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Make sure you are reading your original thread, as good ideas continue to be posted there.
If you drove a distance with the coupler sitting on the ball, you may have jammed the underjaw in the tongue. Go at it with a hammer and striker bar and break it loose, then check that it has enough gap to fit past the ball.
I've never had a coupler that was not adjustable. For those that didn't have an accessible nut underneath, I could pull up on the lock handle until it cleared the tongue and spin it to adjust the gap. I've heard that some tongues require removal to get at an adjustment nut, but I've never seen one.
I've never seen a non-adjustable coupler. Couplers loosen with time, and need to be adjusted.
Driving around with the hitch not properly seated may have damaged it, and it surely won't make it open.
You CANNOT put more than 500 pounds of tongue weight without a wdh. And the sticker you posted in the other thread is not what defines your payload, that's the bright sticker on your door jamb. You need to find that and do the math.
It's unfortunate that you've had the trailer for some time and only when you have a deadline are you doing the math and discovering you're going to be severely limited without a wdh.
Make sure you are trying to unjamb the coupler with the latch OPEN.
Pb80 is your friend. Spray it up in there and cycle it open and closed a hundred times. Shouldn't need a hammer to open close unless it's that dirty or actually damaged. I assume it needs a lil lube.
Try and get some grease in the locking jaw and any pivot points. There should be a spring that pushes that jaw open when the latch is lifted up, sometimes they dont drop down under spring tension and you have to pull it down by hand. Also try setting the very front lip of the trailer hitch on top the ball and with the trailer jack lower the trailer so there is a little weight on the ball and then slide the trailer forward (or the truck back) a little bit until the ball rides up into the hitch. If you come straight down on the ball it can sometimes grab that jaw and push it up into the locked position and not allow it to seat properly, judging by your pictures that might be your issue.
Thanks for the suggestions, but after taking the hitch off the ball itself the lock still doesn't drop down. It seems to move freely, the latch is just not sitting flush on the hitch cover. I'm starting to wonder if it ever did drop all the way down. I did try actions like you described before taking it off the ball. I don't know what's up... Thx..
Make sure you are reading your original thread, as good ideas continue to be posted there.
If you drove a distance with the coupler sitting on the ball, you may have jammed the underjaw in the tongue. Go at it with a hammer and striker bar and break it loose, then check that it has enough gap to fit past the ball.
I've never had a coupler that was not adjustable. For those that didn't have an accessible nut underneath, I could pull up on the lock handle until it cleared the tongue and spin it to adjust the gap. I've heard that some tongues require removal to get at an adjustment nut, but I've never seen one.
I've never seen a non-adjustable coupler. Couplers loosen with time, and need to be adjusted.
Here's a view of the hitch from underneath. I put the hitch back on the trailer and am still trying to work with it.
My hitch lock wasn't dropping while on the ball so I disconnected everything so I can see what's going on and to lubricate it just in case. The trailer is relatively new 2019. Can't figure out what to do to get this thing to work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I think I'm going to have to unload the trailer and take it over to Interstate. I hope they'll work on it. Just got the darn thing. I'm supposed to leave in two days! Damn, so much for buying a new trailer to avoid a hassle.
That latch is closed. You need to lift it up and have it stay up, 90 degrees, before putting it on the ball.
Have one tried getting back in your truck after the coupler is down on the ball and before you put the trailer jack up and put the truck in drive and let it clunk against the front of the coupler.
I know mine won't lock a lot of times if I don't do this.
That latch is closed. You need to lift it up and have it stay up, 90 degrees, before putting it on the ball.
This, I am really starting to think OP is trying to hook up /w the latch closed. Send us a picture of the trailer on the ball /w the latch in the open 90 degree position.
07-16-2019, 07:09 AM
