Hookin’ Up Is Very Easy To Do-Yeah, Right!

Since I have to take my camper in at 8 am to Lazy Days RV tomorrow for a thorough cleaning in and out, I decided it would be prudent to hook it up to my truck tonight.

I was so happy not to have to do this alone. Instead my friend Karen helped me hook up the camper to the truck.

My trusty back-up camera really helps. The hitch ball went right under the hitch coupler first time.

To hook it up, you must do the following:

1. Raise the camper A-frame enough to get the hitch ball under the coupler.
2. Secure the hitch coupler to the hitch ball by lowering the hitch coupler onto the hitch ball.
3. Once the hitch ball is secure, raise the camper to make it easier to get the spring bars on.
4. Pivot one end of the heavy spring bars onto the hitch.
5. Put the chain on the other end of the spring bars (did I say they were HEAVY?) onto the bracket attached to the A-frame, using a bar to raise it up.
6. Secure a fastener through the bracket so the spring bars can’t fall off.
7. Go through steps 5 and 6 on the other side of the A-frame.
8. Put the sway bar on the holders (one on the hitch frame and one on the A-frame.
9. Use retaining clips to keep the sway bar from coming off.
10. Fasten brake release cable into one of the safety chains.
11. Fasten the safety chains onto the hitch.
12. Plug in the electrical connector.

Now, that doesn’t seem too hard, does it?

Keeping in mind that I had never hitched up before, you might understand why I missed some specifics about how to fasten the spring bars and the sway bar. I forgot about the retaining clips that were supposed to go on the sway bars as soon as I put them in my pocket when I took them out of the truck. Then, I tried to put the fasteners that were supposed to go on the spring bar brackets (to keep them from coming down) onto the sway bar. Needless to say, they did not fit.

I decided to forget the sway bar and have Camping World show me how to secure them once I got there, but later this evening, after it was too dark to take care of it, I remembered how the fasteners and retaining clips were supposed to work. Tomorrow morning, before leaving, I’ll try to put them on the right way.

I should probably take a couple of pictures so you can really see what I’m referring to. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow morning.

Until next time…