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When I first started pulling a camper,I made a check list of all the things that had to be completed when getting ready to pull out.I then posted it on my steering wheel or dash.This procedure has saved me a few times from buying a new antenna. Later I put the list in my phone and put it on the dash.
At least you were honest about the chain crossing. On yours it doesn't matter. When the chains are mounted on the RV, boat, or other trailer on opposite side (as opposed to a central point); crossing them creates a cradle. In the event your hitch comes loose from the ball, it won't go all the way to the ground, but instead be cradled in the middle and won't run up under your truck while your trying to stop it. Also, the sway bars you use are attached before connecting the ball. On other models they are attached after and the hitch & lift are used to tension the sway bars before installing the chains. This video is more specific to your model/style trailer.
two things you probably did but did not show was the electric line but the main thing was the emergency brake line shousd have been hooked to the truck. the reason for crossing the safety chains are to make a cradle incase the hitch comes loose the lounge will not hit the ground. happy travels
@@waltfriedrich7631If your safety chains attach to your trailer at a single point like shown in this video, crossing them does absolutely nothing. The guy even admits in the video he does not know why. If the safety chains attach to the trailer tongue with any appreciable separation between them (which is how trailers used to be made) you need to cross them. It has nothing to do with cradling. I challenge anyone to cross their chains, unhitch, pull forward just enough for the hitch to clear the ball, and then lower the trailer as far down as the tongue jack will go. What you will soon discover is the hitch will hit the ground before the chains get tight. If the chains got tight before the tongue hit the ground, they would be too short for you to make a short turn. And that is where the whole chain crossing thing comes into play. On the old trailers where the attachment points were separated, if you did not cross them, the only way to turn without one of the chains getting too tight was to have the chains long enough that the other one would drag in the turn. It is a geometry thing. Everybody told their kids they would never need to know geometry, so kids never paid attention in class. So the few people that understood geometry beat it into everyone else's head that you have to cross your chains. But you can't fix stupid, so the trailer manufacturers changed the attachment points to a single point to eliminate the issue altogether. Yes ... I am old enough to remember when safety chains attached to the tongue 6 to 8 inches apart -- and I was one of those nerds that everyone hated because I paid attention in class and got good grades. People still hate me to this day for it.
Opps............ there were six links on the right stabilizer arm and 8 on the left. Another good practice is to double or triple up a thick blanket and place it on the stairs in the up position so it does not lash back and forth on the road and wear out the door frame latch lock or the frame itself. Locking the refrigerator door is another good tip. Thanks for the run through.
Checking your break controler and emergency break disconnect are also very important to test especially if you have your trailer sitting or in cold weather batteries lose power quickly.. but very good video.
I set the trailer on the ball. I latch the pin. Then i used the trailer jack to raise the truck and trailer up till the bars are level with the frame of the trailer. Then i latch the chains. I also put cotter pins in the holes for extra security so if you hit a bump the chsins dont pop off. After that i lower the trailer jack. That helps level the truck and trailer. They way you're doing it. You dont take out the truck sag in the rear end.
That is completely true, and also how Reese manufacturing states to completely set up a weight distribution Hitch correctly if your truck and trailer are not level sitting on a level surface, your bars are not correctly adjusted. Also, the safety hairpins must always be installed. Happy hauling.
Lippert says you should never be lifting the tongue with x-chock style stabilizers locking the wheels together. It can damage the axles because they aren’t able to move independently as they should. I think it’s RVTT who shows this communication with a Lippert engineer in 1 of their videos. Standard chocks should still be used, but axle chocks should be removed before lifting or lowering the tongue.
I agree, however, I have seen trailers roll off the leaving blocks with just regular chocks. They are covering their butts by saying that. But overall, for small movement it's ok to leave them in place, and much safer
After hooking the camper to the truck, your supposed to raise both up a few inches then attach the weight distribution system, then lower it so your camper and truck are level. I wouldn’t recommend doing it like you do because your units will not be level. When you drove away your truck and camper clearly are not level. All your weight is on the hitch.
Wrapping the chains will help keep the trailer from hitting the ground and digging in which can cause it to flip if it gets unhooked. In Texas it's the law that they need to be wrapped or twisted around each other a few times. I forget the exact number of times but I believe it was three. I got chastised my Evil Knievel for not having my chains wrapped about ten years ago..
Thanks for the info, your steps are great. One thing, Make a List, & follow it. Mine is Laminated with check off boxes, for dry erase markers. It is in 2 sections SETUP & RELOCATE. I made a list when starting out towing my Toy Hauler, after I forgot to plug in the trailer one time, while the Old Lady was bitching (no trailer lights or trailer brakes), VERY DANGEROUS.
