How to tell the M5 Series 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch is Fully Locked.

Question:

We bought a new 5th wheel camper yesterday and the service guy helped us hook it up the the truck, he knew what he was doing but when we went to move it the camper feel out onto the truck. The service manager came to look at the hitch and said the jaws were not locking in place like they should when in the locked position, he was moving them easily with his hands. But now when I go to mess with the hitch it’s locking, sometimes is has a little wiggle in it. Does this sound like a defective hitch? I read others have had this same problem and now I have a brand new camper that’s damaged and a truck that’s damaged too. We have a brand new pro series Reese hitch rated for 20k

asked by: Natalie M

Expert Reply:

The M5 Series 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch part # RP30928 has a very simple lock system. There is a groove in the handle that allows the latch mechanism to close then be secured this can be seen in the video I attached for you. The latch mechanism will not close if the jaw is not locked. It appears that the lock is in place but I can't really see the handle. With what you're saying it doesn't sound defective but if you had everything connected per the instructions (attached below) I would use extreme care before using it again until you can confirm whether it is working properly or not by testing it. You can hook up to it and confirm everything has locked before moving anywhere. If you do find it to be defective you can contact your purchase location or Reese.

expert reply by: Randy B