Hitch ball / coupler near disaster

[etpm]

I don't know how the latch on your coupler works but maybe you are experiencing the same problem I have had with a cheap trailer I own. The lever that must be pushed down to trap the ball pulls up a piece inside the hitch when it is pushed down. First of all this mechanism must be properly adjusted to trap the ball but also release it. But even when properly adjusted what often happens is that even though the lever is up it does not allow the piece inside to drop down. This is because the bolt attached to the lever does not drop down when the lever is raised. So the lever must be raised and then while still raised it must be pushed down such that the bolt is pushed down. This will let the piece inside the hitch drop and thus release the ball. I know, my description of the process is confusing but if you look at your hitch you will see what I mean. Pull the lever up and while in the raised position push straight down in line with the bolt. I'm sure someone will chime in with a better description of what I am trying to say. There should be a spring that does the job for you but sometimes it is either weak, missing, or things just get hung up. The spring is hidden in the hitch so you can't see if it is missing unless you look at the underside of the hitch. Oh, i saw after I made my post the Bruce posted a picture of the hitch mechanism. I shoulda done this. Bruce's post makes things much clearer.
Eric

 

[garry1p]

I had this problem many times with an Airstream trailer.
The answer was to put the truck in neutral when the ball would not release and 99% of the time it would pop loose.
Any incline forward or reverse will add enough pressure to lock the ball to the trailer.

 

[two_bit_score]

How easy would it be for you to change to a bulldog type coupler?

 

[WinterDeere]

How easy would it be for you to change to a bulldog type coupler?

OP has a dump trailer on a ball hitch, so this is the way I'd be headed, as well. I'm assuming it's at least a 10k lb. trailer, and this is my favorite coupler for heavy trailers on ball hitches.

I will admit though, I hate them on lighter trailers. The main issues with the bulldog couplers are:

1. Often the tang that withdraws the sleeve isn't welded on quite straight from the factory. It makes the sleeve want to bind as it's drawn back, which makes releasing them a total PITA on trailers with this issue. Kicking the cam lever can sometimes work, but with a brake plunger usually mounted right behind the damn thing, you're likely to break that with any imperfectly-aimed kick.

2. They must be kept well-lubed, and not everyone will do that. When lubed, they can be messier than simple stamped lever hitches to be around. Not a big issue when you're wearing work clothes around an equipment trailer, but a little frustrating when you're wearing bathing trunks or clean shorts on a day out with the boat.

 

[workinonit]

What type is it? Sounds to me like it needs to be adjusted a bit.

 

[seville009]

I used to spray WD40 on the ball and the hitch; that solved all of my “stuck hitch” problems.

 

[dodge man]

Along the lines of what Hay Dude and BCP said, I either push the trailer back or pull the truck forward a tiny bit. In my case I dealing with an empty car trailer I often can put my foot on the trailer and push it back a hair.

 

[D&D]

How easy would it be for you to change to a bulldog type coupler?

Bulldog or demco, I like them both. A pintle would be better than a latch type that doesn’t work the right way

 

[WinterDeere]

I used to spray WD40 on the ball and the hitch; that solved all of my “stuck hitch” problems.

I grease my balls.

It's true, and recommended, and someone had to say it!

 

[plowhog]

Thank you for the replies. It is a light duty dump trailer. 5x10 with 5,000# payload capacity.

Tongue weight? I don't know but the dump function could not raise the load until I raked some material out and I also charged the battery.

I will get some pictures of the coupler. I have used WD40 but wondered if grease is better.