With both safety chains coming from the same point there won't be much of a "net" Additionally, if the loop that holds both chains snaps, then you loose both chains. The chains used to be further back on the trailer tongue to make a true X. This trailer has more of a V. We used to try the load by checking to assure that the pull vehicle and the trailer made a straight beam. If not, then the load had to be taken off and the chains set to the next link, and tested again. This was usually only done at the first pull. After that we set it to the same link everytime. I always locked the ball before placing the stabilizer bars.
You should clean your slide before retracting them also your awning. Also you didn't hook up the emergency break cable or as I call it the oh sh#t cable. The rest is pretty spot on.
Great video. Reminds me of my very first pull out from a campground 6 years ago. I left the roof vent in the upright position and left 2 or more windows wide open. 😂 Now I do a complete walk-around before heading out. Live and learn (Hopefully) Thanks and happy camping! 😊
Lippert and Dexter both advise against leaving X-Chocks in place while doing anything that will change the attitude of the trailer, raising or lowering tongue hitch or raising or lowering stabilizers. You should remove the X-Chocks before doing either of those. To prevent trailer from moving you should have in place traditional wheel chocks. c
I've had too many trailers shift when the x chocks come off. It not worth the risk too me With extreme changes for sure, but small movements are tolerable
Agreed to both x-chocks are stabilizers only not made to keep your trailer from moving. Also don’t move your trailer up and down with x-chocks on it can damage your axles or springs. Get yourself a set of blocks. I use rubber ones.
I'm told by other sources that the X chocks are more for stability than actual chocks. You should use both. You should also never raise / lower your trailer with the X chocks in place, it is bad for the axles
Was waiting to see you have quick links on your hitch to put the safety chains in, so glad to see you did,nt. So many people do and it is almost useless.
Didn't look like you attached the emergency brake cable. Nice video. I have an aluminum wall rig as well and I inspect the gaps to make sure there are no splits or pop outs.
@@gornomanCorrect. The break-away cable for the trailer brakes should be attached to the tow vehicle separately from either of the two chains or their hooks.
You might want to pick up some replacement switches for the stabilizers and at least one stabilizer motor. I was glad I did because a switch failed on a trip. Some rvs have a remote for them. That saved us on another trip when the foot wouldn’t move because of a failed switch.
You forgot one important step well maybe more than that but I want to say one you got to grease that trailer hitch ball.. and the electrical wire plug with electrical lubricant can be picked up at Walmart keeps plug from being hard to plug and unplug also prevent corrosion makes a job a lot easier when you plug up and unplug make sure sewer cap is on that'll get you a ticket real quick on the highway those safety chains need to be attached at two different spots on the tongue not just one also dot says turn the safety chains opposite of the way you have those don't forget to check tire pressure
They have to cross to catch the hitch should it become disconnected, or at least that's what I was told. I also noticed your emergency brake cable separately from the safety chain.
The first thing I noticed when I clicked on your video, the seal on you slide is not set properly, which will allow water intrusion. It would help to lubricate it. The reason the chains must be crossed is to 'catch' the trailer hitch if the ball becomes disconnected. In some states it's the law to have them crossed. Also when hooking the chains to the truck, the opening of the hook should be in the 'up' position, not the 'down' position as shown. The purpose is to add strength of the hook to support the weight of the trailer hitch should it become disconnected. If the hook is 'up' then only the clevis portion of the hook is holding the weight. I would re-do your video to provide greater accuracy.
I think he is talking about the way your seal is flipped in on the top part of the slide out, you may want that out like the rest of the seal, it's not likely but a rainy day could get water in.
Crossed chains provide a cradle for the hitch if it were to come off the ball. Your emergency brake cable should never be hooked to the chains but instead hooked to the hitch of the truck. Also blocking your wheels front and rear is much more preferable to using x-chocks which are basically only for keeping the trailer from rocking forward and back.
These rigging systems have not changed in decades. There is so much room for improvement. I would guess many trailers going down the road are not properly hitched from my own observations. Between equalizer bars not set up properly or not being used at all so the hitch is over loaded, to wrong ball shank size, safety chains and lighting issues people should realize what a big responsibility proper hitching of a trailer is. I am aware of a couple of cases where trailers came unhitched, one of which crossed a highway into the path of a car killing a young mom and all of her kids. It's on us all to really understand what we are doing, ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing or just don't if they are not sure.
Your tow vehicle was not level when you were moving the trailer. The front fender lip should be no more than +/- 1/2 inch from the ground compared to unloaded. You have to connect the tongue to the ball, latch it, raise the rear of the tow vehicle with the trailer jack about 2 inches and then attach the torsion bars. That pre-loads your bars to level the truck. That is why it is called weight distribution, almost equal weight between the steering and drive axles. By the way, I am a commercial driver with over 40 years experience towing pretty much everything. Good luck and safe travels.
Doing it the way this guy said does two things. 1. Takes out a lot of squat from.the truck. #2. It helps prevent proposing. That bounce you get when hitting bumps. Plus you dont have a sway bar controler on it..i highly recommend that.
