Backing aids

I can't remember if I got this idea from this board or another but it works great. I bought 2 small round magnets with holes drilled in the center and screwed 1/2 inch wooden dowels to them. Place one on the trailer tounge and the other on the trailer ball. Line the 2 sticks up while backing and when the one on the ball falls over you are right on target. No more getting out to check!
Thanks to whomever thought of this.

[BOB_STRONG]

I bought a set of these from a vendor at the Syracuse, NY RV show in March. They weren't expensive at all. A friend of ours bought a set too since he got tired of getting in & out to check the hook up. for his TrailManor..

These have a metal rod attached to a magnet. On the top, they are color coded to see them better when they are even.

[B_and_D]

I'm having real trouble visualizing this...but it sounds like it works great? How exactly does it work?

I sounds like you take a fairly good sized magnet shaped like a washer (like maybe an inch plus in diameter), put a dowel in the hole, put one of the magnets on the trailer receiver, and the other on the hitch ball, and then when they meet up they fall over?

And you must first align them to see where they repel, so that the repelling sides are face to face when one meets the other, and then they fall down?

Can you please give more specifics as to the size of the dowels, magnets, alignment instructions?

Thanks!

[Bill]

The original thread on this topic can be seen at http://www.trailmanorowners.com/yabb...=msg593#msg593

Several methods were described, including my method using round magnets with a length of wire epoxied into the center. Wood dowels as suggested by live2shopnc would also work very well; I used wire rather than wood simply because wire won't break if it gets bent or mashed while being carried in my "everything" box.

B_and_D, I think you're making this too complicated. The stick (or wire) falls over when the coupler hits it. The orientation or polarity of the magnets doesn't matter.

HTH

Bill

For those of you who don't want to make your own, a company called "Heartland" has this type of setup on sale right now at their closeout price of $16.99 at this site: http://www.heartlandamerica.com/Item....asp?SKU=20191
If you have a pickup, there is a mirror that you can buy that clips onto the tailgate which tips down to show you where you're lined up. I think we got it from Cabela's, or Northern Tools.

[B_and_D]

OK, now I get it! Duhhh...

Thanks for the diagram, Bill!

[rpcoombs]

You may be interested in a new hitch system recently developed to meet the needs on those frequently hooking up to trailers all by themselves such as contractors and single RV operators. Check out "SnapHitch.com" for further info. I have one (7,000 lbs/700 lbs tongue weight rated) and they also make a 10,000 lbs/1000 lb tongue weight model. Hookup is totally automatic and their quality is top notch. They cost around $250 but they are well worth it IMHO. Cheers, Dick

[rpcoombs]

Hi ---- good questions (I had them too)
Excuse bullet format of response but after 38 years of military life the habit is hard to break!
(1) Doesn't support WD/Sway hitch --- true but with my 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning (with adjustable air springs installed) I have never found the need for them as the rear end of the truck is relatively "light" to begin with (my old English teacher would kill me as she taught me to "never use a preposition to end a sentence with) and the rearward placemen of the TM axle does away with the need for a sway preventer option. I have followed the arguments of WD/Sway hitches as presented on this site and have come to believe the best responses ressemble the question the amateur golf duffer posed to the Pro when he asked what the Pro thought of the new clubs he had bought for $2000 --- "well they won't hurt your game"was the Pro's PC response.

(2) What gives when misaligned? Certainly not the tow vehicle to any great extent. The trailer tongue jack appears to handle the required movement but this appears to be well absorbed as a result of the inward wedge and upper ramp features of the hitch. My tongue jack does not even have a wheeled base (probably more desireable to absorb misaligment movement) but it melds well with my hitch without protest/noise as long a I keep the the trailer tongue and tow vehicle hitch at their original connect/disconnect height (initially determined by slow trail and error adjustment to allow a smooth coupling).

I'm not pushing the hitch in any manner but it works great for me. Cheers, Dick