Pullrite Superglide reluctant to hitch - advice pls

[boyscout]

We have the 18K Pullrite Superglide, just three months and about 10 hitch-ups old.

It worked well for the first eight or so hookups. On the ninth it seemed I had to back into it pretty firmly to get it to close. On the tenth I practically had to ram the trailer before it finally locked.

Temporarily home now, trailer is 2,500 miles away. I've just looked at the kingplate assembly on the hitch. Everything is clean enough and well-lubricated, there are no apparent broken or out-of-shape parts. It works smoothly and easily on opening, and on closing when I trip the lock mechanism release pin.

What else to check? I'm guessing that the special plate on the trailer pinbox is what trips the hitch's lock mechanism release pin. I don't think we've done anything to deform it (can't check that until I return to the trailer). Is there something on the hitch or the trailer that needs to be adjusted so that the release pin is properly triggered? Is the kingpin not getting in far enough? How to adjust that?

Any other ideas?

TIA

 

[vonzoog]

Remove the head plate and turn it over. There is a “press” washer that holds the release/lock lever in place. This washer has a tendency to work loose and you will need to press it back into place.

I believe this what is giving you problems. I don’t have the PullRite anymore, but it use to do that to me also.

 

[boyscout]

Remove the head plate and turn it over. There is a “press” washer that holds the release/lock lever in place. This washer has a tendency to work loose and you will need to press it back into place.

I believe this what is giving you problems. I don’t have the PullRite anymore, but it use to do that to me also.

Thanks @vonzoog, I'll look at that tomorrow.

 

[cmillsbl]

The trip pin on the hitch is triggered by the collar around the lower portion of the king pin. If you back into the king pin with the trailer sitting too high relative to the hitch plate, the collar won't engage properly with the trip pin. The trailer should be just low enough that as you back into it, the capture plate rides up the hitch plate, sliding the king pin into the slot and engaging the king pin.

 

[theclarks]

We had that problem with ours as well, after looking at it I determined that after un-hitching the "trip pin" was not returning because of the "press" washer on the under side in my case was too tight. I always check now to be sure the "trip pin" is pointing forward. . . . . .

 

[boyscout]

The trip pin on the hitch is triggered by the collar around the lower portion of the king pin. If you back into the king pin with the trailer sitting too high relative to the hitch plate, the collar won't engage properly with the trip pin. The trailer should be just low enough that as you back into it, the capture plate rides up the hitch plate, sliding the king pin into the slot and engaging the king pin.

Thanks cmillsbl, I think we've got this part right. Kingplate is tipped back all the way, trailer is set up so the front edge of the pinbox / special plate meets the kingplate on the very back of it's main surface, just in front of the two angled "tongues" on the back of the kingplate. The trailer rises up a good inch or two as the truck is backed under it and it rides up the kingplate into position.

That about right?

 

[vonzoog]

Yes, you want the weight of the trailer to compress the truck suspension an inch or two. This should be done on every hitching.

 

[boyscout]

Thanks @vonzoog and @theclarks, but that lock ring / press washer you're talking about looks right on my hitch.

The sandwich made by lock ring, washer, release lever, washer, latch lever and washer all looks pretty well pressed together.

I'm going to call Pullrite. Thanks to all for suggestions.

 

[vonzoog]

Good luck,

 

[Superduty-MGRV]

Boyscout
I have a pullrite. One time, my capture plate slip slightly and my pin would not lock.
I re adjusted the plate, and it hook the first time. In fact, when I adjust the plate, I did not even think I moved it. I think the back of the capture plate was not flush on the 5er pin box. How did it slip, no idea.
Just a suggestion, from my experience.

Good Luck.

 

[Rapid1]

I would also make sure the capture plate is solid. Depending on your plate, the small nylon block that the lock stud screws into compresses a bit after a while, allowing the plate to be loose and bind in a sideways fashion, not allowing the lock block on the bottom to enter the hitch plate without a bind. I had this issue early on. I was afraid to tighten the capture plate enough as I was afraid of splitting the nylon block. It worked fine the first few times but then loosened up and caused me the same issue you are describing. I now carry the allen and a 3/4 wrench and check it every time I hook up. Also, the nylon block must be oriented correctly to hold the capture plate solid against the pin box. I hope this wasn't too confusing.

The advice about letting the hitch pick the trailer up slightly is spot on also. I was originally trying to save the paint on the hitch plate but learned early the pin must be very low in the jaws to activate the lock.

 

[Superduty-MGRV]

I cut a piece of aluminum, drilled it like the nylon part that was supplied.
I can put a lot of pressure on the set screw without worrying about the “nylon splitting”.

 

[boyscout]

Boyscout I have a pullrite. One time, my capture plate slip slightly and my pin would not lock.
I re adjusted the plate, and it hook the first time. In fact, when I adjust the plate, I did not even think I moved it. I think the back of the capture plate was not flush on the 5er pin box. How did it slip, no idea. Just a suggestion, from my experience. Good Luck.

Thanks Steve. I called Pullrite, they suggested looking at the ring/lock washer as @vonzoog and @theclarks did. When I told them that looked as it likely should look, they had no other suggestions, wanted me to send them pictures.

