If you still haven't gotten it un-coupled...ask if the ball has a flat spot on top?
If no flat spot on top, it will either be tough to un-couple or unable to release the ball from the dome of the coupler
As stated in my last post here, that dome's front (towards the TV) goes BELOW the equator to capture the ball and the rear portion of the dome does NOT, but has the latch form the rest of the dome below the equator
Here is a typical tow ball with a flat spot on it's top...that is to allow the ball to move backwards after the latch is released
and here are three different types of latches and their cross section. Note the rear portion of the dome is about where that flat spot will slide past to release from the front of the dome
These do NOT show the ball's flat spot
This one does show the flat spot on top of the ball
If no flat spot on top, it will either be tough to un-couple or unable to release the ball from the dome of the coupler
As stated in my last post here, that dome's front (towards the TV) goes BELOW the equator to capture the ball and the rear portion of the dome does NOT, but has the latch form the rest of the dome below the equator
Here is a typical tow ball with a flat spot on it's top...that is to allow the ball to move backwards after the latch is released
and here are three different types of latches and their cross section. Note the rear portion of the dome is about where that flat spot will slide past to release from the front of the dome
These do NOT show the ball's flat spot
This one does show the flat spot on top of the ball
This for sure would help if we knew which coupler you had.
You mentioned a travel trailer, this ball coupler is very common on many TT's.
The first thing to understand if this is your first time unhitching, is how the latch lever works and "how" to release it.
This is in the "latched" position.
A cross section
This is the "unlatched" position. If this is not in the unlatched position the ball will not come off.
A cross section
In order to unlatch this type of coupler, the lever on top "slides" back towards the TT. It does not pivot up like many small boat or small utility trailers. In order to slide it back, you must release the pressure from the ball acting up on "after" unhooking the WD bars.
Meaning,
Jack up the camper and the truck with tongue jack. Go high enough to take the pressure off the WD bars and remove WD bars.
Now lower the tongue jack and look at the receiver pin box and the hitch shank. When you lower the camper enough, there is a slight gap that will show at the top of the shank and the pin pox when the truck stops going down and the camper is only held by the jack. Stop at that point. This means the upward lift pressure is off the bottom of the latch pawl exerted by the ball from the upward jacking force. If you go too far, then you loaded the pressure again by the trailer pushing down.
See this pic for the gap between the top of the hitch shank and the top inside of the receiver. The red arrow is pointing to the gap I am referring too. You need to stop lowering at the "instant" the gap appears. If you go too far, the gap is there but the trailer is now pushing down on the ball. You need to truck height at rest and the trailer height at the same resting point and not lower or higher.
Once that gap "just" appears, then stop and try slide the latch handle back towards the TT. If it is still in a bind you may have have gone down too far. go up a hair higher on the jack. If the latch is still not sliding back, there could be trailer pressure pulling the on the connection. Chock the trailer wheels from rolling forward or backwards and put the truck in neutral to release the pressure from the trailer trying to roll backwards.
The latch has to be released or this is never comeing off the ball, and you did not say it was. That I saw anyway, if you did I missed it sorry.
If you made it past the latch being released and it is now full back and still cannot get the ball out, you are still in a pressure bind but at least we know you are past the latch being back the way it is suppose to be.
The bind comes from the trailer pushing "into" the truck, or the truck pulling away from the trailer. Again, chock the trailer from rolling forwards to backwards and gently back up the truck a very small amount so all of the front part of the ball coupler can unhook from the tow ball. Sometimes the truck in neutral will release the pressure. This can also be doing by jacking the camper up high enough and it will force the ball to wiggle out, BUT the trailer or truck has to move to allow it to wiggle out. If the camper is rolling backwards and the truck locked in gear, it still may not come out with lifting.
Tell us if the trailer and truck on level ground? and did you chocks the wheels on the camper?
Hope this helps
John
You mentioned a travel trailer, this ball coupler is very common on many TT's.
The first thing to understand if this is your first time unhitching, is how the latch lever works and "how" to release it.
This is in the "latched" position.
A cross section
This is the "unlatched" position. If this is not in the unlatched position the ball will not come off.
