5th Wheel Owners..Help..

[WIMUSKY]

The shakedown trip went great. Sure was nice having full hookup. Had to empty the grey tank twice because it was full and a partial tank when we left. What a has hassle it would have been to move the trailer each time to the dumping station. Dumped the black water when we left. Filled it up with fresh water to rinse it out. There's a water connection in the docking station.

The only mishap was when everything was put away, slides were in etc, and I went to hook it up. 2 times the rod on the hitch popped in before the pin in the trailer was in place. It's very sensitive. I really don't like that hitch because of that rod. I know Reese makes better ones. The 3rd try I had the brilliant idea of going quicker to get the pin past the rod before tripped. Long story short, I moved the trailer a foot with the landing gear down and the tires blocked, but it worked. Won't do that again. It was kinda violent in the cab. Dumb, dumb, dumb..........

I'm sure I'm not done making mistakes like every other newb......

 

[littlerayray]

My dad loves his 38' rv cuz when it's time to dump he just folds up the outriggers and pulls in the slide and awning and off he goes no hitching up the down side is you don't have a vehicle to run around with unless you tow one luckily my parents have two scooters they tow with them they traveled from Vancouver Island to the maritime twice with it now and love the thing

 

[MTboatguy]

Wim, is this one of the reese hitches with the sliding bar? If so, when you pull out on the handle, you then push forward on the handle and the handle with catch against the side of the hitch so that when you back into the pin and the pin contacts the front of the plate the bar will auto slide to capture the pin. Be very careful sliding the trailer with the landing gear down if you bend one of the tubes it is not cheap to replace them.

Didn't your camp spot have water and sewer hook ups? Or just electric, if you had water and sewer, you can actually dump right there at the camp spot.

Also, you can add storage by picking up a portable grey/black water external tank that will allow you to fill it up then just haul the tank over to the dump station, we carry an extra 30 gallons of storage tank with us, that way I just have to dump the portable and not move the trailer until we are ready to leave.

http://www.campingworld.com/category/black-water/1369

 

[WIMUSKY]

Yep, that's the hitch. I did exactly what you said, it just trips real easy..... Next time I'm going to continue to back in slow even if the bar trips 10 times... I don't care to move the trailer 1 foot again. It wasn't pleasant..... Maybe I need to raise the trailer more so it doesn't trip so easy....

Yep, we had full hook up. My comment was directed if we didn't have full, then the trailer would have to be moved to the dumping station....

The trip was successful except for the last 5 minutes....

 

[MTboatguy]

If the hitch is tripping that easy, then the trailer is not quite high enough, if you notice on your pin you have about a 1 in notch all the way around it, that is for the slide bar, lift the trailer up a bit more, level the hitch plate on the truck then slowly back into it until you hear it click in. Then slowly lower the trailer into the hitch until the weight is on the truck, double check everything and then put the lock on the hitch, also make sure you hook up your break away cable to the lock before you latch it. A lot of the truck bed bites you see are because the landing gear crumpled onto the bed because people move the trailer with the jacks down.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I believe the notch is even more than an inch. I've been told you want the plate on the trailer hit the back edge of the plate on the hitch. Reese even says the plate should hit 1" below the plate on the hitch. Basically, on the ramps that go to the plate. But that's not working well since I trip so easy. Reese has done away with this hitch. I'm assuming because of the issues I'm having........... The first 2 pix are my hitch. The link looks to be the newest version of mine. Arm is on the front of the hitch where mine is on the back. And the did away with the plate on the bar......... Click on "larger image" to see the changes. They use jaws now...





http://www.reesehitches.com/products/Pro_Series_16K_5th_Wheel_Hitch,30855

 

[MTboatguy]

I know what Reese says, and I know what works, it is not always the same, I always raise mine a small bit above the hitch and then back in until it clicks in, then lower into hitch until it is resting on the truck. One thing that help big time, plus helps keep your hitch from being a mess is get a teflon slide plate that attaches to the pin on the trailer, that allows the pin to slide into the hitch quite a bit smoother.

http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Reese/RP83002.html

It is slippery and I don't use grease on my hitch plate. I have basically the same hitch that you have and I have never had mine trip to quick when hooking up, once you have the handle pulled all the way out, do you have the ability to push it forward about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch? If not, you need the lube the slider bar system inside, it is really important that you can lock that handle forward a small amount.

