Hi I'm a member of this forum and drive the class C. motorhomemy friend is a new retiree with a brand-new fifth wheel and pickup truck . Everything seems to be working okay except for a banging noise from the hitch every time he changes from breaking to Excel ration. His hitch is a top-of-the-line reese professionally installed.We both have an engineering background I am a retired tool and die maker. Despite a close examination of the hitch we cannot find where this banging noises coming from.All the bolts are tight. All the pins are in place and the levers in the correct position.This noise is bad enough to make him cringe every time he changes from the break to the gas.I am going to try and enclose some photos of this hitch but it is the very latest top-of-the-line from reese with jaw like mechanisms that close around the pin from both sides tried to load the pictures but it was a bit too complicated for me I'm not that computer savvythanksit slides between tow and maneuver positions on tubular railsplease give us some advice as this is making it a pain to drivethanks

awinfs wrote:Hi I'm a member of this forum and drive the class C. motorhomemy friend is a new retiree with a brand-new fifth wheel and pickup truck . Everything seems to be working okay except for a banging noise from the hitch every time he changes from breaking to Excel ration. His hitch is a top-of-the-line reese professionally installed.We both have an engineering background I am a retired tool and die maker. Despite a close examination of the hitch we cannot find where this banging noises coming from.All the bolts are tight. All the pins are in place and the levers in the correct position.This noise is bad enough to make him cringe every time he changes from the break to the gas.I am going to try and enclose some photos of this hitch but it is the very latest top-of-the-line from reese with jaw like mechanisms that close around the pin from both sides tried to load the pictures but it was a bit too complicated for me I'm not that computer savvythanksit slides between tow and maneuver positions on tubular railsplease give us some advice as this is making it a pain to drivethanksOn the Reese hitches most of them have a large steel pin that the head rotates on , and even with the new ones there can be a a little front to back movement, and noisy. Make a thin plastic shim with a slot that will fit down between the housing ,and the pin . That will take the play out ,and the noise.

That's called "chucking" by the way. An excellent reason to avoid Reese hitches, that problem is mostly unknown on good hitches.

It's called slop! Had the same problem when I had a RBW hitch. Tell him to sell the REESE and buy a B&W. Silence is golden.

I had the same annoyance. I got rid of the Reese and bought a B&W Patriot. The jaws hug the pin like bark on a tree and a lot less money.

agesilaus wrote:That's called "chucking" by the way. An excellent reason to avoid Reese hitches, that problem is mostly unknown on good hitches. Not hardly....even the higher priced hitch owners like the mighty Holland Binkley/Pullrite/B-W/etc have reported chunking issues. Chunking has nothing to do with banging or clunking or noise he is describing. The OP mentioned a noisy hitch such as banging which can be some where in the hitch or its mounting system. Driving style such as stabbing the brakes or the throttle can cause any hitch to make noise. Hell my wife can even make a commercial grade SAF-Holland hitch bang and cluck with a manual tranny. The OP needs to get a model number and research the hitch makers website. Some on this website have good research skills or if the model was known may have had the same issue and know the fix.

noisy hitch | Good Sam Community

50 Replies

psford
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
houstonstroker wrote:
I have a Reese Signature Series sliding hitch installed in my short bed Ford. My hitch is removable and leaves four holes in the bed. My hitch has been silent for 6 towing seasons and just this month started making a banging noise at acceleration and braking. I narrowed the movement down to play between the tubular rails and the rollers. The pucks hold firm to the bed, but I can lift the hitch off the tubes ever so slightly. I'm not sure how to take up the slack to make my hitch quiet again.

Same hitch, so far after nearly 8 seasons towing no noise in my hitch other then the shim mentioned above, and that put it back to quiet . No noise from the slider
psford
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
agesilaus wrote:
That's called "chucking" by the way. An excellent reason to avoid Reese hitches, that problem is mostly unknown on good hitches.

Nothing to do with chucking, you obviously don't know what chucking is. His complaint is noise on takeoff ,and stopping I gave him the solution, it does not take other hitches mentioned to prevent chucking, which this thread IS NOT about.

Please note ,I have absolutely NO chucking or noise with my Reese hitch, so please before you bash a product know your facts about chucking.
the_bear_II
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
As odd as it seems occaisonally my RBW hitch would begin chunking if it was dry. Once I greased the plate and pin bar the chunking would go away. It seemed wrong to use a lubricant to fix a movement issue but I was told the hydro static friction properties of the grease actually acts as a shock asorber to lessen or stop the chunking movement.

You might want to tell your friend to grease the plate on his hitch like the truckers do. I use a teflon grease product, it's a dry lube.
houstonstroker
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
I have a Reese Signature Series sliding hitch installed in my short bed Ford. My hitch is removable and leaves four holes in the bed. My hitch has been silent for 6 towing seasons and just this month started making a banging noise at acceleration and braking. I narrowed the movement down to play between the tubular rails and the rollers. The pucks hold firm to the bed, but I can lift the hitch off the tubes ever so slightly. I'm not sure how to take up the slack to make my hitch quiet again.
Allworth
Explorer II
Dec 02, 2014
Since my finance manager tells me that I do NOT have more money than good sense, I'll stick with my "bad" Reese hitch.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2014
agesilaus wrote:
That's called "chucking" by the way. An excellent reason to avoid Reese hitches, that problem is mostly unknown on good hitches.

Not hardly....even the higher priced hitch owners like the mighty Holland Binkley/Pullrite/B-W/etc have reported chunking issues. Chunking has nothing to do with banging or clunking or noise he is describing.

The OP mentioned a noisy hitch such as banging which can be some where in the hitch or its mounting system. Driving style such as stabbing the brakes or the throttle can cause any hitch to make noise. Hell my wife can even make a commercial grade SAF-Holland hitch bang and cluck with a manual tranny.

The OP needs to get a model number and research the hitch makers website. Some on this website have good research skills or if the model was known may have had the same issue and know the fix.
overthehillbill
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
I had the same annoyance. I got rid of the Reese and bought a B&W Patriot. The jaws hug the pin like bark on a tree and a lot less money.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2014
It's called slop! Had the same problem when I had a RBW hitch. Tell him to sell the REESE and buy a B&W. Silence is golden.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2014
That's called "chucking" by the way. An excellent reason to avoid Reese hitches, that problem is mostly unknown on good hitches.
psford
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014
awinfs wrote:
Hi I'm a member of this forum and drive the class C. motorhome
my friend is a new retiree with a brand-new fifth wheel and pickup truck . Everything seems to be working okay except for a banging noise from the hitch every time he changes from breaking to Excel ration. His hitch is a top-of-the-line reese professionally installed.
We both have an engineering background I am a retired tool and die maker. Despite a close examination of the hitch we cannot find where this banging noises coming from.
All the bolts are tight. All the pins are in place and the levers in the correct position.
This noise is bad enough to make him cringe every time he changes from the break to the gas.
I am going to try and enclose some photos of this hitch but it is the very latest top-of-the-line from reese with jaw like mechanisms that close around the pin from both sides
tried to load the pictures but it was a bit too complicated for me I'm not that computer savvy
thanks
it slides between tow and maneuver positions on tubular rails
please give us some advice as this is making it a pain to drive
thanks

On the Reese hitches most of them have a large steel pin that the head rotates on , and even with the new ones there can be a a little front to back movement, and noisy. Make a thin plastic shim with a slot that will fit down between the housing ,and the pin . That will take the play out ,and the noise.

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noisy hitch

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