Cranky hitch....

[tapelgan]

...my 2005 T160 has a complex sliding cover over the ball receiver. You have to retract the cover while lowering onto the ball, then slide the cover forward and lower the catch. (Hope this is clear)

What I find is that if there is any angle between the truck hitch and the tongue, it's difficult to lock down or to disengage the hitch. I wind up putting the front of my truck on blocks just to make it level with the trailer.

Am I doing something wrong, is there something wrong with my hitch, or what?

Thanks.

[keyser soze]

Hello tapelgan,

It has been my experience that if there is more than a few degrees difference in angle between truck and trailer, the ball and coupler can indeed resist coupling, and if the coupler you are using is like the BULLDOG-CHANNEL OR A-FRAME STYLE COUPLER.. http://www.ontheball.com/trailer_couplers.htm
the one located about half way down the page, I can see how it would bind if not aligned.

Like you, I have built ramps to drive onto to minimize the angle. I also keep the latch and coupler mechanisms lubricated (WD40) to help ease the situation. How difficult is it to couple and un-couple when the truck and trailer are on level ground? If the sliding mechanism resists everytime, no matter what the circumstance, I would definitly get it looked at, but if this problem is just limited when angles are involved, I would suggest modifing where the trailer is parked, or build some work ramps for your truck.

Anyone out there with a T160 experiancing the same issue?

Good luck tapelgan, I hope this helps.

[Kampnsfun]

Hi, I have found two things to work this problem out for me and have been doing this for several years. One, when I have lowered the trailer hitch over the ball on my tow vehicle and the "sleeve" will not slide forward to close down, I just hop in the TV (Tow Vehicle) and move forward just an inch or two, that usually pops her into place, only one time did I have to actually pull her for any distance before it slide well into its place. On the unhook, when she is stubborn, I see it starting to "Lift" up my TV, so I back her down and place by foot on the edge of the hitch with the ball, actually I put my foot right on top of the smaller ball that hooks up the antisway bar, I just keep as much of my body wgt on the smaller ball as I bring up the trailer. What has made the most improvement is keeping rust off the ball and receiver, then lubricating them just before hook ups, I spray up into the receiver and move that sleeve back a forth to help get the lube into the working parts. This has worked for me and I hope it will do the job for you. And I hope that I used descriptive words well so you can understand my explanation because I am not sure what the true names are for all of the hitching parts!