Trailer Hitch is Frozen

[YoYamma]

Never happened before...
hitch underneath will not open up enough to accept the ball?
The handle on top shifts okay, seems to lock down fine.
I have lubricated it and tried to open it with a screw driver, but the Shorelander trailer is not that old, no corrosion at all. :-k

[RX951]

Is the latch in the up position, tap it [the latch] with a hammer and knock the fork inside the hitch downwards....

[RX951]

Put a little heat on it also...

its the opposite of your situation, but has some tips
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005006.html

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[YoYamma]

Latch seems to be moving back and forth okay but still not enough to accept the ball. Kinda strange, we use it every week. I'll get my neighbor to look at it I guess... seems very simple but it's got me stumped.

[NJJer]

Does it have the adjustment nut under it? If so, just take it apart and see what is wrong.

While it is apart you can clean and lube it too.

[RX951]

it can move back and forth ok, but it is vertical arm that goes thru the tongue that attaches the fork underneath, stuck "up"? it can be stuck in the up position and the latch still move back and forth ok.

It sounds like the acceptor is stuck underneath the dome part

[RX951]

part number 86
Tap on part number 72 and see if it will drive the bar down [#86] and free up the wedge

some have an adjustment nut too
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6505849-0-large.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~kleb/windsurfn/trailer/coupler.jpghttp://www.wildak.net/~rrrent/images/service-hitchknob.gif

Here is the coupler, wedge and latch assembly
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/woeimages/Trailer/DUT-6256.jpg

[YoYamma]

I have the nut loosened all the way, the rod/lever is very loose, moves up and down. See photo below, problem seems to be the plate that is under the dome, but I have tried to pop it and pry it loose, it's already sorta loose but not opening all the way, I don't know it's getting dark now so I'll check it out tomorrow...

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l23/Florida-Boy/Misc/hitch.jpg

[RX951]

Just asking....but this is the same size 2" ball or whatever size receiver hitch ball you've been normally been using huh? didn't swap it out with another vehicle you have?:-k.....just asking......
Is it the same trailer you've been using? Correct size ball for trailer? make sure the trailer coupler and ball match up.....just to make sure....

[YoYamma]

Yep, nothing has changed since it was hooked up last week.
For some reason that plate is not opening up enough to accept the ball.
I guess I'll need to take it apart tomorrow. here's another angle...


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l23/Florida-Boy/Misc/hitch2.jpg

[RX951]

Yeah, that plate/wedge looks like it has a hook that hangs over a pin or dowel. Maybe its not pushing far back enough.....

I'm sure it'll work out once you disassemble it. holla back when you get it

[Shibby1485]

i see whats wrong, but man is it hard to put into words!

the ball clamp is getting hung up and not dropping all the way.. so the ball isn't getting in there properly above the lip... ur dropping the trailer receiver onto the ball and it's pushing all the guts up rather than letting the ball go into the cavity first and then left the clamp surround it

just pull the guts apart and clean it all up and re-assemble, you'll be fine... it does look freaken clean tho to be getting hung up an anything already

[YoYamma]

Thanks guys, yeah I'm not real impressed with the Shorlander product.
I had to replace all the bunks this year they were all cracked and it looked like they didn't even use PT wood on them, they were rotten to the core. This trailer has never been used in salt, it's a 2006 garage kept.

[RustySeaRustyDoo]

Jump on that thing till it drops....I had to do that to my utility trailer. It loosened up a little after some getting rough with it.

[DarthAWM]

Yo if yo wind up replacing the hitch get yourself a bulldog style hitch. They are much more durable and harder to bind up or misalign

[bossd]

ya that hitch is probly some piece of crap from china or indonesia or something stupid like that. go for a company that is well known for there hitch assemblies like resse or like darth said.

but from the pics i must say that the ball does look too big for the hitch ....just throwing that out there again.

[YoYamma]

I spent another hour on this thing today, I took it completely apart and I give up. I'm not sure why or how, but the inside collar has become bent or misaligned somehow and it will not swing open, it's pinching. I put the collar in the vice and tried bending it but it's only worse. Guess I'll have to get a new hitch, what a P.I.A... :evil:

[BigDaddyRXP]

Thanks guys, yeah I'm not real impressed with the Shorlander product.
I had to replace all the bunks this year they were all cracked and it looked like they didn't even use PT wood on them, they were rotten to the core. This trailer has never been used in salt, it's a 2006 garage kept.

Shorelander builds a great trailer... but I prefer triton aluminum trailers... nothing better :smt023 All trailer manufactures buy there hitch couplers from an outside source.

And your right... shorelander does not use pressure treated wood :evil: I fell through my walk ramp board on my double trailer when it was only 1 year old :roll:

[bossd]

well there is one more thing you can try... put the reciever on the ball as far as it can go and just put a torch to it and once it expands enough it should ( in theory) fall into place.

[Mike's GPR]

I had a very similar problem with a Triton Trailer Hitch the I replaced. The new hitch would not fall into place. I greased the hell out of it and still nothing. Finally a long screwdriver and some grease got it loose. The coupling part of the receiver would not drop on its own.

Good luck finding a replacement for cheap. Call the manufacturer directly for a replacement. It saved me $30 over buying from the dealer. And I found out nobody carries the exact same size as the ones on these PWC trailers. The width and ball size is the same, but all the mounting holes are in the wrong place. Good luck!

[scittb]

I went to boaters world and bought the same size hitch. Went home and took the guts out of it and put into the trailer hitch I had. Worked great cost me 20 bucks!

[DrewNJ]

Mine will do that every once in awhile...I end up sticking my fingers up inside there and pulling the plate down and back and it drops into place.

I notice it happens more if when I'm dropping the trailer on the ball I have the trailer a bit to far forward and that "bracket" lands a bit hard on the ball.

[YoYamma]

Okay guys, here's the deal...
My suspicion was correct. I removed the hitch and took it into the Shorelander dealer and they explained what happened. Apparently at some point I must have turned a little too sharp when backing out of the driveway and jack-knifed it just a little. This was enough to torque the coupler. It was hard to see on the frame but when I compared it side by side with a new one, sure enough I could see the side was bent, and pinching the collar.

What was strange was I don't remember bending it, and I'm still wondering how the heck it came off so easy the last time I used the trailer. Been pulling boats for 30 years and never had that happen, but they said it's pretty common. Got a brand new exact match hitch for 26.00, and they gave me a new side marker light which had cracked for free. :p

I asked the guy why Shorlander doesn't use PT wood on the bunks, he told me the EPA won't allow them to use it. #-o

[BigDaddyRXP]

What was strange was I don't remember bending it

Was there possibly some alcohol involed here... :-k:-$#-o

[YoYamma]

Was there possibly some alcohol involed here...

Nope. Possibly UFO's however... :lol: