Trouble unhooking

[LOFAT36]

It is a quest every time we try to unhook our trailer. Back and forth until it will finally release. Drives me nuts. Any suggestions ?

[trailer_newbe]

I guarantee it’s the trailer hitch. What he described was exactly our situation. Not sure what brand Jayco uses, but it’s a tight hitch that has little room for manufacturers error.

[wrenchbender]

To me it sounds like you have it preloaded what you might do is to remove the ball and check that it will come loose with no presure on the coupler. If it breakes free easily than heavily lube the ball and coupler leave the tow vehicle in neutral and crank the tongue up till it breaks free.Also make sure you have the correct size ball.

[mobeewan]

parker.rowe wrote:
If I have tension and the ball starts picking up the truck in park, I can usually just walk back and put the truck in neutral, then take my foot off the brake. Ball pops right off because it is already trying to pick up the truck.

I have also just eased the brake enough in reverse to get it to release. Don't have to release the brake all the way or give it any gas. That would be a bad idea! 🙂

Then back in park and lift the trailer the rest of the way to clear the ball completely.

I do this too. If this doesn't work I also keep a rubber mallet behind the driver's seat. I'll use it hit the side of the coupler once or twice to finish poping the ball and coupler loose. It also comes in handy to break up bags of ice that are frozen solid or self defense if needed.

[trailer_newbe]

Their is something wrong with the hitch. I had the exact same issue with my 2017 WH 24RKS. The hitch would not un-hook and I could lift my truck off the ground. I found leaving the WDH bars in the hitch worked well as I would crab one and push up and down really hard to work the ball loose.

On my 2018 WH28RL I have the exact same hitch and it unhooks like butter every time.

I actually feel the hitch Jayco uses is superior to most others out there but you can get a bad one too. The one that wouldn’t unhitch gouged the ball in a short period of time. My new 28RL although heavier does not gouge the ball hitch so maybe the unhitching issue is related, not sure.

[rbpru]

I usually crank the manual tongue jack so it raises the back of the truck higher than the unhitch height. It is lifting the truck a couple of inches; then I release the tension bars. Usually the truck pops out and drops.

If that does not work, then I do what everybody else does, jump on the truck bumper.

It is possible to get the TT at an odd angle or tilt, but it is rather rare.

Safe travels

[LOFAT36]

Yeti plus wrote:
About a year ago someone else had the same problem.
Turns out he wasn't releasing the coupler. If I recall correctly once he left the release in the open position all his problems ended.
Are you flipping the release and keeping it in the open/unlocked position?

.

Absolutely.

[Yeti_plus]

About a year ago someone else had the same problem.
Turns out he wasn't releasing the coupler. If I recall correctly once he left the release in the open position all his problems ended.
Are you flipping the release and keeping it in the open/unlocked position?

[CavemanCharlie]

I agree with the posters who said to set the parking break first. Even then I sometimes have to jump on the bumper of the pickup. Then it pops right off.

[Pop-Pop_C]

Lubricatio!!!XXXXX

[LOFAT36]

parker.rowe wrote:
If I have tension and the ball starts picking up the truck in park, I can usually just walk back and put the truck in neutral, then take my foot off the brake. Ball pops right off because it is already trying to pick up the truck.

I have also just eased the brake enough in reverse to get it to release. Don't have to release the brake all the way or give it any gas. That would be a bad idea! 🙂

Then back in park and lift the trailer the rest of the way to clear the ball completely.

Yes my electric jack does start lifting the truck. I will try that. Thanks to all for the info.

[afidel]

The wife and I will move the truck suspension up and down by making a jumping motion on the bumper or hitch, only about 1 in 20 times will I actually have to do anything with the truck. She showed me that move the first time out, she said they had to do it all the time with their popup growing up. Greasing the ball doesn't seem to have any effect on the stuck phenomenon, it seems to be related to angle between truck and trailer and how much slip there was when putting the truck into park.

[parker_rowe]

If I have tension and the ball starts picking up the truck in park, I can usually just walk back and put the truck in neutral, then take my foot off the brake. Ball pops right off because it is already trying to pick up the truck.

I have also just eased the brake enough in reverse to get it to release. Don't have to release the brake all the way or give it any gas. That would be a bad idea! 🙂

Then back in park and lift the trailer the rest of the way to clear the ball completely.

[sgfrye]

ScottG wrote:
Do you have an electric tongue jack?
I just lift until it finally breaks loose.

x2

[NanciL]

Same thing happened to me and then I found the solution.

Just take the pin out of the hitch before you start raising the tongue jack.
That releases the pressure, and allows the hitch to move that fraction of an inch needed and the ball will come right off as you raise it.

Try it. You'll be quite surprised

Jack L