hitch level so it doesn't tear. Then I visually inspect the jaws. So far so good.

[Scootsk]

I always have to lower it after using the function. I don’t mind. It gets it close enough.

[jkxtreme]

You're gonna love this...
I mounted a 48 x 14 x 14 tool box at the back of the bed of my truck, 3 inches inside the tail gate. The tool box door folds down like the truck tail gait. However, in order to hitch up the trailer, I have to raise the trailer high enough for the pin to clear the tool box. My wife backs the truck as I direct her, but she's a farm girl with tractor experience so she's dead on. Once the pin is past the tool box, she stops while I lower the trailer. Once we're at the right height, she backs up until we're hooked up. It's easy to do but it drives the neighbors at the campsite crazy. You should have heard the comments when we came home with the tool box mounted in the truck. Needless to say, we don't use the auto-rehook feature.

[GrahamLock]

Originally Posted by MandK

I guess from what I’m reading is that if I use auto level after unhooking and then manually adjust the jacks a little, that disables the hitch height feature? If that’s the case, that would explain why the feature hardly ever works for me. I use auto level to level the rig then raise the front manually an inch or two so that the rain water runs off the back of the dining slide topper instead of pouring down on the steps. They didn’t mount the topper rail high enough and water ponds on top of it until it runs off the ends. I guess I could get it the way I want and then re calibrate it.

I understand that before operating the AutoLevel, the front of the 5th wheel needs to be lower than horizontal. When doing this, I find the releveling procedure works OK.

[GrahamLock]

I meant that the leveling to the hook up position works fine.

[miatadoc]

I use the "Hitch height" feature as it will retract the center and rear jacks and position the kingpin pretty close to where I need it. I will perform my kingpin height adjustment once I have the hitch near the kingpin.

[Kris & Al]

We have a PullRite hitch and have been happy. You MUST lower it from the release position or the hitch will turn, the capture plate gets caught and the nightmare ensues. With a PullRite, lower is definitely better!