Hitch or unhitch

Moving Target · 04-16-2013, 06:28 AM

I will be camping for 3 nights and wonder if it is ok to leave the TT hitched to the truck for the weekend? I still put the stablizers down.
Is there any harm in leaving the TT hitched? I was just wondering.

Kathie

tnchuck100 · 04-16-2013, 06:51 AM

As long as you are level for the sake of the refrigerator there is nothing wrong with remaining hitched. I would disconnect the electric cable from the TV until you are ready to leave. You don't want the trailer charging the TV battery if you are hooked up to shore power nor do you want to draw from the TV battery if you are not hooked up to shore power.

xkuzme1 · 04-16-2013, 07:31 AM

The only thing to think keep in mind, emergency evacuations, floods, fires. There are some reasons to not stay hitched. I have camped and stayed hitched many times, I just have a plan. Worst case scenario is to pull the receiver pin and chains and tear out.

X

dmax_83 · 04-16-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xkuzme1

The only thing to think keep in mind, emergency evacuations, floods, fires. There are some reasons to not stay hitched. I have camped and stayed hitched many times, I just have a plan. Worst case scenario is to pull the receiver pin and chains and tear out.

X

I always unhitch for this exact reason. Oftentimes I never move my truck, but I like to know that I can if I need to. Plus it only takes like 10 minutes to hitch and unhitch anyways.

Ranger431 · 04-16-2013, 09:49 AM

Agreed, I just about always unhitch for the same reason.. I said "just about" only because there has been a time or two where I have just stopped for a brief night and planned on leaving bright and early the next morning. When I do that I ensure both the stabilizers and thighs jacks are down.
Also a great point about the emergency evac plan. I have kids and always think this through. Plan is usually just to pull the receiver pin, unchain and go as well. Also agree with unplugging. Make sure you still go through your full pre-departure checklist we well.

Terry · 04-16-2013, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnchuck100

As long as you are level for the sake of the refrigerator there is nothing wrong with remaining hitched. I would disconnect the electric cable from the TV until you are ready to leave. You don't want the trailer charging the TV battery if you are hooked up to shore power nor do you want to draw from the TV battery if you are not hooked up to shore power.

Just curious why you say not to let the trailer charge the TV battery? I leave mine hooked up quite often and keep the tv battery topped off since I tend to leave the doors open and go on a bad out a lot.

tnchuck100 · 04-17-2013, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry

Just curious why you say not to let the trailer charge the TV battery? I leave mine hooked up quite often and keep the tv battery topped off since I tend to leave the doors open and go on a bad out a lot.

I really don't think it would hurt anything to let the trailer charge the TV battery. It's just my way of doing things. Your reasoning makes sense if you leave the doors open with the lights on.

Moving Target · 04-17-2013, 06:12 AM

Thanks everyone for the responses. An emergency plan is a must. So, I think I will leave it hitched, but the WDH and the sway bar, the elec cable and chains off.
If I need to pull out in a hurry I only have to raise the hitch and go.

Kathie

dmax_83 · 04-17-2013, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moving Target

Thanks everyone for the responses. An emergency plan is a must. So, I think I will leave it hitched, but the WDH and the sway bar, the elec cable and chains off.
If I need to pull out in a hurry I only have to raise the hitch and go.

Kathie

No offense, but if you are going to remove the w/d, sway bar, chains, and electric, why not just finish the job and remove the tongue from the hitch ball? Just my .02

Quantum · 04-17-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry

Just curious why you say not to let the trailer charge the TV battery? I leave mine hooked up quite often and keep the tv battery topped off since I tend to leave the doors open and go on a bad out a lot.

I unhook the electrical to the tow vehicle, just because of all the electronics in vehicles these days, I feel better only having the alternator charge the vehicle, not the inverter on the trailer. Last year, my charging fuse blew in my Traverse, I don't know if it was because the Traverse was running with the AC on while I was still plugged in (getting ready to leave home).

tlhdoc · 04-17-2013, 07:25 PM

I have camped more than once leaving the camper hitched to the TV. All I did was unplug the camper from the TV. It makes for a lot less work on the day you leave. If there is an emergency all I have to do is crank the jacks up and put the plug back in.