Your not lifting the truck off the ground. You're just lifting the suspension up a couple inches then put the chains on same on each side so when you let it back down it distributes the weight evenly on the torsion bars and keeps the trailer and truck on the same plain. Your truck was lower than the trailer when you pulled out. Also there is holes in my torsion chain brackets that I put pins in. I would never trust them not being pinned. That to me is a recipe for disaster. And I aways put the hooks on from the top not from the bottom. And your breakaway cable should be attached to the truck not the chain hook.
The safety chains are crossed to create a cradle for the tongue to drop into in the event, the trailer brakes away from your truck. That prevents the tongue from dropping clear to the pavement and digging in.
Nice video checklist! FWIW, I leave the shore power plugged in while operating the slide, awning, and tongue jack. Otherwise those would run off the battery. One question: Is it better to disconnect shore power prior to plugging in the 7 way on the tow vehicle? Does it matter?
It doesn't matter. But I like to unplug shore power before the trailer is fully hooked up to the tow vehicle so I don't accidentally leave it plugged in and rip it out
@@GearsAndTech Makes sense. I use a checklist for my departures. The other thing that could be easily left (at least by me) is the water pressure regulator. I left mine at Stone Mountain State Park, and fortunately the camp host was on the ball and looked up my phone number and called me before I’d left the park.
Chains cross to catch trailer if accidental disconnect happens. You forgot to mention to check under for tab to be below ball and not on top of ball? That’s happened to me a couple of times and once it came disconnected but it was still latched
The emergency brake cable wasn't included with your video as noted below but it's also very important to NOT hook it to the trailer hitch in case you somehow rip the TH from the vehicle it would not deploy.
@@GearsAndTech I been building a truck camper out is scratched then put it on a trailer & soon we be taking it for the first time to go camping & is good to know all this information, u can go & check it out
So what the crossing of the chains does that it catches the trailer and just case it unhitches from the ball or the ball shears off from the bumper it will catch the trailer from landing on the ground making more difficult to hitch back up to the ball.
careful ... your sequence works for heavy two axle trailers. I have learned to NOT do a final check on the trailers readiness to travel without the stabilizers down or it is hooked to the tow vehicle. My small single axle trailer will buck tongue up as the door is in the back. They are like teeter totters. Very dangerous. If you have a small single axle trailer always make sure it is supported and secure before you get in.
@@GearsAndTechIt is not right. It is a holdover from a half century ago when the safety chains attached to the tongue further away from the ball. The crossing of the chains allowed a chain length that was not too short for one chain and too long for the other when you went into a turn. Back your truck up to the point where the ball is just clear of the coupler, hook up your crossed chains, and run your tongue jack all the way down. You will discover crossing chains does nothing on your trailer. Modern trailers have the chains attached at a single point so that all of the people who don't understand geometry can't mess it up.
These scissor type chocks between the tires they said that I had a sticker on them that said they are not totally to be used as chocks. You should at least have one set of old fashion chocks sitting on the ground. Also, if you tighten them too much, you can damage your steel belt tire
Your Video was very informative for first timers. The first thing I would do, is go to the DMV, and ask the "What the F*** is with the Red Plates" , change them. You seem very paranoid, you lock the entry door, your lock the receiver pin, Dude, your in Canada, not in NYC. Chill Out. Anyway, nice Video.
Lol, the plate I actually paid money to get. It's a hockey sports team plate, but I covered up the team logo and put my gears and tech logo on it. The locks are a minor deterent. Anyone that wants to steal the trailer can get that off in a few seconds. But they make me feel better I also have a gps tracker on it as well.
If you don't want a costly mistake you need to hook up the trailer emergency brake cable separately from the chain you don't need to weave it in the chain loops at that point it is useless
You chains the drop to the bars should be straight up and down, yours are pulled to the front way to hard. You need to got longer bars. They come in different lengths to fit your needs😊
Anyone who has been in the RV game damn well already knows this. Common sense. Period. Plus, all of what you are talking about applies to your trailer. My 2018 Keystone Outback 266RB had auto leveling and stabilization. I just had one button to press in the auto mode. The ball is inside the coupler, not the hole. Weight distribution systems are all different. There is only one chain per load bar. You are talking about the links in the chain. The last time I used a coupling lock with my travel trailer was over five years ago. You have to cross the safety chains, why, I am no totally sure. Good advise. The main benefit of crossing your towing safety chains is that in the event that the coupler comes detached from the trailer ball, the trailer’s coupler will fall on the crossed chains below, preventing it from making contact with the ground.
@@GearsAndTech honestly I didn't know what I was doing and no one around could explain the function or why. So I've pulled my backhoe trailer with a machine loaded with no such thing and it pulled fine. So just went 50 mph and experimented a little on the load handling and it pulled just fine. Can you tell me how it functions and even permits rotation on the tow pin when these create a rigid connection.
