Sidewinder after market wedge.

[mountainsam]

I know this has been discussed several times but my question doesn't seem to have ever been answered to my understanding.
I have a Forest River Rockwood with the Side winder pin box. I have the Reese Pro Series 16K hitch. I have a terrible time getting hooked up. I have seen posts in other threads that shows after market wedges for this set up that supposedly makes hook up much easier.
I am about to order a new wedge but before I do, can anyone tell me what would make the after market wedge any easier than the factory wedge?

[oldbiker7]

I had the same issues with my previous KZ fiver and Reese Pro hitch. My dealer did quite a bit of metal grinding in an attempt to help the problem but it really didn't do much. I finally sold the Reese and purchased a B&W Patriot with the clamping jaws instead of the slide bar, purchased a wedge specific for the B&W and that was a significant improvement. The dealer and I both felt the problem had to do with the Reese slide bar catching if everything wasn't set just right. The dealer has now switch from the Reese Pro to the B&W for new fiver purchasers.

[C_Schomer]

This has been interesting! My 5er had a 5AB/SW when I got it used and I had a hard time with hitching. I have lots of friends with TTs and Hensleys and the Hensley is more forgiving that the SW. I have a LB truck so I took the SW off and moved the 5AB back to the pin box mounting plates on the 5er. I definitely would have been doing some grinding and greasing to make it hook up easier. BTW, I took the SW arm off first and then the turret to make it easier and lighter. Mine had enough clearance in the bushings so the arm would turn fairly easily in the turret. Try some chain lube if yours won't pivot. Craig

[Beaker]

. I am now thinking the storage facility moved it and they did so with a hitch that engaged the wedge. They had two bolts in the torrent also.

The bolts in the turret is how you move it without a wedge. If you think they moved it with both a wedge and bolts, you may want to check everything out real good because nothing will turn if it was moved that way.

Along with the pinbox, you may also want to check the axles because that is the only place it would pivot.

[mountainsam]

Today I got around to grinding a little on my wedge and found more damage than I expected. The bolts were bent just enough to stop them from sliding out of the disassembled wedge. I am now thinking the storage facility moved it and they did so with a hitch that engaged the wedge. They had two bolts in the torrent also. I ordered the hitch specific wedge today and will be looking for a new storage facility next year. This is turning into a real learning experience.

[Beaker]

Did some looking into on hitch specific wedges.

Mine needs the universal because the hitch is older than a 2009.

[RnTBnB]

I believe I have the same setup as mountainsam, and I, too, often have a terrible time hitching up. I thought I must be approaching the pinbox too high or too low. I had no idea that there were hitch-specific wedges! I bought my 5th Airborne Sidewinder used from my dealer and have been using the wedge that came with it. Thank you to everyone who commented. Now maybe I can simplify hitching up and enjoy camping more!

[glazier]

If you push the pin as far into a hitch as it will go, by backing your truck into it. Once you pull back forward the jaw engages the pin. The slack is created by bottoming out the pin in the main front of the hitch.

[htowners]

glazier wrote:
Once you loosen the two bolts on the wedge, back into it as normal allowing your jaw to close. After the jaw locks, chock the rear of your trailer tires and put your truck in reverse. This will force the loose wedge as far back as it could ever go while being hooked up. After forcing the loose wedge, unhook as normal then tighten the 2 bolts to the proper torque. This should have you in good shape for hooking up the next time. If you attempt to install the wedge by hitting it with a hammer while it's in the hitch, you may make it to tight to rehook. As mentioned you will get some movement at the wedge area of your hitch funnel, this is normal. Without the slight movement at the funnel area, you will have a time hooking, and unhooking.

My method is the opposite. I had the wedge on and just slightly tight. I hitched up and chocked the tires. I then put it in drive and moved forward until the pin hit the hitch plate. I then used a piece of 1x1 and tapped the wedge slightly forward. I un hitched and tightened the wedge.
My reason is I want the king pin to take the weight, not the wedge.
Since doing this my hitching and unhitching is as easy as with a standrad pin box. I do get some slight noise from the hitch, but again its the same as a normal pin box.
BTW: I did buy the Reese 16K specific wedge.

[mountainsam]

Thanks Beaker, I had no idea if they were the same thing.

[Beaker]

Beaker, are the Fifth Airborne and Revolution the same thing or are they different manufacturers?

I believe that the Sidewinder and Revolution are the same thing.

The Fifth Airborne is the Sidewinder with an air bag.

[mountainsam]

Beaker, are the Fifth Airborne and Revolution the same thing or are they different manufacturers?

[mountainsam]

There seems to be a jury that is still out on the correct amount of pressure to move the side winder side to side by hand. As for the wedge I am going to do the grinding myself and re install as per Glazers post. I have 6 weeks before our first outing so have plenty of time to order the new one if necessary. I am beginning to think my biggest problem is failure to read instructions. First,I did not lubricate the wedge and second, I did a little damage to it the first time I hooked up myself. I had the trailer too high and the wedge appears to have hit the hitch skid plate and turned it up. The peeled metal perfectly backs up this theory. With every ones suggestions I think I will be set to go in a couple days, and much wiser.

[Beaker]

I also had problems hooking up with the same hitch although my Reese Pro Series 16K hitch is 10 years old.
I noticed another Reese in a truck and saw that my hitch was really poorly made.
Hard too explain but edges were sticking out where they should not have.
I had it ground down and also had the corners ground round on the wedge. It was much easier hooking up after that.

It cost me $50 to do that so maybe a different wedge would be easier. It does seem to me in the instruction manual that the wedge that came with it was made for a Reese 16K.


By the way my Sidewinder is impossible to move by hand. It was greased and correctly torqued.

I have made 3 trips so far and really like this thing. It is the Fifth Airborne Sidewinder.

[Hunter11]

I have a Sidewinder pin box which came with the universal wedge. It worked okay for a while but I ordered the wedge made for my hitch and it works much better. Once I had the new wedge installed and set tight to my hitch I used blue Locktite on the two bolts before torquing them to specs. That was three years ago and I have yet to have to re-adjust the wedge.