I've seen and heard of all kinds of gadgets to help line up a tow vehicle and a 5th wheel to hitch up, including mirrors and a stick with a magnetic base that you set on the hitch to show where the center is.

With the new wireless cameras and receivers, it would be easy to setup a camera on the tow vehicle pointed at the hitch and a video screen on the dash to receive the image. This would make hitching up a snap.

The least expensive, quick and easy device I've seen is to use brightly colored vinyl tape or paint and place a vertical line at the center of the front cap of the 5th wheel visible when looking in your center rearview mirror. Next step is to make a brightly colored stick with a magnetic base to set at the front center of the hitch saddle in your tow vehicle. The goal is to get the stick to match up exactly with the line on the front cap of the 5th wheel. Kind of like when the space shuttle is docking with the space station.

I'm able to just barely see the top of the hitch in the bed of my new truck (also in my old truck) and I just line it up with the king pin on the 5th wheel and slowly manuever until the king pin locks into the hitch. Set the parking brake & then get out and go to the back of the truck to make sure the hitch is fully closed around the king pin. By the 10th time you do this it becomes second nature. I usually have the 5th wheel hitch just 1/2 to 1 inch higher than the truck hitch. That way I know I won't be able to pass the hitch when I'm backing up.

It takes practice, If you've ever watched a trucker hitch up, most of the time they can't see either hitch, trailer or truck, they hitch up by the feel gained through experience.

Maybe my truck setup is unusual, but when I look out my back window I see the hitch in the truck and the ball on the coach.
Do you all not see both parts?

Fred

The best gadget I know of is Linda. 

We hitch as a team.  I'm in charge of getting lined up by looking out the back window.  We have a sticker on the front of the hitch I can see that says "Center" (was already on the hitch when we got it).  I line that up with the pin and wait for Linda's OK to come on back.  Linda adjusts the rig up or down as necessary with the front landing gear (jacks) control.  When ready, she signals me back.

The pin goes in, the hitch bar clicks across, she releases the spring on the hitch lever to lock it, and I put in the safety pin and hook on the break-away brake lanyard.

The human eyeball is still better than any mirror, level, or camera I know of.  In my opinion, only a solo needs to hitch by themselves. 

It takes about a minute.  A minute and a half if I don't get lined up right the first time. 

But do whatever works for you!

RVDude wrote:

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Wireless, battery camera. www.swifthitch.net Might be a thing to try...


-- Edited by RVDude at 21:33, 2008-05-27

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 Hmmm, I might have to think about this. Could make for a good Christmas present for dh. We've got gooseneck instead of the regular 5th wheel hitch, so lining it up is a little harder when you can't see the bed of the truck because of the toolbox.

-- Edited by Footsiebear on Thursday 5th of November 2009 06:07:53 AM

-- Edited by Footsiebear on Thursday 5th of November 2009 06:08:21 AM