Should be picking up my new trailer tomorrow. I can't see the ball in my bed because I have an extended cab with cross-over tool box in it. Since I have not hooked to a GN before, what is the easiest way to tell when I am where I need to be when backing up? I don't want to have to be getting in and out of the truck all the time to see if I am aligned (left/right I'll be okay, its fore and aft I am wondering about). I'm sure over time it'll be second nature. I've seen mirrors and magnetic thingies for bumper pulls, wondering if ya'll have any suggestions?

(thinking of putting something magnetic on the top of my tool box that sticks back to just over the ball, then when I back up, I would touch the trailer neck to that)

Thanks,
~Rob

 

I can't find the thing im looking for to save my life! i did find this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GOOSE...ayphotohosting
this is something easy enough you could make on your own, the thing i was looking for was a long "stick" that clipped onto the ball and the stick stood straight up so when the gooseneck hit the stick you were in perfect posistion... someone else might be able to help you with that... hope this helps
Eric

 

Thanks HH,
I saw this at Cabelas.com:


Was thinking about just using one magnet and putting it on the ball.

~Rob

 

Saw this thing, call the "Line-Up".
Click Here



Set it on the ball, knock it over with the trailer neck then stop, you are aligned.

~Rob

 

yea, those are what i was talking about, i couldn't find them. hope they help ya

 

a couple things I have done in years of towing a gooseneck trailer if you cant see the ball to hook it up. 1) If you take a bottle of say white out or somthing to put a dot on your tool box were you are inline with your goose neck ball and then you know were to line up and if you remember the rull of thumb that your goose neck hitch usally is goin to be inbetween the wheel whells you should be close enuff to drop the trailer either on the ball or enuff to push it on the ball.

 

Hmm with my rig its easy

I just line up the center of the gooseneck between the cracks of the toolbox and back up close enough to just drop it in, I never have to mess with it too long it just falls right in... .. I buddy of mine who has a cb radio has his antenna right where he needs to back the gneck.. and hits it everytime as well..

Tx

 

Pardon me, Rob, How long is the GN? Is it a flatbed, horse hauler or dumper and where are you storing it? My GN has a 20' bed so it's not real long, and I store it in the barn where it's level. With a quad cab you can't see the pin even without the TB. Lining it up is almost simple. Place a mark on something on the truck bed so you have a target, then roll it backwards half the distance of the bed and put it in park, SET THE BRAKE, (don't want to hear about it jumping into reverse) and you'll see the pin will be within 2 inches everytime. Then all you have to do is jack it down and press against the tongue to steer it onto the ball. But this requires the trailer to be empty and the scotches removed from under the trailer tires.
Nat

 

Hey Nat thanks for the tips,
The trailer has a 20' deck, it is a pipe utility trailer:

I will be storing it on level ground at a storage facililty, as I unfortunately live in a community of zero lot line homes.

~Rob

 

Not unlike mine, mine has wood sideboards though. Mine weighs 3400# empty and it's easily moved left to right, you won't want to pull it toward you, a person could get killed doing that.
Nat

 

You get used to it. I can get mine on the first try about half the time now, but don't tow all that often. I had a dent in the middle of my bed I could see, and got used to the depth.

 

mount a convex mirror on the fron the trailer angled so you can see the GN put one on my 5th wheel no problems once yah get used to the depth perception loss.

I used a 12 inch mirror and mounted it on a universal speaker arm mount. Works awesome and yah ann shave outside the trailer when unhooked

 

I line up the middle of the sliding rear window on the GN, and then back up. I have done it enough now that I know how close to get my tailgate to the trailer. I back with the tailgate down, of course (as opposed to removed).

It will take a few tries, but you will get use to it.

My problem, is the trailer. When I back it into it's parking spot, I only have about 9" on each side to play with(120" parking spot, 102" wide trailer), and I can't back up into the spot straight, as there is a telephone pole in my yard (power drop to my garage) right where the pass side front of the truck needs to be.

I usually get it **** close the 1st try, but I spend like 4 more tires to get it on the parking boards. I have a heavy trailer, and a soft yard. I have 2 - 8 ft 2 x 12's on the ground for the tire to set on. Otherwise, they'd sink into the ground pretty easily. I already have ruts in the yard from the trailer's weight.

It's a real PITA to move a 24 ft GN over 3" when you don't have any room to play with really.

 

My back window has the tint faded from the old MOPAR PERFORMANCE sticker I used to have on there. I center the hitch up on the O in MOPAR and usually get it lined right up and the second jog.

 

Make sure you open the tailgate first.