 

[WIMUSKY]

For this style hitch I think the vid would work perfect. Unfortunately, I don't have that hitch..
https://youtu.be/mb0Dn_Zkiw4

I don't use grease, I use teflon too...

Yeah, the bar moves pretty far. I'm going to raise my landing gear a little more and see if it helps. My hitch has double movement. Forward/back and side to side.....

Also, on the top right of the hitch it's bowed down. It was that way when I bought it.. See pic from above...

 

[MTboatguy]

Wim, that is the same hitch I have in the back of my truck, as far as it being bowed on the right side, that shouldn't cause any problems, but take the head of and check to see where the slider bar is hitting when it is closed. I am not going back through all these messages, but I believe I remember you saying he had trailer bites on the bed of his truck?

 

[MTboatguy]

Hey Wim, I just noticed, do you have a bed mat in that truck? If so, did they cut that mat to go around the hitch rails? Those rails need to be mounted to the bed of the truck with out anything between them and the bed, I can't tell from the pictures if the mat has been cut to fit around the rails?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Wim, that is the same hitch I have in the back of my truck, as far as it being bowed on the right side, that shouldn't cause any problems, but take the head of and check to see where the slider bar is hitting when it is closed. I am not going back through all these messages, but I believe I remember you saying he had trailer bites on the bed of his truck?[/QUOTE

Ahh, c'mon, only 111 posts! :lol:

You lost me about the "trailer bites"?

Hey Wim, I just noticed, do you have a bed mat in that truck? If so, did they cut that mat to go around the hitch rails? Those rails need to be mounted to the bed of the truck with out anything between them and the bed, I can't tell from the pictures if the mat has been cut to fit around the rails?

Yes
Yes
Yes

 

[MTboatguy]

A trailer bite is when the hook up or release of the trailer fails and falls on the bed of your truck, hence the trailer bites your truck!

 

[WIMUSKY]

Ahhhh, got it. Yep, trailer bite, jackknife bite....... I raise the landing gear about 6", set the manual trailer brake and rock the truck a little to make sure i'm hitched. Don't want it falling on the box rails and then take out the tailgate too.....

 

[aspeck]

http://raystown.org/locations/raystown-lake-seven-points-campground

So, when are you coming?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Denise is all over it.......

 

[MTboatguy]

I might be convinced to do a upper Midwest trip?

 

[WIMUSKY]

iboat get together....... That would be a haul, MT....

'Speck, how far to the Pocono's?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Another ?. What about winterizing? I plan on blowing the lines out and using rv anti-freeze in the traps. When does a guy need to do this? Is it no different than I/Os? Or, will the Pex withstand colder temps? They're talking upper 20's tonite. Maybe just drain the hot water heater? Or, will that be fine? Not ready to put it away yet.....

I have that Extreme Thermal Package that has the underbelly pan.....

 

[MTboatguy]

Drain the HW tank and blow some air through the lines, it will be fine as I am sure it is not going to be 20 all day long, you don't want to suck any antifreeze into the pump until you are ready to put her to bed for the winter, so right now, I am just draining and then blowing air through the lines and then fill er back up when I want to go out again. When I do a full winterization, I normally just suck some juice through the pump, then put some down the traps and it is good to go for the winter, it really does not take more than a gallon of RV antifreeze to do it, you don't need to fill the hot water heater, just make sure it is empty and blown out with air. With the toilet, I have my wife hold the flush open, while I blow air through the system and that will clean that valve out and make it safe for winter, as I said, it does not take much, also, don't forget the outside water faucet, you need to make sure the spuds have had air blown through them as well. Pex is good line that is very resistant to breakage when frozen, I have tested pieces of it around here during winter to see what it will actually take and I have never had a piece break on me, down to about 25 below for a few days.

 

[rbh]

+1, Yup, open up the pet cocks on the water tank, hot water heater and empty.
I used to jack up the front gear as high as possible to get as much to drain back then totally drop it-then put 90 PSI into the water fill port with a air chuck and damp rag around it for pressurizing up the system first open up the hot water taps one at a time then cold till just air comes out-
Then hit up all the drains.

(90% of the water should be gone)