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10-16-2019, 07:45 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 859
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Dropping landing gear before opening hitch jaws... bad idea?
The instructions for our Ground Control 3 leveling system say to first chock the wheels of our fifth wheel, then to open the jaws of our hitch, then to lower the landing gear. When our RV is on a slope with the rear being lower this makes me nervous. More than once we have had the RV roll backwards when the hitch jaws were opened. Fortunately the chocks were up to the task and it didn't roll away. Still, it's nerve racking to see your RV rolling away with nothing you can do about it even if it turns out to be just a couple inches.
What I'm wondering is if people sometimes drop their landing gear before opening the hitch jaws in order to reduce the chances of a roll-away. My thinking is that we should be able to lower the gear as long as we avoid pulling up on the hitch with the kingpin. Then once the gear is down open the hitch jaws then.
What's wrong with this method, if anything?
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10-16-2019, 08:14 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Oakhurst Ca. halw@sti.net
Posts: 77
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Lowering the landing gear on my Landmark is the first thing I do. Had the fifth wheel move an inch or two several times without any trouble .At least you avoid dropping the nose of the trailer crushing the pickup bed.
__________________
Hal & Mary 36.5' 2006 Landmark 2017 3500 Ram Crew Cab Long bed 4x4 6.7 Cummings Allison halw@sti.net
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10-16-2019, 08:18 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Posts: 12,995
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Humm, I needed to raise my 5th wheel just a tiny bit off the hitch for me to open my 5th wheel hitch jaw. So I would chock the wheels then raise the front. Tailgate down and power cord to the truck disconnected I would pull my truck forward and out of the way.
With the wheels chocked I was never worried about the 5th wheel getting away. Now, it was always on mostly level ground when I disconnected from the truck.
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10-16-2019, 08:35 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 228
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Agree with Halwiseguy. I NEVER open hitch jaws without having the landing gear down. Just lower them until the take a bit of the load (you'll see the truck raise up about 1/2 inch or so) and you should be good, or more importantly, SAFE.
Likewise when hitching up.... I ALWAYS do a pull test with landing gear no more than an inch above the ground to ensure hitch is latched....only takes a minute, but could save a lot of grief.
I personally know of two different cases where someone dropped their 5er on the truck. One case when unhooking....opened hitch with legs up, and one case where the guy hooked up and pulled out of spot without latching the hitch.
Happy Trails,
__________________
Nonnie & Poppy
Crandall, Texas
2016 Keystone Alpine - 2019 Ford F350 DRW
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10-16-2019, 09:13 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 172
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My SOP is that 5th wheel hitch remains locked until
1. Gear pins inspected for proper positioning (fully inserted through adjustment holes).
2. legs are extended and landed.
No exceptions.
__________________
2016 F-350, 6.7 4x4 CCLB DRW
2016 Arctic Fox 29-5K
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10-16-2019, 09:41 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 279
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tuffr2
Humm, I needed to raise my 5th wheel just a tiny bit off the hitch for me to open my 5th wheel hitch jaw. So I would chock the wheels then raise the front. Tailgate down and power cord to the truck disconnected I would pull my truck forward and out of the way.
With the wheels chocked I was never worried about the 5th wheel getting away. Now, it was always on mostly level ground when I disconnected from the truck.
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Same procedure. Chock, lower front legs ,lower tailgate/remove cord, raise to get weight off hitch then unlatch. Pull truck out of way , hook up shore power, then push auto-level. I can't open jaws unless 5er raised a little off plate.. Currently use a B&W Patriot and was the same when I had a reese.
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10-16-2019, 09:49 PM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 1,419
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What in the world could the rational be to unlock the hitch before putting down the landing gear? Ludicrous.
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10-16-2019, 09:51 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 1,419
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1960C182
Same procedure. Chock, lower front legs ,lower tailgate/remove cord, raise to get weight off hitch then unlatch. Pull truck out of way , hook up shore power, then push auto-level. I can't open jaws unless 5er raised a little off plate.. Currently use a B&W Patriot and was the same when I had a reese.
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What about your break-away wire?
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10-16-2019, 10:40 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Vancouver Wash
Posts: 7,227
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Chocks suck....get some X chocks and use them....if jaws won't unlock, after installing, back up a hair....
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10-17-2019, 12:00 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 509
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Never open your hitch with out the landing gear supporting the trailer....fastest way to smashing a bed...or worse
__________________
2012 RAM 3500 dually
06 ragen 3506 BH
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10-17-2019, 12:44 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVnAggie
Agree with Halwiseguy. I NEVER open hitch jaws without having the landing gear down. Just lower them until the take a bit of the load (you'll see the truck raise up about 1/2 inch or so) and you should be good, or more importantly, SAFE.
Likewise when hitching up.... I ALWAYS do a pull test with landing gear no more than an inch above the ground to ensure hitch is latched....only takes a minute, but could save a lot of grief.
I personally know of two different cases where someone dropped their 5er on the truck. One case when unhooking....opened hitch with legs up, and one case where the guy hooked up and pulled out of spot without latching the hitch.
Happy Trails,
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I do the exact same thing. Never had a sketchy moment using this method.
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10-17-2019, 05:15 AM
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#12
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Community Moderator
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Central, Arkansas
Posts: 11,223
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Makes no sense to me I always lower the gear first, chock the wheels then unlatch. Sometimes if there is pressure on the pin I have to wiggle the truck to release it.
__________________
2004 Beaver Monterey Laguna IV
Cummins ISC 350HP Allison 3000 6 speed
2020 Chevy Equinox Premier 2.0t 9 speed AWD
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10-17-2019, 05:55 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 279
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Quote:
Originally Posted by V3600
What about your break-away wire?
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Sitting in my recliner half a sleep . Add that to unplugging wire cord as I hook mine on a loop by outlet.
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10-17-2019, 07:39 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,194
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bob caldwell
Chocks suck....get some X chocks....
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In as much as I would like to do that the x chock instructions say you must also use chocks. I just can’t see having two tools for the same job.
__________________
Brian
2016 RAM 3500 6.7L DRW
2018 Chaparral 360IBL, Andersen Ultimate II hitch
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