Angled Hookup

[SuiteSuccess]

Will be staying in a COE park pull through that is “C” shaped. I’ll be facing a situation haven’t really encountered with the HDT in 14 years.  It will involve disconnecting and reconnecting at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. Anybody had to do this and any “gotchas” except slow and easy to avoid side loads to the trailer legs?

[HERO Maker]

That's it!  The back up camera makes it easy.

[spindrift]

The only difference is that your usual visual references will be missing.  Jack up your RV just high enough so that you can back under the pin without hitting anything.  Practice until you line up properly, establish your new visual references, lower your camper and have at it.

[Jim & Wilma]

Carl, our ET hitch would more easily get a bit squirrelly when we came in at any angle. I found getting gap tolerances tighter was the answer.

When approaching straight on, the hitch can depress some and jaws still lock nicely. When at an angle, the hitch tends to slant significantly at the slightest touch, making the lock up impossible. No biggy though, just repeat till lined up with small air gap. 

[SuiteSuccess]

Thanks to all. 

[mike5511]

I never snap in with weight on the legs. Get someone to help you line up with the pin just in front of the jaws. Let the trailer down onto the plate until the weight is all on the plate. Then snap in. (Be sure you are chocked appropriately.)

[lappir]

14 minutes ago, mike5511 said:

I never snap in with weight on the legs. Get someone to help you line up with the pin just in front of the jaws. Let the trailer down onto the plate until the weight is all on the plate. Then snap in. (Be sure you are chocked appropriately.)

Agree. I always put weight on my plate before engaging the latch (except for that one time not too long ago and I latched in 'High')

Rod

 

[rickeieio]

We often need to hitch at an angle.  Once you do it, and see how easy it can be, it's not a big thing.  We put some pressure on the hitch head, but certainly not all the weight.

Of course, having a manual clutch makes it far easier than without. And having a second set of eyes rather than a camera also helps.

[mike5511]

5 hours ago, rickeieio said:

We often need to hitch at an angle.  Once you do it, and see how easy it can be, it's not a big thing.  We put some pressure on the hitch head, but certainly not all the weight.

Of course, having a manual clutch makes it far easier than without. And having a second set of eyes rather than a camera also helps.

Why “certainly not all the weight”? 

[SuiteSuccess]

5 hours ago, rickeieio said:

We often need to hitch at an angle.  Once you do it, and see how easy it can be, it's not a big thing.  We put some pressure on the hitch head, but certainly not all the weight.

Of course, having a manual clutch makes it far easier than without. And having a second set of eyes rather than a camera also helps.

That’s what I’ve done when I’ve had to be at a shallow angle.  My thought with a bigger angle was to put enough weight on the hitch so the legs would “slide” instead of having a bending load.

[rickeieio]

My pea brain figures a light loading of the hitch head allows for easier sliding of the head/pinbox so less strain.  We use a custom UHMW-STS (ultra high molecular weight- slicker than snot) face on the pinbox surface, which helps.  Well, that last word isn't really "snot".  I got it as scrap from the guy who developed it.

I've hitched at 90 degrees, just to see how it would go.  It was fine.

[Danfreda1]

We never put all the weight on anytime hitching. 

[GlennWest]

I generally don't put a lot of weight on my hitch either but bent a leg last time and hitching at angle also. Never a problem straight back. So be careful how much weight on those levelers

[mike5511]

On 9/23/2024 at 10:18 AM, GlennWest said:

I generally don't put a lot of weight on my hitch either but bent a leg last time and hitching at angle also. Never a problem straight back. So be careful how much weight on those levelers

IMHO, a HDT is way too heavy to back into the pin the traditional way. I chock mine good and lift the legs off the blocks a 1/2” or so, then backup into the pin. No way you’ll bend the legs that way. FWIW

[GlennWest]

How can you lift front legs off ground? My camper would be on the ground.

[rickeieio]

This is why I like a real clutch, complete with pedal.  We position the nose of the trailer to barely depress the hitch head (ET Senior) as I back into it.  Nearly full weight still on the legs.  Wife (usually) watches while I ease in.  I don't even feel the "latch" but can hear the jaws snap shut. Being slow and easy makes it so angle is of little concern.

