Pullrite Superglide reluctant to hitch - advice pls

[Canyonlight]

boyscout - you mentioned adding more lube to the king plate. Superglides do not need and not to have lube or friction pads used as stated in the Pullrite Manual attached and in the Reference Library. Not certain if this may be impacting your situation but something to be aware of for you and next owner. http://www.pullrite.com/sites/default/files/2700-2900-2300 Owners Manual.pdf

Our hitch head also pivots left to right (it is snug) tension done by the tourque to the huge head pivot nut in the front of the hitch. I wonder if yours is too tight and/or not cleaned or lubed as may be necessary.

Your observations about the truck/trailer ground undulations can create some difficulty hitching and unhitching but I think this is true of most any hitches. Relative to the 10 degree limit angle, I have done this many times and can achieve this angle w/o problem.....even stretching abit as long as the truck/trailer were level. Ground undulations make it more challenging as you have addressed.

Dan

 

[geonpay]

" Raise or lower the front of the trailer so the bottom of the Capture Plate is aligned slightly above the beginning of the ramp area of the Fifth Wheel Plate. This procedure will cause the front edge of the Capture Plate to “ride up” the ramp and flatten or tilt the hitch plate into a parallel position."
(Pullrite Owners Manual)

Fifth wheel tilted in ramp position then back in where capture plate is just above bottom of rammped fifth wheel. Back under trailer and you will feel weight transfer from landing legs to truck. Fifth wheel will level out and king pin will lock. It took me a while to figure this out with many bad hook up attempts; I was trying to be too gentle. Good luck!

 

[boyscout]

boyscout - you mentioned adding more lube to the king plate. Superglides do not need and not to have lube or friction pads used as stated in the Pullrite Manual attached and in the Reference Library. Not certain if this may be impacting your situation but something to be aware of for you and next owner.

Thanks Dan. I do understand that the king plate doesn't need a lot of lube on it; that it stays locked to the pin box instead of sliding against the pin box like most fifth wheels, and that a friction pad would be useless on it (I do NOT use one).

However we were told by our dealer / installer to spray light oil on the lower part of the king plate just before hitching to ease the gliding of the pin box up the king plate. They use and recommend a product called Moovit by Lloyds so that's what we've been using. It seems a bit heavier than WD-40 but only a bit... it's oil not grease. When I was having trouble the other day as described above I sprayed a little extra on the plate and it seemed to help overcome the turning problem.

Our hitch head also pivots left to right (it is snug) tension done by the tourque to the huge head pivot nut in the front of the hitch. I wonder if yours is too tight and/or not cleaned or lubed as may be necessary.

If I understand what you're saying, mine is the opposite of too tight. The king plate assembly rotates VERY easily. Maybe too easily? Should I be tightening up that large nut so that the king plate doesn't get so easily twisted off-line when one side of it is nudged a bit before the other side?

It is clean and well-lubed with light oil as per instructions.

 

[boyscout]

" Raise or lower the front of the trailer so the bottom of the Capture Plate is aligned slightly above the beginning of the ramp area of the Fifth Wheel Plate. This procedure will cause the front edge of the Capture Plate to “ride up” the ramp and flatten or tilt the hitch plate into a parallel position."
(Pullrite Owners Manual)

Fifth wheel tilted in ramp position then back in where capture plate is just above bottom of rammped fifth wheel. Back under trailer and you will feel weight transfer from landing legs to truck. Fifth wheel will level out and king pin will lock. It took me a while to figure this out with many bad hook up attempts; I was trying to be too gentle. Good luck!

Done like this every time thanks. Try it with the truck tilted left or right vs the level trailer. In my case, the king plate twists out of alignment before the mating can happen. Maybe as suggested (I think!) by Toes in the Water I need to tighten something so the king plate doesn't twist so easily.

 

[Canyonlight]

Boyscout - I would stop using and clean off the Moovit lube as this could be contributing to the hitch head turning/twisting too easily and having alignment/hitch pin issues. When you think about it, and it seems counterintuitive I know but the the capture plate needs to slide relatively straight on into the hitch head and when contact is made when backing into the hitch, the last thing you want is the hitch head to turn easily resulting in potential binding because of lubrication being used. The same could be said for unhitching I suspect.

It is possible your pivot pin bolt is too loose as you describe your hitch head moving easily which could also be contributing to difficulties. This bolt needs to be lubed with axle grease (not light oil) as noted on page 7 of the manual attached in my previous thread and snugged tight enough to require some force for the hitch head to tilt left to right and yet loose enough for the arched spring underneath to allow the hitch head to tilt left and right as intended.

Dan