B&W 5th wheel started chucking

Bluegill · 09-09-2021, 04:49 AM

I have a new B&W 5th wheel hitch in a 2021 GMC 2500. First two trips of about 200 miles each, it did not have any chucking. On our third trip I noticed some chucking. The jaws are closed and the handle is in the locked position. Is something wrong with the new hitch? It is installed into the puck system.

TWP723 · 09-09-2021, 05:54 AM

Is the hitch pin chucking in the jaws or is the whole hitch shifting back and forth? Any play in the hitch where it mounts in the pucks?

Bluegill · 09-09-2021, 06:38 AM

Not sure, the puck legs are all locked.

TxLoser · 09-09-2021, 07:07 AM

When you say chucking are you meaning a mechanical banging around type sound/feeling as if something has some lose tolerance or play in it? Or is it the bouncing forward and back in your seat as as you hit road imperfections?

I ask because sometimes chucking is interpreted in different ways.

RedHorse1 · 09-09-2021, 07:30 AM

What kind of pin box?

TWP723 · 09-09-2021, 07:36 AM

I have the Companion and have never noticed any chucking.

JosephC · 09-09-2021, 07:57 AM

When you say chucking, are you referring to movement felt within your seat as if a “bouncing” affect? If that is the case I also experienced this and for the first two times it scared the daylights out of me. Then, I realized that is a motion caused by the random road undulations effecting the tow vehicle’s suspension.

Bluegill · 09-09-2021, 12:11 PM

It feels like pin movement when stopping and taking off. Not happening when driving. All the puck legs are secure and locked. I checked the hitch head and everything looks good . Nothing appears loose.

TWP723 · 09-09-2021, 12:18 PM

I was gonna mention the pins holding the head on. I can't imagine the actual pin is moving and the jaws on the B&W's are pretty tight around the pin.

RedHorse1 · 09-09-2021, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TWP723

I was gonna mention the pins holding the head on. I can't imagine the actual pin is moving and the jaws on the B&W's are pretty tight around the pin.

Yes, there’s just no room in the hitch jaws for the pin to bounce around. Our pin box is a Mor Ryde and has a rubber shear block that allows the pin to move in the box and does a great job absorbing harsh movement. The rubber block can wear out and start giving the “chucking” sensation.
Mine is 8 years old and still in service and going strong. If the OP has a pin box that allows a damped movement to absorb shocks perhaps that’s the source of the chucking.

Another thought: is the hitch assembled correctly? My B&W (also a puck mount)has been flawless for the 8 years also.

TWP723 · 09-09-2021, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

Yes, there’s just no room in the hitch jaws for the pin to bounce around. Our pin box is a Mor Ryde and has a rubber shear block that allows the pin to move in the box and does a great job absorbing harsh movement. The rubber block can wear out and start giving the “chucking” sensation.
Mine is 8 years old and still in service and going strong. If the OP has a pin box that allows a damped movement to absorb shocks perhaps that’s the source of the chucking.

Another thought: is the hitch assembled correctly? My B&W (also a puck mount)has been flawless for the 8 years also.

Yeah, mine has worked awesome so far. Got a free lube plate with it and really don't care for it. But the hitch itself is a beast. It had the thickest jaws of all the 5'er hitches we looked at. The dealer where we bought had the big 3 in the showroom. Curt, Reese and B&W. The B&W was considerably more robust than the others. Nice hitch.

Bluegill · 09-09-2021, 06:13 PM

So, I have checked all 4 of the puck tbars. All good. Took the top off and the rubber bumpers are good. Jaws are working. Called etrailer and they gave me these things to check. Can't find anything wrong with the BW. Etrailer said it is safe to use so I guess I'll see what happens in a few days when we move. Thanks to all for the input.

Lake Huron · 09-09-2021, 09:07 PM

If you are only noticing it in stopping and taking off, go to a parking lot, etc., and have someone drive it stop and go and you get in the bed and see where its coming from. If being in the box doesnt make you feel safe, then walk next to the bed and see what you can see that way.

TWP723 · 09-10-2021, 05:22 AM

So I was reading an article that claims chucking happens with most hitches. Some is just very minimal and some isn't. In a nutshell...I'm paraphrasing. So maybe it falls under the "normal" category.

White Ox · 09-10-2021, 06:57 AM

O.P... did you recently re-adjust your electric brake settings? If you increased the setting, you might be a tad too high, and are now feeling the trailer brakes grab and try and stop the truck suddenly.

TxLoser · 09-10-2021, 07:39 AM

Maybe I missed it as reading comp was not a strong point of mine, but is this the patriot fixed hitch or slider.

Topperace · 09-10-2021, 06:12 PM

I have the B&W companion for the RAM truck, works great and don't feel much movement...but if I go over some of these poorly designed and installed bridge lips, I get some bucking front to back .... can't get rid of all the movement as our MORryde Pin Box is engineered to take some shock movement, but not all...
have to say I am really pleased with he combination of the B&W Companion hitch and the MORryde pin box ... easy install in the truck, and hitching ops...feels safe.. to me at least...pulling a 43ft 16400 lbs Fver...

AKRUEBBE · 09-12-2021, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topperace

I have the B&W companion for the RAM truck, works great and don't feel much movement...but if I go over some of these poorly designed and installed bridge lips, I get some bucking front to back .... can't get rid of all the movement as our MORryde Pin Box is engineered to take some shock movement, but not all...
have to say I am really pleased with he combination of the B&W Companion hitch and the MORryde pin box ... easy install in the truck, and hitching ops...feels safe.. to me at least...pulling a 43ft 16400 lbs Fver...

I agree, a perfect combination!

lsugarbaker · 09-15-2021, 12:06 PM

I have a 2017 GMC HD with the puck system and the Companion hitch. I believe that GMC changed the puck system in 2021 but it is likely similar to mine. I experienced a similar noise in my hitch after I had used it 3 or 4 times. I discovered that I needed to readjust (tighten) the nut on the 4 lock levers that secured the hitch to the GMC puck system. I think there is a "settling" in period that occurs after the first uses. The nuts can be incrementally tightened 1/6th of a turn and I only needed to tighten them down 1/6 to 2/6 of a turn and reinsert the cotter keys. That pretty much took the slop out of the hitch. You may be describing something different than I was but I would recommend looking at the fine adjustment of the locking brackets.

gregcass · 09-15-2021, 04:11 PM

I have a 2020 Chevy 3500, with the B&W Companion. It worked perfectly initially, then I started noticing (what sounds like the exact same thing you mention.) I solved mine by checking the tension of the puck locking bars. Unless they are pretty tight, where you have to put some muscle into closing them, they don't seem tight enough.

I released the lock bars (90 degrees), tightened the castle nuts a couple positions (on the two that were not quite as tight) , put the cotter pins back in and the problem went away completely. That was definitely the problem on mine. This hitch has been perfect since.

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