Overnight Hitch or unhitch?

[GilnJo]

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!

 

[Wilco-FRF]

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.

 

[llr2800]

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.

 

[djousma]

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.

 

[timfromma]

I lower my stabilizers and my tongue jack just to take weight off the truck but I stay connected.

 

[Teetime]

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.

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.

 

[NorSnrub]

Hitch or unhitch

If you don't have anyplace to go, leave it hitched.

 

[pburch]

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.

 

[rlh1957]

Looks more considerate of your neighbor Wal-Mart's generosity not to unhitch.
Saves time & sweat on arriving and departure

 

[aceinspp]

I lower my stabilizers and my tongue jack just to take weight off the truck but I stay connected.

X 2 and unplug trailer from TV tho. Later RJD

 

[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.

 

[Lt Jim]

Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?

 

[JohnD10]

Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?

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...

 

[Scrapper]

Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?

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.

 

[NMWildcat]

Just curious, what is the reason for disconnecting the TV harness when parking overnight?

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

 

[Indy500]

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.

What campground is in Edinburgh, In. And is it nice?

 

[bedubya]

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..

 

[KyDan]

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)

 

[jwfrede]

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.

 

[GilnJo]

Thanks everyone! OP here. Good common sense prevails.