How high is too high? (WDH Question)

[scottyt24]

Just a general question that made me think a little after camping this past weekend.

We have a Blue OX WD and sway system. It seems with most systems, to attach the bars in place it is recommended that after the trailer is hitched, raise the tow vehicle and trailer using the tongue jack, attach the bars and then lower.

My question is can you ever raise it too high to where you cause the coupler to weaken or worse yet, pop off? I'm suspecting no, but I always get a little bit nervous when doing this so I thought I'd check with the experts.

Thanks
Scott

[mike837go]

If you raise the jack too high and the coupler disengages, you have a defective hitch or ball and it needs to be repaired IMMIDIATLY!


With that out of the way... you are not lifting the tow vehicle with your tongue jack. You are unloading the weight from the hitch.


There should still be some (under 100#) weight on the spring bars when you release them from the trailer.


Then open the coupler and continue raising the trailer's tongue clear of the ball.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by mike837go

If you raise the jack too high and the coupler disengages, you have a defective hitch or ball and it needs to be repaired IMMIDIATLY!


With that out of the way... you are not lifting the tow vehicle with your tongue jack. You are unloading the weight from the hitch.


There should still be some (under 100#) weight on the spring bars when you release them from the trailer.


Then open the coupler and continue raising the trailer's tongue clear of the ball.

I don't totally agree with this. Often, you ARE lifting the tow vehicle. In my case, I sometimes had the tires OFF the ground. In fact, I sometimes would use this to check the adjustment of my suspension since it needed to be at full droop.

Bottom line, I had to lift the rear of the truck quite a bit to unload the bars enough to get them off, especially in my driveway where there is a slight dip where the rear end of the truck and the front of the trailer were pointed slightly down.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I don't totally agree with this. Often, you ARE lifting the tow vehicle. In my case, I sometimes had the tires OFF the ground. In fact, I sometimes would use this to check the adjustment of my suspension since it needed to be at full droop.

Bottom line, I had to lift the rear of the truck quite a bit to unload the bars enough to get them off, especially in my driveway where there is a slight dip where the rear end of the truck and the front of the trailer were pointed slightly down.

Whups, forgot about poor alignment situations.

My apologies.

We still agree that if the coupler separates from the ball with the latch in place, it is a bad thing?

[DocBrown]

I would agree with that! Mine works TOO good. I usually have to jump on my hitch a couple of times to get the ball to slide out!

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

I would agree with that! Mine works TOO good. I usually have to jump on my hitch a couple of times to get the ball to slide out!

Well, there's no accounting for taste.

Try pulling the tow forward and back an inch or two. Works great on my rig when the load is clearly off and the ball seems to be stuck.

[scottyt24]

Thanks for the responses. The coupler has never come off or anything so I'm all good there!

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by scottyt24

Thanks for the responses. The coupler has never come off or anything so I'm all good there!

I just tend to think of the extreme possibilities first.

Then discuss realistic issues later.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by mike837go

Whups, forgot about poor alignment situations.

My apologies.

We still agree that if the coupler separates from the ball with the latch in place, it is a bad thing?

+1

I always cringed a little and was very ginger around my coupler when the truck was in the air, or way up. In fact, I got in the habit of leaving the padlock on there until everything was disconnected and all tension was released. THEN unlock the coupler padlock and release the ball before lifting the trailer up off the truck (wheel chocks in place of course).

I tend to envision my leg or arm under or around there with all that heavy metal under tension. Never broke a bone in my whole life, I'm not starting now!

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by mike837go

Well, there's no accounting for taste.

Try pulling the tow forward and back an inch or two. Works great on my rig when the load is clearly off and the ball seems to be stuck.

Yea, tried all that. Doesn't seem to help. I also have an aversion to that being that I had a nasty incident with one of my PUPs years ago. Visions of a trailer rolling down an incline are still very vivid. :P

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

Yea, tried all that. Doesn't seem to help. I also have an aversion to that being that I had a nasty incident with one of my PUPs years ago. Visions of a trailer rolling down an incline are still very vivid. :P

I would suggest a long, thin pry bar. Look in Auto Zone for something 3' long under 1/2" square. When unhitching, put the bar forward of the ball and force the coupling upwards against pushing the ball mount downwards.

The 3" of resistance end vs. 33" of effort should give enough pressure to achieve separation without risk to limbs.