Tips for Hitching to Your Trailer, Camper or Boat

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Summertime is almost upon us. As the temperature gets warmer, people are spending more time outside and traveling for vacations. Whether you are going on camping trips or spending a week at the lake, there is one common problem that may arise; hooking up your trailer, camper, or boat to your vehicle!

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Hooking your vehicle up to a trailer always has some unwanted tension/stress, especially if other people are watching. Trying to perfectly line up your vehicle’s hitch on the first try is a daunting task and usually takes a lot of embarrassing forwards and reverses until you finally get lucky. 

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Ford has new trucks with Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. It’s an artificial intelligence system that uses the rear camera and corner radars to align the hitch with the trailer. It also controls the truck’s speed, steering, and braking to stop and align at the right spot. All you have to do is just push a button and watch the magic happen!

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If you don’t have Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, this blog will provide you with some tips and tricks to make hooking up your trailer a breeze this summer.

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Grab a Partner

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It is much easier to hook up a trailer when you have someone guiding you. Before you start, talk with your partner about hand signals to use. Have them stand on the driver’s side of the trailer. Also, make sure they are clearly visible before you start to back up

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No Partner, No Problem

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If you don’t have the luxury of someone guiding you, that’s fine. All you have to do is line your vehicle up with the trailer in a straight line. A straight shot at the trailer serves a better chance than when you are trying to reach it at an angle.

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Raise The Trailer Jack

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Make sure your trailer coupler is higher than your vehicle’s hitch. Usually you want it a few inches higher. That way the hitch can clear the coupler in case you back up too far.

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Line Up the Hitch and the Trailer

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Once you get about three feet away from the trailer coupler, start looking for more cues from your partner. If you don’t have a partner, put your vehicle in park and check the distance and angles you have from the trailer. Reduce your speed and use caution with the last few feet.

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Anticipate the Brake Drag

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One thing people don’t realize when backing up to a trailer is that your vehicle will have a brake drag. When putting your vehicle in park and releasing your brakes, there tends to be a bit of drag resulting in the vehicle going back. To anticipate this, put your vehicle in park about six inches from the trailer coupler. Make sure to communicate this with your partner so they can anticipate this.

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Lower The Trailer Jack

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Once your vehicle has reached the trailer, lower the trailer jack onto your vehicle’s hitch. Even if the coupler is a little off, the trailer should adjust to it and slide on. 

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Once the trailer coupler is on the hitch, latch it on and attach the chains in a cross pattern and connect the trailer wiring. Retract your trailer jack and you should be good to go!

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Have a Checklist

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Another thing to have is a trailer hookup checklist. Making sure that the trailer lights are working, the brakes are working well with the trailer hooked, and the safety chains are properly attached, will lead to a safe trip! 

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Find Your Next Vehicle at Einspahr Auto

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Don’t want to deal with hooking up your trailer? Check out our selection of new trucks. Most of these newer models have backup cameras to make the process much easier. 

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Shop New Trucks »

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