newbie to 5ers unhooking tips

GlenBAzle · 01-22-2014, 01:09 PM

I need a few tips/advice on how to unhook. Had a terrible time the 2nd time I tried. What am I missing here?
I took the load off the hitch, but the latch handle wouldn't release...after 4-5 tries at lowering/raising the trailer, I finally got it to release.
I was told to look for a small bit of separation between the lube pad & the hitch plate...did that...still had issues...very, very frustrating for us!
Help!

Bluewater · 01-22-2014, 01:42 PM

With mine I just take the pressue off the locking mech by putting the truck in reverse a second. Make sure to chock 5er tires first.

jje1960 · 01-22-2014, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBAzle

I need a few tips/advice on how to unhook. Had a terrible time the 2nd time I tried. What am I missing here?
I took the load off the hitch, but the latch handle wouldn't release...after 4-5 tries at lowering/raising the trailer, I finally got it to release.
I was told to look for a small bit of separation between the lube pad & the hitch plate...did that...still had issues...very, very frustrating for us!
Help!

Hey there. Don't worry, it will become easier and second nature. One of the rules of thumb I've learned... If it does not release with ease.... Then it probably should not be released. The reverse or neutral, foot off brake, then put in park, will usually assure no stress forward or back. Ensure you have locked or blocked the trailer wheels. I do remember similar first couple of times out, however honestly, can't even remember the last time this occurred. Plenty of videos on the internet, you will get the hang of it.

accordionman · 01-22-2014, 02:02 PM

i had the same problem you had . do what Bluewater recomends . i back into a wheel chock , set the brake . i pull the release handle and raise the fiver so you can see a little day light and pull your TV ahead . works every time

Jim & DJ · 01-22-2014, 02:18 PM

Make sure the whole rig is in a straight line if possible. Back pressure is better than forward pressure.

sbmarks3 · 01-22-2014, 02:33 PM

All great advice above. I would just like to add that sometimes determining where that little bit of daylight is when unhooking can be tough with some hitches. What I do is this:
Before hooking up to the trailer measure from the ground to a point on the back bumper of the truck, Hook up to the trailer and take the full load, Measure again to the same spot to determine the amount of squat the truck has. Remember this measurement. (Mine is 2.5"). You only have to do this once. From now on when you go to unhook, extend the landing gear down while holding a tape measure to the bumper of the truck lift the amount that your truck squats (in my case 2.5").
Unlatch and pull away, just remember to put the tail gate down first

GlenBAzle · 01-22-2014, 02:41 PM

Thanks for the great tips! Fortunately, I have lots of room at my place to practice this weekend! I know that I'll get it--just to make my DW happy!!

**JRTJH** · 01-22-2014, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBAzle

Thanks for the great tips! Fortunately, I have lots of room at my place to practice this weekend! I know that I'll get it--just to make my DW happy!!

You'll get it figured out. The biggest thing to remember about not being able to unlock the hitch handle: You've got either forward or aft pressure on the hitch. If you think about it, sitting at a gas station with the landing gear up, you can pull the handle and unlock the hitch easily. The hitch locking lever will not bind with weight. It only binds when there is pressure pushing against it from the truck pushing back or the trailer pushing forward. ALWAYS make sure you've got the trailer chocked and the landing gear down before you unlock the hitch just in case the trailer rolls out of the hitch !!!!!

As for measuring the truck bed height loaded/unloaded, you can do that and then measure every time, or you can measure once, then always drop the landing gear until it hits the ground, raise the gear the distance of the truck squat and you'll be "right in the sweet spot" You can "estimate" that distance by standing beside the trailer, seeing where your pants leg is and raising the trailer the amount of squat as estimated on your pants leg. There's no real need to hold a tape measure against the tail gate, unless you want to be "exact" every time. With fifth wheel hitches, like with horseshoes, close enough is good enough.

Outbackmel · 01-22-2014, 05:22 PM

I set the wheel chocks and lower the landing gear until they snugly rest on the pad or my yellow CW blocks. If the handle is hard to pull, I simply squeeze the RV brake and shift the truck into fwd and reverse while holding the RV brake. Then I try again and it always works. No problem.

WaltBennett · 01-23-2014, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

If you think about it, sitting at a gas station with the landing gear up, you can pull the handle and unlock the hitch easily.

Just DON'T try pulling the handle without having the trailer chocked and your landing gear down - EVER! There's always the potential for the trailer to slide backwards and drop onto your truck sides. Haven't had this happen to me, but have seen the results when it happened to someone else. Not pretty.

jsmith948 · 01-23-2014, 05:22 AM

Don't know about the "seeing a bit of daylight". Seems to me this would cause the pin to put pressure on the bottom of the jaws, making them harder to release. Make sure everything is well lubricated, the trailer and truck are straight and level. Take some of the weight off the hitch, chock the wheels and try to pull the release. Just be easy -if it's all lined up and properly lubed it should work.

**JRTJH** · 01-23-2014, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaltBennett

Just DON'T try pulling the handle without having the trailer chocked and your landing gear down - EVER! There's always the potential for the trailer to slide backwards and drop onto your truck sides. Haven't had this happen to me, but have seen the results when it happened to someone else. Not pretty.

