Safely Hitching and Unhitching a Travel Trailer
Hitching a travel trailer to your vehicle the first few times can be intimidating, especially since mistakes can result in disaster. From locking pins to sway bars to safety chains…there are a lot of parts that need to be addressed. Fortunately, we’ll walk through each step so you feel confident when you hit the road. Here’s your guide to safely hitching and unhitching a travel trailer.
Preparation
Before diving into the nuts and bolts of connecting the trailer and tow vehicle, it’s important to build good habits and develop a repeatable process. First, the trailer itself should be ready for travel. This means securing contents inside, closing windows and vents, raising steps, and double-checking that appliances are off. Likewise, ensure the trailer is on flat ground with wheel chocks in place to eliminate any possible movement. Lastly, use the trailer jack to lift the hitch receiver so it’s higher than the ball mount when you back your vehicle up to it.
Hitching the Trailer
Assuming your hitch isn’t attached to your tow vehicle yet, the first step is simple - slide the hitch into the receiver. If you have a weight distribution hitch with sway bars, you may want to remove the bars to make this step easier. Don’t forget to slide in the hitch lock pin to ensure the hitch is securely attached to the receiver.
The next step is attaching the hitch to the travel trailer, which starts with parking your vehicle in the right spot. A backup camera or a friend is helpful with positioning your tow vehicle so the hitch ball lines up directly under the trailer receiver. Now that you’ve got the vehicle and trailer in position, put it in park and shut the engine off.
If you have sway bars, now is the time to attach them. Sway bars improve the bond between the vehicle and trailer while reducing side-to-side movement on the road. Be sure the receiver latch is in the open, vertical position and use the jack to lower the receiver onto the hitch ball. The receiver should slide smoothly onto the ball. Then flip the receiver latch down to secure the connection between the ball and the receiver. Finally, raise the trailer jack until it’s out of the way or you can fold it into the horizontal position.
Don’t forget to connect the brake cable, trailer lights, and safety chain. Make sure the chains cross each other and are not parallel. Lastly, remove the wheel chocks and double-check that all the trailer lights and the brakes are working properly.
Unhitching the Trailer
The first order of business for unhitching the trailer is to park it on a flat surface and put wheel chocks in place so there’s no possible movement. Lower the jack until it's firmly on the ground, but before it elevates the trailer. A jack pad can be helpful to get the best possible surface for the jack to rest on.
Now it’s time to disconnect the brake controller, trailer lights, and safety chains. After disconnecting, try to keep them out of the way for the last few steps. If you have sway bars, you’ll need to uncouple them. Make sure there isn’t much tension on the sway bars and if necessary, raise the jack slightly to reduce pressure on the bars before removing them. Ideally, the jack should be at a height that puts slight pressure on the hitch.
Finally, lift the receiver latch and use the jack to raise the trailer until you’re able to drive the tow vehicle away. At this point, the trailer and vehicle shouldn’t have anything connecting them. Be sure to level the trailer and remove the hitch from your vehicle by taking the locking pin out and sliding it away from the receiver.
Hitching and unhitching is a simple process that gets easier with practice. For many frequent travelers, it becomes second nature. Most importantly, develop a routine and keep all your equipment in clean working order. If you follow these steps and pay attention to the details, you’ll be set up for stress-free driving and confident travel.
