Safely Hitching And Unhitching A Travel Trailer
If you’re new to travel trailers or are planning to get your first one, it’s important to know the right way to hitch and unhitch your rig before you set out on your trip. It can end up costing you a lot of time and money if you rush through this process or do a half-hearted job of it, so it’s worth the extra care and attention needed to do it right.
To help you hitch and unhitch your trailer properly, Schwab’s R.V. World has compiled this informative guide. If you’re looking for travel trailers for sale in Leduc, Alberta, contact our sales department for more information. We also have a well-trained parts and service department for those looking for travel trailer service near Edmonton!
How to Hitch
The first thing you have to do before you even begin to hitch your vehicles together is to make sure you’ve removed the hitch lock if you have one. After that, position the receiver latch into the vertical open position, and use the jack to lift up the front end of the trailer. You can lubricate the jack piston while it's 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 slide it smoothly into the receiver. Sometimes hitches have removable sway control arms that can make your hitch lighter and easier to handle. There may be some special considerations to take into account for your particular hitch model, so check your owner’s manual.
Next, insert and secure the locking pin. Pay close attention when you do this as it’s a crucial step. If you don’t do this properly, it may cause your travel trailer to detach from the tow vehicle and take off on its own trip when you’re driving down the road. Needless to say, that’s a dangerous and costly mistake to make.
For a successful attempt at hitching both vehicles together, you have to align both properly. You can ask your friends or family members to help you do this. Cameras can be useful for those doing this solo, but remember to make adjustments with the camera angle in mind. Many RV drivers say they align their vehicles askew in the camera view, which actually aligns both vehicles perfectly. Practice a bit and you should get the hang of it eventually.
If you own a medium or a big travel trailer, you should probably invest in sway arms. These bars are used to strengthen the connection as well as stop the trailer from swaying from side to side. If you have these items, attach them before lowering your travel trailer onto the hitch. Once the trailer is lowered, it becomes very hard to get the sway arms in their proper place.
It’s now time to lower your travel trailer so the hitch ball can fit inside the receiver before closing the receiver latch. After this, you can lower the jack and remove the jack blocks. 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.
How to Unhitch
After you’ve parked your travel trailer in a large and safe spot, it's time to get to unhitching. Fit your wheel chocks snugly into place on both sides of the travel trailer. You’ll have to use the jack again so ensure it’s on a level ground. Use the jack to once again lift the front of the trailer a little off the ground.
The first thing you should do is disconnect the brake cable, safety chains and emergency brake controller. Next, remove the sway bars; ensure that 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, lower your travel trailer until you’re sure that it is putting some of its weight on the tow vehicle. After that, lift up the ball receiver latch and release the hitch ball. Use your jack to lift the trailer up and off the hitch ball. You have to be careful while doing this because at times the tension between the vehicles raises the trailer up instead of uncoupling it. Don’t raise it too high or everything inside will shift and break when the trailer suddenly lowers.
Once you’ve freed your travel trailer, drive your tow vehicle forward and use the jack to position the trailer in a leveled position. Put your hitch away carefully for the next time you need it. That’s it! You’re ready to go out and have a fun camping experience!
We hope this information will be useful for you! If you need more help or want to get expert travel trailer service and repair in Leduc, AB, contact Schwab’s R.V. World and have a chat with one of our trained technicians. We serve all those in Edmonton.