5th wheel help

I'm in the "put it in reverse" camp. Every hitch I've ever owned will be difficult to unlatch if you still have forward pressure on the jaws. Put it in reverse enough to take the pressure off, and it should open much easier.

When I first got my Demco Hijacker Auto-Slide hitch, I had a heckuva time unlocking (and locking) the hitch. The handle just wouldn't release when unhitching nor would it fully slide in when hitching. I had to "pop" the connection by jerking the truck forward and backward to get the hitch to release. (I think this proves that excessive backward pressure can be just as bad as excessive forward pressure.)

Turns out this was just due to the hitch needing to be broken in. Now it latches and unlatches easily unless I raise the trailer too high when taking weight off the truck.

chris3403 wrote:
I'm with Dave H M on this one. Probably too much forward pressure on the jaws.

I second the motion! Probably too much forward pressure on the jaws, Put a "slight" back pressure on the jaws by putting the truck in reverse. Works every time. :B

Dan

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.

I'm with Dave H M on this one. Probably too much forward pressure on the jaws.

Dave H M wrote:
Are you making sure that the truck is not still pulling forward on the jaws.

I have to put mine in reverse sometimes to take the forward pressure off the jaws, then I set the emergency brake to keep it there and put it in park and then it unhitches easy.

I have had the same issue at with a different hitch and have resolved it 99% of the time by leaving the truck in neutral after trailer wheel chocking and setting the parking brake. When that doesn't work use the reverse pressure method Dave suggests. If it occurs often, contact Reese.

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.
the problem is unhitching on uneven ground after leveling the trailer.one side of the jaws seems to bind on the king pin and it is imposable to pull the lever to open the jaws. I carry a pry bar to spread the jaws apart so I can pull the lever out to release the truck.
do I have the wrong hitch or am I missing something?
I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem.
can anyone help, I am at my end.
thanks spassy

The hitch is not supposed to operate that way! Call Reese for a new hitch!

Are you making sure that the truck is not still pulling forward on the jaws.

I have to put mine in reverse sometimes to take the forward pressure off the jaws, then I set the emergency brake to keep it there and put it in park and then it unhitches easy.