5th wheel help

thanks everyone ... I really appreciate the help. Well ... I called reese for the 5th time and got the same old story. I really believe that reese has a bad design problem ... they even admitted to it in a round about way.

that being said I am giving up on reese.

Also the binding is on the side of the trailer that is lifted to level side to side. I jam the bar between the jaws and with great force I can pry them apart enough to pull the handle. I also tried front to back motion and raise and lower the pin box and massive amounts of messy grease.

thanks again for all comments.
spassy

TomHaycraft wrote:

spassy wrote:
Please any help will be appreciated!
I have a Rockwood 8280WS with the reese revolution and a reese titan 20K hitch with the correct wedge.
...
I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem.
can anyone help, I am at my end.
thanks spassy

Plenty of responses as to options to minimize the issue. To your question about others having the same problem? Yes, nature of the beast when the wedge minimizes movement, easy to bind up the jaws. I had the same problem with my Sidewinder when towing with a short-bed. When upgrading my truck, long-bed was high on my priority list. I've pinned the Sidewinder, removed the wedge, hitching and unhitching are never an issue now.

Good luck with it.

I also switched to a long bed, removed the wedge and locked the pin box. All hitching and unhitching problems went away. I remember as many as 6 attempts to get the wedge straight in to hitch up, especially on an uneven surface. I got a couple "greenhorn" comment from bystanders. Always got the hitch to lock with enough attempts, but frustrating none the less. This is the most thought I've given it since getting the new truck.

rmoore0852 wrote:
Be sure you are not lifting the trailer too much with the landing gear. If you put the landing gear down too far, it lifts the kingpin in the hitch. This causes the wider part at the bottom of the kingpin to put upward pressure on the jaws, jamming them. When unhooking, use the landing gear to take up some of the weight, but when you drive out from under the trailer the truck should still raise up 1/4 to 1/2". Same principle as when hooking up, the truck should squat just a little as you back under the trailer. That's why there are ramps on the back of the 5th wheel plate and front of the pinbox.

The dealer told me to raise the trailer until I see a slight gap between the pinbox and the rear of the pan. My Reese 18k instructions say to raise the trailer until the jacks are firmly on the ground. I wonder if some of my earlier issues with a Husky hitch were from over lifting the pinbox off the pan. In the future, I will only raise the trailer enough to take some of the pressure off of the truck but not enough to cause a gap.

Bet ya the OP is pulling his hair out or sold his outfit after reading all this "help". LOL

djgarcia wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

djgarcia wrote:

rmoore0852 wrote:
Be sure you are not lifting the trailer too much with the landing gear. If you put the landing gear down too far, it lifts the kingpin in the hitch. This causes the wider part at the bottom of the kingpin to put upward pressure on the jaws, jamming them. When unhooking, use the landing gear to take up some of the weight, but when you drive out from under the trailer the truck should still raise up 1/4 to 1/2". Same principle as when hooking up, the truck should squat just a little as you back under the trailer. That's why there are ramps on the back of the 5th wheel plate and front of the pinbox.

What rmoore said, X1. When unhooking I raise the trailer hitch just up to the point I can see daylight between the trailer and the 5th. wheel hitch, then I pull the release handle.

:S
Not what Moore said at all!
Moore stated to take SOME of the weight off then pull the release. You DON'T need to see daylight between the the hitch and pin, the TV should rise slightly as you pull out! Lifting to the point of seeing daylight could cause binding on the lower part of the pin!
One should never need to use a pry bar on the jaws to unhitch!!!!

My hitch likes just a sliver of "sun" showing before I pull my release handle. Yes you can raise the hitch pin to "high" but common sense usually prevents this:):)

Well did you hitch Tell you that that is what it likes? :h

I am sorry, but the Common Sense, just isn't all that common any more!!

I guess if you feel watching that space until you get that sliver of light, so be it. I just listen to the LG motor take the strain. I pop up about 3/4" to 1" when I pull out set about the same height when hitching to ride up the ramp when hitching.

spassy wrote:
Please any help will be appreciated!
I have a Rockwood 8280WS with the reese revolution and a reese titan 20K hitch with the correct wedge.
...
I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem.
can anyone help, I am at my end.
thanks spassy

Plenty of responses as to options to minimize the issue. To your question about others having the same problem? Yes, nature of the beast when the wedge minimizes movement, easy to bind up the jaws. I had the same problem with my Sidewinder when towing with a short-bed. When upgrading my truck, long-bed was high on my priority list. I've pinned the Sidewinder, removed the wedge, hitching and unhitching are never an issue now.

Good luck with it.

texasclarks wrote:

CarnationSailor wrote:

bobx2 wrote:

Tyler0215 wrote:
Unhitch first then level.

LOL, tell us that you aren't serious, and just making a joke...?

I don't see anything funny here. It would be impossible for me to level before unhitching because there would be too much weight on the truck to unhitch if level. Isn't that the case for everyone?

I think they are referring to side to side level, not front to rear level.

I think you are correct. They must have meant side to side.

djgarcia wrote:

CarnationSailor wrote:

bobx2 wrote:

Tyler0215 wrote:
Unhitch first then level.

LOL, tell us that you aren't serious, and just making a joke...?

I don't see anything funny here. It would be impossible for me to level before unhitching because there would be too much weight on the truck to unhitch if level. Isn't that the case for everyone?

I want to watch someone level a 5th. wheel trailer when you are not hooked up to your truck!!!!!!! Some one must be bored to start a thread like this or they seriously need to think about giving up RVing:):):)

With my Lippert Level-Up system (set of 6 hydraulic jacks), I can level front to back or left to right after unhitching. Too bad we don't live close enough for me to show you.

OK, as a Revolution owner, I've been there, done that!

1. Read the instructions, and make sure to grease the back side of the king pin as they describe. Makes a huge difference.

2. As noted, make sure you have removed all forward pressure, by backing up and setting the parking brake.

3. Also as noted, relieve some of the weight. I usually lift the fifth until I just start to see the pin box and hitch start to barely separate, then I drop it back down some to put weight back on the hitch.

4. Revolution advises getting the wedge pretty tight into the hitch funnel when installing. Mine was just too tight! An adjustment to get the wedge seated, but not jammed into place, may be in order. If you have any play, though, you can get wear on the wedge, which can rapidly get very bad. This made a world of difference between my first and second Revolution (see below!)

5. Make sure you are straight! Centerline of the truck running through the center of the pin box, which is square to the trailer. For whatever mechanical reason, having the truck and pin box angled off from the fifth, even a little, seems to make it much harder to unhitch/hitch!

There are still times I have to move the truck forward and back against the landed fifth to get to a point where I can release the jaws. But I've not needed a crowbar, ever! Of course, it seems to happen mostly in the rain.....

Not related, but if ever having service, the pin box can be locked with bolts, so it is easier for the service guys to move it with their tractors. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE REMOVED THE BOLTS before you drive away with your newly serviced fifth! It was really, really bad when this happened to me - new pin box and new hitch, plus costs to make sure both fifth and truck frames were not bent! Luckily, my dealer owned up, and repaired and covered all costs!

Yup, I am part of the reverse it "just a nad" and then put in nuetral with the e-brake on. I usually lift the king pin up enough to just see it clear the hitch by just a sliver.

Cheers!

Mike