By the way I quizzed about 8 guys pulling trailers and asked them how and why. Not one guy could answer the load distribution or towing principles behind these bars. On video said they transferred the tongue weight to the rear of the trailer this decreasing the load on the hitch. This I can't fathom unless cantilevering forces were in play and I don't see that happening with this set up. I can understand sway bars restricting osolation by creating a more rigid connection but I see that also as hindering any tow pin osolation making turning or backing near impossible unless something is bending or extending and retracting but that would negate any benefit of creating a rigid load. The sway bars are nearly parallel and about a ft. Apart at the truck and 2.5' +- at the trailer frame connection. I want to understand the principles, reasons or science behind it. Not; just because.
You're right. I actually went back and adjusted the other side when I couldn't get the same number of links. I was hoping you would pay attention to what I was saying, not what I was doing.
One thing to never go is have the camper plugged into your truck while the camper is put into the pedestal once you plug the power into the camper the 7 prong plug going to the tow vehicle has power going to it.
Don't tell people that you HAVE to do something when you don't know why. And I'm still waiting for the costly mistake to avoid. Your costly mistake is not hooking up the emergency cable.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
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When I first started pulling a camper,I made a check list of all the things that had to be completed when getting ready to pull out.I then posted it on my steering wheel or dash.This procedure has saved me a few times from buying a new antenna. Later I put the list in my phone and put it on the dash.
That's a great idea
At least you were honest about the chain crossing. On yours it doesn't matter. When the chains are mounted on the RV, boat, or other trailer on opposite side (as opposed to a central point); crossing them creates a cradle. In the event your hitch comes loose from the ball, it won't go all the way to the ground, but instead be cradled in the middle and won't run up under your truck while your trying to stop it. Also, the sway bars you use are attached before connecting the ball. On other models they are attached after and the hitch & lift are used to tension the sway bars before installing the chains. This video is more specific to your model/style trailer.
Thanks
two things you probably did but did not show was the electric line but the main thing was the emergency brake line shousd have been hooked to the truck. the reason for crossing the safety chains are to make a cradle incase the hitch comes loose the lounge will not hit the ground. happy travels
Excellent point
Yes, the breakaway cable wss connected but not discussed
Also it is required by law the chains be crossed.
@@waltfriedrich7631If your safety chains attach to your trailer at a single point like shown in this video, crossing them does absolutely nothing. The guy even admits in the video he does not know why.
If the safety chains attach to the trailer tongue with any appreciable separation between them (which is how trailers used to be made) you need to cross them. It has nothing to do with cradling. I challenge anyone to cross their chains, unhitch, pull forward just enough for the hitch to clear the ball, and then lower the trailer as far down as the tongue jack will go. What you will soon discover is the hitch will hit the ground before the chains get tight. If the chains got tight before the tongue hit the ground, they would be too short for you to make a short turn. And that is where the whole chain crossing thing comes into play. On the old trailers where the attachment points were separated, if you did not cross them, the only way to turn without one of the chains getting too tight was to have the chains long enough that the other one would drag in the turn.
It is a geometry thing. Everybody told their kids they would never need to know geometry, so kids never paid attention in class. So the few people that understood geometry beat it into everyone else's head that you have to cross your chains. But you can't fix stupid, so the trailer manufacturers changed the attachment points to a single point to eliminate the issue altogether.
Yes ... I am old enough to remember when safety chains attached to the tongue 6 to 8 inches apart -- and I was one of those nerds that everyone hated because I paid attention in class and got good grades. People still hate me to this day for it.
Only law in 16 states. Probably been on the books since the old days when it mattered. Some states only require a single chain.
@@davidgates1122 My camper is a 2018 and the chains are 5 inches apart on the anchor points so not all campers are on a single point
Glad you pointed out to not only use wheel chocks but when to remove while hooking up.
Very important. Thanks.
You bet!
Opps............ there were six links on the right stabilizer arm and 8 on the left. Another good practice is to double or triple up a thick blanket and place it on the stairs in the up position so it does not lash back and forth on the road and wear out the door frame latch lock or the frame itself. Locking the refrigerator door is another good tip. Thanks for the run through.
All excellent points
After pull out, I like to check the campsite one more time just to make sure you leave it as you found it or better.
Great point!
Checking your break controler and emergency break disconnect are also very important to test especially if you have your trailer sitting or in cold weather batteries lose power quickly.. but very good video.
7:44 Print a Checklist for both Establishing Camp and Breaking Camp and then Laminate them to protect them during use.
Great idea. I made this video so people can follow along
I set the trailer on the ball. I latch the pin. Then i used the trailer jack to raise the truck and trailer up till the bars are level with the frame of the trailer. Then i latch the chains. I also put cotter pins in the holes for extra security so if you hit a bump the chsins dont pop off. After that i lower the trailer jack. That helps level the truck and trailer. They way you're doing it. You dont take out the truck sag in the rear end.