I agree with your statement. If you'd read one sentence beyond what you quoted, you'd have found this: "ALWAYS make sure you've got the trailer chocked and the landing gear down before you unlock the hitch just in case the trailer rolls out of the hitch !!!!!"

Anyone who would risk unhitching any trailer whether it's a cargo trailer, boat trailer, horse trailer or an RV without chocking it and taking the weight off the hitch is risking an accident and significant damage to the tow vehicle and/or trailer.

Pmedic4 · 01-23-2014, 11:54 AM

I too had the same problem with unhooking, and often couldn't pull the handle. In fact, I slightly crinkled(if that's the correct term) the wheelwell flange area, by trying to pull to hard on the handle and banging my big bu--ocks into the side of the truck.
What worked for me, was putting the trailer in place, chock it, and then raise the landing gear until you see the little clearance. Then, get into the truck, put it in neutral, take my foot off the brake, and then put the truck back in park. So far, that has worked every time. Once I figured out it was the pressure on the pin after backing it in, it made it real simple.

Good luck.

SkiSmuggs · 01-24-2014, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith948

Don't know about the "seeing a bit of daylight". Seems to me this would cause the pin to put pressure on the bottom of the jaws, making them harder to release. Make sure everything is well lubricated, the trailer and truck are straight and level. Take some of the weight off the hitch, chock the wheels and try to pull the release. Just be easy -if it's all lined up and properly lubed it should work.

Yup, I raise the fiver until I see separation, then lower it a little to relieve that pressure.
Speaking of chocking, we forgot once with a TT and the site was on a hill. Once I jacked the TT above the hitch ball, it started rolling toward the truck. The safety cable pulled the pin and save me and the truck from injury. It only takes once.

theeyres · 01-24-2014, 08:29 PM

Had Fifth Wheels for 10 years and I always raised the hitch until I saw a little daylight. Half the time, the latch would release immediately. If it didn't, I'd move the truck, as others have said, either forward or backward to take the pressure off the hitch.

**JRTJH** · 01-24-2014, 08:49 PM

When unhitching, I can't say whether raising the trailer until you can see daylight between the hitch plate and the pinbox is good or bad. I really don't think it makes much difference whether you prefer one way or the other. On hitching, however, it could mean the difference between a "good hitch" and "disaster" !!! For that reason, I prefer to always use the same procedure (only reversed) to hitch as I use to unhitch. That way, as much as possible is set up the same way and the procedure is the same.

Imagine if you raise the trailer, unhitch, then when leaving, you raise the trailer to the same position, back under the trailer and lock the jaws. If, (hypothetical) if you are slightly higher than when you unhitched (leveling the RV, extra weight in the truck bed, or who knows why) it is possible to "high hitch" and have the jaws lock around the pin flange rather than above it, or even have the pin resting on the jaws rather than within them.

I suppose the easiest way to say it is, "It may be OK to have "a little light" under the pinbox when unhitching, but you definitely do NOT want any light under the pinbox when hitching. This goes along with painting contrasting colors on the jaws and the pin flange and always checking to make sure the flange is below the jaws before raising the landing gear.

rhagfo · 01-26-2014, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith948

Don't know about the "seeing a bit of daylight". Seems to me this would cause the pin to put pressure on the bottom of the jaws, making them harder to release. Make sure everything is well lubricated, the trailer and truck are straight and level. Take some of the weight off the hitch, chock the wheels and try to pull the release. Just be easy -if it's all lined up and properly lubed it should work.

I never lift the 5er that far, I do remove much of the weight, but not all of it, 1st step is to ALWAYS chock the 5ers wheels. Then drop the landing gear, then pull the hitch release handle.
I can only think of a couple of times it has been real hard to release.

If seems bound lightly reverse into the 5er, then set parking brake, place in Park if auto, neutral if manual, then it should release easily.

If you are using a Teflon disk you still need to grease the contact point of the pin, and keep the pivot points of the hitch head lubed.

bobbecky · 01-26-2014, 08:15 PM

Most of this is just experience with the various combinations of kingpins and hitches. Ours, a Pullrite hitch with a Morryde kingpin, we almost always have to put the landing legs down, taking some weight off the hitch, and if the hitch will not release, we have to back into the hitch to get it to release, because this hitch has a wrap around mechanism. On our previous hitch, it had to be in a neutral position, no stress front or back. Just something that trial and error will give you your proper method. Just be careful

sptddog · 01-28-2014, 07:35 AM

We just bought a 5th wheel too - and when the dealer showed me the process, the instruction was to raise the trailer so that you saw a touch of daylight under the teflon plate. Then they instructed me to drop it back down so that the daylight was gone - the daylight was just to release the weight, not necessarily the unhitch point?

mazboy123 · 01-28-2014, 08:21 AM

with my reese hitch, I just raise it so there is a gap and if hard I just put my truck into netural, that usually releases the pressure.

make sure your truck isn't on a slope

key to the whole thing is to do it alone! don't have other people talking to you while you set up!!!!!

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