How to Ease Unhitching of Sidewinder Pin Box from Reese 16K Hitch

Question:

Have a new sidewinder hitch and it will not release the off the truck. It seems like it is so tight where it swivels on the trailer that it is always in a bind. I have had to pull the pins and lift it off the truck to get it to release! Any ideas?

asked by: Chuck W

Helpful Expert Reply:

The pivoting turret portion of a Sidewinder pin box like # RP61422 should not be loose enough for you to rotate the pin box by hand. This would actually indicate a problem.

If you are having trouble unhitching your Sidewinder from your 5th wheel hitch I suggest making sure you have both truck and trailer on level ground and in a straight line with each other. This tends to reduce any tension between the king pin and hitch jaws that could make it hard to unhitch the trailer.

You may also need to perform maintenance on your hitch with some routine lubrication of the jaw mechanism. I linked the instructions for the Reese 16K hitch # RP30047 that you referenced. These have information on the recommended unhitching process (page 9) as well as on hitch maintenance (page 5).

expert reply by: Adam R