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Old 12-15-2020, 06:19 AM   #1
Nard Dog
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Curt Q20 not latching very easily

Going along with my new HC, I converted from a Reece 16K standard hitch to the Curt Q20 with a slider. I am having a terrible time figuring out how to properly latch this thing. I really seem to have to hold my mouth just right to get the handle to pop in to the 'green' clamped position. I got the hitch from the same dealer I got the camper from. And it took us five or six connections with a lot of different methods to finally get it to lock.

I hit it hard. I hit is soft. I hit it high. I hit it low. It could not, would not, want to go.

Haha, well, one that that seemed to work was hitting it good and hard, and then starting to drive forward, then the latch would go in. But just yesterday even that little trick wouldn't work. So I added in the variable of putting more and more hitch weight on it, which seemed to work yesterday.

Oh yeah, I also put my pickup in the garage for a couple of hours to get it above freezing then pumped more grease into the zerk. But I still had to do the 'hitting hard' and putting more and more weight on it.

Any advice?!? Is this thing defective? I don't mind there being a special way to hold my mouth. I just want to know what that is.
 
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Old 12-15-2020, 07:16 AM   #2
GHallof
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Q20

I have had a Q20 for four years and have never had an experience like what you are describing. Mine hooks up easily each and every time. The only issue I have is uncoupling and a good lube/maintenance solves the issue every time. (I'm terrible at maintenance intervals)

So based on my experience with my Curt working flawlessly each and every time, regardless of conditions. I would say you have something that isn't right for sure.

I recently switched the drop in legs on the Q20 head over to the puck style legs due to a new truck purchase. There was an issue with the dimensions and the puck legs wouldn't seat into the bed of my truck. Called Curt customer support and they went above and beyond to assist until the problem was corrected and even followed up 2 weeks later to see how things were going.

I wouldn't use that hitch until you had some definite resolution from Curt. I'm sure they will make it right.
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Old 12-15-2020, 07:35 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GHallof View Post
I have had a Q20 for four years and have never had an experience like what you are describing. Mine hooks up easily each and every time. The only issue I have is uncoupling and a good lube/maintenance solves the issue every time. (I'm terrible at maintenance intervals)

So based on my experience with my Curt working flawlessly each and every time, regardless of conditions. I would say you have something that isn't right for sure.

I recently switched the drop in legs on the Q20 head over to the puck style legs due to a new truck purchase. There was an issue with the dimensions and the puck legs wouldn't seat into the bed of my truck. Called Curt customer support and they went above and beyond to assist until the problem was corrected and even followed up 2 weeks later to see how things were going.

I wouldn't use that hitch until you had some definite resolution from Curt. I'm sure they will make it right.
Is the one grease zerk between the jaws the only service that needs to be done?
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Old 12-15-2020, 07:52 AM   #4
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I found someone describing this exact issue on their website. I will call Curt for support:

"GOOD PRODUCT
I bought this hitch one year ago. At first had problems with it not wanting to latch completely. I thought being new was the problem and after several tries it would finally latch. We left on a trip around the country and got about 5 days away and it still wouldn't latch correctly. We were a 1000 miles into our trip and I talked with Curt on the problem. Told them I was on a trip around the USA and couldn't be stranded somewhere and they asked where I was at and they told me to go to one of there sales centers and they changed the head out. Since then have had absolutely no problems with it. We have put over 10,000 miles on it with not one problem. Excellent hitch. Never did figure out what was wrong with the first one, but Curt stood behind there product all the way. Would deffinately buy there products again."
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Old 12-15-2020, 07:53 AM   #5
GHallof
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Q20 Zerk

There should be 3. Center immediately between the Jaws and then one on each side. Not the easiest to see. Also a good coat of a spray dry lube on the entire handle mechanism.

As far as the original post. Does the pull handle hold position for coupling? "Yellow" position.
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Old 12-15-2020, 07:53 AM   #6
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We have a Curt too but not the Q20. They have wonderful customer service and I wouldn't hesitate to call them and let them know what is going on.
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Old 12-15-2020, 08:17 AM   #7
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Curt Q20

First off congratulations on all your new purchases. I've had my Q20 5 or6 years now and have found they are moody to hook up, hit hard, hit low, whatever, it sometimes doesn't matter. Not a fan of hitting hard and jarring my teeth out tho.

On my old truck I could see the Hitch Plate in the center mirror and the new truck I can't, so I bought an old style clip on sunvisor mirror and can hang it where I can see the hitch in the bed.

Get everything lined up and start to back under pin, when the hitch just starts on the plate I have my wife push the retract switch and put some more weight on the hitch. Then I ease back till I feel it hit and see the handle start to release, sometimes it latches but more than likely I have to ease forward a bit to get to close all the way. I can see the handle and see it go the rest of the way closed to where you can flip the keeper and pin it. I look to see if the jaws are closed around the pin like they are supposed to be and we are good.

When I unhook I put the landing gear down, have my wife in the truck and she puts a little pressure in reverse or whatever and I pull the handle and she pulls ahead.

