problems un-hitching

[Kevin&Steph]

Does anyone else have problems getting the hitch ball to drop out of the camper hitch? I have a 2019 Jayflight 28RLS and it has only dropped out without a fight once. I had to pull the receiver pin once and pull the truck away to get unhitched. This is our second Jayco and the first one gave me similar problems. I do put a light coating of reese hitch ball white grease on the ball before each use. Changed tow vehicles and hitch brand when we traded campers.

[DaveT]

Yes and it's a pain in the neck.

[DocBrown]

Yep, every time I uncouple. I have to stand on the hitch and bounce the truck a little to get it to uncouple.

[paul_ottawa]

I used to have a really hard time trying to get my trailer uncoupled, especially at home when I park on a very angled driveway. What I have found is I generally need to back the truck up a hair once I start jacking it up and it pops off easily.

I jack it up until I know I have taken the pressure off the hitch, then back up half an inch then pull up on the locking arm (I keep the drivers side door open and look at the ground under the door to make sure I am moving a half inch... sometimes even just taking off the parking brake moves the truck enough).

Having someone to be able to lift up the lock while you adjust the car is helpful, but obviously not always available.

[blujay40]

I had the problem for almost the entire first year we had our Eagle TT. Sometimes having to have two of us on the bumper, bouncing the truck up and down to get it to let go.

After a while, the coupler wore a little and combined with spray white lithium grease on the ball and inside the coupler each time I hitch up, the problem has gone away.

[RogerR]

Even if fully chocked an RV or the tow vehicle will move a little when parked. That said, some (all?) hitches have an adjustment on how tight the locking tongue or bar is to the ball.

With extreme care you may consider loosening yours a tiny bit.

Watch this manufacturer's youtube before you do anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHkxx1_IZQA

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by paul_ottawa

I used to have a really hard time trying to get my trailer uncoupled, especially at home when I park on a very angled driveway. What I have found is I generally need to back the truck up a hair once I start jacking it up and it pops off easily.

I jack it up until I know I have taken the pressure off the hitch, then back up half an inch then pull up on the locking arm (I keep the drivers side door open and look at the ground under the door to make sure I am moving a half inch... sometimes even just taking off the parking brake moves the truck enough.

X2

[smithmdsmith]

Make sure the latch on the hitch is completely disengaged.

The next step would be to see if the truck is pulling against the trailer or pushing against the trailer causing the hitch and ball to bind. As Paul said, back up a hair or, sometimes, just release the parking brake.

[RAurand]

Never have I had any of the above problems! Keep my ball well greased.

[mikegray]

I had this problem 1 time only. My problem was I didn't know to move the latch back to release the ball. Called the dealer and everything but no help from them. Now that I know to move the latch and keep all the hitch parts greased up, I never have any trouble.
Mike
2014 Flight 26BH

[fast_st]

A couple items, clean the ball and hitch before adding some fresh grease especially if it has been a while.



If you are backing in on the flat, position your trailer where you'd like it and shift the tow vehicle to neutral, this will remove the pressure from the hitch by letting the combined unit find its center.



If you are backing uphill, get in position, chock the trailer wheels and then with your foot on the brake, shift to neutral and let the tension relax off the hitch slowly, not hard enough to yank the trailer over the blocks. Once things are almost completely relaxed, set your parking brake and then shift to park. This should eliminate the vehicle rolling further forward and putting tension on the hitch again.



If you are backing downhill, do much the same except leave a little tension to not have the trailer holding the vehicle back. Once everything is parked, lower your jack to touch the ground and then release the ball lock, leave the safety chains until last. With a few cranks the ball should slip free of the hitch. The more tension that's pushing or pulling, the harder this will be (by design) It will take a little time to get the feel of taking the tension off the hitch. Keeping all the hitch parts lubed properly is a must as well.

[Mustang65]

Once I get the TT in its final spot, I put the wheel chocks in place on the TT. I then (if ground is level) put the truck in neutral with DW behind the wheel and hit the electric tongue jack to raise the TT. The truck will move which ever way it needs to while the jack is going up. Works every time for us.

Pretty much like fast_st said. Missed that last post.
Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[2edgesword]

Adding some grease to the ball might help. You also want to make sure there is a minimum amount of tension on the ball horizontally (truck and trailer are not applying pressure forward or backward against the ball). This tension may be harder to do if the truck and/or trailer aren't level. I've never had to bounce the trailer (28RLS) but sometimes the jack has to come up a significant distance to finally get the ball to disengage.

[fast_st]

My DW tends to run off about the time things stop moving! Gotta handle it solo

Originally Posted by Mustang65

Once I get the TT in its final spot, I put the wheel chocks in place on the TT. I then (if ground is level) put the truck in neutral with DW behind the wheel

Pretty much like fast_st said. Missed that last post.
Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[Kevin&Steph]

Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I'm doing many of them already. Glad I'm not the only one that has trouble. My camping friends with other makes all comment on how the Jayco hitch looks different. They don't seem to have the trouble I do.

[fast_st]

Send a hitch picture? I doubt Jayco makes the hitch, likely its either an Attwood, Bulldog or Reese.

[lateott]

Originally Posted by Kevin&Steph

Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I'm doing many of them already. Glad I'm not the only one that has trouble. My camping friends with other makes all comment on how the Jayco hitch looks different. They don't seem to have the trouble I do.

Do you have an adaptive air suspension? Could it be that you are fighting it as you are trying to disconnect?

Mine actually has a switch at the back so after I raise the trailer jack a little, I can hit the switch on the TV which lets the air out of the rear suspension and drops it down for a quick disconnect.

[Johnnymailman]

I have to keep the ball well greased, especially on the bottom of the ball. Half the driveway is sloped down(truck end), and the other half(trailer end), is relatively level. Result, a few bounces on the bumper.

[mikegray]

I wish mine would run off til I get it set up. lol
Mike

[RunningDad]

Great suggestions above^^^
I did find that if I had the parking brake engaged, it was tough to get my 28BHBE off. Once I have it leveled/chocked I found releasing the parking brake give me the little movement necessary to uncouple without issue. Also, as above, grease and sometimes a little bounce on the bumper as it goes up will pop it off.