5th wheel help
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. the problem is unhitching on uneven ground after leveling...
Forum Discussion
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!
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!
