Friend tried to remove my tape!

[HOMER]

A friend of mine was talking with me yesterday and while we were enjoying the shade for a few minutes he started peelinb my electrical tape off the center of my tailgate. I told him to quit doing that! That is my sight to line my trailer up.

Got me wondering how everybody else hooks their trailer up, do you always have a helper line you up?

I usually get stuck doing it by myself so I devised a sight/target system to help me out. I stand a rake or broom up against the crank on my trailer making sure it is directly in line with the hitch and standing tall enough so I can see it over my tailgate. I placed a piece of black tape dead center of my trailer ball right on top of my aluminum tailgate protector. Now all I have to do is back up, line the sight and target up and I hit my mark every time. I might have to get out once to check how close I am but other than that it takes the guess work out of centering everything up. All I need now is a way to determine how close I am or if I over shot the ball??????

I thought I would pass this along, if anybody has a better way pass it on as well.

[awm]

ive tried several things ,tall stick at the hitch
etc . nothing satisfactory yet. going to have to put some thinking to it though, as its real aggrevating if you are solo.

[Keith]

My way of doing it often consists of running into it numerous times :) Actually I usually get it about right, the trailer is wider than the truck. So I can look out of the left side and tell where I am at. In other words if I can see x amount of inches of the trailer, I pretty much have it. If the truck and trailer are not straight all bets are off :) Now I have to park the trailer on an incline and that poses another problem. I must first bump into the trailer tongue, then roll out a few inches. But not to far, because when I turn the truck off and hit the e brake, it usually want's to roll a hair more :) Then of course when you really need to hook it fast, you can't get it to cooperate, and it take ten tries :D

[Fine Lines Lawn]

On my first box trailer, I mounted an 8" convex mirror on the front pointing down at the tongue. Worked pretty well. Probably would get in the way on an open trailer.

[AltaLawnCare]

A company called Cabelas has a nifty litle unit I'm thinking about getting,... when I get the extra money.
It's a mirror which hangs on the tailgate - quick on and off.
PN AM-52-0638 $49.99
http://www.cabelas.com
800-237-4444

In the meantime, I'll use Homer's trick.

[Chopper Lover]

I purchased a gizmo from Boat US for $12.95 that really works well. Any marine store should have it. Maybe Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops are an option also. It works off the same principle that Homer uses but takes the guess work out of how far back to go.

The kit comes with two small magnets, two fiberglass upright poles, and a "Y" shaped bracket that mounts horizontally to one upright pole.

I place the "Y" upright atop the hitch where the ball will end up and the straight upright at the truck tongue. All I have to do is back the upright into the "Y" bracket and stop. The rest is simple. This gizmo easily knocks 2-5 minutes off my day. (I know you guys are thinking "5 MINUTES to hook up a trailer?!? But you know where I am coming from!)

Anyway, this is a great, inexpensive product that really works well.

Mark

[T-Bone]

Keith

They sure don't make them license plates like they use to.

Have to go get a new one about once a year.

[dan deutekom]

I saw a gizmo on the "Crank and Chrome" TV show that connects to the tongue of the trailer. You back up and even if you are off by a foot it guides the ball to the copler and then drops it on. It was a simple metal guide type affair. Can,t remember who made it.

[lawnnut]

We place a wheel stop behind and beside the driver side wheel before we unhook. Then we back into the same spot.
This works good unless someone moves it of course.
The stop behind the wheel saves our license plate.
Our stops are 4x4's riped diagionly with rope through
them. We keep about three sets for each trailer.

[cos]

I work in the evenings part time and park trucks. We have several enclosed trailers. There are cameras on the back of them for safety reasons (for backing up). As soon as I get within a few feet, I simply look up at the monitor and see the ball go directly under the hitch.

Don't think I will be buying those cameras anytime soon though.

[Charles]

Since I dont have a camera I think I will try to post deal thanks Homer

[mdb landscaping]

i just slowly back up and then get out and check how close i am. i just make small adjustments, so i dont damage the truck or trailer. after a few times hooking it up, you only need to times to get out of the truck and look. i did see that tool on crank and chrome. looks like a nice device. a cheap camera may also work well. its a good idea for enclosed trailers. its a pain backing them up.

[HOMER]

I was talking about "hooking" the trailer to the truck. I just back it up till I hit something!

[racerdave]

Homer, A friend of mine mounted a convex mirror on a piece of tubing that has a magnet on the other end. I stick this just behind the trailer tongue and use the mirror to guide me. One small thing...u can use the mirror over and over as long as you remember to take it back off when your trailer is hooked up.

[Lawnshark]

I keep my trailers at the back of my house and I look at the reflection in the glass of our storm doors and get iabout right. I think I will try the tape thing though.
Thanks HOMER

[Evan528]

I Get it aligned pretty close and then Im in and out of the truck 3 times untill i get it aligned perfect. You can not man handle my 16ft tandem trailer at all so you have to be perfect!!! I wish there was a easier way!!!

