Another Question for Andersen Ultimate 5th Connection Users

[cstreu1026]

I can't see the ball of my hitch due to the tri-fold bed cover. Does anyone who has the Andersen hitch have any suggestions for making it easy to back under by myself because the first time took 20-30 minutes. I've been looking at adding a camera to my third brake light but I'm sure unsure of the quality of the electronics.

[Lins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtwfBStzX5s

[cstreu1026]

Unfortunately my 2016 doesn't have the input for an auxiliary camera. My next truck will definitely be ordered with that option.

[bwbarnes]

I have the exact same problem. My solution was to use an old plastic water bottle that I cut the bottom out of and painted bright pink (Daughter had the paint). I then tied a string to the bottle to help recover it after hitching. I place the bottle on the AUH ball and lay the string over the side of my truck bed. I can easily see the bottle and back up to the trailer until the bottle is pushed over. 9 times out of 10 I'm perfectly positioned and can lower the trailer onto the ball. then I pull the string to retrieve the bottle from the bed floor and store it for next time.

[tomkatb]

Assigned the wife to that duty.

She is 20 for 20 on the first try.

Somehow she gets close with the tailgate camera and then uses the rearview mirror.

I do have to tell her when to stop and sometimes +-2" a little forward and backward move. But, she is always straight on.

Why she can do it is beyond me. We do have the cup device which lets you be a little off.

[Bama Rambler]

I have a set of cameras. I mounted one to the back of the RV for observation and I mounted the other one to the front bed rail using strong neodymium magnets, and it works very well in lining up the connection. You could also mount it to the cab above the center brake light and it would work also.

[Kimber45]

6 foot 4 and no folding cover. can look over the top of my seat and see it no problem.

[llevesque]

When I had that hitch, I cut a tennis ball in half, drilled a hole in it, placed a wood dowel (painted fluorescent orange) in the hole, and simply set it on the ball. I also put a painted line on the middle of the kingpin. Aligning the dowel with the kingpin solved my alignment problem. The distance issue was just a matter of practice . . . I'd stop the moment the dowel fell, got out to check how much further I needed to go, and nudged forward accordingly. Once used to it, it took all of 5-10 minutes to hook up. Good luck!

[dmt1632]

I use the magnetic trailer alignment kit from harbor freight. Telescoping ball with magnetic base. Just set it beside torqued bolt on top of hitch.

[Springerdad]

Glad I read this thread. We are new to 5th wheeling, and I love my Andersen for its features. I struggle with the 'see the ball' issue too. Wifey and I have a system down with her directing me, which works well, but we've just discussed the plastic bottle method and we're going to try that when we hitch up to pull out of here in 3 weeks. Thanks for the great idea!

[BillD]

I use my android phone and an older android phone and the Alfred app. works great. Set the old phone as camera and the new one to observation, works great

[Tall frog]

I have had the same problem so I made a spring guide that clamps to the hitch, when mot needed the spring slips off the therded rod and you can bend the rod to allow you to just hit the spring with the funnel of the hitch.