It gets to be a routine and it works for me. Good Luck
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Old 12-15-2020, 08:26 AM   #8
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We have been using a Q24 for the past four years. Best hitch we have ever used. As stated above, something is not right with your situation, best to call Curt customer service.
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Old 12-15-2020, 09:15 AM   #9
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Sounds like the tricky latch closing might be a way of life for it. I did call Curt. There was actually a knowledgeable person that answered the phone, which seemed odd, but was great. His advice was to grease it, and put more weight on it, and let it break in. (edit for typo) So given what I've learned here and there, I'll just wait it out, and continue tinkering. I guess I'll also have to take my first big trip hoping I'll get it to close when I need it to.
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Old 12-15-2020, 01:59 PM   #10
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I had intermittent similar issues like you have. I WD-40'd the heck out of the clam shells, latch spring, and any pivot point concerned with the latch mechanism ... worked great for about 3 months, then I had to do it again. I really liked the Curt because it was near impossible to incorrectly hitch up, but it was getting way too heavy going in and out of the bed as needed ... Anderson hitch put that issue in my past.
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Old 12-15-2020, 02:20 PM   #11
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I have the Curt Q20 (not on a slider) puc mounted to the bed. Hitches just fine very smooth operation. I have only had one instance with hitching. We were on a slope (left/right). The jaws didn't want to close properly. I put levelers under the truck tires to level it with the RV. That worked.

Now for un-hitching, chock the wheels, run the landing gear down and take the weight off the pin where you can just see a sliver of daylight between the pin and the hitch, I put the truck in neutral and release the brake to take any pressure off the pin. Then I put it back in Park and set the parking brake. Then I pull the pin release handle and it lets go easily.

I think yours has a problem...
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Old 12-15-2020, 08:54 PM   #12
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Curt/mopar 24 here and almost zero problems. I did learn though that you need the king pin to slide up the hitch slightly to work. If you back in with the pin high it won't latch sometimes. In other words the hitch likes to feel the weight of the pin box.
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Old 12-16-2020, 12:35 PM   #13
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We have a Curt Q25 and have gad no problems hitching up at even at different angles. I would talk to Curt customer service they are great to work with. Mabey there is a problem in the fifth wheel head. They will send you a new one out they did that for some friends of ours that had a broken spring at no charge.
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Old 12-18-2020, 01:24 PM   #14
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My Q20 likes a lot of weight on it when hitching up.
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Old 12-18-2020, 07:13 PM   #15
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Thanks everyone! I’m going to be hooking up again here in a few days and will trying with more weight on it. Also Curt support recommend getting synthetic grease.
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Old 12-20-2020, 02:20 PM   #16
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I have a Q20 also. I'm not sure I totally understand your problem but after experimenting and talking to Curt, here's how I hitch. By the way, carefully read the instructions on the side of the hitch.

When you pull out the hitch handle to open the jaws, green color should be showing in the little sight window. (If it's yellow, you need to pull the handle until it shows green and flip over the little silver lever to hold it open to green). I failed to do that at first and it caused frustration.

I set the trailer height so that when I back into the hitch pin that the trailer arm gently slides or rides up on the hitch plate. (If the trailer hitch is 1/4" above the truck hitch plate, it does not like to latch).

If you set it right, you barely bump the hitch pin and it closes. You should never need to bang it.

To help myself reconnecting, I measured the height of my 5er before I disconnect. I know the computer remembers the height when you unhitch, but when I go to hitch up again, I usually need to tweak the height maybe an inch.

Once you perfect your technique, you'll like it.

By the way, do not forget to occasionally check the torque on all your hitch bolts.
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Old 12-20-2020, 03:17 PM   #17
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I've had a Curt q-24 for years now and have learned it does not like being hitched High or off center at all.
If you are backing up to Hitch up with the pin in the center of the hitch with the pin slightly lower than the plate it should hit you up every time.
You want the pin box to contact the hitch plate and squat the truck slightly while you are hitching
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Old 12-20-2020, 04:34 PM   #18
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We had some similar problems with our Q25 for awhile in the beginning. I'm not sure if it was grease or some breaking in period, but we haven't had a problem for over a year now. We do put some weight on the hitch and back into it firmly. It seems that works better than being gentle with it.
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Old 12-20-2020, 06:08 PM   #19
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My Q25 works just fine. When I first bought it I had a bit of pilot error but that was on me.
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Old 01-09-2021, 03:12 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nard Dog View Post
Going along with my new HC, I converted from a Reece 16K standard hitch to the Curt Q20 with a slider. I am having a terrible time figuring out how to properly latch this thing. I really seem to have to hold my mouth just right to get the handle to pop in to the 'green' clamped position. I got the hitch from the same dealer I got the camper from. And it took us five or six connections with a lot of different methods to finally get it to lock.

I hit it hard. I hit is soft. I hit it high. I hit it low. It could not, would not, want to go.

Haha, well, one that that seemed to work was hitting it good and hard, and then starting to drive forward, then the latch would go in. But just yesterday even that little trick wouldn't work. So I added in the variable of putting more and more hitch weight on it, which seemed to work yesterday.

Oh yeah, I also put my pickup in the garage for a couple of hours to get it above freezing then pumped more grease into the zerk. But I still had to do the 'hitting hard' and putting more and more weight on it.

Any advice?!? Is this thing defective? I don't mind there being a special way to hold my mouth. I just want to know what that is.
We have the same hitch, Curt Q20 and also had a difficult time with hitching up. As fate would have it we had taken our fifth wheel over to the dealer for some work. When we went to pick it up the hitch would not latch. The manager came out and finally after a number of tries decided to give us a new hitch. No problems since. Smooth as silk!
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