Excessive Noise and jerking with 5th Wheel Hitch

NewCyclone

Active Member
First off let me say I am new to towing a 5th wheel and actually just picked up our first camper today, a 3795 cyclone. We had the Reese Signature Series hitch put in my bed and when we pulled away it seemed the pin was jerking around a lot in the locking mechanism and making a lot of noise and jerking the truck when braking. Is this normal to have that much noise? It sounds like it is going to jerk the hitch out of the bed. Thank you for any assistance you can give me.
 

Terry H

Past Texas North Chapter Leader/Moderator
Staff member
Noisy 5th Wheel Hitch

The first place to check is the torque of all the mounting bolts of the hitch including the ones that mount the brackets to the frame (in the wheel wells). Check the installation instructions for the proper torque. Also check the puck mounting bolts. It is a good idea to check them after you make a panic stop with the trailer in tow.

Hitch manual - http://www.reeseprod.com/fitguides/pdf/N30847.pdf
Rail Kit Manual - http://www.reeseprod.com/fitguides/pdf/N30061.pdf
 

katkens

Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
I would have to agree with TerryH, sounds like they missed something on the install. I would make sure its fully seated in the the four holes properly and the locking levers are pinned together so they don't unlock. I really like mine, rock solid and yours should be also....Ken

P.S Maybe also need brake or brake controller adjustment to smooth things out.
 

Loco

Well-known member
We have the same trailer 3795 and a Reese 20K hitch. The Reese hitch has a little play in the hitch jaws. If you do not have your brake controller adjusted right the trailer will shift and bang in the jaws a little when you brake or pull off from a stop. If you have never pulled before then it will freak you out a little. But I would bet your hitch is like ours and has a little play in the jaws.You also have to figure your rig is bigger and heavier than most of the folks rigs. These toy haulers are big rigs.
 

NewCyclone

Active Member
I would have to agree with TerryH, sounds like they missed something on the install. I would make sure its fully seated in the the four holes properly and the locking levers are pinned together so they don't unlock. I really like mine, rock solid and yours should be also....Ken

P.S Maybe also need brake or brake controller adjustment to smooth things out.

Do you think lowering the output from the brake controller will help?

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I think I will get the hitch checked out today to make sure, but I went through it and everything is secure so I am hoping that it is just a little play in the jaws.

**** yea it is a big rig!! It intimidates me right now, but we have a 600 mile trip to make Monday so I should get used to it then.
 
We experienced the same issue with our unit. Jerking and banging while applying the brakes.

What I found out; was that our truck down shifts very hard while applying the brakes (only in tow-haul mode). This surge motion causes the brake controller to apply the brakes on the trailer, I think, too soon and too much causing the jerking. It's kind of hard to describe. My wife was freak'in out when we first brought it home. :eek:

THANKs to one of the other members, all it took was tweaking the brake controller a bit and the problem when away.
 

speedermp

Member
Yes this is normal for the Reese series hitches. I work for Heartland pulling there units to our storage yard and I was using a truck with a Reese hitch and it was very noisy and jerky. The truck I have now has a Husky 24K hitch that is much better...
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Yes this is normal for the Reese series hitches. I work for Heartland pulling there units to our storage yard and I was using a truck with a Reese hitch and it was very noisy and jerky. The truck I have now has a Husky 24K hitch that is much better...

I have to highly disagree. I have a Reese 20k, using a Teflon pivot pad, coupled to a MorRyde pin box and it is virtually silent. I get essentially no chucking and no noise when I take off or stop, unless it is a panic stop. If the hitch is set up properly and the brake controller is adjusted correctly, it is not noisy and jerky.

John
 

caddojay

Tired and Retired member
My comment would be to add a teflon pad to fill some of the space between the hitch head and puck. Without it, it has a lot of play and up and down motion.
 

katkens

Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
I just added the teflon pad yesterday...we will see how it does tomorrow.

