Would it hurt to maybe bang on the underside a little with a mallet or hammer to try and get it to free up? ago After it sets a while take a big screw driver or small bar and put it down in the back of the slot and pry it forward. I adjusted it straight vertical and eliminated the problem. If you do this, make sure that you apply a lot of it. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. We all know and love our hitches due to their strength and reliability, but it can be frustrating when they just wont detach from your trailer. The dust and dirt particles accumulate in them from the roadside. However, greasing it is recommended. I tried moving forward/backward and that didn't work either. move front or back and wiggle TT sometimes they will bind. The hitch on my Jayco is a different design than what I've had before on other trailers and it is the ONLY one that I have ever had any difficulty getting to release the ball when unhooking. When you attach the trailer in these dirty balls, it can cause a problem when you separate them from towing vehicles. You cannot separate the towing vehicle without removing these chains. Loosen the nut on the bottom. It is attached with a coupler ball to carry excessive load whenever you are planning a long trip. Pitch angle of the tv can be tricky too when unhitching! This issue can also occur when you forgot to disengage the engine and brakes. Didn't seem to help. When you do not remove the coupler balls after use, it becomes rusty. If youre worried about the hitch being sticky or tight, you can also spray a lubricant such as WD-40 around the hitch and receiver. Now that weve dealt with the process of fixing stuck trailer hitches, walked you through the removal of hitches from receivers, and recommended some good lubricants, were about ready to wrap up! Have been tempted to drill a small hole in the top to act as a vent, but I still thinking about it. _____ Due to unsmooth road surfaces, the trailer tongue binds with the coupler ball, and your trailer hitch wont release. It looks like the fit is so tight front to back that the ball must be EXACTLY centred in the coupler before it will move at all. Now after lowering the post some and it does not want to uncouple I get in the car and turn the steering wheel left and right, which is enough to move the rear end of the car a bit and the hitch comes off. Re: trailer hitch won't latch Silvertip said: First, make sure the coupler is all the way down on the ball. When you attach them to the corroded surface, it is problematic to separate them. How Often Should You Change Your RV Tires. First, make sure the coupler latch is open fully to accept the ball. If it free off the ball it should be Ok on the ball. Senior . Usually you either need to pull the truck forward a little or back it up a little to relieve the tension. The screwdriver pushes the lock forward (towards the vehicle) and up. With everything aligned, carefully lower your trailer onto the hitch ball. Try this next time you hook up. Good to know the workings of the hitch. I was thinking lock adjustment too tight also. Storing your trailers in warm environments during the winter is another way to prevent this from happening. Wrap it around the ball a time or two and use another hook to lock it in place. Lithium lubricant on the ball never hurt, but the main sticking issue is the locking mechanism has too much back pressure on it from the TV. Works every time for me. In most cases, this method should do the trick! You don't want it to be to loose. Thanks for the post. For medium-duty towing, such as a pickup truck or SUV towing a travel trailer, the 2-inch ball is the most commonly used, but you must use the proper size ball that will match the hitch. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -, 2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles), US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population, The last few times we have taken the rig out, it has been difficult to get the hitch to drop off the ball. I would appreciate any help or comments. Uncouple the trailer and insert a spare ball into the coupler (a). Actually done most listed above, but still get issues about 50% of the time. The Permatex White Lithium Grease lubricant works for metal on metal setups, as well as metal on plastic. This video should help you out and explains what is happening when you have problems getting the hitch off the ball. First - take the adjusting nut on the hitch and loosen it about 5 or 6 turns. If it doesn't work I'll consider buying you a sledge hammer. You want the hitch to be basically soaking to make sure that it wont be too hard to remove. It can also cause a problem during the unbinding process. Of course, reinstall the stinger into the receiver before moving back and forth. Make sure it's 100% clean inside the coupler, use brake parts cleaner. Park your car and get out so you can place wheel chocks behind the wheels of your travel trailer. Bassdogs, that is exactly my question. If its still not coming loose, applying some lubricant to the hitch and tongue should give it the final push it needs. A lot of ball hitches come in a standard size, which makes it easy to assume that theyre all the same. Just let the whole hitch slide out. It's in the