Can't get hitch off the ball!

[GK2018]

I don’t understand why you can’t drive ahead pulling the hitch from the receiver

Use bigger chocks or plug in the trailer cord and lock up the brakes as you pull forward a foot


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That's what I was figuring as well and how I've always gotten mine off if they were stuck but it could be the angle the truck is at compared to the camper either before pulling off or during the pull off that could be pinching the reciever into the tow package that's the only thing I can see happening there. Something else you might be able to do is wrap a chain around the rear trailer bumper and a tree to keep the camper from moving but that could bend your rear bumper in the process.

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[huntersilver]

Thanks John for the diagram, I think the lever is completely open, as I can stick my finger all the way through and
follow the ball to the base. It is open about 3/4 of an inch. On the other end the ball is only about 1/4 of an inch open.
I put a call in for a mobile RV repairman, have yet to hear back. Unfortunately here in Northern California, you have
to beg anyone to come out to your property to do any kind of work, contractors pick and choose their jobs. Hopefully,
I will get someone to come out

 

[NP_Chief]

I'm surprised no one has suggested a bigger hammer yet.

I agree with the above post... there is no reason the the hitch shouldn't come out of the reciever unless the truck and trailer isn't straight. If that's the case, that's probably the problem. It may be worth it to hook everything back up, circle the block, line it up striaght when you park it, and try it again.

The only thing I can think of that hasn't been suggested is an air chisle. You could get a wide point bit and try to get it between the truck hitch and "lip" on the trailer hitch.

 

[JohnDar]

Thanks John for the diagram, I think the lever is completely open, as I can stick my finger all the way through and
follow the ball to the base. It is open about 3/4 of an inch. On the other end the ball is only about 1/4 of an inch open.
I put a call in for a mobile RV repairman, have yet to hear back. Unfortunately here in Northern California, you have
to beg anyone to come out to your property to do any kind of work, contractors pick and choose their jobs. Hopefully,
I will get someone to come out

Really strange


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[CoveredWagon]

Have you considered moving the rig to another place and trying to disconnect there? A fairly leave site WITHOUT using the leveling jacks.

 

[JohnDar]

At this point, removing the big nut holding the ball to the hitch and using the tongue jack to lift the ball free may be your next move. Then you can try to get the ball out of the tongue.




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[GK2018]

At this point, removing the big nut holding the ball to the hitch and using the tongue jack to lift the ball free may be your next move. Then you can try to get the ball out of the tongue.




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At least by doing that you'll have your truck back and just have to deal with getting the ball removed. If you do go that route you might be able to re-thread the nut back onto the ball and wrap a chain in between the ball and the nut and the other end of the chain to your truck and slightly drive forward trying to suck the ball out or maybe hit the nut with a sledge hammer in hopes of knocking it out.

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[huntersilver]

I know it is strange, and not too happy it is happing to me.
Here are some pics. So to undo the nut, do I want a small amount of pressure on the ball, where
the trailer is just beginning to lift up the bumper. Or do I want most of the weight on ball, as if I were
in tow mode.
thanks

 

[GK2018]

I know it is strange, and not too happy it is happing to me.
Here are some pics. So to undo the nut, do I want a small amount of pressure on the ball, where
the trailer is just beginning to lift up the bumper. Or do I want most of the weight on ball, as if I were
in tow mode.
thanks

It might be easier to undo the balls nut with it in tow mode (trailer jack all the way down) so the trailer isnt pulling upward as your loosening the nut up. I would use a pipe wrench on the nut and a crescent wrench above the nut to keep the ball from potentially spinning as you loosen the nut I attached a picture with arrows showing where I'd put the pipe wrench and crescent wrench as you loosen it up.

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[GK2018]

Use a crescent wrench on top arrow since you probably cant fit a pipe wrench on the top arrow and then use a pipe wrench on bottom arrow although you can use two crescent wrenches instead of the pipe wrench I just think theres sometimes more bite with a pipe wrench. If for whatever reason you cant fit a crescent wrench up there with the trailer jack all the way up then you could try lowering the jack just enough to get one to fit in there.