Reese recommends the twelve inch pad for there Signature Series and a little harder to find on the shelf.
Just curious but what brand of brake controller are you using?? Ken
 

creeper

Well-known member
I have to highly disagree. I have a Reese 20k, using a Teflon pivot pad, coupled to a MorRyde pin box and it is virtually silent. I get essentially no chucking and no noise when I take off or stop, unless it is a panic stop. If the hitch is set up properly and the brake controller is adjusted correctly, it is not noisy and jerky.

John


Of course yours will be different, you have a MorRyde Pin box.. Makes all the difference in the world.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Of course yours will be different, you have a MorRyde Pin box.. Makes all the difference in the world.

Yes, and before I had the MorRyde pin box, I had a standard pin box. I bought the MorRyde to eliminate the chucking that I was getting on some of our less than perfect highways, but I didn't have the noise and jerking that was referred to as "normal" for Reese hitches.

John
 

NewCyclone

Active Member
Reese recommends the twelve inch pad for there Signature Series and a little harder to find on the shelf.
Just curious but what brand of brake controller are you using?? Ken

I did add the 10" for now and will find the 12" when I get home. For now it seems to do the job. I am using the built in brake controller that comes with the new Chev/GMC trucks.

I found what was making all the noise today. When the dealer was showing me how to operate the slider. The left side (looking from the rear of the truck) was not locked in the normal towing position. When I got in the back of my truck to check things out and I jerked on the hitch head, the whole left side wanted to slide backwards. I'm no genius, but I am pretty sure that is not normal. After some work, I got the side to lock in and even verified it today when I hooked up to my trailer. There is almost no noise now. I am going to call the dealer tomorrow or Tuesday and talk to the service guy that was helping us out. I feel that he rushed us way to fast through the procedures with the hitch.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
NewCyclon;

When you are hitching the trailer, do you have the jaws on the hitch closed? This is the recommended procedure on my hitch, which allows both jaws to open and then securely close and lock around the pin. I watch the release arm move out and then move in when connecting, then I secure the hasp and lock it for security.

John
 

NewCyclone

Active Member
NewCyclon;

When you are hitching the trailer, do you have the jaws on the hitch closed? This is the recommended procedure on my hitch, which allows both jaws to open and then securely close and lock around the pin. I watch the release arm move out and then move in when connecting, then I secure the hasp and lock it for security.

John

No, I open the jaws, back up till I hit and watch the jaws close around the pin. I pull forward just a tad to watch the locking mechnism engage. I then get out and put the pin in to secure the locking mechanism.
 

GaryB

Well-known member
If I take care when hitching and verify the jaws are closed (as the previous couple posters do), then is there really any need for a "BedSaver" (a product that catches the king pin if it accidentally falls out of the hitch, which avoids truck bed damage)?

Being a newbie, I don't want to make an expensive mistake like that on my new 2008 F350.

Gary
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Gary,

I have RV'd with a 5er for 3 seasons now and if my current hitch would support the BedSaver, I'd have it. I used one for the first two seasons and while I never needed it, I had it and that gave me peace of mind. I'd get it. Especially being a newbie. Many longtime 5er RVers will tell you that you don't need it. And technically you don't and shouldn't need it. Another set of longtime 5er RVers will tell you there is going to be a time, maybe not this year, maybe not next year but that you will be distracted for one reason or another and forget to put the front stabiizers down. Or forget to do a pull-test or just plain have a hitch-jaw failure due to a hitch problem or your own process error - and oops!. One of the keys is to use a good system for hitching and unhitching and follow that system every time.

I don't mean to shame you into getting a BedSaver but I urge you to strongly consider it.

You out there Tom and Sharol? Give Gary a story to think about :eek:

Jim
 

Forrest Fetherolf

Senior Member
If I take care when hitching and verify the jaws are closed (as the previous couple posters do), then is there really any need for a "BedSaver" (a product that catches the king pin if it accidentally falls out of the hitch, which avoids truck bed damage)?

Being a newbie, I don't want to make an expensive mistake like that on my new 2008 F350.

Gary

The best "BedSaver" is mounted on your shoulders. If you set up a routine hooking and unhooking, and send the wife, kids, dogs, cats, and relatives for a walk around the block, and don't let neighbor RVers distract, you will be ok. Any assistance offered by others is a cause for an ooops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forrest
 
Top