hitching trailer

[stormy2000]

hello,

  in a few weeks, we will be leaving this cg to go to another one, as we travel and work.  this will also be our first time to hitch up our trailer from a cg. 
  question:  we have wood blocks (2) under each jack and the trailer tires on the slideout side.  Should I hitch up the trailer to the truck first and then
raise the jacks? or raise the jacks and then hook up the truck to the trailer.

  It seems I should raise jacks first and then hookup the truck to the trailer, but I would like to see what the experience people are doing, so as not
to damage anything or get hurt.

thank you,

bill & jodi

 

[SargeW]

Normally you would hook the trailer to the truck first, then lower the jacks. Depending on the amount of slope you are on, you may have to lower the jacks first. 

Get the truck close to the pin first, then hook up and complete this lowering process.  Each space is different depending on the terrain at each site.

 

[warsw]

Always raise your stabilizer jacks first. Then hook up to your truck. You will not be able to raise or lower your trailer tongue with the stabilizers down. The stabilizer jacks should be the last thing down when you arrive and are disconnecting from the TV and the first thing up when you are reconnected to leave.

One other thought: The wheel chocks should be the first thing you do before you disconnect from your truck and the last thing you remove after you reconnect. In other words you should always have wheels chocks on your trailer when not connected to your TV.

 

[SargeW]

I don't think the OP was talking about the stabilizer jacks. I think he was referring to the lifting jacks on the front. That is however true about the stabilizer jacks though.

 

[warsw]

I don't think the OP was talking about the stabilizer jacks. I think he was referring to the lifting jacks on the front. That is however true about the stabilizer jacks though.

I don't think so. The OP was taking about Jacks (plural) plus there would be no way to raise the front jack before you hook the trailer to the TV. Maybe I'm wrong but this is the way I read it.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It seems I should raise jacks first and then hookup the truck to the trailer, but I would like to see what the experience people are doing, so as not
to damage anything or get hurt.

You need to be a little more specific here. If you are talking about the rear stabilizer jacks, they should be raised first, so that the trailer can tilt up/down as needed to hitch up. If you are talking about the front jack(s), whether the single one on a travel trailer tongue or the front pair on the 5W, you cannot raise them fully until you get the trailer onto the hitch ball or pin, but you can adjust the front height up/down as needed to align with the hitch.

 

[warsw]

You need to be a little more specific here. If you are talking about the rear stabilizer jacks, they should be raised first, so that the trailer can tilt up/down as needed to hitch up. If you are talking about the front jack(s), whether the single one on a travel trailer tongue or the front pair on the 5W, you cannot raise them fully until you get the trailer onto the hitch ball or pin, but you can adjust the front height up/down as needed to align with the hitch.

Good points Gary. There does seem to be some confusion here. At least on my part.

 

[Lowell]

I always get my trailer in towing configuration before hooking up.  I bring in the slide, raise any stabilizer, stow electrical cord and hoses.  The only thing I leave in place are the wheel chocks to prevent any posibility of the trailer moving.  I then raise or lower the hitch as needed to bring near the level of the ball.

 

[SargeW]

Or it could be me, I have been wrong before!

 

[stormy2000]

I was referring to the 4 scissor jacks on the trailer which I  have 2 pieces of wood under each jack, plus 2 wood boards under the tires on my
slideout side.  thanks for the info, i read it as raising the 4 jacks first and then aligning the ball to the coupler to hookup.  last would be remove
the wood blocks under the tires when i drive off of them.


bill & jodi

 

[Lou Schneider]

Sounds good to me, at least that's the way I do it. 

 

[stormy2000]

great! feel better now. thanks all for info.

bill & jodi

 

[John From Detroit]

I always get my trailer in towing configuration before hooking up.  I bring in the slide, raise any stabilizer, stow electrical cord and hoses.  The only thing I leave in place are the wheel chocks to prevent any posibility of the trailer moving.  I then raise or lower the hitch as needed to bring near the level of the ball.

That is how I did it in my trailer days.