Hitch alignment device ?????

[MBurke]

Ok... . I just ordered my sleeper from ICT in Indiana, and now I need to find a way to hook up to my gooseneck, now that I will no longer have a back window. Just side mirrors.

I have heard of an electronic Bullseye system, but am unsure if it would work with a goose. I will have a sleeper on the flatbed with a 60 gal tank directly behind it near the gooseneck box, so I don't want to hit the tank with the gooseneck!!!

Ideas???

 

[daveshoe]

I saw a unit designed for trailer hitches for a regular bumper pull hitch. this unit hangs on the tailgate and operates like a periscope mirrors you built as a kid except it takes one mirror to turn the image 90 degrees . Why dont you try mounting two 6x9 truck mirrors back in the bed and to the side to give yourself a good view of the gooseneck from the cab? just have a buddy hold one and aim it for you to see if it works.

 

[MBurke]

Didn't work... already tried

I have a flat bed and there will be absolutely no looking through the rear glass possible. I already tried the mirror thing, and it just doesn't work. Thanks for the input though!

Next!!!!

 

[daveshoe]

Sorry that I didnt read your post more carefully. I guess the sleeper completely blocks the view of the bed . I wonder if a 75 dollar webcam could be hooked to a cheap 12 volt tv? I may be showing myself to be a complete idiot here because I have no idea if these small cameras have to run through a computer or vcr etc. or if the voltages would match

 

[illflem]

How about you get some bells on your truck to sound like an ice cream truck then cruise the streets till you find a little helper?



Really when I ran bees had this problem all the time, would leave a trailer at a location then come back to hook up at night. Wasn't worth bringing someone along just to hook up and didn't want to jolt a trailer full of bees and get them POed. The trick is to make marks on the ground before you unhook. Since I was on dirt or grass I carried a 10' piece of 1/2" pvc pipe, put it right up against the front and rear tires and just left it there when I pulled out, nobody was going to bother it with 100 bee hives just a few feet away. Made an excellent target backing up parallel to with the door open looking down, when the front of the front tire was even with the end of the pipe you'd hear the hitch click closed. If you're parking on pavement just chalk or paint a line. I'm sure you can improvise other ways to use this system, even boards or a hose will give you a line to parallel to and stop. Two nails or stakes in the ground can get a sting attached to them later if you need it to be unobtrusive or will be gone for awhile. Sometimes you can just follow your old tire tracks and put a block at the rear tire's furthest point to keep you from going too far back.

 

[Mojo293]

They have cameras that go on the back of trailers to see how close you are. I have no idea how much or where but my friend has one on his 20' camper and likes it. Try the towing forum, you might get more help there. Good Luck.

 

[daveshoe]

how about a cheap webcam or security camera?????? If one of these units would hook to a portable tv mabe that would work. I may be a complete idiot about this , so some one else may know if it is possible to hook these components together in a 12 volt system.

 

[Whitmore]

years ago

I saw a simple but reliable system, it was all plastic and was a 2 piece unit, one for your truck and one for the trailer, this was just like hanging a flag on your house, you had a stickie deal that you stuck on the trailer and another one on the truck, then there was a plastic rod like 1/4 inch diam that stuck in there and poked up in the air for plain view, one on each unit, it was simple you would cut the rods so the tips touched each other and then when backing up you would simply make the 2 ends meet and under that the hitch was over the ball, and when hooked up you would pull the 2 rods out and put them in the jock box for next time, the other 2 pieces were perm mounted and stayed put. Musta cost like $1. 29 wow .



Also I heard one member say he would streach a bungie across his bed and would back up to it and then vvwwallaa!!!

 

[MBurke]

Won't work for me

Whitmore,

I have a flatbed with a sleeper, thus no back window... . though your suggestions would be GREAT if I had a back window, unfortunately, they will not work for me.

Thanks again, and please keep the ideas rolling... .

 

[Ladders]

Hooking up device

Seen one that has a dash mounted display that tells you haw far to go and which side you off. Cant find in the Camping World but ck the Towing site, they would have more info on these devices and where to get. Also, IRV2.com, RV.net, RVLINKS.org, etc and there are others out there.



SOTSU!!

\\BF//