Should Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch Head Manually Turn Without Trailer Connected?

Question:

The head on top of my 5th wheel autoslide hitch appears to be extremely tight or perhaps frozen as I cannot manually turn it at all. The head easily pivots but will not manually turn.

asked by: Brian

Helpful Expert Reply:

The Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider # DM8550024 should not be able to be manually turned. The movement of the hitch head side to side is only possible when the weight of the trailer is on the hitch head. The reason for this is so you will be able to connect at the same angle you disconnected from the trailer so that head won't easily move as you connect your trailer making it more difficult to align. That connection and disconnection is basically straight on.

expert reply by: Jason S