2017 f-250 platinum diesel. When I used to start up the truck the main center display would be a digital speedometer which I liked. Now somehow I messed that up and every time I turn the truck off and on the towing tab comes up on the screen and I have to toggle to the digital speedometer. How can I get the display to display the speedo on engine start up again? Can’t find in manual Thanks!!

 

You most likely towed recently. This tripped me up all the time at first, and still does occasionally. If you disconnect the trailer with the truck off (as, you know, most people would) the truck doesn't pick up on this. You then have to manually change your trailer to 'no active trailer" to get the truck to quit thinking you have a trailer connected and popping up the trailer tab.

 

I are correct I did tow. Thanks. Will try tonight!!

 

Why are you shutting your truck off when unhooking? Aren't you pulling away from the trailer after you unhook? I don't think I've ever done it the way you described.

Not trying to start anything just curious I guess. Slow day at work.

 

I'm shutting it off because I don't like a) breathing exhaust and b) wasting gas. For example, here's the unhook routine I'd need to do with my old travel trailer, after it's parked where I want it:

1) Get out the wheel chocks (in storage cubby right by truck's exhaust) and chock the wheels.
2) Get out boards for tongue jack.
3) Put down tongue jack and raise tongue to take weight off the weight distribution hitch.
4) Remove the 2 friction sway bars
5) Remove the safety chains
6) Remove the breakaway cable.
7) lower the spring bags and unhook from trailer
8) Remove spring bags from hitch head
9) lower tongue jack to take the weight off the ball.
10) release the coupler
11) raise the tongue jack to release the coupler from the ball, so the hitch will pull clear.
12) unplug the 7-pin Bargeman plug.

After all that, then I could pull the truck forward. Based on how my day's going, that's anywhere between 5-30 minutes of work (with usually the cursing progressing the longer it takes). Yes, I could get back in the truck, start it back up, then go back and unplug the 7-pin, but I'm already back there, why wouldn't I just unplug it while there.

Now that I've got the fiver:

1) Unplug the tpms/camera cable from the rear of the truck, toss back in the bed (it's in the way of opening my front storage cubby)
2) Open the front storage cubby and get out the wheel chocks and jack pads, so usually 3-4 trips into the front storage.
3) Run the front landing gear down about 1/2 way (need to do it this way for the auto leveler)
4) Drop the telescoping part of the front landing gear
5) line up the landing gear with landing pads, make sure the pins are seated correctly
6) run landing gear rest of the way down, so it takes weight off the hitch head.
7) close front storage cubby (it's in the way of dropping the tailgate)
8) Drop tailgate
9) Unplug the 7-pin Bargeman
10) Unhook the breakaway cable
11) unpin the hitch latch
12) pull the hitch latch
13) pin the hitch latch so it doesn't close while truck is moving.

At this point, I can pull the truck forward. Generally, the whole process is faster than my travel trailer was, but it's still at least a good 5 minutes, up to maybe 15 if the family is trying to help. Again, I could get in the truck, start it back up, and then go back and unplug, but again, I'm back there already so I'm probably just going to unplug it.

 

Well that makes sense haha. I only pull a camper 1 or 2 times a year so that didn't cross my mind. I'm pulling trailers at work, bumper and gooseneck, and my process is unhook chains & plug, run jack down. 1 minute tops. That's where I was having trouble with the thought of shutting down for that short of time just to drive away from trailer.

And I definitely agree with the cursing progressing with the longer it takes, especially when setting up a camper in the rain!

 

Yeah, I'm the opposite. I might pull one of the father in law's utility trailers maybe once every couple of years. One of those, yeah, hop out, pull it off the ball, unplug, no need to shut off the truck. The campers though I'm pulling like 20-30 times a year.

Still, I think the system should be a little smarter and be able to tell the difference when it's disconnected, even if it's turned off. It knows to complain about the trailer when I turn truck back on, so it knows the trailer is disconnected, but doesn't update the active trailer? And it's not like it's a safety feature in case the trailer gets accidentally disconnected, because it's more likely that unintentional disconnect is going to occur when the trucks running, which the truck would register as a good disconnect.

 

Another reason is using the Andersen hitch.

Shut off the truck, drop the leg extensions six holes, open the side compartment, drop the gear to raise the trailer off the ball, unhook everything, then pull forward.

 

I found this post interesting as I have the same problem, so thanks for posting and the responses. I recently moved out of state with a Uhaul trailer and I found out only one person was at the drop off location, so I turned the truck off to look for the attendant. 45 minutes later she showed up and inspected the trailer and checked me in, then I dropped it and left. So now I have a possible solution to my problem, thanks again.

 

Welcome to the club. Mine did this when I was testing the backup camera after installing. I had a phantom trailer racking up the miles for a day or so until I finally got back to my 5er to plug in and shut it down properly.

 

No need to go back to the trailer. Just need to go into ‘select trailer’ and then pick ‘no active trailer’.

 

Hmmm, I don't remember seeing that. I will have to look again. I had to get back to the trailer anyway for more testing, but thanks for the tip. I will look.