Gooseneck Trailer

[super99]

This is how I hook up my trailer to haul the Oliver 1550 to shows and tractor rides. I painted a line down the center rib of the box lining up with the ball.

I use a cheap backup camera plugged into the lighter and a plate on the tool box and a magnet glued on to the camera.

I painted the hitch on the trailer white. I watch the camera and back up lining up the line in the bed with the hitch, the trick is stopping with the ball in line with the hitch.

I got 2 hog sheds from the neighbor that quit raising hogs and park the trailer in them

It keeps the tires out of the sun, just have to leave it out far enough to turn the crank to unhook the trailer.

 

[wjytexas]

Nice setup all around.

 

[1970-1655]

What camera are you using? I am getting tired of getting out, looking, get back in and move the truck a foot, repeat several times. The wife is no help either. On FB there is an advertisement for a wireless one but I can't find it now that I thought of trying.

 

[redforlife]

It's ussually not hard to find a center point in a tail gate just by how it was made. If you can get good enough to be right at that point (when trailer hitch is over center of tail gate), then it's just a matter of backing straight up.
I had a job one time where I often times had to hook up trailers by myself using thier pick-ups. Of course they didn't have all the paint and cameras, so I had to come up with a simplified way. So that's kind of how I came up with focusing on the center point of the tail gate, and then continuing on straight back from that.

Crossover tool boxes and extended cabs are really what's murder when hooking up goosenecks. Avoiding having both of them options when it comes to a gooseneck pulling truck, is tremendously helpful. That's why I prefer a regular cab. And I haven't done crossover tool boxes in years.

If I'm caught in a situation where cross over tool boxes and an extended cab is involved, I simple place an empty pop can on the center point of tail gate. You can ussually see the pop can if you can't see nothing else. And that puts you back into the same scenario I mentioned. And it doesn't matter if the trailer hits the pop can. If the hitch knocks the can over and out of sight, it don't matter. The cans use for a guide is pretty much over at that point anyways. So it really don't get knocked out of sight until your at the point of not needing it anymore anyways. I ussually just don't even figure on retrieving the pop can until actually hooking up the trailer anyways. Your gonna be out of the truck for that regardless of can or no can.

 

[J.Wondergem]

I also have a portable camera, but place it on the front side of the hitch post of the trailer looking down so that I can see the ball coming inline with the bottom of the post.

 

[Janicholson]

Take a rear view mirror from the wrecking yard, and make a stand that allows it to be set (and marked for later positioning) so that you can see sideways in the mirror (45 degree angle) in the camera for depth perception on the hitch position fore and aft. Jim

 

[caterpillar guy]

With a real fifth wheel it would not matter if your off an inch or two one way or the other and it would stop when you come to the plate with the pin and no safety chains needed on them. biggest thing I see is when they forget to let the tailgate down and bend it up pulling out or backing in.

 

[Bob N.Y.]

Are the hog sheds anchored so that the wind doesn't blow them away?

 

[jm.]

No pictures but maybe I can explain, sure works perfect and not as complicated as yours. I have a small metal rod about 4 ft long mounted on one of the harbor freight welding magnets. Place it right in front of the ball (in the truck bed) with the rod sticking up. You just center the rod as you back up and when the rod tips stop hitch will be right over the ball. has worked for years for me .

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

All these gimmicks and gadgets to hook up a trailer... What's wrong with using your mirrors to sight down each side of the truck, see that an equal amount of trailer is visible on both sides as you back in? That's how I've hitched up trailers. No tape, no painted lines, no tennis balls on sticks, no wife.

 

[DoubleR]

Glad to hear, I'm not the
only one that still hooks
up trailers that way.
Although I do have a
wife. But she is not about
to help me hook anything
up.

 

[chuck machinist]

(quoted from post at 21:25:10 09/06/23) Glad to hear, I'm not the
only one that still hooks
up trailers that way.
Although I do have a
wife. But she is not about
to help me hook anything
up.

I was gifted a mag mounted telescoping tennis ball. I set the Mag on top of the ball. and center the truck on the mast. 9 out of ten , I hit it square on. Just saying! CM

 

[J Hamilton]

That's the way I've always done it too. Our trucks at work have a camera, but I don't use it. Can't see diddly squat using it. I can hook up faster without people trying to help

 

[GermantownGreen]

Pretty neat setup. Especially keeping the weather off the trailer. GG

 

[JohnRowehl]

(quoted from post at 13:46:52 09/06/23) No pictures but maybe I can explain, sure works perfect and not as complicated as yours. I have a small metal rod about 4 ft long mounted on one of the harbor freight welding magnets. Place it right in front of the ball (in the truck bed) with the rod sticking up. You just center the rod as you back up and when the rod tips stop hitch will be right over the ball. has worked for years for me .

I just got a gooseneck and I had this same idea. Just wasn t sure how I was going to make a base for the rod.

 

[David from Kansas]

Can usually get it centered by looking in the rear view mirrors, but my depth perception is so bad I sometimes have to get in and out numerous times to get the ball aligned and it seems you have to be within a half inch of dead center to get the gooseneck to drop onto the ball.

 

[chuck machinist]

This is how I hook up my trailer to haul the Oliver 1550 to shows and tractor rides. I painted a line down the center rib of the box lining up with the ball.

I use a cheap backup camera plugged into the lighter and a plate on the tool box and a magnet glued on to the camera.

I painted the hitch on the trailer white. I watch the camera and back up lining up the line in the bed with the hitch, the trick is stopping with the ball in line with the hitch.

I got 2 hog sheds from the neighbor that quit raising hogs and park the trailer in them

It keeps the tires out of the sun, just have to leave it out far enough to turn the crank to unhook the trailer.

I use the TELESCOPING tennis ball on a mag base. I mount the mag on the ball. When the GN post kicks the magnet off , I am centered over the PIN! CM

 

[super99]

IO have a pair of them and tried that, magnet wouldn't hold it on top of the ball. Once you get the hang of it, it's fast and simple. Chris

 

[chuck machinist]

IO have a pair of them and tried that, magnet wouldn't hold it on top of the ball. Once you get the hang of it, it's fast and simple. Chris

WHO Announcement coming soon Chris! I have a hankering for some Iowa Pork sandwiches [ Food Humor] CM