open position now. What happens when trying to uncouple is that the ball is still seated forward in the cup. Use tapes and high-quality shocks to keep them in place. My last time for this was caused by the hitch (ball) on the tow vehicle angle. The flapper HAD become wedged up against the front of the hitch and a good bang with a flathead screwdriver and a mallet freed it up. Its also great for dissolving rust and adhesive substances. Is Your RV Ruined By Delamination? This is usually caused when the trailer is at a different level (angle) from the tow vehicle. Thanks. if the ball has some miles on it?? x2 Silverado try some lube with hitch off ball ten make sure you have no pressure on hitch from not being aligned properly. your choice: a big hammer or a little grease! How to Hook to A Trailer with a Ball Hitch | Trailering SMART Smart Drive Test 268K subscribers 164K views 5 years ago Learn how to hook to a ball hitch trailer - watch the video.. Its set up too tight and the moveable jaw can't close around the ball. How Many Batteries Does a Semi Truck Have? Lower it into place, make sure the hitch fully encloses the ball, and close the locking lever. Make sure that you have enough room for your car to maneuver out of once youre disconnected. It did release. Also helps getting rid of the minor fore and aft movement in the hitch. This is a tough problem to resolve and the best thing to do is to get a replacement thats the correct size. I have only had it a few months and usually it drops back down into place no prob. Driving them in the rainy season also makes their surface rusty. Later on in this post, well explore some more specifics of how to deal with stuck hitches, some good lubricants for trailers, and additional tips and tricks to make the process easier. If youve got a ball thats just slightly too large for the tongue, it might attach, but it will be hard to get loose. Pulling the hitch pin lets the ball find the sweet spot all by itself, no moving of the TV required. Beat me to the punch! I also had a miserable time uncoupling when our TT was new and found the suggestions above worked well, especially lubricating the ball. For some people, this isnt a problem, but for others, it can be annoying to deal with that extra protrusion on the back. Once youre free from your travel trailer, youre still going to have your ball hitch attached to the back of your car. What is P1280 Code on 7.3 Powerstroke Engine? You could drop your tow package from the frame which isnt much fun or maybe get a crow bar and try to wedge it in the little space between the ball and the locking mechanism and pry with all you have. This will affect your hitch and trailer tongue and can lock them tightly together. Now it is not easy to disengage them quickly from the coupler ball. Due to highly freezing temperatures, the metal shrink, contracts, and expand, which can cause the problem. When towing a large trailer or a vehicle, the most common setup is a trailer hitch and ball. When a coupler gets stuck on the ball it can be because of several factors. I had the flapper pinned open in the unlocked position and got the ball in place, I removed the pin but the flapper would not return to its lay down position to lock the ball on the hitch. I'm sure our neighbors find it entertaining. Due to more weight, you cannot move them quickly back and forth to loosen the connection. The next part of unhitching your trailer is to slowly drive your tow vehicle back and forth. This process will take a lot of energy and time; you can quickly resolve the issue if you identify the reason. He doesn't mention any lubrication of new hitches though. You can also have to remove heavy loads from them to separate them easily. Seems like the ball is sticking inside . - raise tongue jack to release ball from hitch. If it is not, adjust the height of the . The improperly inflated tires also disturb the levels of vehicles, and they move downward. When you do not apply emergency brakes, it can cause uneven movement, which can cause a problem in separation. I had to stay in the truck with the brakes on after release and have my wife raise the trailer off the ball. 1. Due to the balls wrong size will get stuck in them, and it is not easy to loosen their connection. Take the ball off of your hitch, or if you have a receiver hitch, take the receiver out of your hitch with the ball on it. Never knew whether I should pull forward or back. You should be able to close the coupler when unhitched as that allows you to place a tongue lock. I had that problem with a trailer, there was a small glob of powder coat and it was a b----h to un-couple. I ended up getting under the trailer with a large hammer and a large flathead screwdriver, and after hitting it a number of times, it finally dislodged.I first tried raising it up higher (no help), I tried lowering it (no help). 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T want it to be basically soaking to make sure the hitch to be basically soaking to sure! Move downward out of once youre disconnected can place wheel chocks behind the of... Forward in the rainy season also makes their surface rusty occur when you do this, make you. Best thing to do is to get it to free up TT sometimes they will bind wont release have tempted.