I WOULD NOT recommend this method with a two pedal truck.  I've watched others hitching with two pedal, and frankly, I think it's hard on the pin box, even when hitching straight in.

A few of us will be camping together in a couple weeks.  I see a hitch'n contest in our future.

[spindrift]

16 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

This is why I like a real clutch, complete with pedal.  We position the nose of the trailer to barely depress the hitch head (ET Senior) as I back into it.  Nearly full weight still on the legs.  Wife (usually) watches while I ease in.  I don't even feel the "latch" but can hear the jaws snap shut. Being slow and easy makes it so angle is of little concern.

I WOULD NOT recommend this method with a two pedal truck.  I've watched others hitching with two pedal, and frankly, I think it's hard on the pin box, even when hitching straight in.

A few of us will be camping together in a couple weeks.  I see a hitch'n contest in our future.

I'd sit in a comfortable chair and sip a good bourbon to watch that.

[rickeieio]

4 hours ago, spindrift said:

I'd sit in a comfortable chair and sip a good bourbon to watch that.

Hmmm..... sit a skinny glass of water on the bed and see who can back in to hitch without tipping the glass?

Spin, we need to have us a truck rodeo next time we meet.  To be fair, we should use a borrowed truck neither of us are familiar with.

[spindrift]

14 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Hmmm..... sit a skinny glass of water on the bed and see who can back in to hitch without tipping the glass?

Spin, we need to have us a truck rodeo next time we meet.  To be fair, we should use a borrowed truck neither of us are familiar with.

Not a bad option.

Orrrrr, how about I grab a full tanker?  We can place that glass of water on the dash and make our way through Austin's I-35 traffic.  No spillage required.

Either way, I'm sure we'd have a blast.

[rickeieio]

My first ever time driving a tractor-trailer was pulling a half full load or 28% N ( 10.6#/gal, un-baffled tank) out of a field, through several traffic lights, and into the next field, with an IH 9030, 903 Cummins and 10 spd.  That was tricky.

When I bought my own tanker, it was not only baffled, it had compartments.

I'd be all over a little friendly driving competition, minus the traffic.  I'll defer to you on that.

[spindrift]

1 minute ago, rickeieio said:

My first ever time driving a tractor-trailer was pulling a half full load or 28% N ( 10.6#/gal, un-baffled tank) out of a field, through several traffic lights, and into the next field, with an IH 9030, 903 Cummins and 10 spd.  That was tricky.

When I bought my own tanker, it was not only baffled, it had compartments.

I'd be all over a little friendly driving competition, minus the traffic.  I'll defer to you on that.

Was there a specific reason for the compartments?

[rickeieio]

Yep.  I sometimes hauled both water and fertilizer to the field to load my sprayer.  Some herbicides call for up to 1 gal. liquid nitrogen solution/10 gal mix per acre.  

That, and this tanker was cheaper than other's I found. 😉  I pulled it with an old 1984 White/Volvo/GMC, former Valvoline tractor.  350 Big Cam and Fuller 8 spd.  In it's day, it was a horse.

Edit:  With that trailer, there was no choice but to put full weight on the hitch, and the legs where pinned to height.  And it had no Maxi's either.  Either chock the wheels, or hook up air lines before hitching.

Edited September 25 by rickeieio

[lappir]

Learned to drive larger trucks in either a C30 Fuel "Tankwagon" or an F650 Firetruck water tanker. The fuel truck had two 500 gallon a 300 and two 200 gallon compartments. Usually there was a combination of #2 fuel and gasoline and often time a full truck would become a partially full truck after the first stop and it just got worse till it got better. None of the tanks had baffles. 

I don't recall if the fire truck had baffles, but it was a 2000 gallon tank. I'm sure they are a lot different than pulling a trailer. 

 

Rod

[mike5511]

On 9/24/2024 at 12:10 PM, GlennWest said:

How can you lift front legs off ground? My camper would be on the ground.

Let the trailer down on the 5th wheel with the pin just in front of the locking jaws. Smooth as silk, no stress on the trailer legs. 

[Steve from SoCal]

Smooth bore milk bottle,

 

Just sayin