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  1. #11
    Site Sponsor
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    Feb 2018
    Location
    SW Colorado
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    Quote Originally Posted by dmoore View Post
    Last week we did a 10 mile trip to one of our favorite campsites at Amity COE park on West Point Lake. Arrived at beautiful 50 amp campsite and backed in with no problems. Ready to disconnect from hitch and pulled the release bar on my Curt hitch. The jaws on my hitch would not release from king pin. I raised the trailer a little to release more weight from hitch and tried again. Pulled on release bar until it hurt my hand. Tried several times and no luck. Finally, I used a crow bar to pry the right side jaw open slightly. After doing this, I was able to get the hitch to release and pull the truck away from the king pin.

    Problem found.... I had used a liberal amount of red lithium axle grease on my king pin and hitch jaws. Over time (approx. 1 year) the grease had stiffened around the hitch jaws and would not let the release mechanism work as intended. Jaws were sticking together.

    Solution: Thank goodness I was only 10 miles from home base. I went home and broke out the pressure washer. Cleaned all old grease from the hitch jaws. Hitch latch and release mechanism works like new again. Only a light coating of grease is now on the king pin. New procedure in my checklist is to manually operate the hitch release before hooking up.
    My Reese R20 Titan is a bit picky on unhitching/unlocking. A good thing in my book for safety. To unhook I need to raise the trailer until I can see a sliver of clearance between the hitch head and king pin. Then it will unhook easily. When I first got it I fought it like crazy. I finally painted the king pin shank on the nest trip to see what was going on. I found looking at the paint wear that clearances are so tight that any loading on the shank(top or bottom) will make opening difficult. So now I watch that the hitch head unloads and pull to open.

    Same for hooking up. It will lock and the green indicator will show locked, but I can not get the locking lever to close the last 1/4 inch. I haft to rock the truck slightly (hitch fully loaded) until I hear a click. Then I know things are good and the locking handle will go flat so the locking pin can be inserted. I then raise the landing gear an inch or too and do a hard pull test. Once done then I raise the front gear fully and un-chock everything.

    The Reese has specific lubrication points (zerks installed) otherwise I clean yearly and use WD40 per instructions.
    2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th wheel with 6K axle upgrade. B&W 25K OEM Companion, Steadyfast system, 2022 F350 SRW 6.7 King Ranch 8' bed, Trailer reverse lights, rear spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, and Solar

  2. #12
    Site Sponsor orbiker's Avatar
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    Oct 2015
    Location
    Springfield, Oregon
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Krusen View Post
    What has worked well for me is lower landing gear to the ground, raise trailer an inch, have wife back truck slightly, pull release handle, raise trailer and pull out. Have not had a problem since following this procedure.
    I have not had any problems hitching or unhitching until last night. I wonder of the truck was a touch sideways.

    I cleaned the whole hitch with WD and a rag. Lubed the grease zerks and a touch of spray graphite lubricant on the pin cams. The jaws open and close freely now. Next trip is in a month for more testing. KEN
    Backpacker and tent camper all my life, including BSA as a kid and adult.
    Motorcycle trips across the USA with a tent - 1978 to Present.
    02-10-2005 - 2002 F350 SWD PSD and 2003 Citation 10'8S mostly for Crater Lake Ski Patrol.
    10-29-2015 - 2016 Grand Design 380TH. It's HUGE compared to a camper.
    10-19-2018 - traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie CC 4 X 4 Long Box.
    03-16-2019 - Traded Momentum for a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude
    FULL TIME RV'er Nov 2021

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