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Old 10-28-2016, 06:26 PM   #1
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5th Wheel Hitch Play

I have a Curt Q16 fifth wheel and wondering if anyone can let me know if it is my hitch or this is normal. I'm pulling a Rockwood 8289WS and every time I start up from a stop, the trailer bangs on the hitch - play in the jaws. My dealer said this is normal and that there is no adjustment.
Do others experience this.
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Old 10-28-2016, 06:55 PM   #2
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I have a Reese 20k hitch. In the picture below, where the two white circles are located, my hitch hits this as it pivots fore/aft. This happens mostly at stop/go traffic but also on those nasty freeways and bridge connectors. It makes one heck of a banging noise and I hate it, but not enough to lay out more money for another hitch.

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I have had the hitch sitting higher, no help.

John
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Old 10-29-2016, 08:14 AM   #3
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If this is the hitch your referring to, then yes. I had the same hitch for about a year and it did have chunking. Really noticeable accelerating from a dead stop and going down a bumpy road.

I was also told there is no adjustment. If you set your trailer brakes to slightly pull your TV on braking, that will help keep the kingpin pressure on the hitch jaws. That will reduce chucking on acceleration from a stop.
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Old 10-29-2016, 08:56 AM   #4
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I also have a Curt Q16 with a slider. I had no experience with a fifth wheel hitch and didn't know right from wrong. When I purchased our first 5er last year the RV dealership helped me hook up the trailer. When the jaw around the king pin was in place there was a slight gap where you put safety hook to keep it closed. When we moved the TV forward it would make a noise and the same going in reverse. The were not familiar with that hitch and thought it was normal.

If I remember correctly the lever for the hitch was up when placing the kingpin in the hitch and then the lever was brought down to lock it in place and there was that slight gap.

At one point I forgot if the lever handle was suppose to be up or down when hooking up. I put it down and the jaws, they aren't really jaws, stayed open. I backed the TV up to the camper and made sure everything was lined correctly and backed towards the camper until I a clunk. Went back to check everything and it was fine. I also noticed the gap was gone and noise it use to make when starting to go forward or reverse and hitting bumps. Since then I always hookup with the hitch handle facing down.



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Old 10-29-2016, 12:49 PM   #5
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I have a Curt Q16 too with the same issue. I don't think the problem is with the main pin. I think it's in the "slop" between the hitch and the bed rails where the four pins connect. I'm new to 5th wheel towing, but when I first set the hitch and attached it with the pins, I knew there would be some movement there.

There is no way with the fore and aft forces going on that one side isn't going to lift and activate the two of the locking pins in tension at the bed level. I wouldn't think this is unique to the Curt hitch, but it's the only one I have experience with. I thought of maybe shimming the connection but have just accepted the quirk.
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Old 10-29-2016, 01:45 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 6.5kev View Post
I have a Curt Q16 too with the same issue. I don't think the problem is with the main pin. I think it's in the "slop" between the hitch and the bed rails where the four pins connect. I'm new to 5th wheel towing, but when I first set the hitch and attached it with the pins, I knew there would be some movement there.

There is no way with the fore and aft forces going on that one side isn't going to lift and activate the two of the locking pins in tension at the bed level. I wouldn't think this is unique to the Curt hitch, but it's the only one I have experience with. I thought of maybe shimming the connection but have just accepted the quirk.
Same way on my Q16. There is no play in the wraparound jaws and my handle does not flip up or down. It is pulled horizontally to open and the lever moves backwards by itself when hooking up. I have read some discussion on looseness and found mine to be loose pins on the bed rails. They make a rubber shim to take that play out but it only lasts a short time. I have made shims from aluminum roof flashing. Used a chisel to cut a rectangle for the tabs on the hitch.
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Old 10-29-2016, 07:17 PM   #7
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I bought a BW hitch,man what a difference. Easy to use posituve locking no chanking or banging there really is a difference. If you can,just do it.
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Old 10-29-2016, 09:15 PM   #8
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I bought a BW hitch,man what a difference. Easy to use posituve locking no chanking or banging there really is a difference. If you can,just do it.
Is this the BW hitch that goes into a gooseneck ball? I have a friend that has a ball adapter BW fifth wheel hitch. Where the stabilizer plates sit on top of the bed and the rails under the bed. The rails under the bed have rubbed the bead and it has rusted out from the underside. It is a 2008 truck with 80k miles
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Old 10-29-2016, 11:33 PM   #9
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Sold my Q16 because of the slop and now i have a rock solid B&W Patriot 18k
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Old 10-30-2016, 05:10 PM   #10
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I have the same trailer but a different hitch. Mine has the Reese Revolution (aka Sidewinder) pin box that articulates at the pin box instead of on the hitch. It can be locked out to run as a regular hitch by bolting it together at the pin box. These are used for short bed trucks instead of a slider hitch.

The difference is with it articulating at the pin box there is wedge to keep it locked at the hitch head in your truck. If you are running with this configuration then check the wedge (just behind the pin on your trailer) as there are generic ones and other ones specific for different hitches. You would then want to verify the one you have with one Reese makes for your hitch.
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Old 10-30-2016, 09:40 PM   #11
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I have a B & W Companion hitch in my Ram. I happy to say we have not experienced any of those symptoms, even with the horrible roads we have here in California!
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Old 10-31-2016, 07:08 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cotton65 View Post
Is this the BW hitch that goes into a gooseneck ball? I have a friend that has a ball adapter BW fifth wheel hitch. Where the stabilizer plates sit on top of the bed and the rails under the bed. The rails under the bed have rubbed the bead and it has rusted out from the underside. It is a 2008 truck with 80k miles
I have this configuration with the B&W and have installed 3 of my last 4 hitches. Sounds to me he may tow on salty roads (corrosive?) or something could have been installed correctly. Mine have all been Chevrolet's and I haven't had any issues.

Onto the clunking/banging noises. I've towed a friends rig to Talladega several times with a Reese FW hitch and the noise coming from it scared me. It mostly happened when we would hit one of those "whoop te doos" in the interstate. I've heard similar out of the Curt hitches. As I said before, I've only owned B&Ws and I don't hear anything from mine (and I tow kinda hard with a lot of weight). I was concerned about not converting the trailer to a gooseneck because I know those are quiet with the exception of the creaking due to the leverage and flexing of the frame of the trailer. My B&W FW companion is very quiet.

Sheez! I sound like I am making a sales pitch.
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