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[GK2018]

It might be easier to undo the balls nut with it in tow mode (trailer jack all the way down) so the trailer isnt pulling upward as your loosening the nut up. I would use a pipe wrench on the nut and a crescent wrench above the nut to keep the ball from potentially spinning as you loosen the nut I attached a picture with arrows showing where I'd put the pipe wrench and crescent wrench as you loosen it up.

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I meant trailer jack all the way up NOT down, i'm not sure how to edit that post, sorry...

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[rhodies1]

Another thing to try is. Make sure Trailer is lifted up to take weight off of the truck.take a large heavy duty screw driver and go up behind the ball on the trailer side of the hitch and try prying back the lock assembly to ensure the latch on the coupler is all the way open..where your unit looks fairly new ,it may not be opening all the way when you release the lock lever. try anything at this point

 

[Kbvols]

When lifting the coupler latch are you also pushing it forward toward the truck? Some latches once raised have to move forward . I have had some stick to where I had to tap forward with a hammer while raising the latch.

 

[MTPockets]

All the pics show the latch down.... did you try whacking with a mallet the ball area? Latch up...

 

[Mrsfish]

When our friend end could get her tt off the ball we sprayed it liberally with T9 and kept working it. After a half hour it popped loose. The latch/lock was not opening all the way keeping it trapped in there.

 

[huntersilver]

Hi Greg,
the good news is I got the nut off the bolt. The bad news is when I tried to raise the jack for the TT, it lifted my bumper
again a few inches. I took a mallet and tried to hit the bottom of the bolt to move it up. It was not happening Tried to hit the side of
the bolt as well, as I noted it was at a slight angle and not straight. Unfortunately this did not work as well. I put the bolt back,
and took out the receiver pin from the truck. Unfortunately the bar did not even move a millimeter as I tried to pull forward.
The locking pin is fully disengaged, as there is about 1/2 inch between the ball and the side of the locking mechanism.

I am beginning to think I got the Christine version of a Heartland trailer.

 

[GK2018]

I'm not sure if it would work I've never done it but you may be able to completely remove the locking latch up top and see about getting a punch in there to knock the wedge loose but if you go that route you might not be able to put it back together if need be especially if you broke it off.

You may even try getting a propane torch that takes the 1lb green canisters and heat the entire assembly up real good and hot and see if you can get it to unbind that way, it wont get hot enough to melt anything but it might loosen her up enough to get it off by hitting it with a sledge hammer.

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[GK2018]

On the backside of your tow package where the reciever slides in might not be completely closed off and if that's the case you might even be able to crawl under there with a can of WD40 and spray the back side of your tow package where the receiver hitch slides in then take a flat bar and sledge hammer and tap the receiver from the backside (tapping towards the front of the camper) that WD40 might work it's way in between the two and by tapping it you'll give it the shock to break loose that your truck isnt giving then you should be able to pull your truck off the hitch after it's been shocked loose. I'm not sure how many more ideas I can come up with lol but if I was closer I'd definitely come help you out!

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[mlpeloquin]

Have a friend in our local group that had the same problem. Worked with him and it all came down to alignment and height. Took a lot of forward, backward, left, right, up, and down. Don't know why it did not like the spot it was backed into. Be careful because there is a lot of potential energy on a hitch that is locked up. His, when it released, popped up and out to the left. We thought it was perfectly aligned. Hitched it right back up and moved the trailer forward and then back and it released just fine! Go figure.

 

[huntersilver]

On the backside of your tow package where the reciever slides in might not be completely closed off and if that's the case you might even be able to crawl under there with a can of WD40 and spray the back side of your tow package where the receiver hitch slides in then take a flat bar and sledge hammer and tap the receiver from the backside (tapping towards the front of the camper) that WD40 might work it's way in between the two and by tapping it you'll give it the shock to break loose that your truck isnt giving then you should be able to pull your truck off the hitch after it's been shocked loose. I'm not sure how many more ideas I can come up with lol but if I was closer I'd definitely come help you out!

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Thanks Greg,
today I am going to move the trailer back about 30 feet and reposition and see if this makes a difference. Hopefully Christine will
give me my truck back.