I worry anokt stressing the toung jack doing that
@@GearsAndTech you won’t stress the motor this is how WDH manufactures tell you to do it. If you don’t you may not get an enough WD.
That is completely true, and also how Reese manufacturing states to completely set up a weight distribution Hitch correctly if your truck and trailer are not level sitting on a level surface, your bars are not correctly adjusted. Also, the safety hairpins must always be installed. Happy hauling.
Lippert says you should never be lifting the tongue with x-chock style stabilizers locking the wheels together. It can damage the axles because they aren’t able to move independently as they should. I think it’s RVTT who shows this communication with a Lippert engineer in 1 of their videos. Standard chocks should still be used, but axle chocks should be removed before lifting or lowering the tongue.
I agree, however, I have seen trailers roll off the leaving blocks with just regular chocks.
They are covering their butts by saying that. But overall, for small movement it's ok to leave them in place, and much safer
@@GearsAndTech Put the standard chocks on the opposite side of the leveling blocks.
Like others have said, the breakaway cable should be connected to the truck on a completely separate rigging point from the chains.
It's a good idea yes
After hooking the camper to the truck, your supposed to raise both up a few inches then attach the weight distribution system, then lower it so your camper and truck are level. I wouldn’t recommend doing it like you do because your units will not be level. When you drove away your truck and camper clearly are not level. All your weight is on the hitch.
You need to adjust the placement of the chain brackets as the chains should hand straight not on an angle.
You are totally correct
Wrapping the chains will help keep the trailer from hitting the ground and digging in which can cause it to flip if it gets unhooked. In Texas it's the law that they need to be wrapped or twisted around each other a few times. I forget the exact number of times but I believe it was three. I got chastised my Evil Knievel for not having my chains wrapped about ten years ago..
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the info, your steps are great. One thing, Make a List, & follow it. Mine is Laminated with check off boxes, for dry erase markers. It is in 2 sections SETUP & RELOCATE.
I made a list when starting out towing my Toy Hauler, after I forgot to plug in the trailer one time, while the Old Lady was bitching (no trailer lights or trailer brakes), VERY DANGEROUS.
For sure, super dangerous
Check the tv antenna is in travel mode and stowage compartments are secured.
Excellent points. I'll keep these in mind for part 2
With both safety chains coming from the same point there won't be much of a "net" Additionally, if the loop that holds both chains snaps, then you loose both chains. The chains used to be further back on the trailer tongue to make a true X. This trailer has more of a V. We used to try the load by checking to assure that the pull vehicle and the trailer made a straight beam. If not, then the load had to be taken off and the chains set to the next link, and tested again. This was usually only done at the first pull. After that we set it to the same link everytime. I always locked the ball before placing the stabilizer bars.
For sure, different order is totally ok.
Im baffled by the chain coming off the same point. At this point crossing them over doesn't do much
Hook your chain from the top and not the bottom (as a truck driver pulling doubles they will not bounce off)
Great point
You should clean your slide before retracting them also your awning. Also you didn't hook up the emergency break cable or as I call it the oh sh#t
cable. The rest is pretty spot on.
Great video. Reminds me of my very first pull out from a campground 6 years ago. I left the roof vent in the upright position and left 2 or more windows wide open. 😂 Now I do a complete walk-around before heading out. Live and learn (Hopefully) Thanks and happy camping! 😊
We all learn somewhere
Lippert and Dexter both advise against leaving X-Chocks in place while doing anything that will change the attitude of the trailer, raising or lowering tongue hitch or raising or lowering stabilizers. You should remove the X-Chocks before doing either of those. To prevent trailer from moving you should have in place traditional wheel chocks.
c
I've had too many trailers shift when the x chocks come off. It not worth the risk too me
With extreme changes for sure, but small movements are tolerable
You need to block the wheels X-chocks are not designed to hold the trailer. They are only designed to stop the trailer from rocking back & forth.
They work great for what they do do
But yes, we have chocks on the wheels that aren't on blocks. Chucking a blocked up wheel is futile
X-chocks say not to raise and lower the tongue with the x- chocks in place... so don't. 😂
Agreed to both x-chocks are stabilizers only not made to keep your trailer from moving.
Also don’t move your trailer up and down with x-chocks on it can damage your axles or springs.
Get yourself a set of blocks. I use rubber ones.
Awesome video! Anyone with a camper should be watching this!
Trying to help out where I can.
Plus we rent this trailer out, so hopefully any guests with questions will see this and have higher success
I'm told by other sources that the X chocks are more for stability than actual chocks. You should use both. You should also never raise / lower your trailer with the X chocks in place, it is bad for the axles
Was waiting to see you have quick links on your hitch to put the safety chains in, so glad to see you did,nt.
So many people do and it is almost useless.
