How to Consistently and Easily Hook Up your Hitch Ball
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One of the trickiest procedures for new small travel trailer owners is backing up and lining up the hitch ball so the hitch coupler will drop securely on top of it. Getting the ball (on your tow vehicle) properly aligned with your trailer coupler takes some practice, but gets easier with experience. One trick I like is taping a ribbon (about 6 inches long) on the travel trailer’s tow coupler so the ribbon hangs straight down (I attached the ribbon with Gorilla Tape so it stays for a while!). I use my SUV’s rear camera (set to Tow Bar line) and slowly and carefully back up, keeping my SUV aimed at the ribbon. If your tow vehicle doesn’t have a rear camera, I recommend purchasing one aftermarket. It’s important that the tow vehicle is aligned so it’s on the same line to the trailer to ensure the hitch ball will fit properly when the hitch coupler is lowered (e.g. no angles between tow vehicle and trailer). Also, make sure the coupler is raised high enough so the hitch ball doesn’t hit it when you back up under it. Once I get fairly close to the hitch coupler, I very slowly inch my way back until the ball on the SUV hitch brushes up against the ribbon and then a smidge beyond. At this point, the tow coupler is right over the ball. Make sure to take your time and don’t be concerned if it initially takes a number of times to get it right.
If your ball is directly below the hitch coupler and your tow vehicle is aligned with the trailer (e.g. no angles between vehicle and trailer), you can now drop (hand crank or electric power jack) the coupler onto the ball and it should sit so that none or barely any of the bottom of the ball will be visible if looking at it from the side. If the coupler doesn’t go all the way down and it seems the lower portion of the ball is visible, it’s likely that the alignment wasn’t quite right. In this case, it will also not be possible to secure the hitch latch into the locked position. If this happens, raise the trailer coupler, pull away, line up your tow vehicle, and try again. Never try to force the coupler to lock. It does take some force to latch the coupler down, but not an excessive amount. I had one experience, when we were boondocking on a farm in Bakersfield, where everything appeared nicely lined up but the hitch latch wouldn’t close. The ground was dirt and very uneven and I suspected the coupler just wasn’t seating properly on the ball, so I pulled away and lined up again and everything worked smoothly. I was glad I didn’t try to force the coupling.
After locking, I recommend pulling up on the travel trailer coupler a couple times to watch the tow vehicle rear end go up and down to make sure the ball is really securely locked into place in the coupler (again, none or barely any of the bottom of the ball will be visible if looking at it from the side). In addition, I recommend using a coupler lock, not only as a theft security device, but also to help prevent the coupler latch from popping open while driving. After securing the coupler latch, it’s imperative to attach your safety chains and plug in your trailer to the tow vehicle so your trailer’s lights and emergency brakes are communicating with the tow vehicle (and check that the trailer lights are working before leaving).
Securing the trailer coupler onto the hitch ball is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a safe towing experience with your small travel trailer. With practice and following these tips, securing your trailer to your tow vehicle should become a successful, easy, and stress-free experience.
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