What am I doing wrong?

[jjwhite368]

Originally Posted by DQDick

The only thing I do differently is that I leave the pin box weight entirely off the hitch when i disconnect. In fiact, my pullrite is hard enough to get to disconnect even then.

Me too with my BW.

[Baldicon]

Originally Posted by rvman

One of the reasons I went with an Anderson Ultimate was to remove any looseness in the truck to trailer connection. I also have a Trail Air. 35lb total weight, can hang it on the garage wall and I never have to worry that the hitch didn't lock. Seen too many 5th wheels slide out the back of the hitch and drop on the bed.

I looed at an Anderson initially, when I was planning on a short bed truck to help reduce payload. But I think I recall that Anderson warns against using any type of "moving" pinbox. But maybe that was for a pinbox that moves fore/aft like my Rotoflex, maybe the Trailair is ok. But the biggest reason I did not go with the Anderson is the frame warranty issue with Lippert. I do agree that the ball/socket should have little if any movement and is a solid connection. And you eliminate the risk of dropping the 5th wheel.

[Baldicon]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

Okay, here's my questions:
1) Which model of Comfort Ride are you using?
2) Do you know if your Comfort Ride is from the original designer?
3) Or is it from Road Master after they bought out the Designer/Original Builder?
I have one of the original Comfort Ride Model #245, 25K hitches with a MORryde Pin and have no movement at all, in fact it's so tight I have to leave the TV in reverse to put pressure so I can close the Jaws and most of the time the same to disconnect.
There is a locking section of Steel that goes between the jaws preventing any possible movement of the jaws, unless something is worn extremely bad. I have many miles on my combo and everything is just as tight as the day purchased, and I'm pulling between 19 and 20K depending on loading.

It is a model #184 and was sold originally from Comfort Ride (not Road Master). I bought it used, so not sure how it was treated. I plan on pulling the head off and look at it closer. I do wonder why there aren't more of these out there?

[mhs4771]

OK, you have the smallest Comfort Ride, so I think it quite a bit different than what I have, and I haven't seen that model in person so don't know if the jaws are designed the same. Mine is heavy, had six guys help me get it out of my old truck and into the new. We used 2x4s and sort of slid it up them into the bed of the truck.
You might try contacting Rick Olson the Designer of Comfort Ride Hitch. You can contact Rick at (608) 873-5010.

[Baldicon]

Originally Posted by mhs4771

OK, you have the smallest Comfort Ride, so I think it quite a bit different than what I have, and I haven't seen that model in person so don't know if the jaws are designed the same. Mine is heavy, had six guys help me get it out of my old truck and into the new. We used 2x4s and sort of slid it up them into the bed of the truck.
You might try contacting Rick Olson the Designer of Comfort Ride Hitch. You can contact Rick at (608) 873-5010.

Correct, it is the smallest of the Comfort Ride hitches, but max trailer weight and pin weight are under the hitch specs. My hitch is lighter, my son and I put it in the truck, but was in a strain to do it. But I think I heard Rick say on one of his videos that the hitch head was the same on all hitches, but I may be wrong. The jaws are probably one inch thick or more. I will give him a call. I called him when i bought the hitch to discus the number of air cells I needed for my trailer.

Thanks

[RBGALL]

When you are towing your trailer is your trailer brakes set to low or to high? When you stop and go it is pulling or pushing on the hitch to much creating wear! Or Is your driving habits to harsh?

[Jeff n Susan]

Sounds like your hitching, unhiching is sound. Have you checked the diameter of your pin itself? I believe most of the manufacturers are 2.000 +/- .005 inch. That is just a .010 tolerance zone, so it's pretty tight. I have spoken with some engineers from BW and they have told me the pin jaws are manufactured to a 2.000 inch diameter for receiving the pin on the camper when they are closed. If your pin itself is smaller than the diameter of your hitch jaws, this could possibly lead to the "Clunk"
I personally use the BW hitch with the puck system. The pin on our 330RL measures 2.000. No clunks. Food for thought. Good luck!

