Hitch guides for goose-neck trailers
Bringing goose-neck trailers and their tow vehicles into registry for hitching them together is problematic. The driver of the tow vehicle, which is ordinarily a pick-up truck, usually cannot see the hitch ball, which is mounted in the bed of the truck. This suggests that a guide using something movable with the tow vehicle and something fixed on the trailer can help bring these two into registry.
The Maxwell U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,235, which is the closest prior art known to applicant, suggests such a guide for use in hitching up a goose-neck trailer with its tow vehicle. Embodiments of the invention of this application improve on the Maxwell suggestions in several important ways. The components used in applicant's embodiment are much less expensive than Maxwell's, and mounting applicant's guide components in place is both quicker and easier than mounting Maxwell's devices. The functional results obtained with applicant's embodiments meet everything the Maxwell devices can accomplish, and do so with less expensive and more compact equipment that is easier to use and more accurate in its results.
Applicant's supports for a reference strap spanning the distance between the sides of a truck have the advantage of being lightweight, low cost, and easy to install. The supports also position a center region of a reference strap in a plane obliquely facing the driver so that a center of the reference strap is readily visible without requiring auxiliary equipment. The strap supports are preferably simple plastic posts held in place with a pair of suction cups that are readily mounted on the outer sides of the truck body. Proper use of applicant's embodiments can help in preventing damage to a tow vehicle tailgate and a forward lower region of the gooseneck trailer. Finally, applicant's components assemble into a compact package that can fit in the glove box of a tow vehicle.
The hitching guide of this application applies to gooseneck trailers 10 and tow vehicles 15, which are usually pick-up trucks. A hitch pipe 11 extends downward from a front region of a gooseneck trailer 10 to a hitch 12 that can mount on a hitch ball 13 mounted in the bed 14 of truck 15.
The vision of a driver of tow vehicle 15 looking through rear window 16 normally does not extend down to hitch ball 13. This makes a guide of some sort desirable so that the driver can back tow vehicle 15 under a forward end of trailer 10 to bring hitch 12 in registry with hitch ball 13. Doing this requires lowering of tailgate 20 so that tow vehicle 15 can back its bed 14 in under hitch pipe 11 and hitch 12, which are elevated somewhat above bed 14.
As hitch ball 13 approaches registry with hitch 12, it is wise for the driver or an assistant to close tailgate 20 by moving it up along the dotted line arc 21. This avoids banging tailgate 20 into the lower front region 25 of trailer 10.
A reference strap 30 and supports 35 for reference strap 30 cooperate to enable a driver to back tow vehicle 15 into a position where hitch 12 reliably registers with hitch ball 13 to accomplish hitching trailer 10 to tow vehicle 15. Supports 35 each include a pair of suction cups 36, preferably arranged vertically or longitudinally of posts 35, so that the paired suction cups can hold each post 35 in a vertical orientation placing reference strap 30 well above the top rails 18 of truck sides 17. Suction cups 36 are lightweight, convenient, and reliable in holding posts 35 upright. They also fit any make or style of tow vehicle and are less expensive than magnets or other attaching devices. An alternative arrangement of suction cups 36, as shown in
In
The
Installing applicant's hitch guide is preferably done when tow vehicle 15 and trailer 10 are connected. Suction cups for posts 35 or 65 are then attached to upper side walls 17 of truck bed 14 just forward of hitch ball 13. The posts then hold strap 30 tensioned in a horizontal direction spanning the truck sides 17 and positioned at least several inches above top rails 18 of truck sides 17.
Strap 30 then needs a center marker or indicator that can be aligned with the center of hitch pipe 11. For this purpose, a hook and loop fastener is one preferred possibility for a central foot or so of strap 30 where a center indicator can be attached. One part of the hook and loop fastener preferably bears a highly reflective tape attached to the counterpart of the hook and loop fastener to form a marker line. This can be a black mark or a color dividing line between different color portions of the tape. Either way, the tape marks a center point aligned with a forward facing center of the hitch pipe. The hook and loop application of a reflective center marker for reference strap 30 provides good visibility for a nighttime hitching operation and also allows accurate positioning of the center marker without much adjusting of the frictional connections between strap 30 and posts 35 or 65.
Simpler possibilities also exist. For example, a marker can apply a center mark to strap 30, without using a separate center marking tape. Alternatively, a center marking tape can be permanently stitched to strap 30 and can be positioned to register with hitch pipe 11 by adjusting the end regions of strap 30 on their support posts 35 or 65. This allows the important central region of strap 30 to be made highly reflective to aid in hitch alignment.
Although center indicator 56 for hitch pipe 11 is not really required, especially in daylight, applying a highly reflective center marker 56 on pipe 11, as shown in
Once the hitch guide is assembled and centered on the tow vehicle, it becomes a simple and nearly foolproof matter to back the truck up to the trailer to accomplish a hitch. First, a tailgate of the truck is lowered so that the truck bed 14 can be backed under hitch pipe 11. It helps to have the tow vehicle and trailer lined up for this so that their longitudinal axes coincide. A hitch connection between a trailer and a tow vehicle angled relative to each other is possible though, and can be greatly assisted by use of applicant's hitch guide.
The tow vehicle can then be backed under hitch 12 and hitch pipe 11 to bring these to within a few inches of hitch ball 13. It is then wise to close the tailgate just to be sure there is not an accidental overshoot in bringing hitch 12 into registry with ball 13. The driver then continues backing gently until a center marker of reference strap 30 touches the front center of hitch pipe 11, which assures that hitch 12 is registered with ball 13. The rest of the hitching operation can proceed in the normal way, the hitch guide having assured that perfect registry occurs quickly and easily between tow vehicle 15 and trailer 10.