Damaged 5er hitch by backing too hard
I've been hitching up for many years with no problem until this summer. The hitch head is supposed to be a little higher than the kingpin. But this time, it must have been several inches higher. As ...
Forum Discussion
RoyF wrote:
I've been hitching up for many years with no problem until this summer.
The hitch head is supposed to be a little higher than the kingpin. But this time, it must have been several inches higher. As I slowly backed into the kingpin the truck was stopped by the pin box, which did not rise up to engage.
I pressed the gas pedal a little with no result. Now the big mistake: I pressed the gas pedal a little bit more. This time, the 2021 F350 (with 1,000 foot-pounds of torque) lurched back and made a very hard impact with the trailer.
The upshot was that both my front jacks and my (brand new) hitch head were damaged. The jacks would operate, but only slowly (the motor was really struggling). The hitch release arm could be pulled out only by rigging up a hydraulic jack. Total cost: more than $1,000.
Don't do what I did. If your pin box does not lift up to engage easily as you are slowly backing then get out and raise the pin box.
I am not going to read all three pages of this post.
If mine doesn't lift, slide in at this point (red above), I stop get out and look!
