Mega-trouble unhitching

[jamesu]

Over the past few years we have Great difficulty unhitching TT. Used to be I'd stand on truck back bumper and jump up and down and hitch would release and truck ball would drop out. I almost dread arriving at any campsite as this whole process can take 30-45 minutes and yesterday set a record: 1 hr to release TT from the ball. Great angst and confusion: what are we doing wrong? We have have been TT'ing for a long time and thought we knew what we're doing.

I have inspected TT receiver socket. It is fine. Looks nothing like the guy on recent TT blog who posted horrific photos of his set up.

Also last September I talked to mechanic in a Reno TT shop about all this and I gained no insights from him.

Would appreciate helpful input from other TT'ers who have experienced this and figured it out. We are currently camped on the Columbia and the way it all happened last night when we arrived I am concerned now about even getting this TT hooked up so we can go home on Saturday.

[Ron3rd]

DavidP wrote:

parkersdad wrote:
Get in your truck and pull forward just enough to take the pressure off of the locking mechanism. I hope this helps.

x2

X3, yes, just putting it in drive and "bumping" it forward (as my wife says) is often enough to free things up. Having said that, I wonder if you have some other problem as I have never experienced that much difficulty unhitching with 2 different trailers.

[rbpru]

I have had the ball stick and as suggested it usually release by rocking slightly back and forth.

Lately, I have used the tongue jack to raise the TV a little and take some pressure off the WD bars, then release the bars. The residual bar pressure will sometimes release the ball.

[Redterpos3]

Dick_B wrote:
Possibly silly reply but are the hitch and ball compatible?

If taking the pressure off the hitch doesn't work I would wonder the above also. I had trouble once but realized I still had my stabilizer jacks down.:S I knew it should release easy, but it wasn't working. After figuring that out it was easy.

[dee74]

On my last tt I had to pull forward to get the ball to release. On my new tt I have to ease back a little and the ball will release. I am not sure what causes the difference but I can unhitch in under a minute.

[jamesu]

naturist wrote:

parkersdad wrote:
Get in your truck and pull forward just enough to take the pressure off of the locking mechanism. I hope this helps.

X3

So that you understand fully, the latch on a ball type receiver is designed to clamp down tighter if there is ANY pressure at all on the back half of the clamshell that captures the ball. This is to make it impossible for the trailer tongue to hop off the ball no matter how hard you hit that bump.

The pressure that locks down the latching mechanism can be either the truck pushing back on the trailer, or the trailer tongue trying to lift upward off the ball.

So the trick is to park the trailer, set the chocks so it won't go anywhere, put the truck in drive and pull slightly on the trailer to ensure there's no backward pressure, then unlatch the hitch before you make ANY attempt to lift the tongue off the ball.

If you do that, every latch I've ever seen will release the ball with the pressure of just one finger. If you fail to do that, you have to jump up and down on the bumper while whaling away at the release lever with a hammer. It's your call, take 'em apart any way you want.

All good advice, but thank you "naturist", for your cogent explanation. I can "see" the process as you wrote it and I believe I have what I need to do the uncoupling right.

And no, I have not been chocking my TT wheels all this time. The outfit that sold me this trailer ten years ago went out of business. Maybe that tells us something. It's like this stuff is new to me today.

Like I said, thanks for all the helping info.

[Dick_B]

Possibly silly reply but are the hitch and ball compatible?

[jamesu]

Thanks for valuable info and advice.

In answer to lubing the ball... Yes, I have always greased it. Based upon some of you here I will lube with the Vaseline that's in TT medicine cabinet. I also will chock TT wheels and pull truck forward a hair to take pressure of the locking mechanism before beginning the whole process.

Just traded in my 1/2 ton F-150 for the 3/4 ton diesel in my signature. Yesterday was 1st tow with that TV. We fairly flew over Snoqualmie Pass. Love it. Now if we can get this TT situation fixed life will be even easier.

[naturist]

parkersdad wrote:
Get in your truck and pull forward just enough to take the pressure off of the locking mechanism. I hope this helps.

X3

So that you understand fully, the latch on a ball type receiver is designed to clamp down tighter if there is ANY pressure at all on the back half of the clamshell that captures the ball. This is to make it impossible for the trailer tongue to hop off the ball no matter how hard you hit that bump.

The pressure that locks down the latching mechanism can be either the truck pushing back on the trailer, or the trailer tongue trying to lift upward off the ball.

So the trick is to park the trailer, set the chocks so it won't go anywhere, put the truck in drive and pull slightly on the trailer to ensure there's no backward pressure, then unlatch the hitch before you make ANY attempt to lift the tongue off the ball.

If you do that, every latch I've ever seen will release the ball with the pressure of just one finger. If you fail to do that, you have to jump up and down on the bumper while whaling away at the release lever with a hammer. It's your call, take 'em apart any way you want.

[GordonThree]

I had the issue once where the trailer want to push forward into the chock until I raised the tongue to take it off the ball. Then the trailer pushed backwards onto the other chock. Couldnt release the bind using the neutral trick.

Solved the problem by backing slightly onto the rear chock, put on parking brake and placing the front chock. Then shift to neutral and release brake. Unhitched no problem after that. Now its part of my standard unhitching procedure.

[Rthomas61]

I had the same issue. Little Vaseline solved the problem for me but I usually disconnect on a weird angle (seasonal site issues) but the Vaseline cured the problem

[westend]

Yup, release the bind. If it is still stuck, pull the locking pin and pull forward letting the ball and shank pull out of the receiver. Don't let anyone stand next to the tongue when doing this as the hitch will probably fall out of the coupler.

[Oasisbob]

Previous two posts should fix this. Also are you greasing the hitch at all? Let us know how this works . I have had similar but easily fixed as previous post described. Best of luck

[DavidP]

parkersdad wrote:
Get in your truck and pull forward just enough to take the pressure off of the locking mechanism. I hope this helps.

x2

[jmtandem]

Over the past few years we have Great difficulty unhitching TT. Used to be I'd stand on truck back bumper and jump up and down and hitch would release and truck ball would drop out. I almost dread arriving at any campsite as this whole process can take 30-45 minutes and yesterday set a record: 1 hr to release TT from the ball. Great angst and confusion: what are we doing wrong? We have have been TT'ing for a long time and thought we knew what we're doing.

I have inspected TT receiver socket. It is fine. Looks nothing like the guy on recent TT blog who posted horrific photos of his set up.

Also last September I talked to mechanic in a Reno TT shop about all this and I gained no insights from him.

Would appreciate helpful input from other TT'ers who have experienced this and figured it out. We are currently camped on the Columbia and the way it all happened last night when we arrived I am concerned now about even getting this TT hooked up so we can go home on Saturday.


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2011 Chevy 2500 Duramax

It is incredibly easy and quick to disconnect a TT hitch. Your dealer should have walked you through this process as part of the PDI you paid for. When in camp chock the trailer wheels and release the hitch lever, then rock the truck/tow vehicle back and forth a half inch until you hear it release and/or feel it. Should not take more than 15 seconds if that. What you are doing is releasing the 'bind' in the hitch. Whoops, just noticed others posted this.

[parkersdad]

You beat me to it. Sorry for posting the same thing.