I RECENTED BOUGHT A USED 5TH WHEEL 32FT RV AND A USED REESE 16K HITCH. I AM A CDL DRIVER WITH MANY YRS EXP. PULLING MANY TRACTOR TRAILERS AND MANY OTHER TYPES OF TRAILERS. I HOOKED UP THE TRAILER PROPERLY AND CHECKED MY HOOKUP,ALL LOOKED GOOD.I DROVE ABOUT 2 MILES AND THE TRAILER BROKE LOOSE FROM TRUCK AND LANDED ON THE STREET.AFTER DEALING WITH GETTING THE TRUCK AND TRAILER HOME I TOOK A CLOSE LOOK AT HITCH AND FOUND THAT A PIN THAT IS FASTENED TO ONE OF THE JAWS TO HOLD THEM IN THE CLOSED POSITION BY WAYS OF PINS AND LINKAGE, BROKE LOOSE FROM THE JAW AND FELL DOWN FROM THE HOLE IN THE JAW IT WAS WELDED TOO WITH A PLUG WELD ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE JAW, FELL DOWN AND ALLOWED THE JAW OPEN AND RELEASE THE TRAILER.DID ANYONE EVER HEAR OF THIS HAPPENING? I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING ANY COMMENTS THANKS.

Welcome. Sorry for your problem. Like anything mechanical hitches can fail. Insurance should take care of the truck. Buy a new hitch and go forth.BTW using caps in your entire post is considered yelling on the forum. Please turn caps lock off.

donn0128 wrote:Welcome. Sorry for your problem. Like anything mechanical hitches can fail. Insurance should take care of the truck. Buy a new hitch and go forth.BTW using caps in your entire post is considered yelling on the forum. Please turn caps lock off.Plus it is very hard to read...

Thanks for the reply.anyone with a reese hitch should inspect your hitch and look for any unsafe condition.

Sorry to hear about the mishap and hopefully you will not suffer any financial losses other than deductables. I know there are lots of different hitches out there, but I still prefer the old fashioned slide bar hitch. Never a doubt if it is latched or will stay latched. (my $.02 worth)

I never heard of that just happening for no apparent reason. I would suspect there was somehow some history of abuse, although I cannot think of an example.I happen to have a run-of-the-mill Reese 16k hitch. I separate the two halves, turn the top half over, clean, inspect and grease it every year. It always amazes me how little metal is actually there considering the job it is required to do. If I had it to do over, I think I would have bought a higher rated hitch just for the peace of mind of knowing I had more cushion to work with (15k trailer and 16k hitch).

FIFTH WHEEL HITCH FAILURE | Good Sam Community

Mile_High
Explorer
Oct 06, 2013
wittmeba wrote:
I know the OP is asking about Reese and I should have noted the images were necessarily Reese. I'm not sure what a new Reese looks like other than these pics. The OP has an older Reese and I suspect it looks like the Reese we had. There aren't many good close-up pics of the Reese jaws that I can find.

This image is most like our older hitch - jaws look the same. I suspect it may be close to the OP's.

Now you have a B&W in the first pick and the brand new R16K Reese that probably nobody has bought used yet. Maybe you are just confusing the issue and should not be so persistent posting something you don't have or know :R
wmgeorge
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
I don/t know diddly about 5 wheel hitches, but just wondering how many are made in China or Mexico??
wittmeba
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
I know the OP is asking about Reese and I should have noted the images were necessarily Reese. I'm not sure what a new Reese looks like other than these pics. The OP has an older Reese and I suspect it looks like the Reese we had. There aren't many good close-up pics of the Reese jaws that I can find.

This image is most like our older hitch - jaws look the same. I suspect it may be close to the OP's.
sdetweil
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
Atom Ant wrote:
wittmeba wrote:
Here are some images for discussion. I agree all the equipment should be inspected, but Im not sure anyone would catch this kind of problem.

That doesn't even look like a Reese hitch, at least none that I have owned.

the bottom is the B&W Companion and Patriot.
Atom_Ant
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
wittmeba wrote:
Here are some images for discussion. I agree all the equipment should be inspected, but Im not sure anyone would catch this kind of problem.

That doesn't even look like a Reese hitch, at least none that I have owned.
bad99ram
Explorer
Oct 04, 2013
MrD wrote:
to answer bad99ram, no I wasn't choosing a hitch by the length, I was just thinking of my trailer is 33' long and my max weight is 16K and I just thought most trailers of the same size would be of a similar weight and I would want at least 2k more in a hitch than the gross trailer weight.

Mike

Whew! As my rig is 40' long with a dry weight of 11795 and a gross weight of 16000 I thought I had bought the wrong hitch based on weight
Bipeflier
Explorer
Oct 04, 2013
wittmeba wrote:
I would immediately contact Reese. Im sure they will want to know all the details of the incident. They may want to view/inspect the hitch if you would allow them to do so.

+1 Best answer of the bunch!

When I was working as a Design Engineer we always welcomed information from the field on issues or "failures". Inspection and information on the item and what happened allowed us to determine if a design should be considered or more likely instructions/decals to properly instruct use, maintenance, etc.

Reese is your best bet.
wittmeba
Explorer
Oct 04, 2013
Here are some images for discussion. I agree all the equipment should be inspected, but Im not sure anyone would catch this kind of problem.
laknox
Nomad
Oct 04, 2013
sdetweil wrote:
JRS & B wrote:
..

If I had it to do over, I think I would have bought a higher rated hitch just for the peace of mind of knowing I had more cushion to work with (15k trailer and 16k hitch).

I think about this too.. my Alpine trailer is 15,500 gross, 12,360
empty. But I think I would have to fill every tank to get to gross.

I have the B&W Patriot rail based hitch, it is rated at 16k, 4k pin weigh. Like its bigger brother the Companion, the Patriot has dual jaws. The Companion, on top of the turnoverball, is rated at 18k, 4.5k pin weight.

Love my Companion. No issues since I installed it. Would that Lippert frames failed at the same rate as hitches. (GD&RHL!)

Lyle
mileshuff
Explorer
Oct 04, 2013
Ezbagr wrote:
Yep, never understand the need for all the fancy two jaw type of fifth wheel hitches. Sliding bar type is very easy to use and there is no doubt if you are hooked up right or wrong.

Sliding bars work as you say but have their own set of negatives. They make contact with the king pin at a single point only rather than wrap around the pin. They're also noisy and not as smooth riding. But they are secure. I prefer the J hook type hitches myself. Secure, quiet and smoother ride.