I have read several posts about the noise from Reese hitches and am now experiencing it first hand. We are new full timers and will begin our full time adventures in early July. In anticipation of our travels, I replaced my five year old Reese 16K with the Reese R16, thinking I was upgrading to a better quality heavy duty hitch. My old 16K was relatively quiet. The new R16 is not. When I come to a complete stop there is a pop or chunk sound. When I start from a complete stop, there is a pop or chunk sound. I checked all the connector pins and they are properly installed, however, there is considerable slack in the two pins that hold the hitch head to the hitch base.I called Reese tech support and was told that the noise was normal and was not a safety issue, but I might want to consider using spacers to eliminate some of this slack. Of course Reese/Cequent couldn't provide the spacers. Then I just read a post that cautions about the yellow spacers used in the hitch. I bought the hitch through Tweedys. Comments and suggestions as to this situation will be appreciated.

Believe it or not I found that grease will silence that type of noise from a hitch. I seems wrong but I'm guessing the grease although slippery is also sticky and can be compressed so it may act like a shock asborber.When I start getting the clunks...I used to use petroleum based grease but now use teflon or dry lube type grease and the clunking goes away. I apply it to all of the parts that rub metal to metal on the hitch, saddle and king pin plus kin pin lock/clamp. Clunks gone....

I have an R20 1 year old that I don't like either. Mine is also noisy and hard to hitch.

Found the R16 harder to hitch and unhitch. Still like the heavy duty style, have used it in the mountains and feel secure using this hitch.

I just got back from 8000 mile trip (Fl-Ca). As the trip progressed, I noticed that when pulling into campgrounds, my hitch would make all kinds of noise. I sprayed on grease and it seemed to quiet the noise for a while. Now I am noticing a groove forming on the bed rails. I had replaced my 14k, 16 plus yrs old Reese, with a 16k. I still have the 14k and I am thinking about switching the legs. The old hitch legs seem to be made with heavier material and I never noticed them to move around.

Take my advice you will thank me!Sell your hitch on Craig's List then order a B&W from tweetys. It will drive you crazy listening to it clunk all the time. Silence is golden!

Reese R16 Noise | Good Sam Community

tegu69
Explorer
Jul 08, 2014
Cummins12V98 wrote:
People interested in a hitch look at the last few posts about shims/washers. Start out right with a B&W you won't have to do a thing they are rock solid!

Maybe next time. I wanted to be able to use the Revolution box that came with my Everlite. A friend of mine has the Revolution on his Flagstaff and was told by the dealer that he had to use it the conventional way with his B+W hitch.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jul 08, 2014
People interested in a hitch look at the last few posts about shims/washers. Start out right with a B&W you won't have to do a thing they are rock solid!
tegu69
Explorer
Jul 08, 2014
Likes to tow wrote:
tegu69 wrote:
Like I said, I still had the old (1990's) hitch and I just changed them out. I don't really get the shims thing. I'm thinking that it would be easier to get 4 big flat washers and try that. I was just looking at a stainless one that I had in my garage that measures 1 3/8 inches in diameter with a hole that fits the pin. The thickness of the washer is just about the difference between the old legs and the newer ones pin tabs. "Was it just the leg assy". I did notice that the newer legs were bent by machine that caused 'dimples' in the metal. My old legs were flat and smooth where the bends were.

Washers will be too thick, at least it was on my hitch. It is surprising how thin the shim needs to be to work. The galvanized sheet metal was the perfect thickness, wish I knew the guage for you.

Just like sheet metal, washers come in different thickness. They make pretty thin stainless ones. I don't doubt the effectiveness of the sheet metal. I'm just saying, for about a buck and a half I can get 4 of those washers at the local hardware store (I don't go to home dep for stuff like that) and not have to fabricate the metal.
Likes_to_tow
Nomad
Jul 08, 2014
tegu69 wrote:
Like I said, I still had the old (1990's) hitch and I just changed them out. I don't really get the shims thing. I'm thinking that it would be easier to get 4 big flat washers and try that. I was just looking at a stainless one that I had in my garage that measures 1 3/8 inches in diameter with a hole that fits the pin. The thickness of the washer is just about the difference between the old legs and the newer ones pin tabs. "Was it just the leg assy". I did notice that the newer legs were bent by machine that caused 'dimples' in the metal. My old legs were flat and smooth where the bends were.

