Don't Let This Happen to You!

5er_tom · 07-10-2014, 02:01 PM

Had the 5th wheel at an RV shop for 3 days for some service. Apparently when they moved the trailer with their forklift, the driver noticed the hitch was turning under the trailer, as well as at the king pin. So, what does he do? He got two bolts and locked the Reese Revolution Hitch. He did not bother to tell anyone as he thought it was the right thing to do. (The bolts must have falled out!)

Now I come along, hook up the 5th wheel, do the pull test, and off I go. When backing down the driveway where we are staying, and starting to make the hard turn, BANG! Very loud noises. WTF???

No wonder, as the hitch did not turn at either the king pin or under the trailer. I am suprised I did not have more trouble towing it the 10 miles out here.

I was able to unhitch the 5th wheel and drive the truck back to the dealer as I had no idea what the problem was. I was sure the hitch failed in some manner. WRONG.

So, the RV shop is coming out here to take the 5th wheel to their shop and repair the Revolution Hitch. Tomorrow I get to take the truck to the dealer for a new Reese Hitch. All at no cost to me - as it should be.

Be sure to tell RV shops about your Revolution hitch so they don't do the same thing to your unit. It was not fun.

**dcheatwood** · 07-10-2014, 02:04 PM

wow! Just when you thought you'd heard it all. Cant imaging the stress and torque placed on the pin box and hitch mounts. And the tech was taking the initiative to repair what he saw as a problem. Gotta give him credit for being proactive.

DaveandSue · 07-10-2014, 02:06 PM

Let me get this one straight.The Revolution didn't turn at all?Had you done something for it not to?Did you have it where it pivoted both places?Man that makes me wonder about my sidewinder setup.Hope it never fails to pivot.

Weezer · 07-10-2014, 02:07 PM

Our dealer ALWAYS puts that locking bolt in our Revolution hitch while it's in for service....

BUT....

tied to that bolt is a HUGE yellow tag that hangs down underneath the pin box. I watched this time as they brought it out to us from the "completed service storage" area. As soon as he stepped off the forklift he removed that bolt.

B and B · 07-10-2014, 02:07 PM

I have had that happen at my dealer. I carry the lockout bolts on my 5er but hidden away in case they are needed. They moved the wedge and did not put it back after towing from storage to the service lot. I only move it now for service and lock the fifth wheel pin.

Looking at the hitch i would request they inspect the trailer frame.

BamaBob · 07-10-2014, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5er_tom

Apparently when they moved the trailer with their forklift, the driver noticed the hitch was turning under the trailer, as well as at the king pin. So, what does he do? He got two bolts and locked the Reese Revolution Hitch.

No wonder, as the hitch did not turn at either the king pin or under the trailer. I am suprised I did not have more trouble towing it the 10 miles out here.

My take is that was ONE incompetent tech! SHEESH, RV dealers install Reese Hitches, so the Techs should know about them!

Rightly so everything repaired should be at no cost to you brother!

Like you, I am completely mystified why you did not have something
Catastrophic happen to you on the way home! You must have had a relatively straight pull with no turns

**dcheatwood** · 07-10-2014, 03:30 PM

Dave. Op had his revolution pin activated. The service guy thought he had lost some bolts so he replaced them for the owner, thereby locking the pin in place. When owner towed it home the pin was locked in place and wedge was in place. No where to swivel.

4x4dually · 07-10-2014, 03:40 PM

My Lord. I can't imagine how mad I would be.

DaveandSue · 07-10-2014, 03:47 PM

Now makes sense.Didn't get that the first two times I read the post.I must be a little slow today.OP glad they are taking care of you on their dime and nothing worse got tore up.

5er_tom · 07-10-2014, 03:57 PM

As we are traveling for the summer, this could have been a big problem. We are fortunate that we have a few here so we can get this mess repaired.

Yes, I am mad, but not much I can except make sure they get everything back the way it should be.

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Ford Idaho · 07-10-2014, 03:57 PM

Good grief!

That is about as incompetent as it gets, just glad the dealer is making it right on their dime.

garmford · 07-15-2014, 10:52 PM

Just curious, without any pivot, how were you even able to turn out of the dealers lot? I would guess that every turn would be difficult without a pivot.

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shagginwaggin · 07-16-2014, 07:04 AM

Falled out?

BigBaron · 07-16-2014, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

wow! Just when you thought you'd heard it all. Cant imaging the stress and torque placed on the pin box and hitch mounts. And the tech was taking the initiative to repair what he saw as a problem. Gotta give him credit for being proactive.

Proactive? LOL I once threw away some really expensive Korean food because I thought it had spoiled. There's a big difference between ignorant and proactive.

My first thought, too.
If it bent that hitch like that, I'd put money down that says something on the trailer is bent, too. Big money.
The truck will be easy to inspect, but all new bolts, fasteners need to be used for the hitch and the old ones thrown away.

It's your call, but I'd take the front of the trailer apart and inspect the frame, etc.

OldCoot · 07-16-2014, 08:04 AM

Don't think the trailer needs to be taken apart. The hitch was the weak point and even tho' the pin box was stressed, it is built to withstand some extreme forces. As for replacing bolts, I would definitely replace the bolts in the pin box and on the wedge itself.

PhoneDude 8289 · 07-16-2014, 01:48 PM

I'm still trying to figure out how the dealer moved the RV with the wedge still attached. The storage lot where I store our RV was making roof repairs to there facility. They called and asked if they could move my unit out for a day, told them it was ok with me. Got a call back that they could not hitch up to it with the chunk of steel bolted to the pin area. I went and moved the RV and put it back the next day.

PhoneDude 8289 · 07-16-2014, 01:52 PM

Good lesson for anyone with a revolution or sidewinder. Before dropping it at a dealer or repair shop remove the wedge and bolt up the revolution for standard operation.

Weezer · 07-16-2014, 02:02 PM

(shrug) not for us. Our dealer's work force seems to understand the concept, as I noted on page 1. (drop their bolt in with a huge yellow warning flag hanging from it, then remove that when we pick it up)

OldCoot · 07-16-2014, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by presley01

I'm still trying to figure out how the dealer moved the RV with the wedge still attached. The storage lot where I store our RV was making roof repairs to there facility. They called and asked if they could move my unit out for a day, told them it was ok with me. Got a call back that they could not hitch up to it with the chunk of steel bolted to the pin area. I went and moved the RV and put it back the next day.

The wedge does not cover the entire pin, just the upper 1" in the back which leaves approx. 2" of pin exposed. A lot of shops just have a hole in the fork and the pin just sets in the hole and some have a pc of pipe welded to a rectangular pc of tubing that is chained to the lift that the pin sits down in the pipe socket.

PhoneDude 8289 · 07-17-2014, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The wedge does not cover the entire pin, just the upper 1" in the back which leaves approx. 2" of pin exposed. A lot of shops just have a hole in the fork and the pin just sets in the hole and some have a pc of pipe welded to a rectangular pc of tubing that is chained to the lift that the pin sits down in the pipe socket.

I understand how they could move it around that way, thought they were using a truck with a hitch in the bed of the truck but a forklift would be faster and easier

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