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Old 06-18-2014, 08:16 AM   #1
gjetzen
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Problem hitching/unhitching

I have been having a terrible time lately hitching/unhitching the Monty, mostly unhitching. I have a 2005 3295rk with the standard extended pin box (Lippert 1621) and a Reese 16k 5th wheel hitch. I transferred the hitch from the old truck to the new truck (2013 Ram crew cab 8' bed). Since the change over I have been having the release handle not want to automatically lock upon hitching having to almost force it back in to lock jaws and very difficult to pull release handle to unlock jaws without "rocking" truck back and forth. I have just noticed a small "rub" mark on the bottom leading edge of the king pin with a corresponding mark on a piece of reinforcement casting inside the head of the hitch. Nothing seems to be out of alignment with no other rub or wear marks inside the hitch head. The operation of the of the hitch without the trailer is smooth. Could there be a misadjustment in the hitch or pin box because of the new truck. There is 7" between the bed rails of the truck and the overhang of the trailer. It's almost like the king pin is now sitting deeper into the hitch or farther forward. I did have a worn/broken lube disc on the pin, but I don't think that would make a difference. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
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Old 06-18-2014, 10:18 AM   #2
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Sounds like there could be a place that needs lube.
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Old 06-18-2014, 12:43 PM   #3
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That's what I was thinking. There are several places I lube on my 20K Reese hitch. One even has a zert.
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Old 06-18-2014, 01:19 PM   #4
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Replacing my Reese 16k that I bought new with a B & W made me a very happy camper.
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Old 06-18-2014, 01:26 PM   #5
gjetzen
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If I could figure out how to post a photo then I could show where it is rubbing. It's in an odd place. I've tried lubricating with penetrant/lubricant on the pivot points and wheel bearing grease where it is rubbing, basically it had no effect.
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Old 06-18-2014, 01:28 PM   #6
gjetzen
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WeBeFulltime, had no problem with hitch till I changed trucks.
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Old 06-18-2014, 02:01 PM   #7
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When the new truck is hitched, does the trailer appear to be level, nose low or nose high? If it sat level before and sits level now, what's changed ? Maybe someone will be along soon with the answer.
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Old 06-18-2014, 02:06 PM   #8
bigred715
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My Reece at times won't release the pin unless it is positioned just right.Sometimes backing up or forward will release, other times I have to raise the trailer and jerk really hard to get it to release. Other times it takes ONE finger to pull pin. My Reese was bought in 2002 and not aware of any zert fittings that need to be lubed.
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Old 06-18-2014, 02:58 PM   #9
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I heave a B&W. If it is in a bind with the truck and camper at different angles it will NOT open.
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Old 06-18-2014, 03:27 PM   #10
tomNtrisha
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Sparry all pivot points with WD-40 work on my
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Old 06-18-2014, 03:38 PM   #11
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You didn't state what kind of hitch. If it has a slide bar, it is probably mushroomed where it contacts the pin. My last hitch had to be filed downed once a year. It would not slide through the slot.
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Old 06-18-2014, 04:18 PM   #12
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I have a Reese R16 hitch. It has two grease zirks. If you take the head off the pedistal and flip it over there are two grease fittings. One on each jaw pivot pin. Also the piviot points for the head should get fresh grease rubbed on them fairly often. Don't know if any of this is relevant for other hitches.

To the OP, was the hitch taken apart when it was moved from one TV to the next? Sounds to me like something got bent or maybe a foreign object. Maybe a spring missing? Closer inspection may be required.
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Old 06-18-2014, 05:55 PM   #13
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Check closely for "high hitching" or "low hitching". The pinbox should slightly ride into the hitch. Ensure kingpin is centered and you are backing into it straight. Backwards pressure will take the load off the hitch jaws when you get ready to pull the hitch jaws release lever. Be sure to chock your RV tires prior to any hitching/unhitching actions. No need to stress the landing legs!
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Old 06-18-2014, 06:10 PM   #14
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Gjetzen, I think we have the same (or similar) Reese hitch as you. 16K, about a 2003 model or so. Does not have the side to side swivel as some of the newer ones do. What I've found is that if there is any sideways binding, such as the trailer being tipped in comparison to the truck, or if there is any pressure on the jaws by the pin, then it will be virtually impossible to pull the release. If it's side to side, you'll have to level the trailer to the truck or visa/versa. It can be a bit off, but not a lot. For the jaws pressure, just back up or go forward a bit to relieve the pressure and it should open right up. I find quite often that I have to "release pressure" on the pin/jaws to get the lever pulled. It doesn't take much though.
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Old 06-20-2014, 10:37 AM   #15
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TAKPAK is probably correct. Mine is a 2013 16K Reese that does swivel side-to-side but still binds up sometimes. The first thing I do when I am in place is set the first set of chocks. Later, when I am ready to release sometimes I have to just put the truck in reverse to let it move maybe an inch before mine will unhitch. That is the only thing I don't like about the Reese. It seems like if there is any "pull pressure" it won't release and has to be just right. We have hooked/unhooked probably 20 times recently and I'll bet it wouldn't release the first pull on 7 of those occasions.
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Old 06-20-2014, 02:57 PM   #16
gjetzen
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Well I got the hitching/unhitching problem solved today. In my original post I stated that there was a spot on the hitch pin that had a rub mark on it and a corresponding mark on the hitch side. The place were the pin was rubbing the hitch is actually a stop for the hitch pin. It is a brace and what it does is to limit the forward travel of the hitch pin. I did as woodtic suggested and removed the hitch head from the legs (and by the way there are no zerk fittings on my hitch head) and took the head to the local Keystone dealer to compare against a new head. After comparison the problem was evident, the brace was bent down. The expert opinion of the dealer tech was that chucking caused it to bend. My "unexpert" opinion was that it was caused by over-zealous hitching (perhaps several times). Jeez I wonder who could have done that?!

The brace was bent down causing the hitch pin to ride over it instead of butting against it. This in turn caused just enough upward pressure on the locking jaws making it difficult to open or close the jaws.

When I got back home I took my trusty BDH to it and with about 6 blows I was able to straighten it back to it's original position. I also took out all of the clevis pins in the pivot linkage and ran a piece of crocus cloth over them and applied wheel bearing grease to all of the pivot and friction points. While I have lubricated the pivot points before, I can't remember the hitch ever moving this good. Hitched up the Monty drove it around the block parked it and unhitched. All seems well (right now).
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Old 06-20-2014, 04:41 PM   #17
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Glad you got it HAMMERED back into shape. A true mechanic. LOL.
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