Grunge Grown Up · 04-22-2013, 08:29 AM

I always unhitch. I got extremely sick camping one night and had to wake up the man to take my son to our friends TT and me to the ER. This was about 3 am, so he was sound asleep. If I would have had to get him up and him have unhitch the trailer, get the kid to the our friends, and get me to the ER in a strange town, he would have not been very happy and then I would have been mad and sick.

It only takes a few minutes to unhitch when you are unloading, but in the middle of the night, when you are half asleep it takes longer.

Nighthawk 96 · 04-22-2013, 06:40 PM

I generally unhitch since I hook up my grill to one of the tanks in the front. Feel better when the truck is not too close to the grill. If I were to stay hitched I would unplug electric cable from truck.

Moving Target · 04-23-2013, 06:00 AM

Makes sense, Matt. This story has me sold now on unhitching every time. Thanks.
Kathie

Siamese · 03-10-2018, 03:13 PM

I fall in the leave it hitched group. F-150 yanking a 26BH.

When we travel, we like to overnight at the Walmart Hilton a lot. After a day of driving, locate the nearest Wally, and find a good spot. With luck, we find a spot with a slight incline which puts our trailer pretty much on the level. If the trailer is nose down a little, I'll deploy the electric tongue jack and raise it a bit without unhitching. Disconnect the electric cable, and I'm done. We don't bother with the rear stabilizers, as it's just a single night at Wally.

Also, we like to adhere to Wally's guidelines reasonably well, which I'm thinking precludes unhitching. And, we deliberately bought a trailer with no slides so there's no issue there with Wally.

Easy peasy.

If there was some sort of nighttime emergency, which I've never experienced, then I'll deal with it. For me, getting up in the middle of the night, or even in the morning, is a slowwwww process. But I've always found that if there's a reason to get a move on, I can shake out the cobwebs instantly and complete the job at hand.

Of course, if it's 2 a.m. and the cops stop buy to tell us to vacate the premises, we're good to go.

In the morning, there's very little to do. Retract the jack, do a walk-around, and we're history.

RogerR · 03-10-2018, 05:17 PM

I am in the stay hitched group. All I do is drop the tongue jack to stabilize and level my 195rb. Pull the plug and hang it over the top of the tongue jack to remind myself to plug it in.

We are lucky to have the bed up front so we don't have to drop the stabilizers for one night.

My DW can easily push the button to raise the jack and plug in the cable. She has done it many times while I take a shower, etc. before leaving so I am confident in her capability if I am sick.

If it were a true emergency I would just lift the tongue and trash the stabilizers on the way out if they were down.

We found casinos are great, most will let you park if you ask. Safer than Wally World!

wabirch · 03-10-2018, 05:57 PM

I'd hate to think charging would be going on through the gauge wiring a harness provides. Curious how many of those stay hot when TV is off other than running lights.

**Midnightmoon** · 03-10-2018, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wabirch

I'd hate to think charging would be going on through the gauge wiring a harness provides. Curious how many of those stay hot when TV is off other than running lights.

For what it's worth, my Ram trucks and my MB Sprinter stay hot when plugged in, including the charge circuit and the brake controller.

nighthawk87 · 03-10-2018, 06:24 PM

My 17 ram stays hot when off. Not sure if it would drain the battery though

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vcbice · 03-10-2018, 09:09 PM

We stay connected a lot (fifth wheel, trailer or MH/toad). Emergency evac, just raise the jacks, move slides and go. If I have to be gone in less than 10 min then an ambulance has been called.

I am another that disconnects the TV or toad. Yep, I know there is protection there for the vehicle electrical, I just don't trust it all that much.

You may also like: