The Common Fifth Wheel Hitch Mistake New Owners Make I Camping World Blog

The forums at RV.net reveal a common fifth wheel hitch mistake that often happens to new (or even experienced) fifth wheel owners. This mistake involves improper use of a fifth wheel hitch, but the good news is that it can be avoided fairly easily.

The All-Too-Common Fifth Wheel Hitch Mistake

Imagine you’ve driven several hundred miles to your destination. You’ve been in your truck for hours and finally arrive at your campground. After several attempts and some slight adjustments, you’ve positioned your fifth wheel on the campsite. Everything is perfect.

You add wheel chocks to hold your fifth wheel in place, lower your landing legs, disconnect from your fifth wheel trailer hitch, and extend your slides. You set up your camping chairs around the firepit and start prepping dinner. That’s when you realize you’re out of cooking oil and need to make a store run. Or maybe you just need drinks or sides to go with dinner. 

You double-check that the cables are disconnected between your truck and fifth wheel…all good there. So you hop in your truck, shift into drive, start to pull away, and then CRACK! What mistake did you make?

The answer: you forgot to lower the tailgate! As a result, your fifth wheel pin box dented your tailgate.

Take a second to compose yourself—this isn’t the first time this has happened to a fifth wheel owner, but our mission is to ensure we’re closer to it being the last. That’s why we’re raising tailgate awareness for the sake of fifth wheel hitches and owners everywhere. 

A Simple Fifth Wheel Hitch Solution

First of all, you should set your wheel chocks, disconnect from your pin box, and pull your truck safely away BEFORE leveling and stabilizing your coach. So you shouldn’t start with dinner or other camp chores before completing the disconnection process. 

All new fifth wheel owners can benefit from following a written, laminated checklist when hooking up and detaching their rig. Instead of just trying to remember all the little steps that go into this process, keep your list handy and check as you go. 

A simple solution is removing your regular tailgate during the camping season. But there are pros and cons to this approach. While you’ll avoid this hitch mistake, the downside of this approach is the inability to store any extra camping gear in your truck bed between destinations. 

You can replace your tailgate with a fifth wheel vent tailgate as an even better solution. This tailgate style includes a V-shaped cutout at the center, providing extra clearance for your pin box.

Your Fifth Wheel Hitch Setup Checklist

Before you take your new 5th wheel on its maiden voyage, download or print and laminate this hitch checklist for reference: 

• Check the campsite for obstructions.
• Use a spotter when backing in.
• Position the fifth wheel on the campsite so it’s as level as possible. 
• Put the tow vehicle in park and set the emergency brake. 
• Place wheel chocks in front and back of tires. 
• Set leveling pads under landing legs. 
• LOWER TRUCK TAILGATE.
• Extend the landing legs until you can see a crack of daylight between the hitch and pin box.
• Disconnect and store the trailer electrical cable. 
• Double-check that wheel chocks are firmly in place.
• Remove the lock or pin from the hitch. 
• Open the security latch. 
• Pull the hitch latch bar to disengage the kingpin from the pin box. 
• Disconnect the breakaway cable. 
• Raise landing legs to remove tongue weight from the hitch.
• Drive the truck slowly forward until the rear bumper is clear of the pin box. 
• Raise truck tailgate. 
• Push the hitch latch bar into the closed position. 
• Leave the security latch in the unlocked position. 
• Proceed to level and stabilize.
• Install a kingpin stabilizing jack under the front.
• Securely stow all jack crank handles and other fifth wheel hitch attachments. 
• Remove extended tow mirrors from the tow vehicle (if applicable).

Watch the video below for a more in-depth walkthrough on how to hook up and disconnect your fifth wheel.

How To Adjust Fifth Wheel Hitch Height

It’s important that your trailer is level while in tow. If not, you are susceptible to issues like increased trailer sway, excessive chucking/jarring, poor fuel economy, and much more.

To start, level the trailer using the landing gear and measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the skid plate on the pin box. Next, measure the distance from the ground to the top of the hitch head on the fifth wheel hitch in your truck bed. If these two measurements don’t match, you’ll need to make some adjustments.

To level the trailer, you have a few options. The first option would be to adjust the hitch head height of your fifth wheel hitch. Nearly every fifth wheel hitch has an adjustable hitch head so you can level your trailer. 

To change the hitch head height, you’ll need to consult the owner’s manual of your hitch. That said, most require removing and reinstalling bolts in a different set of holes on the base.

If the trailer is still not level even after adjusting the hitch head height, you may be able to adjust the height of the pin box. This is done by removing the bolts that secure the pin box to the frame and reinstalling these bolts in another set of holes (up or down), if applicable.

If you require further adjustments, you must raise or lower the trailer accordingly. This can be accomplished using lift blocks, axle flip kits, or new leaf spring hangers. Generally, you should have a minimum of six inches of clearance between your truck bed rails and the underside of your fifth wheel hangover.

If you need help leveling your trailer, you can always stop by your local Camping World Service Center for help.

Where Can I Get a Fifth Wheel Hitch Installed?

Installing a fifth wheel hitch is not something you should take lightly. There is an enormous safety concern if not done correctly, but you can also cause damage to your vehicle. In most cases, you’ll drill into the bed and/or frame to install a hitch. If not done properly, you risk unnecessary holes that can compromise the frame’s integrity.

If you don’t feel up for the task of installing a fifth wheel hitch on your truck, reach out to a local Camping World Service Center for assistance. 

The big takeaway for eliminating headaches when hitching up a fifth wheel is to take your time. Know the acceptable weight capacity for your specific hitch and follow your checklist to avoid skipping steps. If you do, you’ll avoid this hitch and towing mistake and enjoy your camping experience without headaches! 

If you feel a smaller RV would be better suited for your lifestyle instead, check out the new Happier Camper.

Do you have any harrowing stories about early trials and tribulations with your fifth wheel? Share them with your fellow readers in the comments below!