Having Difficulty Opening Jaws On B&W Companion 5th Wheel Hitch

Question:

I have a BandW 5th wheel hitches that are hard to open and close with the handle

asked by: Russ B

Expert Reply:

There is a few different options that may help open and close the jaws on the B&W Companion # BWRVK3500. One option would be to relieve some of the pressure from the trailer by making sure that the landing gear on your trailer is adjusted properly so that the tongue weight is removed from the truck. This should be the main cause on why its hard to open and close your handle.

Another option could be that you parked on unlevel ground, which could cause the jaws to bind up a bit when trying to uncouple. The companion hitch features a cam action latching handle so while on unlevel ground the jaws could remain wrapped around the king pin while turning the handle. With the handle having that design there will not be any actual pressure on the jaws even though they're still closed. The main thing is as long as the tongue weight from the trailer is taken off the coupler, you should still be able to pull your truck away and the king pin will open the jaws when you're pulling away.

If you have any further questions please feel free to reach back out to me anytime and I would be more than happy to further assist you.

expert reply by: Noah E