How To Hook Up a Fifth Wheel Hitch I Tenting World Weblog

Many RVers improve to a fifth wheel to take pleasure in extra dwelling house and luxurious facilities. Nonetheless, the uncertainty about easy methods to hook up a fifth wheel hitch can maintain some from making the change.

Fortunately, the method for hitching up a fifth wheel isn’t difficult. When you study it, you’ll take pleasure in environment friendly towing and simple campground setup wherever your subsequent journey takes you.

For those who’re curious about fifth wheels, take a look at these small fifth wheel campers we love.

Fifth Wheel Hitch Components Defined

Let’s start by figuring out the elements and elements of a fifth wheel hitch.

Kingpin

The kingpin is positioned on the fifth wheel itself. It’s mounted to your trailer’s body and slides into the hitch head to safe your truck-to-trailer connection.

Physique

The physique is the principle a part of the hitch and supplies the construction and assist for the top and kingpin connection.

Head

The top supplies the connection level for the kingpin. As soon as linked, it strikes and articulates with the fifth wheel’s motion to supply a clean experience.

Pivot Mechanism

This mechanism is what permits the hitch head to articulate together with your trailer’s motion.

Jaws

The jaws maintain the kingpin in place within the hitch’s head. Some fashions use a locking bar as an alternative of jaws.

Deal with

The deal with is used to open and shut the jaws for coupling and uncoupling. It additionally locks in place to make sure a safe towing connection. Some fifth wheel hitches use a lever as an alternative of a deal with.

Security Pin

The pin is a vital security characteristic used to lock the hitch deal with in place to maintain the jaws or locking bar from opening whereas towing.

Legs

The legs connect the hitch’s physique to the truck mattress. Some legs supply a hard and fast mounting place, whereas others supply an adaptable sliding choice designed particularly for short-bed vehicles.

How To Hook Up a Fifth Wheel Hitch

Listed here are the fundamental steps for hooking up a fifth wheel hitch. Obtain our fifth wheel hitch guidelines for straightforward verification every time you hook as much as tow.

Disclaimer: Some fifth wheel hitches have totally different/extra tools. Use this guidelines together with your hitch and fifth wheel proprietor’s manuals.

1. Discover a spotter and line up your tow car with the fifth wheel on a stage, regular floor.
2. Verify that wheel chocks are in place and leveling pads are beneath the touchdown legs.
3. Guarantee all awnings, slideouts, and steps are retracted. Learn to manually retract slideouts in the event that they get caught within the prolonged place.
4. Verify the situation and safety of the hitch. Seek the advice of your hitch and fifth wheel manuals for set up directions, or convey your truck to a Tenting World Service Heart for help.
5. LOWER YOUR TRUCK TAILGATE and guarantee your touchdown gear is prolonged so the kingpin will clear the peak of your hitch.
6. Again up your truck to align the kingpin in your trailer barely behind the hitch jaws. Pay attention to your truck’s bumper and tailgate to keep away from bumping and damaging your fifth wheel.
7. Use your fifth wheel’s touchdown gear to regulate the kingpin top till it’s about 1” decrease than the fifth wheel hitch’s skidplate. Security Be aware: Sliding the kingpin into place as described is crucial. Making an attempt to attach the kingpin to the fifth wheel at an precisely stage airplane may lead to “excessive pinning” – scratching the hitch from the kingpin being too excessive above the jaws. Coming in excessive and trying to decrease the kingpin into the hitch will injury the locking/latching mechanism.
8. Use the deal with to open the jaws of the fifth wheel hitch.
9. Proceed backing up your truck to permit the kingpin to experience up the fifth wheel hitch and into the jaws.
10. Set your truck’s emergency brake earlier than exiting the car.
11. Some hitches have self-locking jaws, but when yours doesn’t, use the deal with to shut and safe the jaws across the kingpin as soon as it’s in place. Insert the protection pin to maintain the lock in place.
12. Join the emergency breakaway cable from the pin field to a everlasting anchor level in your truck. You should have an lively, charged battery in your fifth wheel in your breakaway cable to perform appropriately.
13. Join {the electrical} plug to your truck and CLOSE THE TAILGATE earlier than checking the trailer’s working lights, brake alerts, and switch alerts together with your spotter.
14. Conduct a pull take a look at by elevating the touchdown gear barely to alleviate the downward strain. Depart the touchdown gear prolonged in order that the fifth wheel gained’t fall onto your truck if it have been to return disconnected. This supplies a fail-safe if the connection separates, as your fifth wheel ought to slide off the hitch and relaxation on the bottom with out damaging the truck or trailer. Failing to barely increase your touchdown gear barely may end up in bent jacks.

As soon as the touchdown gear is raised barely, listed below are your steps for a pull take a look at:

1. Manually activate the trailer brakes utilizing the controller inside your truck.
2. Take off the emergency brake.
3. Press the gasoline gently to maneuver the trailer ahead a couple of inches.
4. Readminister the emergency brake.

After a profitable pull take a look at, increase your touchdown gear and take away your wheel chocks.

Security Be aware: If the connection separates for any motive, STOP IMMEDIATELY and reconnect the hitch to the kingpin. 

Now that you realize the steps for hooking up a fifth wheel hitch, learn this tutorial to ensure you keep away from the frequent hitch mistake made by new fifth wheel house owners.

Fifth Wheel Hitch Upkeep Suggestions

Now that you understand how to make use of your fifth wheel hitch, listed below are a couple of tricks to maintain it working and maximize its lifespan.

• Clear the hitch. Take away grease seasonally to examine the hitch visually. Do that as a part of your strategy of winterizing your RV.
• Examine it for injury. Verify all hitch elements seasonally. Search for visible injury and take a look at for correct operation in accordance with your proprietor’s handbook.
• Verify lube plate thickness. Examine the plate thickness and exchange it in accordance with the producer’s advice.
• Lubricate the hitch. Usually use the producer’s really helpful lube to attenuate resistance when connecting the system. Some producers fluctuate on what needs to be lubed and the really helpful lube sort.
• Check the latching mechanism. Whether or not you’ve gotten jaws or a locking bar in your hitch, take a look at it every time you’re getting ready to tow to make sure the lock securely holds the kingpin.

Hitching your fifth wheel and towing it appropriately is only one step within the strategy of your RV adventures. With apply, it’ll quickly turn out to be second nature, however listed below are a couple of different articles that is likely to be useful:

What questions do you’ve gotten about hitching up a fifth wheel trailer? Inform us within the feedback beneath.