Jaws on Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch Will Not Fully Close Around 5th Wheel King Pin  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The Reese 16K Fifth Wheel Hitch # RP30047, has a groove in the handle that a latch rotates into. If the latch (not the handle) is not rotated toward the rear of the truck, the handle will not move and you should not be able to hook up. If the latch was not rotated and you attempted to hook up, some of the handle parts could have been bent.

During normal hook up you should not move the handle out. Back the truck slowly into the trailer and allow the hitch to move the handle out. Once the truck is backed into the trailer the handle should move to the open position, the jaws of the hitch will spring closed and the handle should return to the closed position.

You can remove the head and turn it upside down to see all of the pivot points and handle parts to see if any are bent or broken. If all of the parts are in good condition, clean all the moving parts and pivot points with a spray lubricant and make sure the work properly. Grease the head with white lithium grease, # L11354 and move the handle until it works smoothly.

It is also possible that you have high-hitched which means the king pin on the trailer is too high in the hitch jaws. With the head on the hitch tilted towards the rear of the truck, make sure that the bottom of the king pin plate (not the king pin) is 1/2 inch to 1 inch lower than the lowest part of the hitch skid plate to avoid high hitching. See page 5 of the linked instructions for more details.

expert reply by: Michael H

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