B&W hitch

[greg_gurd]

We just hitched up our 5th and my husband checked the lever under the truck bed and it seemed lose so we want to unhitch but now the jaws won't open. Help please. We have loved this hitch until now.

[Cummins12V98]

Op re read the installation instructions for the Companion. I am thinking you tightened the "U" booth THEN the drawdown bolt. With the TrailAir Kingpin as you raise and lower the RV it will push or pull the truck. Releasing the tension by popping the truck in neutral helps make the handle easy to release.

Don't forget to set the parking brake if on a hill.:S

[FlatBroke]

Once in a while I make a bone head move and try to pull away without pulling the handle back. It won't unhitch. I use a bungee to hold the handle back then get in the truck and back up just a smidgen then pull forward. It comes right out from under trailer.

[edatlanta]

If you can move the pin in the wheel well, that makes me wonder if the hitch mount in the bed was installed properly? When you install the frame in the bed to the pin you need to torque the bolt in top of the pin to 40 fp and then tighten the U-Bolts to this pin to 80 fp. The 40 fp on the pin keeps it from moving around.

[glazier]

If the release lever is just loose on the driver side, that is typical for it to have some movement. If you have the draw bolts torqued down, you can not grab that latch handle and pull straight out on it. The latch handle will still move forward and back, but if torqued down on the draw bolt, no way you can pull the handle out.

[fj12ryder]

It's not unusual for the jaws not to unlatch if there is still some strain on them. I consider that a safety factor. 🙂 You just need to play with the truck position relative to the trailer and weight still on the hitch/truck.

I can see that the lever under the fender could be loose when there is weight on the hitch. When you tighten the pull down bolt, that puts some upward force on the ball and keeps the lever tight. However when you have your 5th wheel loaded it's very possible that the weight will allow the ball to move enough to take the upward force off the lever pin. Now you could pull the lever if you were so inclined.

I've never tried, but I can see how it could work like you're describing.

[mguay]

Not sure about the Turnover Ball parts....but my Patriot, which uses the same head as a Companion, wouldn't open a couple of times for me. I called and was told to lube the jaw pins with some penetrating oil. I loaded up the grooves around the pins several times and it was ok till I got home. Once home, I removed each pin and cleaned and lubed them with grease. All works great now! I've had it for 3yrs and have in the area of about 40k miles towing on it!

[greg_gurd]

Thanks for your helpful hints. In addition to the jaws not opening the latch pin in the wheel well is not suppose to be able to disengage but when there is weight on the hitch it will however when there is no weight on the hitch it won't. Very strange ! Any thoughts ?

[shadoow]

are you referring to the release lever for the turnover ball that you have to access from the drivers side wheel well?

[azjeffh]

Working of kroghville's suggestion, every time I unhitch I first put my truck in neutral and slowly release the brake. If I have forward pressure or back pressure the truck will move and relieve it. After doing so, I put my truck back in park.

Prior to using this technique I had plenty of times where I couldn't release the pin. Since I started doing this, I haven't an issue.

[kroghville]

Do you have the Companion hitch? If you mean the jaws don't open when unhitching, perhaps you have some backward pressure on it. Try applying just a slight amount of forward pressure, then pull the lever.

[greg_gurd]

We were able to get the saddle off and everything works and lever is tight but when we put it all back together and hitch up the lever moves. Any ideas?