Fifth wheel Hitch troubleshooting

I'm using a Curt 20k (about 10 years old) so it is a bit aged. Lately while hitching, I was periodically having problems with the jaws completely closing, so I asked my youngest, who is a big rig trucker to check my hitch because I thought it was worn out. After examining the jaws and the mechanism, he told me it was fine but that I needed to keep the king pin positioned more to the right side of the alignment slot rather than the left when backing up to hitch or the jaws will fail to close completely - he also confirmed that I needed to let the trailer slide up the hitch ramp (which I was already doing).

I watched him doing the examination of the hitch and he manually triggered the jaw closing mechanism with his hands to find the ideal spot to position the pin in the hitch head, which is why he told me to hug the right side of the hitch while backing. I've not had a single problem since I followed his advice. His take home lesson was that you sometimes need to manipulate the particular hitch mechanics to determine it's quirks - even though they are mass produced for uniformity, they change their properties as they age.

On an aside, he uses a portable electric grease gun to generously lube the hitch plate every time he hitches his semis, and told me to do the same because he noticed what he called high pressure wear on my hitch head even though I was using a lube plate.

Leeblev wrote:
Just a thought...are you backing under the kingpin and then lowering it? Or are you backing into the kingpin, lowered so that your TV raises the 5er slightly when you back? I found that backing into the kingpin will cause the hitch to completely snap shut securely. Think about it...that is how truckers do it. I would back until the pin was about to engage, hook up my power connector and set the brake on the 5er, along with wheel chocks to hold it steady while engaging the kingpin. Hope this helps.

Works well but just lock the trailer brakes by hand and go for it.

Look in the owners manual for the hitch. All hitches do require periodic cleaning and maintenance.

Ken

Useful discussion is here!
I'm new and I'm just reading all thread!

There is a ZERK but that is for side to side movement. Don’t think there is any other lube required but the top of the support arms.

Look at your owners manual or call B&W.

When was last time you cleaned/lubed all the pivot points, points of contact etc?

Sounds like it just needs cleaned and lubed


I do my 4 way articulating head each year....plus repaint job
It 14 yrs old and works like a champ

**Sits in truck 24/7 365 (99% of the time)

A Patriot hitch can not be too old (less than 10 yrs). I think a possible issue, the truck may move ahead, a tiny bit, after backing into hitch, and you are using the locking arm to pull truck back.

If you block the FW tires, you can back in, leave truck running in reverse, if you feel comfortable doing this, while getting out to close arm/jaws.

Jerry

I have a different hitch but have the same issue if I have the nose of the trailer too high. I walk that fine line of having it low enough that the kingpin slides up the hitch without it feeling like I am jamming the hitch onto the kingpin causing the trailer getting knocked around a bit. (that is an over simplified explanation). I know I am not hitting it hard or anything, it just feels wrong to have it jar the trailer.

I also think you may want to try to check the lubrication. Could be a combination of both things---too high and too dry. Let us know your outcome.

fj12ryder wrote:
Might try a good cleaning and relubing. The jaws could be getting gummed/gooked up and not able to move freely.

I agree I'm pushing 90,000 miles on my Companion it's getting a little sticky looking at a complete cleaning.

Might try a good cleaning and relubing. The jaws could be getting gummed/gooked up and not able to move freely.