Glad you're glad
Didn't look like you attached the emergency brake cable. Nice video. I have an aluminum wall rig as well and I inspect the gaps to make sure there are no splits or pop outs.
The break-away cable shall be attached to the tow vehicle via its own connecting device. It CANNOT be secured to the safety chain.
The breakaway cable is clipped onto my safety chain clip.
@@gornomanCorrect. The break-away cable for the trailer brakes should be attached to the tow vehicle separately from either of the two chains or their hooks.
You might want to pick up some replacement switches for the stabilizers and at least one stabilizer motor. I was glad I did because a switch failed on a trip. Some rvs have a remote for them. That saved us on another trip when the foot wouldn’t move because of a failed switch.
I have a manual crank for them if they do fail. But that's a great idea as well.
You forgot one important step well maybe more than that but I want to say one you got to grease that trailer hitch ball.. and the electrical wire plug with electrical lubricant can be picked up at Walmart keeps plug from being hard to plug and unplug also prevent corrosion makes a job a lot easier when you plug up and unplug make sure sewer cap is on that'll get you a ticket real quick on the highway those safety chains need to be attached at two different spots on the tongue not just one also dot says turn the safety chains opposite of the way you have those don't forget to check tire pressure
Great points. Thanks for adding
Thank you for taking your time a lot of people they kind of rush through it a little bit too fast for me
You’re welcome 😊
I think depending on the type of weight distribution hitch you used hooking up is different, so the way you do it is applicable to the kind you used .
That could be true. This is the most common one I have seen
also after about 100 miles pull over to check hitch,lines,tires,brains
Great tip
They have to cross to catch the hitch should it become disconnected, or at least that's what I was told. I also noticed your emergency brake cable separately from the safety chain.
Makes total sense
The first thing I noticed when I clicked on your video, the seal on you slide is not set properly, which will allow water intrusion. It would help to lubricate it. The reason the chains must be crossed is to 'catch' the trailer hitch if the ball becomes disconnected. In some states it's the law to have them crossed. Also when hooking the chains to the truck, the opening of the hook should be in the 'up' position, not the 'down' position as shown. The purpose is to add strength of the hook to support the weight of the trailer hitch should it become disconnected. If the hook is 'up' then only the clevis portion of the hook is holding the weight. I would re-do your video to provide greater accuracy.
Tell me more about the seal on the slide. You mean the bottom seal? I see it hangs down a little
@@GearsAndTech there are lots of videos on the subject. I like Endless Rving th-cam.com/video/6EiX_GNNFaY/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=EndlessRVing
I think he is talking about the way your seal is flipped in on the top part of the slide out, you may want that out like the rest of the seal, it's not likely but a rainy day could get water in.
I call it "Pull into the back of the hook" works for load securement when open decking heavy equipment.
Crossed chains provide a cradle for the hitch if it were to come off the ball. Your emergency brake cable should never be hooked to the chains but instead hooked to the hitch of the truck. Also blocking your wheels front and rear is much more preferable to using x-chocks which are basically only for keeping the trailer from rocking forward and back.
I've had trailers roll when chocked, when using the x braces I've never had them roll
X-chocks are superior, as a pair lock all four wheels. No movement, test if you want by trying to move it with the truck next time!!
My tension locks, where the tension bar chains go, has security pins.
Some of them add those pins to keep it from popping off. But most do not. If yours has it, then use them.
These rigging systems have not changed in decades. There is so much room for improvement. I would guess many trailers going down the road are not properly hitched from my own observations.
Between equalizer bars not set up properly or not being used at all so the hitch is over loaded, to wrong ball shank size, safety chains and lighting issues people should realize what a big responsibility proper hitching of a trailer is. I am aware of a couple of cases where trailers came unhitched, one of which crossed a highway into the path of a car killing a young mom and all of her kids. It's on us all to really understand what we are doing, ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing or just don't if they are not sure.
Nice. Same steps as me.
Glad to help confirm
Your chains are cross connected: in case the trailer come off the ball the tongue will fall into the chain cradle. I liked your video.
Thanks for the info! Glad you liked the video
Your tow vehicle was not level when you were moving the trailer. The front fender lip should be no more than +/- 1/2 inch from the ground compared to unloaded. You have to connect the tongue to the ball, latch it, raise the rear of the tow vehicle with the trailer jack about 2 inches and then attach the torsion bars. That pre-loads your bars to level the truck. That is why it is called weight distribution, almost equal weight between the steering and drive axles. By the way, I am a commercial driver with over 40 years experience towing pretty much everything. Good luck and safe travels.
Is the trailer jack rated for lifting the vehicle by the tongue? That seems like a recipe for disaster
I lift the truck and trailer with the trailer jack. Untill till the bars are level with the trailer frame otherwise you wont take out any sag.