Washers will be too thick, at least it was on my hitch. It is surprising how thin the shim needs to be to work. The galvanized sheet metal was the perfect thickness, wish I knew the guage for you.
tegu69
Explorer
Jul 07, 2014
Like I said, I still had the old (1990's) hitch and I just changed them out. I don't really get the shims thing. I'm thinking that it would be easier to get 4 big flat washers and try that. I was just looking at a stainless one that I had in my garage that measures 1 3/8 inches in diameter with a hole that fits the pin. The thickness of the washer is just about the difference between the old legs and the newer ones pin tabs. "Was it just the leg assy". I did notice that the newer legs were bent by machine that caused 'dimples' in the metal. My old legs were flat and smooth where the bends were.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Jul 07, 2014
tegu69 wrote:
I just got back from 8000 mile trip (Fl-Ca). As the trip progressed, I noticed that when pulling into campgrounds, my hitch would make all kinds of noise. I sprayed on grease and it seemed to quiet the noise for a while. Now I am noticing a groove forming on the bed rails. I had replaced my 14k, 16 plus yrs old Reese, with a 16k. I still have the 14k and I am thinking about switching the legs. The old hitch legs seem to be made with heavier material and I never noticed them to move around.

I got the same deal. Am gonna try the shims. However, how did you go about ordering the different legs? Was it just the leg assy?
Likes_to_tow
Nomad
Jul 07, 2014
I made shims out of galvanized sheet metal, the kind used in duct work for heating and A/C installations. I cut four pieces 3 inches square, cut a rectangular hole in the middle and put them under each mounting leg, the mounting pin is much tighter but still goes in without much persuasion. Then I cut 4 pieces 4 inches long by two inches wide, turned one end up about 3/4 of an inch at a 90 degree angle and tap them in between the slide roll and slide rail. My hitch is a slider. After doing this I don't hear any noise.....none!!!! If I need to pull the slide rail/roll shims out to use the slider they come out with a little help from a large screw driver. However I have never had to use my slider so this has not been an issue.

Cheap fix for an annoying problem!!!
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jul 07, 2014
WeBeFulltimers wrote:
overthehillbill wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Take my advice you will thank me!

Sell your hitch on Craig's List then order a B&W from tweetys. It will drive you crazy listening to it clunk all the time.

Silence is golden!

X-2. I sold my Reese Select on Craigs List and purchased a B&W Patriot
from Tweetys. Silence is truly golden.

This is what I did and could not be happier. No more Reese for me!

Good call!
tegu69
Explorer
Jul 06, 2014
tegu69 wrote:
I just got back from 8000 mile trip (Fl-Ca). As the trip progressed, I noticed that when pulling into campgrounds, my hitch would make all kinds of noise. I sprayed on grease and it seemed to quiet the noise for a while. Now I am noticing a groove forming on the bed rails. I had replaced my 14k, 16 plus yrs old Reese, with a 16k. I still have the 14k and I am thinking about switching the legs. The old hitch legs seem to be made with heavier material and I never noticed them to move around.

Update: I went ahead and changed the legs. Not only were the 14k legs pin tabs noticeably thicker, when I compared the sound made when striking a metal object to the legs, the 16k sounded like a bell ringing compared to the 14 sounding like a solid piece of metal. I just got back from week-end trip and guess what, no noise.
WeBeFulltimers
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
overthehillbill wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Take my advice you will thank me!

Sell your hitch on Craig's List then order a B&W from tweetys. It will drive you crazy listening to it clunk all the time.

Silence is golden!

X-2. I sold my Reese Select on Craigs List and purchased a B&W Patriot
from Tweetys. Silence is truly golden.

This is what I did and could not be happier. No more Reese for me!

Forum Discussion

Reese R16 Noise

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Reese R16 Hitch

All steel 236/85/R16 LRF

225/75 R16

Firestone TransForce HT2 LT225 /75 R16 115R E1 ?

Reese Sidewinder