Troubleshooting B&W Companion Jaws Not Latching and Unlatching

Question:

When I back into my 5th wheel the jaws will not fully latch for me to place the pin then also the will not unlatch to be able to pull out

asked by: Michael S

Expert Reply:

I reached out to B&W and they said you need to check to see if you only have one lube plate on the pin box. You also want to make sure the springs are both in place behind the jaws on your # BWRVK3400. This is likely the reason you are unable to get the jaws to fully latch.

Regarding being unable to unlatch that sounds like a binding issue. In order to unlatch all you need to do is drive your truck forward. When binding occurs the jaws may remain closed after you move the handle to the open position. Since the handle is unlatched, the only thing keeping the jaws closed is the binding pressure. Driving forward will be enough to force the jaws open.

expert reply by: Robin H