A cross section
In order to unlatch this type of coupler, the lever on top "slides" back towards the TT. It does not pivot up like many small boat or small utility trailers. In order to slide it back, you must release the pressure from the ball acting up on "after" unhooking the WD bars.
Meaning,
Jack up the camper and the truck with tongue jack. Go high enough to take the pressure off the WD bars and remove WD bars.
Now lower the tongue jack and look at the receiver pin box and the hitch shank. When you lower the camper enough, there is a slight gap that will show at the top of the shank and the pin pox when the truck stops going down and the camper is only held by the jack. Stop at that point. This means the upward lift pressure is off the bottom of the latch pawl exerted by the ball from the upward jacking force. If you go too far, then you loaded the pressure again by the trailer pushing down.
See this pic for the gap between the top of the hitch shank and the top inside of the receiver. The red arrow is pointing to the gap I am referring too. You need to stop lowering at the "instant" the gap appears. If you go too far, the gap is there but the trailer is now pushing down on the ball. You need to truck height at rest and the trailer height at the same resting point and not lower or higher.
Once that gap "just" appears, then stop and try slide the latch handle back towards the TT. If it is still in a bind you may have have gone down too far. go up a hair higher on the jack. If the latch is still not sliding back, there could be trailer pressure pulling the on the connection. Chock the trailer wheels from rolling forward or backwards and put the truck in neutral to release the pressure from the trailer trying to roll backwards.
The latch has to be released or this is never comeing off the ball, and you did not say it was. That I saw anyway, if you did I missed it sorry.
If you made it past the latch being released and it is now full back and still cannot get the ball out, you are still in a pressure bind but at least we know you are past the latch being back the way it is suppose to be.
The bind comes from the trailer pushing "into" the truck, or the truck pulling away from the trailer. Again, chock the trailer from rolling forwards to backwards and gently back up the truck a very small amount so all of the front part of the ball coupler can unhook from the tow ball. Sometimes the truck in neutral will release the pressure. This can also be doing by jacking the camper up high enough and it will force the ball to wiggle out, BUT the trailer or truck has to move to allow it to wiggle out. If the camper is rolling backwards and the truck locked in gear, it still may not come out with lifting.
Tell us if the trailer and truck on level ground? and did you chocks the wheels on the camper?
Hope this helps
John
Check out this thread: Receiver hitch won't latch. Help!
And as noted by Old-Biscuit in that thread...disassembly the latch assembly as a last resort... :B
And as noted by Old-Biscuit in that thread...disassembly the latch assembly as a last resort... :B
BenK wrote:
Curious...what WD Hitch system are you using?
One places a ton of force on the latch assembly and if you have that
one...could be a worn/busted latch assembly
Here is a link to a thread on another latch issue and pictures of the
most common latches to maybe help you solve your issue
Hitch binding up troubleBenK wrote:
Maybe a visual of how a coupler and latch works...
Here is an old thread with diagrams showing how a coupler works...
Boiled down...a coupler has a dome with a 'return' on the leading edge's bottom
edge
That leading lower edge 'holds' the ball inside the coupler and the latch holds
the ball forward...in side of the dome with the lower edge (below the
equator of the hemisphere) so the opening at that point is SMALLER
than the diameter of the ball...
To have the ball come out...the latch must be loosened to allow the ball to move
backwards
If it does not come out, it is either still stuck via suction and/or it is still
in the front of the dome...that the latch is not moving backwards far
enough (worn or improperly adjusted latch assembly)
To allow the ball to move back out of that captive dome section, the
ball has a flat spot milled on top. So it will clear the top portion
of the dome that comes 'down' to help capture the ball
Why backing up does the trick on most situations...it moves the ball out from the
front of the coupler dome...
rv.net/forum WDH Hitch Ball Angle Issue
Most common coupler latches
Another type of coupler latch
{edit}...Note that if you have an Anderson WD Hitch system...it wears
out the coupler latch assembly. That Anderson warns a certain type
of latch assembly for use with their WD Hitch system
Old-Biscuit wrote:
