Difficulty Opening Jaws on B&W Companion 5th Wheel Hitch

Question:

l cannot get my trailer unhooked from my truck. The latching mechanism was very difficult to latch and now the latching arm is free swinging or no resistance on the arm. l have tried prying the jaws open but to no avail. Any suggestions?

asked by: Larry A

Expert Reply:

If you are having difficulty opening the jaws on your B&W Companion # BWRVK3500, you may just need to relieve some more pressure from the trailer. Make sure the landing gear on the trailer is adjusted properly so that the tongue weight is removed from the truck. When the jaws do not open with the coupler handle, this is the most likely cause.

It's also possible that you are parked on unlevel ground, which can cause the jaws to bind up a bit when trying to uncouple. The Companion features a cam-action latching handle, so when you are on unlevel ground, the jaws may remain wrapped around the king pin after turning the handle. Because of its design though, there will not be any actual pressure on the jaws even though they are still closed (with the handle open). As long as the tongue weight from the trailer is taken off the coupler, you should still be able to pull your truck away and the king pin will open the jaws as you pull away.

If you are still having issues, please let me know and I will be happy to look into this further.

expert reply by: Chris R