Doing it the way this guy said does two things. 1. Takes out a lot of squat from.the truck. #2. It helps prevent proposing. That bounce you get when hitting bumps. Plus you dont have a sway bar controler on it..i highly recommend that.
Your not lifting the truck off the ground. You're just lifting the suspension up a couple inches then put the chains on same on each side so when you let it back down it distributes the weight evenly on the torsion bars and keeps the trailer and truck on the same plain. Your truck was lower than the trailer when you pulled out. Also there is holes in my torsion chain brackets that I put pins in. I would never trust them not being pinned. That to me is a recipe for disaster. And I aways put the hooks on from the top not from the bottom. And your breakaway cable should be attached to the truck not the chain hook.
You installed the chain hooks upside down
Shhh
The safety chains are crossed to create a cradle for the tongue to drop into in the event, the trailer brakes away from your truck. That prevents the tongue from dropping clear to the pavement and digging in.
Thanks for clearing that up
But, will this happen if the chains attach to the tongue at a single point?
@@barrynash1126 My tongue weight is 1200 pounds. I don’t really think those skinny little chains are gonna do the job. Anyway, That’s the theory.
Nice video checklist! FWIW, I leave the shore power plugged in while operating the slide, awning, and tongue jack. Otherwise those would run off the battery.
One question: Is it better to disconnect shore power prior to plugging in the 7 way on the tow vehicle? Does it matter?
It doesn't matter. But I like to unplug shore power before the trailer is fully hooked up to the tow vehicle so I don't accidentally leave it plugged in and rip it out
@@GearsAndTech Makes sense. I use a checklist for my departures. The other thing that could be easily left (at least by me) is the water pressure regulator. I left mine at Stone Mountain State Park, and fortunately the camp host was on the ball and looked up my phone number and called me before I’d left the park.
Chains cross to catch trailer if accidental disconnect happens. You forgot to mention to check under for tab to be below ball and not on top of ball? That’s happened to me a couple of times and once it came disconnected but it was still latched
Excellent points
The emergency brake cable wasn't included with your video as noted below but it's also very important to NOT hook it to the trailer hitch in case you somehow rip the TH from the vehicle it would not deploy.
I clip mine onto the tow hook spot
❤but you forgot to mention the brake cable and it is important to know why the reason of crossing the chains.
Sometimes you don't need to know the reason, you just need to do it
Thank u for the tips 👍
Glad to help
@@GearsAndTech I been building a truck camper out is scratched then put it on a trailer & soon we be taking it for the first time to go camping & is good to know all this information, u can go & check it out
Changes are crossed so ifthe trailer comes unhitched it won't drop to the ground the crossed chains catch and hold the trailer ting up off the ground
Excellent point
So what the crossing of the chains does that it catches the trailer and just case it unhitches from the ball or the ball shears off from the bumper it will catch the trailer from landing on the ground making more difficult to hitch back up to the ball.
Great explanation. Thanks
careful ... your sequence works for heavy two axle trailers. I have learned to NOT do a final check on the trailers readiness to travel without the stabilizers down or it is hooked to the tow vehicle. My small single axle trailer will buck tongue up as the door is in the back. They are like teeter totters. Very dangerous. If you have a small single axle trailer always make sure it is supported and secure before you get in.
Great point
You cross your chains so if the hitch comes off the chains can cradle the trailer instead of hitting the ground and cause it to flip
Thanks for sharing
You cross your chains to support the trailer tongue, in case it disconnects from the truck.
Excellent point. That sounds right
@@GearsAndTechIt is not right. It is a holdover from a half century ago when the safety chains attached to the tongue further away from the ball. The crossing of the chains allowed a chain length that was not too short for one chain and too long for the other when you went into a turn. Back your truck up to the point where the ball is just clear of the coupler, hook up your crossed chains, and run your tongue jack all the way down. You will discover crossing chains does nothing on your trailer. Modern trailers have the chains attached at a single point so that all of the people who don't understand geometry can't mess it up.
These scissor type chocks between the tires they said that I had a sticker on them that said they are not totally to be used as chocks. You should at least have one set of old fashion chocks sitting on the ground. Also, if you tighten them too much, you can damage your steel belt tire
True on both accounts. I chock the wheels that aren't on blocks as well.
Would add - be sure to hook up the emergency brake pull line.
Yes, missed talking about that one
Your Video was very informative for first timers. The first thing I would do, is go to the DMV, and ask the "What the F*** is with the Red Plates" , change them. You seem very paranoid, you lock the entry door, your lock the receiver pin, Dude, your in Canada, not in NYC. Chill Out. Anyway, nice Video.
Lol, the plate I actually paid money to get. It's a hockey sports team plate, but I covered up the team logo and put my gears and tech logo on it.
The locks are a minor deterent. Anyone that wants to steal the trailer can get that off in a few seconds. But they make me feel better
I also have a gps tracker on it as well.
Respectfully, I disagree with a number of steps shown in this video and would not recommend it to a newbie.
