Mod for hooking up a utility trailer.

[TugCE]

When I trailer alone to Motorcycle events, I have to hook up my Flat Bed Utility Trailer and I just know that sooner or later I will damage to rear cap with the tongue of the trailer. Know, I do use the rear view camera but came up with an idea. My Trailer is 7 x 16 with dual axles, so it's a little too heavy to be moving around by hand.

I have a small winch laying around and I'm going to weld a receiver on the trailer so it will allow the winch cable to led out under the tongue. The idea is that I will be able to get close to it and then use the wicnh the bring it up close and hitch up.

So, if anyone is interested, I can do a writeup on the design and installation. After sailing as a Chief Engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, this should not be too difficult and I'm planning on keeping it as simple as possible. I might use a dual receiver with one being higher so I can also use the winch to pull something up on the bed of the trailer.

I'm planning on getting started so let me know if anyone is interested and I'll see about taking a bunch of pictures or maybe some videos.

[timmac]

Here is great device for hooking up heavy trailers, I got one on my trailer it works great except on loose gravel or dirt.

https://www.trailervalet.com/shop/trailer-valet-trailer-dolly/

[TugCE]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I've been hooking up and towing trailers for almost 40 years and up to now have never had any problems. Now with me being disabled the getting in and out of the Coach gets old real fast.

I use my RV to go to bike rallies and other places where you need to drop the trailer in a remote place and then got to your site. Sometimes these drop off / storage spots are a little cramped.

The wedge plate looks interesting and I've seen them before. It might be worth looking into.

I'm still going to go ahead with the winch install as I want to have it mounted so I can use it to pull loads up on the trailer deck. To add another receiver lower and forward facing is not that much of a big deal. I figure if it doesn't workout, all that I'm out is the cost of the extra receiver and my time with a welding stick in my hand. Hell, anytime I can play with my welder is a plus.

As for the battery, my plan is to mount a deep cycle battery on the trailer and run a charging line to it for the tow vehicle.

Now before anyone jumps on to the "Certified Welder" band wagon, I've been welding for years and was certified in the past so I'm sure that either my welds will be fine or if I have any doubt, I will have it done by a "Certified" Welder.

Once I'm done and if (a big if) it works the way I believe it will, I will make a short video and post it.

Thanks again for all of the replies.

[sdbounderdiesel]

Check out the iball hitch cam. I just bought one about a month ago. Seems to work well. I use it to hook up my motor home to an enclosed car trailer. I am always solo when I do the hookup. Saves a lot of back and forth time, I used to spend trying to get the final line up just right so I could properly lower the trailer tongue on top of the ball. Its a portable wireless system. Simply plug the monitor into a cigarette lighter/power port near the driver seat. The camera is mounted on a magnetic base that you simply place on top of your hitch/receiver pointing at the ball. FYI, there is usually a $50 discount code for it available in Motorhome magazine. Good Luck.

[ferndaleflyer]

Farm boy got it right. I been hooking up my race cars for more years than I want to remember. The last 20 years I have had a 40ft DP and have yet to hit the back. I do as Farm boy but have marked a spot on the screen of my back up camera and just line that up, go check then finish the job. But of coarse I have done it with that for 20+ years, it helps. Practice, practice, practice.

[Farmboy666]

In 35 yrs of backing up it never seemed like a problem. You get close, take a look and get closer.

[Dutch_12078]

One of my two rear cameras is aimed low enough that I can easily see the trailer hitch, letting me perfectly align it for hooking up.

[wa8yxm]

Might be easier to mount the winch on the trailer and run heavy cables from the Trailer or even mount a bigger battery on teh trailer.

I know a mechanic who can do it for you (XTREME AUTO in Townsend GA) as I helped him do just that for one of his car hauler trailers.

[JaxDad]

It sounds like a simple thing is being made into a complex problem.

You need one of these and a tape measure.



Backup close to the trailer and measure the height of the top of the trailer ball, I use a finger on the side of my leg, you might want a tape measure, the walk over to the trailer and if it’s not already there, adjust the underside of the coupler to just higher than the height of the ball.

Now between the camera and the shield you’d need to be really trying to mess things up.

[Bikeboy57]

That is a clever idea.

I have backed up a motor home to a stacker. The owner had installed a second wireless backup camera mounted on the rear hatch looking only at the ball on the hitch. I was amazed at how much of an aid it was and how accurate the alignment.

[rgatijnet1]

On my Monaco coach the rear view camera has a tilt feature. From the dash control I can tilt the camera almost straight down to view the hitch as I back up. Perhaps it might be easier, and cheaper, to purchase a rear view camera with the tilt feature so that you can monitor everything while backing up.

[TugCE]

If the Moderators or Admin think this topic would be better in a different forum please feel free to move it. I put it here only because of my fear of damage to the rear cap on my Class A when backing up to hitch the trailer to the Motor Home.

Thanks