[Eric ELM]

When I am pulling the trailer I look in the side mirrors a lot and I have gotten used to seeing X amount of the trailer sticking out past the truck. When I hook up, I just use the side mirrors and get the same amount sticking out past the truck and usually can just back up til it bumps and roll forward about an inch and go let the jack down and that's it.
What was harder to hook up was a self unloading silage wagon behind the silage cutter on the farm. And what was even rougher was backing up that silage wagon, a 4 wheeled wagon, behind the 2 wheel silage cutter. The last load of the day, I would bring the whole shot home and back it up to the silage blower that blew it into the silo (just for practice since it was hard to do). I realize I could of just hooked up a tractor to it and backed it in since I needed it to run the PTO. :)
Now that I'm way off the subject of hooking up a lawn trailer, I better close this one out. Basically I just wanted to say a lot of years of experiance helps in hooking up trailers. ;)

[Fantasy Lawns]

I'm with you Homer ....I have a piece of black tape right in line with the hitch on the trailer box ...then back up tell I bump it

[jeffyr]

I saw a plate that bolts on the receiver under the ball. It is shaped like a "U" and as the truck is backed up, as long as you are 2-3 inches left or right, it pushes the trailer centered over the trailer ball. I'll try and find it again. Also, Harborfreight has those reveivers that swing left and right for hookup, and then lock straight when you pull forward.
I do it like Eric though--straight back until I tap it, then forward one or 2 inches.

jeffyr

[cos]

Thats one of the most slick inventions. I wonder if they could be homemade?

[Keith]

Originally posted by T-Bone
Keith

They sure don't make them license plates like they use to.

Have to go get a new one about once a year.

You ain't kiddin'! And they charge ya an extra ten bucks if you need a new tag at renewal here :mad: You can have a new one every five years or so, but if you ask, you gotta pay. I started keeping my old tags around, I would put the old one in front of the new one for a little protection. Worked ok. But I keep forgetting to do it every time, and I ain't getting out to do it once I am in the truck :) So....yet another smashed up tag.

[jeffyr]

It aint cheap

http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=54221&prmenbr=6970

Here you go Homer--its only $35

http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=136616&prmenbr=6970

jeffyr

[jeffyr]

here is another a little cheaper---only $100 !!!!

http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=201883&prmenbr=6970

[Highpoint]

I can't believe no one has posted a reply on actually using one of the hitches that allows you to get within 8-10 inches. W have been using the Speed Hitch for two years now and we love em. So it costs a hundred bucks! Quick and easy is the name of the game. You all pay the bucks for top of the line trucks, trailers, mowers, etc. This is just one more tool you need to have!! Why bump and grind? Get close and go go go mow mow mow!!

One more thing. Buy the stainless steel locking class III insert lock. Don't want no body walking off with your expensive, yet major headach and time saving piece of equipment. You can get Both the hitch and lock from http://www.northerntools.com in their towing accessories.

[Skookum]

I thought about one of those speed hitches, but they do not have a high enough rise for my receivor. I like for my trailer to be level when loaded. This way the less likely hood of bottoming out, front or rear, is equal.

For years hooking up my boat trailer, I would lay a 2x4 on the down tailgate in the middle right over the ball. Then back up toward the jack. Stop right before hitting the jack and it was perfect over ball.

On my mowing trailers I usually have always left them hooked up all the time. But, when needing to hook up, I usually watch the trailer in the mirrors and split the difference on the width with the truck since the trailer is so much wider than truck. After doing so many times, I usually get about 12" from ball on first stop and check. Next move back usually gets it right on the money.

If you do not have a good sence of distance, I can see how it can be very difficult for some to hook up trailers.

[Edited by Skookum on 04-08-2001 at 06:47 PM]

[TLS]

I dont want to brag, but I guess I'm good at it, or something. I have about a 95% accuracy. My license plate is about 8" above my ball, so all the tounge hits is the downrigger of the drop hitch. I back up till it taps this, then pull forward a tad, put it in park and let it roll up the slack and its perfect. Been doing this since '86, every day during the season, so lets see thats roughly 2,688 hook ups! I better be good at it after that many times! ;)

[Shack]

I have a gooseneck, so it's pretty easy.

[John DiMartino]

I thought about using the speed hitch,but my trailer is a 10000GVWR,and I didnt want a receiver rated for 7500 on it,since I do occasionally tow over 7500.I am pretty good at lining up now,so its not a big deal,unless im on uneven ground.

[Southern Lawns]

I tried the tape but it came off in the rain. I painted a dot on the inside of the tailgate and line it up with the frame of the cage on the trailer as I back up. Works great for me. I keep the rig in my garage so I load and unload every time out.

[eslawns]

I have a hand tool rack on the front rail. I look over the center of the seat back, and line up the handle of the center tool dead center between the 2 center pieces of angle iron on the gate. I back up slowly until the tongue touches my bumper, then let it roll a few inches. I usually get it close enough to drop down on the ball. Before doing this, I used to bang the bumper, tear up license plates, and all kinds of stuff.

[thelawnguy]

When you unhook, drop a stone or something next to the drivers rear tire of the truck, when you go to hook up again just back up til the marker is next to the tire once again, and youre there.

[beck]

I tried the speed hitch but was not impressed with it. As someone said it was too low, so the trailer was not level.

It also wasn't able to hold the tongue weight on full extension very well.

The reason I got rid of it was because of the pin that locks it in place(preventing it from telescoping or swiveling) came out on me twice will driving. I was not very happy having my trailer telescoping and swiveling on me while I was driving down the road. So thats when I took it back.

[jasonp]

Have you ever seen someones tag that is all tore up, that is what mine looks like. Just kidding sometimes I just back very slowly till I fell it tap the tag then forward a hair and the slack in the tranny and its there or close enough to fall one way or the other.

[Getmow]

Just think how many times you hook and un-hook your rigs during the year. Multiply that by the time for each hook up. Man that's alot of time. I figured I was money ahead when I gat a dedicated equipment truck.

[MOW ED]

I have a ramp that opens into my pickup so I don't have a tailgate installed. When I line up a mark on the trailer I know when to stop. I only crank the jack up high enough to clear the ball that way when I back up a little too fast the trailer lip only hits the hitch.