Coupler is very hard to release

[Rmstack]

I had the same problem with my 2014 Surveyor Select 264 I purchased in 2014. Never a problem to attach but to unhook - Wow! I had it back to the dealer twice and on the third trip, they removed the ball I had been using to pull several other previous campers and found an old ball to put on. It worked perfectly. My guess is that it was a smaller sized ball.

[PenJoe]

I may be going against the grain on some of the suggestions, but I have been using this hitch for 10 years. Those of you who disagree should give this a try.

When hitching to the TV: TT wheels chocked front and rear. locate the ball of the TV under the cup, but slightly forward of the cup. The front curve of the ball should just touch the front of the TT cup. With the latch lever fully out, crank the TT jack down. The front of the TT cup will pull the TT slightly forward as is travels past the widest front part of the ball and then pulls back because the TT wheels are chocked. The TT hitch cup will be up against the front of the ball. The latch lever should seat into the locked position. You may have to tap it to make it seat. If it does not, make sure the latch locking around the rear of the ball has not bound up on the ball. It should not if the cup seated onto the ball. With the TT wheels still chocked, pull forward ever so slightly and the latch will seat. This only takes about a half inch movement forward. Remove the chocks and go.

When unhitching from the TV: TT wheel chocked front and rear. Unlatch the locking lever and crank the TT jack up. If the cup is seated with pressure on the front of the ball, cranking the jack will also start to lift the TV bumper. This is OK. Crank high enough so that when the ball falls out of the cup, it will at least expose half of the ball. Then put the TV in reverse and nudge back ever so slightly and the ball will drop out of the socket. Then crank the TT jack until it full clears the top of the ball and drive out from under the cup.

This hitch design on the TT is a very secure design, but they can be a putz hitching/unhitching. It is best to hold the latch lever out as far as possible while cranking to make as much room as possible for the ball. I would not recommend making any mechanical adjustments to make it work easier. Lubrication is fine. This hitch is what it is and you don't want any play when it is properly locked in.

A suggestion for those of you that have a TV backup camera. Paint the front portion of your TT hitch a bright contrasting color. When backing up to the hitch, it is much easier to see day or night even from a distance.

[TexasBob]

I have simple solution that has worked every time for me.

I have a very small ball-pen hammer and if the lever doesn't move I tap it with my hammer. Not hard enough to hurt just hard enough to get it's attention. Also a very small hammer prevents me from doing an real damage.

I also try to keep all the moving parks and the ball well lubricated.

Also, if the ball refuses to release from the trailer I jack it up until it does, with in reason.

[asquared]

As stated above put some bearing grease on the ball. Make sure the trailer is chocked before unhitching (level ground or not), uncouple hitch and then raise hitch with tongue Jack. Standing or bouncing on hitch can help once rear end of TV is raised. Sometimes rocking TV forward or backward can help. Worse comes to worse, pull the pin and pull the tow vehicle out from the hitch. Then you can manipulate it by hand and see what it's catching on.

[EDABEUT]

Mine also is very hard to release lever. What I have found is that when I raise the truck to remove equalizer bars then lower it until I see the weight come off the hitch. It has to be in the exact neutral weight position for the lever to unlock. Then raise it back up until the truck starts to raise up and push/pull on truck until it pops off ball. Don't take much but I have seen the truck drop 2-3 inches when it finally disengages. I use X-Chocks on trailer tires and they don't allow any movement at all which makes it a little harder.

I use white lithium grease on top of ball to see when I am under trailer hitch in backup camera. When white spot disappears I am perfectly lined up. I use the emergency brake on truck to hold position until I get the trailer hooked up. You can lower the truck/trailer and they will give enough that it will pop on. I then raise it back up to that neutral weight position and disengage emergency brake to get latch locked. Works for me.

[Arn]

Pull your hitch pin out. This allows your draw bar to slide back & forth so it centers the ball as you are raising the jack.Works every time without jumping up & down on your bumper, without hitting something with a hammer, without sanding, grinding or adjusting anything. And it's safer than all of the above.

[EDABEUT]

Not sure how you are able to pull the hitch pin when the trailer is hooked up. I have to jiggle my hitch to get the pin out when unhooked to remove it. It is really tight but I have an old Reese hitch that is very heavy. I have also noticed that the holes in my truck hitch are becoming egg shaped. Not made like they use to be.

[elchilero53]

I put Reese ball grease (a Teflon-based white lube) on the ball and all wear points on my WDH. I never have any issue uncoupling. The ball drops out of the tongue cup easily. Sometimes it needs a little nudge by bumping the TV a bit. Otherwise, everything runs smoothly. As others have alluded to, using grease on the hitch should solve your troubles.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by Pill Billy

You need to pull the latch up THEN slide it backwards. I have the same trailer.


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What is your build date? Do you have a 2016 or 2017 built after 3-1-16?

Many did not read the previous posts. The issue the OP is having here is not that the latch is not lifted or retracted, has nothing to do with the position of the tow vehicle or what kind of or how much grease was used. Its not a 14 Surveyor, a 10 yr old trailer, or anything else its a 2017 Roo and was posted in the Roo sub forum. The issue appears to only affect Roo's built during and after March of 2016. You can grease, move vehicles, and flip latches till the cows come home, and when you go to uncouple these latest Roo's its going to be tight and a PITA. The coupler LCI used on these frames has something going on where the stamping of the ball area is smaller than usual or out of shape, or something. Maybe the powder coating is built up inside the stamping. I have not done a scientific analysis nor do I intend to but something is amiss with these. The dealer tech noted it when we hooked ours up at the PDI, because we had to use a hammer to close the latch. When we uncoupled in the driveway I had to use a hammer to open the latch, raise a long bed GMC 2500 almost off the ground with the power jack, then jump on the trailer A frame to get the ball to "POP" out of the coupler socket. I know the difference between a ball and coupler being on a bind and something not being normal.

