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02-19-2019, 12:17 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 41
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Overnight Hitch or unhitch?
Hi All, Making my first long distance trip with my 2018 Cardinal 3350 5er this spring. Travelling L. A. to Arkansas and stopping for a series of one night stays along the way (and back). Assuming I can get into pull through sites each night, what's the common or best practice for one night stays? Stay hitched, drop the landing gear and take some of the weight off the truck (Ford F350 Super Duty Diesel long bed)? Unhitch completely and re-hitch every morning?Other considerations? Thanks for your feedback!
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02-19-2019, 12:27 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 322
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If it is only for sleeping overnight and I am reasonably level, I stay hitched. You may consider lowering the stabilizers to remove some of the bounce in the trailer.
For longer stays or out of level I unhitch.
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Catalina 333RETS
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02-19-2019, 12:28 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,694
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No reason to unhook, I wouldn't worry about the weight on the truck but stabilizing and leveling the camper.
Unless you know your truck cuts power to the 12v pin when turned off I would unplug the trailer cord from the truck.
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02-19-2019, 12:34 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Michigan
Posts: 284
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I've done both. If still hooked up, I do put the jacks down to take some load off the truck, and to stabilize the rest of the trailer before putting slides out. If I unhook, its usually because we are going to go out to get a bite to eat, and fill with diesel before hooking up again.
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Dave
2017 Cardinal 3850RL Mocha Pearl full body paint
2016 F350 Lariat 4x4 FX4 SRW CC SB 6.7 Magnetic Metallic
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02-19-2019, 12:45 PM
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#5
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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I lower my stabilizers and my tongue jack just to take weight off the truck but I stay connected.
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2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
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2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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02-19-2019, 12:54 PM
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#6
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Gold Tee Box
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Rolla, MO
Posts: 563
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilco
If it is only for sleeping overnight and I am reasonably level, I stay hitched. You may consider lowering the stabilizers to remove some of the bounce in the trailer.
For longer stays or out of level I unhitch.
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Same here, but if you have a slide, you will need to set your jacks and get as close as possible level before you extend/retract. Doesn't take long and easy to break camp in the morning.
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Success is hiring someone to mow your lawn so you can play golf for exercise.
2018 GMC 2500 Duramax Denali
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02-19-2019, 01:10 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 331
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Hitch or unhitch
If you don't have anyplace to go, leave it hitched.
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02-19-2019, 01:22 PM
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#8
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pburch
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Melbourne Fl
Posts: 86
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Hitch or unhitch
During a recent trip for 3 nights, I stayed hitched, but we were not planning on any trips out, and we were leveled with our travel trailer. 
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Julie Ann Dyke Melbourne FL
2021 Cedar Creek 385TH
2021 Dodge Ram 3500 6.7L 4 x 4 3.73 Gear 6' 4" Bed
Along with "Abby" and "Charlie" our Fur Babies
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02-19-2019, 01:39 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southeast
Posts: 1,047
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Looks more considerate of your neighbor Wal-Mart's generosity not to unhitch.
Saves time & sweat on arriving and departure
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02-19-2019, 01:48 PM
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#10
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Georgia Rally Coordinator
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: GA
Posts: 24,488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma
I lower my stabilizers and my tongue jack just to take weight off the truck but I stay connected.
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X 2 and unplug trailer from TV tho. Later RJD
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Traded 2015 30WRLIKS V-Lite
Days camped 2019 62
Days camped 2020 49 days camped 2021-74 2022-40 days 2023 5 days
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02-19-2019, 02:36 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 423
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As said before, if you don't have to, don't unhook. I level the trailer, unplug the power cord to the truck, lower the stabilizer jacks, hook up electric, water & sewer. When traveling to Michigan, we stop at a campground overnight in Edinburgh, IN, restaurants close by, within walking distance, outlet mall across the road. No need to unhook.
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02-19-2019, 03:08 PM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Austin
Posts: 19
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Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?
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Jim & Annie Fahrman
2014 Landmark Key Largo
2011 F350 Turbo DRW
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02-19-2019, 03:14 PM
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#13
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Denver To Yuma In 90 Days
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 3,882
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt Jim
Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?
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I do it just because it doesn't need to be connected if the trailer is plugged in to the pedestal.
And you never know what could go backwards through that connection, even though 'nothing is supposed to'.
Better to be safe than sorry...
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02-19-2019, 03:16 PM
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#14
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Just as confused as you
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: south central Wisconsin
Posts: 5,108
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt Jim
Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?
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Not all tow vehicles automatically disconnect the tv's battery from the trailer when the engine is not running. If yours does not you will drain the tv's battery.
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Richard & Jill
2014 Flagstaff 832IKBS Classic Super Lite
2018 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Z71 4WD All Star Edition
Camping since 1989, Seasonal since 2000.
Car Shredder Op/Tech, Scrap Metal Recycling - retired
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02-19-2019, 03:17 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southern NM
Posts: 9,563
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt Jim
Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?
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Some tow vehicles will allow the RV to stay connected to the TV battery. So there is a chance the TVs battery would be drained by morning.
This is mainly a holdover from the past as most modern vehicles will not allow that to happen.
But, better safe than sorry 
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Scott and Liz - Southern NM
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL - w/level up (best option ever)
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02-19-2019, 03:21 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Indiana
Posts: 553
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomrob1161
As said before, if you don't have to, don't unhook. I level the trailer, unplug the power cord to the truck, lower the stabilizer jacks, hook up electric, water & sewer. When traveling to Michigan, we stop at a campground overnight in Edinburgh, IN, restaurants close by, within walking distance, outlet mall across the road. No need to unhook.
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What campground is in Edinburgh, In. And is it nice?
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02-19-2019, 03:28 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Waukee, IA
Posts: 566
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In a campground I don't normally unhitch for just overnight. It's more work than it's worth. In a parking lot I DEFINITELY do not unhitch..
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02-19-2019, 03:38 PM
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#18
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,525
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The op mentions pull throughs so he is talking about campgrounds. We assume he will have shore power. I don't unplug overnight when I have shore power. ( if I'm staying hitched)
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2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
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29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
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Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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02-19-2019, 04:15 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 432
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If level enough I do not unhitch. If all I need to do to level is put the jack down to raise up a couple of inches I'll do that without unhitching to save some time. As long as its only a couple of inches I figure I'm not moving much weight back on the jack and shouldn't be overloading the thing.
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02-19-2019, 04:22 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 41
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Thanks everyone! OP here. Good common sense prevails.
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2018 Forest River Cardinal 3350 RL
2016 Ford F350 6.7 Diesel SRW
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