How to Hook Up a Fifth Wheel Hitch

Many RVers improve to a fifth wheel to get pleasure from extra dwelling area and luxurious facilities. However, the uncertainty about the best way to hook up a fifth wheel hitch can maintain some from making the change. 

Luckily, the method for hitching up a fifth wheel isn’t difficult. Once you be taught it, you’ll get pleasure from environment friendly towing and simple campground setup wherever your subsequent journey takes you.

If you’re focused on fifth wheels, try these small fifth wheel campers we love.

Fifth Wheel Hitch Parts Explained

Let’s start by figuring out the components and parts of a fifth wheel slider 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.

Body

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

Head

The head supplies the connection level for the kingpin. Once linked, it strikes and articulates with the fifth wheel’s motion to supply a clean journey. 

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.

Handle

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. 

Safety Pin

The pin is an important 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 rails to safe it in your truck mattress. Some legs provide a set mounting place, whereas others provide an adaptable sliding possibility designed particularly for short-bed vans. 

How to Hook Up a Fifth Wheel Hitch

Here are the fundamental steps for hooking up a fifth wheel hitch: 

Disclaimer: Some fifth wheel hitches have completely different/extra tools. Use this guidelines at the side of your hitch and fifth wheel proprietor’s manuals.

1. Find a spotter and line up your tow automobile with the fifth wheel on a stage, regular floor.
2. Check that wheel chocks are in place and leveling pads are beneath the touchdown legs. 
3. Ensure all awnings, slideouts, and steps are retracted. Learn the best way to manually retract slideouts in the event that they get caught within the prolonged place.
4. Check the placement and safety of the hitch. The pin ought to be ~1” ahead of the middle level of your automobile’s rear axle. Consult your hitch and fifth wheel manuals for set up directions, or carry your truck to a Camping World Service Center for help.
5. LOWER YOUR TRUCK TAILGATE and ensure your touchdown gear is prolonged so the kingpin will clear the peak of your hitch. 
6. Back up your truck to align the kingpin in your trailer barely behind the hitch jaws. Be conscious of your truck’s bumper and tailgate to keep away from bumping and damaging your kingpin or fifth wheel. 
7. Use your fifth wheel’s touchdown gear to regulate the peak of the pin field till the underside plate of the pin field is about 1” decrease than the fifth wheel plate. Safety Note: Sliding the kingpin into place as described is crucial. Attempting to attach the kingpin to the fifth wheel at an precisely stage airplane may end in “high 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. Continue backing up your truck to permit the kingpin to journey up the fifth wheel hitch and into the jaws.
10. Set your truck’s emergency brake earlier than exiting the automobile.
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 security pin to maintain the lock in place. 
12. Connect the emergency breakaway cable from the pin field to a everlasting anchor level in your truck. You will need to have an lively, charged battery in your fifth wheel to your breakaway cable to operate appropriately. 
13. Connect {the electrical} plug to your truck and CLOSE THE TAILGATE earlier than checking the trailer’s working lights, brake indicators, and switch indicators together with your spotter. 
14. Conduct a pull check by elevating the touchdown gear barely to alleviate the downward stress. Leave the touchdown gear prolonged in order that the fifth wheel gained’t fall onto your truck if it had been to come back 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.

Once the touchdown gear is raised barely, listed here are your steps for a pull check:

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

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

Safety Note: If the connection separates for any motive, STOP IMMEDIATELY and reconnect the hitch to the kingpin. 

Now that the steps for hooking up a fifth wheel hitch, learn this tutorial to be sure to keep away from the widespread hitch mistake made by new fifth wheel house owners. 

Fifth Wheel Hitch Maintenance Tips

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

• Clean the hitch. Remove grease seasonally to examine the hitch visually. Do this as a part of your strategy of winterizing your RV. 
• Inspect it for injury. Check all hitch components seasonally. Look for visible injury and check for correct operation in line with your proprietor’s handbook.
• Check lube plate thickness. Inspect the plate thickness and exchange it in line with the producer’s suggestion.  
• Lubricate the hitch. Regularly use the producer’s advisable lube to reduce resistance when connecting the system. Some producers differ on what ought to be lubed and the advisable lube sort.
• Test the latching mechanism. Whether you’ve got jaws or a locking bar in your hitch, check 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 grow to be second nature, however listed here are just a few different articles that is likely to be useful: 

What questions do you’ve got about hitching up a fifth wheel trailer? Tell us within the feedback under.

Tucker Ballister is our Technical Content Writer. He’s a lover of the open street and the proud proprietor of a 2021 Sunlite Classic journey trailer (his third RV up to now). Check out extra of his RV adventures, gear evaluations, and out of doors recommendation at thebackpackguide.com.