Although not part of the OP's issue, the latch/claw is not adjustable which is the first I have seen without the adjustment nut up inside. That tells me its a cheap piece as is everything from LCI. It has no manufacturer markings so I suspect it was made by Woowonjunk MFG. The OP's 2017 is this way, my 2017 is this way, and 3 other people I know of with 2017 Roo's have the same issue. The issue is with the coupler installed on these current frames by LCI. You have two options, live with it and it may loosen up over time from use, or go and attempt to have it replaced under warranty. They would need to cut off the current coupler and weld another on. That is if they can get LCI to acknowledge its a problem, which is like pulling teeth or creating nuclear fusion. They won't readily admit a water tank support deflecting 2 inches, to the point that the cross braces that clip in come loose, is a problem, so good luck with this one.

[PenJoe]

I would have to disagree with Mr Havercamp. This hitch is not unique to a specific model or year. It is a proven design and is just about on every large cargo trailer built.The only thing I can see changed over the years is the shape of the latch lever. Yes, they are a pain for a few minutes when hitching/unhitching. The ball has to be fully forward in the hitch cup to seat the latch/lock mechanism. The ball needs to be back far enough to clear the front of the cup when unhitching. But when it is connected, it is certain that it is secure when the latch lever is seated. And when you are pulling that heavy load, you have all of the confidence that it ain't comin' off.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by PenJoe

I would have to disagree with Mr Havercamp. This hitch is not unique to a specific model or year. It is a proven design and is just about on every large cargo trailer built.The only thing I can see changed over the years is the shape of the latch lever.

Unfortunately they are not all the same and it being a proven design means little. There are many different manufacturers and grades, levels of quality, etc, of A frame couplers.


Catalog - Jacks, Couplers & Winches | Couplers | A-Frame Couplers | Stamped |
A-Frame Trailer Coupler | etrailer.com
Trailer Couplers at Trailer Parts Superstore

To suggest they are all built by many different manufacturers as 100% carbon copies of each other, and all being the same quality, made to the same tolerances. from the same dies, and materials etc, is wrong. The only thing you can assume is an RV manufacturer or component supplier is going to use the cheapest piece they can purchase or manufacture, and that is clearly what is happening in this case. It must be a phenomenom unique to this forum that the people who have the actual piece being discussed know less about it than people who don't have it.

I have had 4 RV trailers, at least 6 boat trailers, and over the years so many box and flat equipment trailers that I have lost count. On none of those have I had to do what is required to get the coupler on this 2017 Roo disconnected. So I guess its operator error or lack of grease.

[youroo]

Quality piece! Youroo!!

[bareftn]

WOW that last pic is one heck of a lock Is it home made or where did you buy it?

[Pill Billy]

I have a 2016 with a build date of early 2016.

My only other experience with a trailer was with my 2014 Rockwood HW277. The mechanism was simply to lift the latch.

My 2016 Roo IKSS latch requires it to be lifted and slide backwards to release the ball.


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[CNYCamper]

Our dealer transferred our WDH from the old RV to the new one and hitched us up following the PDI. I found the new hitch extremely easy to use to unhitch...so easy that it came off the ball without lifting the latch while relieving the distribution bars pressure. Old hitch used a 2" ball and new one required the 2 5/16" ball. Neither the dealer or I had noticed.

[rockfordroo]

I'm with Mr. Havercamp.

[rsdata]

If you have to take a hammer to get the ball in, it makes sense that it would require a hammer to get the ball off...

I wonder, have you taken a micrometer to your hitch ball and compared that measurement to other hitch balls you might find at Wally world or other hitch stores? Maybe a small difference in the size of the ball on your hitch?

[rsdata]

double post, sorry

[YEGrolo]

I would suggest that if anyone is having to hammer on and off a coupler that something is definitely wrong.

The coupler on ours was broken on our first trip (underjaw welded poorly and snapped off during transit), had it cut off and a new one welded on at a local hitch shop.

Went with a 21000lb Demco ez-Latch coupler,

21,000 lb. G.V.W.R 50° Mount | Demco Products


Cost including labour & hitch was around $300 (canadian), was reimbursed from FR through the dealer.

Info on the ez Latch system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qTScqbIMOM

[Austintatious]

I'm not so sure this issue is exclusive to a certain brand of trailer.

My Clipper has a 2/16 build date. From the day I picked it up I couldn't get the claw lever to set. Had to drive forward a few hundred feet before it would set itself.

Trying to uncouple was a pain in the butt. I also had to carry a hammer to knock the claw lever open. Literally broke a finger lifting/moving/persuading the tongue to release.

Last week I had the dealer look at it. They told me the tech was going to show me how to couple/uncouple the trailer. Okay, I guess I've been doing something wrong for 40 years.

Nope. He can't get it to uncouple either. Long story short he finally took a small pneumatic grinder to the claw, removed a tiny bit of material from it, and now the latch and tongue set/release as they should.

Because this particular claw design has no adjustment.