Hitching Tips for Travel Trailers
If you’re new to travel trailers, it’s crucial that you familiarize with the basics of using one before you head out on your camping trip. One important step of the process is knowing how to properly hitch the trailer to the tow vehicle. Doing a bad job of this can lead to mishaps so it’s worth the time and attention required to do this correctly.
As your local travel trailer dealer in Rochester, NH, Rte. 125 RV & Marine want to help you have safe and fun trips. Read our hitching guide below to learn more and if you’re looking for travel trailers for sale near Massachusetts or Maine, contact our sales department for further assistance!
Hitching
You have to remove the hitch lock (if you have one) first before you even begin to hitch the two vehicles together. After that, position the receiver latch into a vertical open position. With the help of a jack, lift the front end of the travel trailer. You can lubricate the jack piston while it is extended. If the trailer moves when it’s being lifted, stop raising it and check the wheel chocks.
Bring the hitch close to the receiver and then slide it smoothly into the receiver. Some hitch types come with a removable sway control arm. This makes the trailer lighter and easier to maneuver. Check your manual to see if there are any special considerations that need to be taken into account for your particular hitch.
Next, you have to insert and secure the locking pin. Pay close attention when doing this because if the job is below par, your travel trailer might get separated from the tow vehicle and take off in another direction when you’re driving on the road. Needless to say, that’s a dangerous and costly mistake to make.
After that, it’s time to align the two vehicles so that the hitch can link them together. This gets easier if you have people guiding you with directions. If you’re doing this solo, cameras can be of help, but keep in mind the camera angle and make adjustments accordingly. Many RV drivers say they align their vehicles askew in the camera view, which actually aligns both vehicles perfectly. With a bit of practice you should be able to get the hang of it.
If you’ve got a medium or large travel trailer, we recommend investing in sway arms. These are bars that strengthen the connection and keep the trailer from swaying from side to side while you drive. If you have these, attach them before you lower the travel trailer onto the hitch. Once lowered, it’s hard to get the sway arms in their proper place.
Now that the rest is done, lower the trailer so the hitch ball fits inside the receiver, and close the receiver latch. You can now raise the jack and remove the jack blocks. Also, make sure to connect the brake and light cable so the tow vehicle can send signals to the trailer while driving. Finally, connect the safety chains (which act as backup security if the hitch ball falls out of the receiver) and remove the wheel chocks.
Unhitching
Once the travel trailer has been parked in a safe and adequate space, take your wheel chocks and place them snugly on both sides of your travel trailer. Ensure that the ground is level before you use the jack. Then use it to raise the trailer a little off the ground.
Begin by disconnecting the brake cable, safety chains and emergency brake controller. Then remove the sway bars. Make sure the trailer is high enough to have lowered the tension of the sway bars, otherwise the chains will whip around when you remove them.
Next, you have to lower your travel trailer until you’re sure that some of its weight is on the tow vehicle. After that’s done, raise the ball receiver latch and release the hitch ball. Get the jack to lift the trailer up and off the hitch ball now. This is a tricky step and sometimes the tension between the vehicles causes the trailer to lift up instead of uncoupling. Don’t raise it too high or everything inside will shift and break when the trailer suddenly lowers.
Now your travel trailer is free from the connection so you can drive the tow vehicle forward and use the jack to position the trailer so it is leveled. Place the hitch somewhere carefully so you can access it easily when it’s time to leave. You’re ready to go off and have a worry-free camping trip!
Hopefully, this information will help you have safe and fun trips in the future! For more help or if you’re looking for travel trailers for sale in Rochester, NH, get in touch with us at Rte. 125 RV & Marine to see our wide selection of models! We’re proud to be the leading travel trailer dealer for Massachusetts and Maine!