Reese hitch function

I have a 16K double swivel, slider 5th wheel hitch in my shortbox truck. I was under the impression that, when the jaws closed around the RV pin, they would not release the RV pin until the release pin is pulled and even then, the load has to be taken off the RV pin to easily pull the release pin.



Ya, that's right, I dropped the RV on my truck bed yesterday as a result of 2 idiot moves. Firstly, I always go around behind the hitch to observe the jaws in a closed position but yesterday, when I hitched up, I saw the release pin pop out and back in as I engaged the RV, and assumed the jaws had closed. That won't happen again. The second idiot move was not swinging the release pin bracket into the slot on the release pin to hold it in the non-release position.



So I'm wondering, did the release pin jiggle out or get pushed out because I didn't swing the securing bracket into place, or was I never completely engaged in the first place.



This is just after the fact musing because I do have some substantial damage to repair. Tailgate is toast, bedsides are showing some ripple on the top rails especially driver's side and the pin box appears to have been slightly tweeaked.



Regards, John

 

Sorry about the damage to the bed of the truck.

I have the 16K Resses slider also but it is not the double swivel just tilts fore aft. Now did you high hitch the 5er? I did this once it looked like the king pin was locked in the hitch jaw but it was not. I did a brake check with the legs still down so there was no damage to the bed on my truck when the trailer and truck separated. I was having difficulty in hitching up on a non-level site and the trailer had high hitch. The jaws open and closed and I was able to lock the release bar in the closed position, but it was high hitched.

I now have added the Bed Saver to the hitch frame to catch the 5er if it ever separates from the hitch in the future to protect the bed.

Jim W.

 

Sorry about the damage to the bed of the truck.



I have the 16K Resses slider also but it is not the double swivel just tilts fore aft. Now did you high hitch the 5er? I did this once it looked like the king pin was locked in the hitch jaw but it was not. I did a brake check with the legs still down so there was no damage to the bed on my truck when the trailer and truck separated. I was having difficulty in hitching up on a non-level site and the trailer had high hitch. The jaws open and closed and I was able to lock the release bar in the closed position, but it was high hitched.



I now have added the Bed Saver to the hitch frame to catch the 5er if it ever separates from the hitch in the future to protect the bed.



Jim W.

 

I'm sorry to hear of your mistake. It's not an uncommon mistake to make.

I'm confident the Reese hitch didn't fail you. I've been using a standard non-sliding Reese 20k for ten years. It was in use for three years of commercial RV trailer hauling so it's seen hundreds of hooks and unhooks and a couple hundred thousand towing miles. The hitch mechanism has never disappointed me. It still works as well as it did the day I bought it.

I always walk around behind the truck and look forward into the jaws of the hitch to make absolutely certain the jaws have latched around the trailer kingpin. On my own fifthwheel I spray painted the kingpin white and installed a tractor utility light under the bedroom overhang aimed down at the kingpin. I can stand beside the bedroom overhang of the trailer, reach under the overhang to flip a switch, and light up the hitch and kingpin.

A high hitch as Jim described above is not uncommon. It happens when the trailer kingpin and base plate are a little too high when the driver backs under it. The kingpin's bottom lip slides over the top of the jaws. If the kingpin plate doesn't put weight down on the hitch and slide firmly across the top as the truck backs under the kingpin a high hitch can result. IIRC, Reese hitch literature instructs drivers to lower the trailer kingpin plate so that it is about 1/2" lower than the top of the hitch. This allows the kingpin base plate to strike the rear downsloped area of the hitch forcing the hitch and the truck down as the truck slides under it.

 

I have, on several occasions, had the jaws close before the pin was fully seated. I also have the Reese 20K version. Most of those times were hitching on an angle so I believe the pin hit at an odd angle prematurely locking the pin. Each time I could feel that it wasn't a good lock. I also visually inspect that I have a good lock. My guess is that the hitch prematurely locked from not coming in square or a high hitch occurred. I ran across one of those on the road one time. Not a pretty site. I doubt that it opened after locking properly just because the securing bracket wasn't latched.

 

My son had a brand new reese 20K with the green pop out indicator ( at front so driver can see) When we went to pick up his new RV it would show locked on indicator but would not allow handle to latch into manual lock position. We tried many times and hitch would release on tug test . It was a recipe for what happened to you. We ended up using the dealership truck to deliver the trailer home.



I measured the jaws later and they were cut at such an angle as to not allow complete closure on the pin. Reese gave refund on hitch and we installed a Curtis in it's place and it has been trouble free.



I have a 16K reese in my truck that also was replaced when brand new. It would not latch jaws tight enough to put safety lock on 9 out of 10 tries. It sometimes took 1/2 hr or more to hitch up. Warranty replacement has been trouble free and worked great from day one.