Curious, which step would you remove?
Why You cross the chains, just in case the hitch comes off the ball. The chains will cradle the hitch.
Yes
If you don't want a costly mistake you need to hook up the trailer emergency brake cable separately from the chain you don't need to weave it in the chain loops at that point it is useless
That would help yes.
You chains the drop to the bars should be straight up and down, yours are pulled to the front way to hard. You need to got longer bars. They come in different lengths to fit your needs😊
The mounting point just wasn't locked down well, it was adjusted afyer to be straight up and down
Also your stairs in and or up.
I think we covered that part right after we finished inside
Anyone who has been in the RV game damn well already knows this. Common sense. Period. Plus, all of what you are talking about applies to your trailer. My 2018 Keystone Outback 266RB had auto leveling and stabilization. I just had one button to press in the auto mode. The ball is inside the coupler, not the hole. Weight distribution systems are all different. There is only one chain per load bar. You are talking about the links in the chain. The last time I used a coupling lock with my travel trailer was over five years ago. You have to cross the safety chains, why, I am no totally sure. Good advise. The main benefit of crossing your towing safety chains is that in the event that the coupler comes detached from the trailer ball, the trailer’s coupler will fall on the crossed chains below, preventing it from making contact with the ground.
Thanks for sharing
what about unhooking the utilities and turning the LP tanks off
Great idea. You always end up taking some things for granted
Never raise or lower the tongue with the X-Chocks in place.
Put down your roof mounted antenna if you have one.
Great point
Don’t you use a sway bar? If not why?
I've looked at adding the sway control but haven't needed it.
@@GearsAndTech your truck has built in sway control but I did not like it very much.
Cheese--what a procedure! At a Hotel you just say “Good-by”.
That's true.
You also say goodbye to a significant amount of money at a hotel...
@@MrMEmEmEmEMEMEeeeeee And you don’t with a POS RV? - Come on now !!!
What if I didn't use the sway bars?
You should consider them
@@GearsAndTech honestly I didn't know what I was doing and no one around could explain the function or why.
So I've pulled my backhoe trailer with a machine loaded with no such thing and it pulled fine. So just went 50 mph and experimented a little on the load handling and it pulled just fine.
Can you tell me how it functions and even permits rotation on the tow pin when these create a rigid connection.
By the way I quizzed about 8 guys pulling trailers and asked them how and why. Not one guy could answer the load distribution or towing principles behind these bars.
On video said they transferred the tongue weight to the rear of the trailer this decreasing the load on the hitch.
This I can't fathom unless cantilevering forces were in play and I don't see that happening with this set up.
I can understand sway bars restricting osolation by creating a more rigid connection but I see that also as hindering any tow pin osolation making turning or backing near impossible unless something is bending or extending and retracting but that would negate any benefit of creating a rigid load.
The sway bars are nearly parallel and about a ft. Apart at the truck and 2.5' +- at the trailer frame connection.
I want to understand the principles, reasons or science behind it. Not; just because.
You like most newbies forgot the TV batwing to be lowered and as below comments the breakaway cable.
Breakaway cable is attached to my safety hook.
@@GearsAndTechneeds to attach to the truck not the chain
Never hurry your hook up. Do a walk around. Maybe two.
Great points
You hooked the safety chains, but you forgot to hook the breakaway cable.
Breakaway cable is attached to the safety chain hook
Just follow the manufacturers instructions.
Ok
You forgot to show disconnecting the power cable.
You're right. My wife unplugged that one so I never even thought of it
Why are there 6 links on the right side, and 8 links on the left side?
You cannot count!
You're right. I actually went back and adjusted the other side when I couldn't get the same number of links.
I was hoping you would pay attention to what I was saying, not what I was doing.
One thing to never go is have the camper plugged into your truck while the camper is put into the pedestal once you plug the power into the camper the 7 prong plug going to the tow vehicle has power going to it.
Excellent point.
Sure are ALOTof xperts in the comments...glad I only have a 6x10 trailer....why you need something so big is beyond me...
For sure
Don't tell people that you HAVE to do something when you don't know why. And I'm still waiting for the costly mistake to avoid. Your costly mistake is not hooking up the emergency cable.
Don't tell me what to don't say!
LOL
That’s way to much trailer for a half ton truck
Truck is rated at 11,000 lbs towing
The trailer is big, but not heavy
@@GearsAndTech curious what’s the trailer Weight
What’s the truck cargo capacity
Please don’t listen to this guy, he must be a rookie..
I do what I can
Being a “how to” video maybe you shouldn’t put your leveling bars greased end in the dirt.
Never mind that, I may need to think about greasing them!
They are dry as a whistle
If you don’t have the commons sense to do the things necessary to operate and tow a camper don’t buy one. It’s not rocket science.
Not everyone knows this stuff. You need go learn somewhere