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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Accessories -> Hitching and unhitching at an angle
Post Info TOPIC: Hitching and unhitching at an angle
Openmind


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Hitching and unhitching at an angle
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Hi, I've only seen people back straight into a hitch. If I had to, would I be able to hitch and unhitch at an angle safely?

The space I will have to put my RV in isn't too much longer than my RV and truck. If I could unhitch and re-hitch at an angle I know I'll have an easier time.

 

Thanks in advance,

Openmind 



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Openmind
BiggarView


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Having watched literally hundreds of thousands of intermodal trailer jockey "hook-up attempts" over 17 years, jacking in under trailers at upto 90 degrees... I will say it can be done, and safely if you take your time.  I have also seen far too many of them miss and hit the kingpin, bend a leg and/or knock over trailers.  It only takes one time to ruin your day. As Harry Callahan would say... "Do you feel lucky?" Caution is definitely warranted.  RV 5er trailer legs are not nearly as sturdy as freight trailers... I would think you would be somewhere between imprudent and crazy to attempt an angled back in of more than just a couple degrees and hook up.... speaking strictly from a practical perspective.  Straight in is the safest by far, angled is just asking for trouble.  IMHO

Brian



-- Edited by BiggarView on Monday 9th of May 2016 04:59:54 PM

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Brian, Cindi & Josie (our fur baby)
2017 RAM 3500 Laramie 4x4 CCLB, CTD, Aisin, B&W hitch, dually
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Howard


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Yes, you most certainly can hitch and unhitch safely at an angle, especially if the ground the tow vehicle on is level.  You didn't mention if you were talking about a fifth wheel or a travel trailer.  The answer is the same, but there are some additional considerations regarding truck bed rails and clearance issues for fifth wheels if the ground isn't level, and you could have tailgate clearance issues if you have a traditional tailgate (not a "V-gate") and the pinbox is not an "extended" pinbox (most are now).  Also some hitches may be more inclined to "bind" at an angle (especially if the tow vehicle isn't level), but most will work fine.

Try to be as level as possible, go slow, and have someone watching everything the first time.

 



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Bill and Linda


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Let me offer this concerning first a 5th wheel - yes an angle and even a bit titled is OK if the trucks hitch tilts left to right.  If it does not tilt it is possible to get into a bind and make the disconnecting difficult and the re-connecting even more challenging.  I've seen this more than once with people who's hitch does not tilt.  But when hitching at an angle, as was commented, "this isn't a semi trailer, so be careful about putting side loads on the front legs.  Slow easy and check things carefully.  Getting out and looking is always a good idea to make sure "how goes it."

A good hitch will tilt left and right as well as back and forth.  Important.

Having years of experiences with travel trailers, I caution about being at too great an angle.  The Leveling Bars can be very difficult to get loose at great angles because they are under even more tension at an angle.  Yes, lifting the trailer with the front jack takes away a lot of this tension to unhitch.  But it can still be difficult.  When re-hitching, at a large angle, it may be impossible to snug the leveling bars back where they belong to keep the trailer and truck level.  If so, snug them as best you can.  Pull forward and straighten the rig, and then complete the tensioning process.  I can not over emphasis having the leveling bars correctly tensioned to keep the tow vehicle's front steering tires hard on the road. One can has a loss of control that is difficult to recover from.  "Ask me how I know this."



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The Bear II


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One of our favorite places to camp I have to hitch up at a 90 degree angle to the 5th wheel if another RV is parked in front of us (the spaces are nose to tail). Everything is on level ground so it's no different than hitching lined up.

I've hitched up where the campsite was very uneven...a tilting head hitch certainly helps.

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Openmind


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Thank you all for your comprehensive replies.

I've ordered the stock Mo Par hitch on my Ram 3500. It's being installed at the factory. I don't know if that hitch tilts or not. Do you?

Thanks again,
Openmind



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Openmind
Diana and Jim


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The one exception to this is if you have a Pull-Rite Super Glide hitch. We are allowed to be off by 5 degrees with ours, but that's it. I've yet to run into a situation where I wasn't able to do that (knock on wood). :)

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Bill and Linda


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Openmind wrote:

Thank you all for your comprehensive replies.

I've ordered the stock Mo Par hitch on my Ram 3500. It's being installed at the factory. I don't know if that hitch tilts or not. Do you?

Thanks again,
Openmind

 

If I am not mistaken, based on what I saw at a RAM dealer, your "MOPAR hitch" is a Curt - probably a Curt-24.  Yes, it tilts 360 degrees. Total gimbal mount as is desirable.  A very nice hitch with good "chucking" absorption BTW.  A very "tight" hitch.

MOPAR doesn't make hitches and neither do Ford or Chevy.  They vendor them out and drop them in, sometimes at the dealer, into the factory mounting "receptacles."  A nice option. There is a very nice "puck" mounting system for them for OEM mounts such as the RAM.

See if the hitch in this link isn't very similar to the one your getting on the 3500 RAM.

https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16545-16017.html

Bill



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