[vipermanden]

I have the B&W 25k hitch mounted in the puck system on my 8' long bed Dually Ram truck, and the Morryde pin box, and my SOB travels at 21,000 pounds. I too noticed a lot more clunking this season, so I sent videos and talked on the phone with the B&W engineers, and after assuring them that I had retorqued the pin box bolts and hitch bolts, the only thing they could think of was that I was getting puck noise clunking. So Since I have about 75,000 miles on this hitch and truck, with my Montana, and now my much heavier 5th wheel, they suggested I tighten the puck bolts down after hitching up the 5th wheel and putting all of the pin weight on the hitch. I said forget that, I am not a snake that can slither around in there, so I just had my wife put all of her weight on each one of the pucks as I tightened each one down. This really made a difference. Maybe before my next trip, I will tighten them down after the 5th wheel is connected? Just remember that you should be able to turn the puck handles into place really snug, but not so tight that you have to use a hammer, etc. to get it into place, or you could be stretching the puck bolts out and they could fail.

[David Leak]

Originally Posted by vipermanden

I have the B&W 25k hitch mounted in the puck system on my 8' long bed Dually Ram truck, and the Morryde pin box, and my SOB travels at 21,000 pounds. I too noticed a lot more clunking this season, so I sent videos and talked on the phone with the B&W engineers, and after assuring them that I had retorqued the pin box bolts and hitch bolts, the only thing they could think of was that I was getting puck noise clunking. So Since I have about 75,000 miles on this hitch and truck, with my Montana, and now my much heavier 5th wheel, they suggested I tighten the puck bolts down after hitching up the 5th wheel and putting all of the pin weight on the hitch. I said forget that, I am not a snake that can slither around in there, so I just had my wife put all of her weight on each one of the pucks as I tightened each one down. This really made a difference. Maybe before my next trip, I will tighten them down after the 5th wheel is connected? Just remember that you should be able to turn the puck handles into place really snug, but not so tight that you have to use a hammer, etc. to get it into place, or you could be stretching the puck bolts out and they could fail.

Do not try to over tighten the nuts that connect the hitch to the pucks or you will more than likely strip the handles or the bolts that rotate the pucks, finger tight is good enough. If the handles or the puck bolts are stripped and you don’t notice it the pucks will not turn to lock in to the puck receivers on your truck. But if you manage to strip one or all of them B&W will replace them no questions asked. I would also say if you can hear the hitch rocking back and forth, you may be driving a little to aggressively to get where you are going.

[Banddkerr]

I have the same problem with my B&W Companion and Morryde hitch. Never got any resolution from B&W’s suggestions. Glad you gave me more detail on what was going on at the actual hitch. I use the lube plate, use lithium spray on all parts and checked bolt torques. Have learned to just accept it. Didn’t have this problem with my last hitch and same Montana.

[MikeRP]

Just my thoughts, I would not let the pin box ride up on the hitch. Imagine the point weight your putting on that first section of the hitch as you are putting all the trailer weight plus raising the trailer slightly before the load from the camper is spread out over the full bottom contact area of the pin box.

To deal with the possibility of high hitch, I put orange or bright red electrical tape around the very bottom portion of the pin itself. It makes it easy to see you are not high hitched right away..

I actually did high hitch one time, but I picked it up immediately because of the red electrical tape. You can see it right below the B&W jaw and it just stands out.

I’m trying out an Anderson right now. Jury is still out, I love the B&W but it’s so difficult for me to remove.

Merry Christmas!

[Leftie Canuk]

Originally Posted by DQDick

The only thing I do differently is that I leave the pin box weight entirely off the hitch when i disconnect. In fiact, my pullrite is hard enough to get to disconnect even then.

Same here, and mostly because our commercial driving instructor showed us how to verify the weight was off the fifth wheel plate was to look for a crack of daylight between the two plates (anti-friction disc and the fifth wheel hitch plate). This made sense to us as newbies, as it meant there was really nothing to interfere with disconnecting, except really rough ground as the tow vehicle rolled forward. Once we purchased a double-pivot hitch, uneven ground was much less of a problem.
So, on disconnect, raise the hitch until daylight shows,
and if the "jaws" are tough to unlatch, carefully apply a little reverse to the tow vehicle and try releasing the jaws/lock bar.
For hitching up, I totally agree on letting the pin box plate ride up onto the sloped fifth wheel hitch a bit. Always makes for a bit of fun when the pin moves to the right or left, depending on how uncentered the TV was !