Simply solution to Hitchup in-line with SUV

I drop my tailgate. While looking over my right shoulder I align the center of the rear window with the bolts in the tailgate for the handle with the TM jack. When I see that I am about to hit the jack with the tailgate I stop and get out.

I close the tailgate to give me room to back up the rest of the way. I still need to back up about 6 inches. This is close enough to evaluate if the tongue needs to come up any higher. I make a note of the distance to back up and how far right or left I need to adjust, usually not more than an inch or two.

The I get back in the truck. From experience I know how much left or right I need to put in the wheel. I leave the door open and by locking my head as I peer towards the ground, I pick a spot on the ground that is the distance I need to back up. I top when my sight line across the bottom of the door reaches that mark.

3/4 of the time I am on the money and I drop the TM onto the truck. The other 1/4 of the time I must make another adjustment.

It is easier for me to back up to the TM by myself than to have someone help me. Their instructions of a little more to the right is not helpful.

DW can not determine if it is 4 inches or 6 inches unless she has a ruler.

If I had a camper shell on my truck it would take a little more time. As long as I can see the top of the tongue jack, backing up to it is not at all difficult, once you get a little practice at it.

The thing I don't like about that hitch connector is that now I have more moving parts that I must put blind faith in. I prefer the old fashioned ones that drop over the top of the ball. Then the latch only prevents it from bouncing off.

The hitch aligning balls with magnets are inexpensive and very easy to use. I would certainly try them first. I gave a set to a friend wit a first time trailer and they were successful on their first solo hook up attempt.

[irenepl]

I have DW that also can not measue distance and does not have a great concept of how far to the left or right. I installed one of those Costco rear back up camaras in the bumper of the TV just above the hitch. I can now line up and see the coupler comming and can stop when needed to adjsute the height and continue. I am successful 98% of the time with no adjustmet of vehicle on "NO" input from DW.

I cut a notch in a 2" piece of pvc pipe and it fits over the jack post. This makes it easy to see over the tailgate and line up. My wife now backs up and I can give any final information using walkie-talkies. This took the stress out of the process and worked well for 6 weeks of travel this summer.

[Wavery]

I do all the hook-ups myself. It isn't worth the stress (to me) to have someone else try to describe my relative position.

I center the trailer between my mirrors and back-up. When I feel that I'm close, I get out, look at the position and take a rough measurement. If I have about a foot to go, I back a foot and check again. I can guarantee you that it takes only 2-3 times of looking myself to get the tongue lined up. Total time....getting out, looking, getting back in and backing......1 - 2 minutes....TOPS.

I couldn't find the price of this coupler system but I'm thinking in the range of $400 by the time it's installed. Now @ 2 minutes per hook-up, I could do 30 hook-ups an hour. @ $400 I could pay myself $100 per hour to do 120 hook-ups. If I make 10 trips a year, that's 5 years worth of camping paying myself $100 per hour for lining up my trailer by myself.

Cost of camera system $150 (including time to install). That's 40 hook-ups @ $75 per hour or 120 hook-ups @ $25 per hour. Still not a bad deal.

Some of the gimmicks that they put on the market have got to be put into perspective at some point.......this one is a no brainer. The camera.....well.....that's sort of a fun toy. that's gotta "Fun Factor".

If we were talking about a trailer that has 600# of tongue weight and no wheel, that might be a slightly different story (however, not much different). The TMs have a wheel and can be moved by most of us with relative ease. Now....having said that, I'm in my 60s and I can see that in another 10 years, I may not want to be pushing and pulling the trailer around as much as I do now. That's all the more reason to keep practicing lining up the trailer by eye and perfecting my skill

All I've gotta say is, "Some of you have to get out camping more"....

In both my 1500HD and the 2500HD, as long as I do not have the motorcycles loaded, I just drop the tailgate. I line up the center of the backseat with the center bolt for the tailgate handle with the TM jack. That gets me within an inch side to side.

In the 1500HD I back up until the tailgat touches the jack. Then I get out and close the tailgate. I have about 8 inches to go.

In the 2500HD when the back up alarm turns red I stop and get out. I now have about 2 inches to go.

When backing the truck up to the TM:

- by myself it takes 2 tries

- when my neighbor helps me it takes 3 tries, but I don't have to get out of the truck

- when my wife helps me it takes 4 tries and I still have to get out of the truck.

[Frenchy]

I always have my wife do the backing and I guide her. I tell her exactly how much to turn the wheels by looking at the wheels. It usually takes only one try. She is happier and so am I.

I am sure others have similar methods and I believe some stores sell some gadgets to line up the tow vehicle with the TM trailor. However this was my cheap $8 solution which works quite well. Buy a 6 foot black 2 inch sewer pipe and cut it into about a 2 foot and a 4 foot piece. Put a little duct tape into the ends of the two pipes to make them fit snug over the 2 inch ball and over the top of the 2 inch jack stand of the trailer. By yourself, simply back up looking through your rear view window until the two pipes line up and are about a foot apart. This will get the tow vehicle and trailer close and you can then take the pipes off and move the truck the last couple of inches with the pipes off.
I am sure I am not the first person to think of this but it works for me.

Norther had the magnetic tennis ball thingys on sale for $7.99 last week, we bought them.
They will almost fit in the glove box when retracted.
Wal-Mart had exactly the same thing at the sametime for $20.00.

I use these "tennis ball" alignment devices with great success. I got mine at Harbor Freight. It is particularly easy if the SUV is not loaded - I back up with the tailgate open so I see the alignment very well. This also helps with the distance - I put one on the top of the hitch and the other on the top of the ball - most balls have a flat spot on top. When the hitch on the trailer pushes the one off the ball, I know I have the hitch right on top of the ball and ready to lower.

If the back of the SUV is loaded it is a little tougher. And some friends who have a Chevy Avalanche can't use them because they are not long enough for him to see over the tailgate.

My plan for next year is to install a backup camera - then it will work in all situations.
Alan