I didn't do that, but returned to the trailer yesterday and hitched up, in the dark, after ten hours of driving, and it was as smooth and sure as it was the first time. Go figger.

I glance at that screw and nylon pad on the capture plate that you and @Rapid1 mention at least once every time I hitch up... it just doesn't look robust enough. But after 11 hookups mine hasn't changed at all. I'll double-check the orientation of the plate on your suggestion.

But it's going to be hard to figure out if the problem has cured itself! Bugger.

 

[Superduty-MGRV]

I pull my plate off in the winter, just to clean it up, paint.
When I put on last year in the spring, it did the same thing you described.
I backed under the trailer, would not latch. Pull forward, dropped the nose a bit. Still would not latch.
Pulled ahead. Loosen the set screw. Made sure the plate was flat, tight to the pin box. Tighten it down.
Backed under the trailer and it latched. Plate must of been off slightly. I think there is very little room for error on the plate being tight, flat to the pin box. Maybe yours slip very slightly.
After I was hitched. I loosen the set screw again, then re tighten. Worked perfect since.

 

[Rapid1]

I pull my plate off in the winter, just to clean it up, paint.
When I put on last year in the spring, it did the same thing you described.
I backed under the trailer, would not latch. Pull forward, dropped the nose a bit. Still would not latch.
Pulled ahead. Loosen the set screw. Made sure the plate was flat, tight to the pin box. Tighten it down.
Backed under the trailer and it latched. Plate must of been off slightly. I think there is very little room for error on the plate being tight, flat to the pin box. Maybe yours slip very slightly.
After I was hitched. I loosen the set screw again, then re tighten. Worked perfect since.

I will have to remove my capture plate when I take the trailer for service. The idea of redoing the set screw when hooked up is a great idea...as is the aluminum block. I was already thinking about that one, even shaping the back side to match the pin box slope. Thanks for the ideas Steve!

 

[Superduty-MGRV]

Always a pleasure to pass on some ideas, tips.
Let me know how it goes.


Steve

 

[Airrace]

When I got the new truck I installed a new Pull-rite hitch to replace a well used Valley hitch. Could not make the new Pull-rite hook up and the installer (well known in Kent, WA) said it was a bent king pin. I went back to the Valley until getting the new GD in Oct. I have to have the king pin plate hit the hitch about 3 inches low to lift and pop the hitch level (hitch plate HAS to be at an angle). The valley would hook up even if an inch high. Not sure how much of the problem is Pull-Rite and how much is operator error on my part. Will not buy another one.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

When I got the new truck I installed a new Pull-rite hitch to replace a well used Valley hitch. Could not make the new Pull-rite hook up and the installer (well known in Kent, WA) said it was a bent king pin. I went back to the Valley until getting the new GD in Oct. I have to have the king pin plate hit the hitch about 3 inches low to lift and pop the hitch level (hitch plate HAS to be at an angle). The valley would hook up even if an inch high. Not sure how much of the problem is Pull-Rite and how much is operator error on my part. Will not buy another one.

I had nothing but trouble with my Pullrite as well. The little finger that the kingpin presses against that makes it latch will get bent if you aren't careful. Pullrite did at least send me a repair kit for free. Half the time the hitch wouldn't latch properly. The other half it wouldn't unhitch and I had to leave the head hanging on the pin.

 

[Jmikev]

So far I haven’t had any problems with my Pullrite used on last trailer and with my new trailer. Just got to be fairly straight when hooking up.

 

[boyscout]

Had trouble again with my last hookup. This time it was daylight and I could see what was going wrong.

The truck has always been straight vs the trailer thanks @Jmikev; I know the hitch is touchy about that. Never mind the 15 degrees that Pullright claims... with my setup I'm finding it has to be nearly dead-on, probably within five degrees or so, and I've been careful about that.

Truck and trailer were not on the same horizontal axis this time; that might also have been the case the other couple of times when I was hooking up in darkness. The trailer was level side-to-side (per auto-leveling) but the driver's side of the truck was a bit lower than the passenger's side.

When the truck was backed up the front corner of the trailer's hitch plate touched the angled-back king plate on the passenger side first, and twisted the king plate assembly a few degrees before the other corner of the trailer's hitch plate touched it. Those few degrees were enough to cause the jamming and failure-to-lock that I've experienced. Even after getting out of the truck and yanking the partially-hitched king plate around straight again, when I tried backing up further the higher pressure on the passenger side of the king plate twisted it off-center again.

I added even more lube to the king plate and was lucky enough to have another camper volunteer to hold the handle while I was backing into the trailer to keep the king plate straight... brave fellow. Hitched perfectly. However the volunteer refused to live in our basement for the remainder of our trip.

I have a Ford with 6 3/4 bed and don't badly need this hitch; I bought it for never-think-about-it peace of mind. After my enthusiasm for it here is there a chance that someone would like to buy it from me? It's currently got about 5,000 miles and a dozen hook-ups on it, comes with rails for 2017 Ford Super Duty factory-prepped hitch installation. I'd sell it at a good price. I'm in southern Mississippi now and will be traveling to Toronto (LA, OK, KS, MO, IL, IN, MI) over the next month or so. PM me if interested.

Thanks to all for their advice on this.