Demco 18k Autoslider Problem

talldiver · 05-30-2016, 09:21 AM

I am using the Demco 18k Autoslider on 2015 F350 diesel. Worked great for the first 20 or so hitch ups but it started giving problems on our last trip. For whatever reason the jaws will not snap close. Spent 20 minutes on the phone with Demco tech support and they could not find the problem. The jaws eventually lock but it takes 10-15 attempts.

The tech said the new Lippert pin box might be causing the problem and will require the jaws to be reground

I can close the jaws manually and everything is greased according to the manual.

Anyone else using Demco experiencing the same problem?

Bluewrx272 · 05-30-2016, 09:31 PM

We had The same issue today. We spent about 40 minutes trying to hook up without the jaws closing. Once they did close we had no idea why they closed versus the other 30 times we tried to hook up.

Why are they saying the jaws may need to be re-ground? Sounds a little strange

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KEG_75 · 05-30-2016, 09:43 PM

Had the same issue last year. Tried several times to hitch up and jaws would not close. After closer examination one side of the truck was higher than the other do to slope of ground. Adjusted my approach and was successful. These hitches can be timid at times. I don't know if i would agree with Demco that the answer is regrind the hitch.

Bluewrx272 · 05-30-2016, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEG_75

Had the same issue last year. Tried several times to hitch up and jaws would not close. After closer examination one side of the truck was higher than the other do to slope of ground. Adjusted my approach and was successful. These hitches can be timid at times. I don't know if i would agree with Demco that the answer is regrind the hitch.

We did notice that one side of the truck was a little lower than the other an that may have been our issue as well. Thanks for your help.

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rmoore0852 · 05-31-2016, 02:09 PM

My autoslide can be a little picky at times about angle. Never as bad as what you have described. I found that this hitch is fairly picky about height. The couple times I have had issues getting it to close, I dropped the trailer a little bit and made it ride up the ramp by about 1/4". That seemed to fix it. Also have noticed that these things don't like to engage gently. Not saying to slam it backwards, but I let mine engage with a good solid thunk.

alayton · 05-31-2016, 11:05 PM

I love my Demco auto slide.
When mine doesn't snap shut it is usually the height of the pin box.
I try and look at the jaws and pin and
See if it needs lowered or raised to connect.
If the slide plate is about 1/4" above the hitch it will go right in.

talldiver · 06-01-2016, 07:04 AM

Thanks for the ideas. I will try them next time I have a problem

Jimsue · 07-09-2016, 04:20 PM

I have been experiencing the same issue with my Demco Autoslider. Just got back from a 3 month trip and about half the time the jaws would not engage until about 10 attempts at various heights and angles . One time it was so bad I had to ask a Good Samaritan with a " traditional" Reese to hook up my 5ver and pull it from the site to completely level ground so I could hook it up to my Demco. Embarrassing, frustrating , and not a little disappointing!
I plan on contacting Demco yet again to see if they have come up with any more suggestions...

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Jimsue · 07-14-2016, 08:20 PM

Hey all...
Spoke to Troy Woelber at Demco. He informed me that the company is aware of a problem with the jaws not locking on some of the Hijacker models and he encourages anyone having similar issue to contact him at : (800) 543-3626 ext 157

In my case, Demco is shipping me a new set of locking jaws ( no charge) to replace the original one.

Please encourage anyone you know who has this problem ( jaws not engaging ) to contact him. He was very patient, thorough and helpful. I will keep everyone updated on how the new mechanism works .

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JohnF · 07-14-2016, 08:46 PM

When you say your jaws are not engaging, I assume you mean that you can not put the safety pin in the handle. In other words the handle bar does not go far enough to put the pin in. Correct? That is the problem I have. Instead of keep trying to get it to happen, I have a smaller diameter pin that will fit into the hole. I have always found that if I pull forward a few hundred feet the handle always seems to set properly and I get out and remove my temporary pin and put the larger size one in.

John

Jimsue · 07-15-2016, 12:54 PM

What I'm referring to is a bit different... The jaws of the Hijacker receiver fail to "wrap around" the hitch pin , thus the sliding yellow tipped handle fails to retract at all .

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Jimsue · 07-25-2016, 12:08 PM

Demco was kind enough to send me a new set of jaws that were machined somewhat differently than the ones that came with my original Hijacker. Troy, the tech support person at Demco very patiently walked me through the process and also suggested a tightening 50 foot pounds of the three-quarter inch bolt underneath the slider. Although I have only tested the new set up once, it seems to work like a charm. Feel free to contact Troy at Demco for further support if you have any questions. I must say Demco stood behind their product and were very patient and walking me through the corrective process.

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talldiver · 07-25-2016, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Coolyard

Demco was kind enough to send me a new set of jaws that were machined somewhat differently than the ones that came with my original Hijacker. Troy, the tech support person at Demco very patiently walked me through the process and also suggested a tightening 50 foot pounds of the three-quarter inch bolt underneath the slider. Although I have only tested the new set up once, it seems to work like a charm. Feel free to contact Troy at Demco for further support if you have any questions. I must say Demco stood behind their product and were very patient and walking me through the corrective process.

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That is great news and thanks for posting. I had the exact same problem in the spring and also contacted DEMCO. The person from Demco tech support was extremely patient and walked me through several options and the hitch finally locked around the King Pin. Since then I have hooked/unhooked about 20 times without an issue. The only thing I did different between now and then was put a heavier coating of grease on the King Pin. I doubt it did anything because the King Pin does not really move with the Autoslider....but who knows.

JohnF · 07-25-2016, 01:34 PM

I’m working with Troy now. My bar does not initially slide all the way into position. I can’t get the locking pin in the hole until I drive for a minute, then for some reason it seats itself. Tried new jaws he sent me over the weekend with no better results. He is calling me back this afternoon to discuss my situation further. Demo has great customer service.

John

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