Problem with B&W Companion unhooking from hitch

[stickdog]

So I have 10 1/2 years and 85,000 miles on my above mentioned hitch. We have been moving slowly to our winter gig while hitting NPs that the wife hadn't seen since she was 8. We have stayed in 27 campgrounds and unhitched at most other than a few overnights on flat sites.

So we pulled into a USACE park last night, our last before a days drive to our gig park for the winter. Site was not very level. I went to unhook, no big problem. Lowered the front jacks to take the weight off the hitch, hopped in the truck and placed in neutral to take any front/back pressure off of the pin. Got out pulled the safety pin and then pulled the release handle. I always check to see if the jaws have opened sometimes they haven't so I get back in the truck and shift from D to R with just the idle is.

Jaws still closed? Put truck back in neutral, raised the trailer a bit nothing. Lowered the truck still nothing and there is no pressure on the locking lever.

Of course this leaves me with a problem as we are a days drive 280 miles. I have to assume something is broke within the mechanism but does that mean the jaws are closed and unable to open or since their is no presure on the locking lever a strong pull could pull the jaws open and cause a possible disaster.

Any thoughts?

[Cummins12V98]

MFL wrote:

deltabravo wrote:

stickdog wrote:
I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts,

What is a "zert"?

Just a simple grease fitting, more commonly called zerk. On the B&W FW hitch, it is on under side of hitch head.

Glad to hear the OP's problem is solved!

Jerry

I met a guy with a heavy Mobile Suites and he had a Companion hitch. We started talking and somehow I mentioned lubrication of the B&W, I got the blank stare.....

He had no idea there was a "ZERK" under the head and the mounts the head rides on needed to be lubricated also.

[Cummins12V98]

deltabravo wrote:

stickdog wrote:
I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts,

What is a "zert"?

I think it's kinda like a "ZIT" only the lube goes in instead of out.

[MFL]

deltabravo wrote:

stickdog wrote:
I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts,

What is a "zert"?

Just a simple grease fitting, more commonly called zerk. On the B&W FW hitch, it is on under side of hitch head.

Glad to hear the OP's problem is solved!

Jerry

[deltabravo]

stickdog wrote:
I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts,

What is a "zert"?

[Edd505]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Another happy ending to a B&W bedtime story!

My custom made bed step makes it a breeze to reach the handle to pin it open on the rare occasion I need to do so.

Just grab the aluminum step from the 5W for us under tall people.

[4x4ord]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:

4x4ord wrote:

It can be a bit of a stretch to reach into the box to pin the lever open. So as I mentioned earlier you can let the trailer jacks down to hold the weight of the trailer then put a bit of forward pull on the jaws by placing the truck in Drive, release the brake, and go back to Park. Then when you release the jaws the truck and trailer separate as the jaws open..... it's not necessary to pin the lever.

If the nose of the trailer was downhill, then is is necessary to pin the handle open. He did say it wasn't a level site. I have to pin mine open every time I unhook here at home.

I'm quite sure I wouldn't have to pin mine no matter what the topography, but, I am a bit of a risk taker so sometimes I do things that aren't necessarily considered safe. Pinning the lever is a good idea.

[ford_truck_guy]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Another happy ending to a B&W bedtime story!

My custom made bed step makes it a breeze to reach the handle to pin it open on the rare occasion I need to do so.

Well ... EXCUSE US RON ! ! :B

I need to get my arse up on my $11.99 plastic folding stool and use my telescoping magnet to get the pin :C

[dieseltruckdriv]

4x4ord wrote:

It can be a bit of a stretch to reach into the box to pin the lever open. So as I mentioned earlier you can let the trailer jacks down to hold the weight of the trailer then put a bit of forward pull on the jaws by placing the truck in Drive, release the brake, and go back to Park. Then when you release the jaws the truck and trailer separate as the jaws open..... it's not necessary to pin the lever.

If the nose of the trailer was downhill, then is is necessary to pin the handle open. He did say it wasn't a level site. I have to pin mine open every time I unhook here at home.

[Cummins12V98]

Another happy ending to a B&W bedtime story!

My custom made bed step makes it a breeze to reach the handle to pin it open on the rare occasion I need to do so.

[4x4ord]

stickdog wrote:
Well this morning with the wind and rain stopped I pinned the release handle open. I haven't been doing that as I have to lay over the side of the bed to reach it. Didn't have to do that with the previous truck and trailer as that 5er had a extended hitch pin.

To make a short story shorter the jaws popped open as soon as I raised the trailer.

I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts, and the uprights. Maybe need a good cleaning as dust and other crud could have built up. We have been in very dusty areas the last couple months.

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions.

It can be a bit of a stretch to reach into the box to pin the lever open. So as I mentioned earlier you can let the trailer jacks down to hold the weight of the trailer then put a bit of forward pull on the jaws by placing the truck in Drive, release the brake, and go back to Park. Then when you release the jaws the truck and trailer separate as the jaws open..... it's not necessary to pin the lever.

[stickdog]

Well this morning with the wind and rain stopped I pinned the release handle open. I haven't been doing that as I have to lay over the side of the bed to reach it. Didn't have to do that with the previous truck and trailer as that 5er had a extended hitch pin.

To make a short story shorter the jaws popped open as soon as I raised the trailer.

I keep the hitch greased both the jaw, the zerts, and the uprights. Maybe need a good cleaning as dust and other crud could have built up. We have been in very dusty areas the last couple months.

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions.

[Cummins12V98]

I forgot!!! YES a standard lube plate can be an issue!!! I changed mine out long ago to a 1/8" model.

[MFL]

One thing to add, concerning hard to release, is that it can be a tight fit, under certain conditions, and using a thick lube plate. There are thinner lube plates available, from several sources.

fj12ryder gave a good tip to open jaws, when there is pull from truck, holding the jaws. 🙂

Above, from Cummins 12V98, also good idea, as real people will answer, and will have/get the information you need.

Jerry

[Cummins12V98]

It's Monday, give B&W a call then let us know what they say.

[FlatBroke]

Only does that when I try to pull out after forgetting to release it. Then I have to pin it back, or I lasso it with a bungee cord and pull it back and hook the other end to the pickup box edge. Works every time.