After seeing the difference with the Curtis and given the problems we had , I would not buy another Reese, although the one in my truck is working well now.

 

With the double swivel on my Reese, it will tilt side to side if truck and trailer are not on the same plane but that was not the case here, everything was relatively level. My engagement includes a slight interference between pin plate and top surface of the Reese hitch as Harvey indicated, and I can feel the truck squat a wee bit as I engage which was repeated on this occasion.



I leave the release pin loose as I engage, watch it pop out and then back in as the pin slides into the hitch and then normally walk around behind to look at the jaws to see if they closed around the pin. I then flip the release pin bracket into lock position and secure with a padlock. I did none of that this time and only looked to see the pin box roughly in position on the hitch and the release pin in the closed position. I will likely paint the viewed face of the jaws white as Harvey suggested and will surely be looking at the jaws every time from here on.



I had the slider in manoever position as the trailer was in fairly tight quarters inside the shop. Once ouside over some rougher terrain, and straigtened out, I released the slider locking handle, manually locked the trailer brakes, backed the truck up and pushed the slider into the forward tow position so that should have further completely engaged the hitch if it wasn't already. I then pulled out onto the sideroad and as I straigtened out I heard the crash.



I've discovered that, at this point in time, I have to complete a ritual after I've started otherwise I leave steps out. Because I didn't get out and look at the jaws, I didn't complete the next step which was to close the release pin bracket.



The truck is already at the body shop getting $3500 worth of work. I'm taking some pictures of the trailer pin box to a local well reputed RV specialist, as it appears that the impact may have tweaked the pin box a little bit. The pin engagement surface is not completely horizontal but has a slight rise towards the front. We'll see what he says in terms of short term and long term usage.



Regards, John

 

John,
I know this is too late for the latest problem but this is cheap insurance for the future.

This is what I was referring to in my above post “The Bed Saver by Blue OX”, see link below.

http://tweetys.com/blueoxbedsavers.aspx

Jim W.

 

I'm not familar with a Reese hitch product with a green indicator so can't comment on that.

The jaws of my Reese hitch will open as the kingpin enters and then close but unless the kingpin is fully seated the jaws will not close 100% and will not allow moving the mechanical latch bracket into place. After years of using the hitch I can glance at the latch release arm and tell if the jaws have fully closed and latched.

It's easy to close and latch the jaws with the kingpin riding too high and experience a dropped trailer. It's not uncommon around campgrounds. I don't see any way to mistake partially closed jaws if the operator is checking for a successful hookup as he hitches.

I have not previously seen or heard of a poorly machined or assembled Reese product.

 

done samething some time ago,same hitch and same mistake. harvey barlow was right then and know. put weight on the hitch when backing in,make sure you see it lock and lock handel in the position. **** happens

 

Well, I definitely had weight on the hitch upon engagement because I actually watched that and did my normal routine there so I'm quite sure the pin was down into the hitch. There was no gap between the hitch in the truck and the pin plate of the trailer when I did a quick look-see



The release pin appeared to be fully engaged but I never seated the release pin bracket so I don't know. I think the jaws should have fully seated when I backed the truck up against the trailer to slid the fifth wheel back to tow position.



Regardless, I'm sure its something I did or didn't do but should have, and I don't have any concerns about the Reese hitch itself. It won't happen again ( ya right ).



Regards, John

 

Sorry for your damaged bed.

I have seen so many damaged beds and most of them have beed with a Reese, Husky, RBW and others but I have never seen or heard of a damaged bed with a B&W hitch.

The design of the B&W is about fool proof. The jaws are 1" thick so high hitching is only going to happen if someone does not look at the kingpin plate and hitch plate to see if they are in contact.

I never do a pull test, I make sure the plates are touching, the locking bar is closed and locked and the jaws are around the kingpin.

With the standard 1/4" slip plate the jaws are very tight when the jaws are closed. I bought a 1/8" slip plate from Hensley and it is much easier now to see when the weight has been removed from the hitch so you can open the locking bar.

Another bonus with the B&W there is no clunking.

 

I have seen a B&W dropped on someone's bed once, we were clearing out all the trailers at an RV show and one of the drivers hooked up to a 5er and proceeded to pull out when the trailer dropped on bed. I didn't talk to that driver to find out what happened. He wasn't in a mood for chatting.

 

Well that is a first!

I would assume he was in a big azz hurry and did not lock the handle closed and drove off. Not much of any other way it could have happened.

Plates touching, handle locked and a quick visual check to see the jaws around the king pin you are good to go! He missed a step!