Best way to do WDH hitching and unhitching?

[icw2gotra]

Diving into travel trailer / truck configuration. We traded our 24-foot Class C and small toad for:

- 2022 Winnebago Minnie 2801BHS - This trailer has a total length of one inch less than 32 feet. Empty weight is 6700 lbs.

- 2019 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew, 4WD, 3.5 EcoBoost, FX4, with *almost* every towing, safety, and convenience package available, plus tow mirrors, plus a canopy. The seller towed a trailer just a little shorter and lighter than the Minnie. I have verified it's got Max Towing Package, FX4 Offroad package, and the upgrade 20-inch wheels. I know I'm gonna catch some heat for not having enough truck for this trailer, but that's another thread...

I need advice on the best method and equipment for hitching and unhitching. The RV dealer provided a CAMCO EAZ-Lift R3 WDH, installed it and set it up for us, and it works well so far. But videos I've seen of hitching/unhitching this one make it look complicated: first lower the tongue all the way onto the ball, then close the tongue lock, but now the truck's rear is down, so you gotta extend the tongue jack and RAISE THE TRUCK, pulling its rear up "by the ball" so to speak, until the truck is high enough to put on the hitch bars, and THEN you can retract the jack... there must be a more straightforward way. I want to put the WDH on in one operation of the jack, not lower, raise, lower.

[carybosse]

Sorry, but I have a Curt WDH, and the process is pretty much the same as you describe. Not familiar with your specific WDH, but with mine, a longer cheater bar to pull the chain connection to the bars over might not require the extra jack work. It is just a process I know I have to do.

I sometimes do not raise the tongue jack as much when dropping the trailer, but you need to have a good grip on the cheater pipe when you release the chains or someone may get hurt.

I always put 3 blocks of wood under my tongue jack, so I am not running the jack up & down quite as far. The tongue jack can also have the pin pulled and be positioned so the amount of jack motion can be reduced. That usually results in getting my hands a bit dirty, so I just use my wood blocks.

I don't like putting my steel tongue jack pad and stabilizer jack pads directly onto the concrete/asphalt/dirt, so I always have wood blocks underneath them.

[mistercee]

Ditto the above.

Same process with the Equal-i-Zer.

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by icw2gotra

...

I need advice on the best method and equipment for hitching and unhitching. The RV dealer provided a CAMCO EAZ-Lift R3 WDH, installed it and set it up for us, and it works well so far. But videos I've seen of hitching/unhitching this one make it look complicated: first lower the tongue all the way onto the ball, then close the tongue lock, but now the truck's rear is down, so you gotta extend the tongue jack and RAISE THE TRUCK, pulling its rear up "by the ball" so to speak, until the truck is high enough to put on the hitch bars, and THEN you can retract the jack... there must be a more straightforward way. I want to put the WDH on in one operation of the jack, not lower, raise, lower.

Note, when running the tongue down on the ball, as soon as I can close the tongue lock, I flip the lock, change directions and head back up. You don't have to lower it to the point the tongue jack is off the ground and truck is actually squatting. May save you a few seconds.

[wrvond]

The higher you lift the hitch, the easier it is to install the bars.

[jondrew55]

Yup, that's how you do it. I have a ProPride hitch on my airstream and you basically have to do the same thing. Use the tongue jack to raise the trailer once you've gotten connected so that you can set the spring bar tension. You'll get used to it.

On some WD hitches, I was told to disconnect the springbars before I backed in to a spot. Not sure if that's universal for all hitches or not.

[Cumminsfan]

No way around it. Thats why 5th wheels are so much easier to hitch and unhitch. You only need to move the front of the 5th wheel up a few inches to unhitch. No resetting up and down and up and down stuff.
You could buy a 1ton DRW and probably be able to just drop the coupler on the ball and drive off. But thats a $$$$ purchase to try and save 3 mins of hitch time.

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

You could buy a 1ton DRW and probably be able to just drop the coupler on the ball and drive off. But thats a $$$$ purchase to try and save 3 mins of hitch time.

That's my solution!

Dave

[icw2gotra]

Originally Posted by jondrew55

Yup, that's how you do it. I have a ProPride hitch on my airstream and you basically have to do the same thing. Use the tongue jack to raise the trailer once you've gotten connected so that you can set the spring bar tension. You'll get used to it.

On some WD hitches, I was told to disconnect the springbars before I backed in to a spot. Not sure if that's universal for all hitches or not.

Guess that says it all. Great feedback! It's good to know that it's pretty much the norm, that I'm not doing anything wrong by using this procedure, and I wouldn't attempt to try a shortcut if it compromises safety or any equipment.
Keystone owner, I like the quotes around "half-ton"

I *will* get used to it and get better with practice.

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by jondrew55

...

On some WD hitches, I was told to disconnect the springbars before I backed in to a spot. Not sure if that's universal for all hitches or not.

I wonder if I should do this, but my issue is, I will be blocking a road or drive aisle for a few minutes to do this. Have to pull two cotter pins, lower the tongue jack, grab my pipe to release the chains, stow the bars/chains, raise the tongue jack, and jump back in the truck.

Do most people do this with their WDH?

I guess I could pull through the dump station drive, disconnect the bars, and then go on to my site without a WD hitch in play.

Another reason to love pull through sites, but I rarely get those.

[bneukam]

Having used a R3 for several years now I use the same procedure. Even though backing up into a tight spot I don’t remove the bars, but I will loosen the sway collar a 1/2 turn to loosen it up.

Once you get the process down it’s a pretty simple process. We only get 1 1/2” of squat, so I don’t have far to raise before the bars slide in.

[jleonard]

[QUOTEOn some WD hitches, I was told to disconnect the springbars before I backed in to a spot. Not sure if that's universal for all hitches or not.][/QUOTE]

I have an equalizer E4 and although it is not required to disconnect them before backing up, I will disconnect mine because the trailer turns quicker.
I usually do this while the wife is checking in.
If I have to block the road for a minute or so, it doesn't bother me.

[Dave Pelletier]

One thing I would strongly suggest is to remove the WD bars if going offroad or anywhere there is a big angle between the TV and TT.

[jondrew55]

When it comes to me backing into a site, the time it took to pull the WD bars were the least of the problem as far as making people wait. But generally there are lots of places to pull the bars off before you get to the site without blocking anyone. You’ll figure it out. People are usually very patient, and if they are not, too bad.

Originally Posted by carybosse

I wonder if I should do this, but my issue is, I will be blocking a road or drive aisle for a few minutes to do this. Have to pull two cotter pins, lower the tongue jack, grab my pipe to release the chains, stow the bars/chains, raise the tongue jack, and jump back in the truck.

Do most people do this with their WDH?

I guess I could pull through the dump station drive, disconnect the bars, and then go on to my site without a WD hitch in play.

Another reason to love pull through sites, but I rarely get those.