Fifth wheel trailers have been used extensively for many years because of a number of advantages that such trailers offers over other types of trailers. In particular, fifth wheel trailers permit somewhat heavier loads to be towed safely. Additionally, such trailers track quite well behind the towing vehicle, even when adverse road conditions are encountered. Finally, fifth wheel travel trailers provide a great deal of useable interior room.
Fifth wheel trailers have become popular in recent years in the travel trailer industry. A conventional fifth wheel travel trailer is specifically designed to be towed by a pick up truck or by a flat bed truck. The front end of such a trailer is elevated above the bed of the truck. The trailer includes a mounting portion, sometimes referred to as a kingpin, that extends downward from beneath the elevated part of the trailer and engages a trailer hitch that is secured to the bed of the pick up truck directly over the rear wheels of the truck. This fifth wheel hitch arrangement has the advantage that a significant portion of the weight of the trailer is applied to the truck bed over the truck's rear wheels, increasing the traction that can be obtained by the truck. This, in turn, produces a towing combination of truck and trailer which handles well during towing, minimizing sway, and which backs up with relative ease. Further, the two level design of the trailer results in an elevated forward portion that is advantageously used as a bedroom area.
The fifth wheel trailer design, however, is not without its disadvantages. While it is relatively easy to connect and disconnect from the truck, backing the truck into position prior to connecting to the truck bed hitch can be difficult, especially if a driver is maneuvering the truck without assistance from someone standing near the rear of the truck, giving the driver directions. There is a need for a fifth wheel trailer in which the process of connecting the trailer to the hitch carried by the tow vehicle is facilitated.