rhagfo
Portland, OR
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laknox wrote:I posted this a while ago, but after 15 years of RVing, I managed to forget to latch my hitch and dropped my FW on the bed. What happens when you get in a hurry.
Lyle
Well I also forgot to latch the Reese twin jaw hitch we have once. Drove for almost twenty miles, fast, slow, turns, over RR tracks, and highway. I was taking the 5er to scale it at a local weigh station, was a bit surprised when I went to release the hitch, to scale just the TV.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#
"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"
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laknox
Arizona
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rhagfo wrote:laknox wrote:I posted this a while ago, but after 15 years of RVing, I managed to forget to latch my hitch and dropped my FW on the bed. What happens when you get in a hurry.
Lyle
Well I also forgot to latch the Reese twin jaw hitch we have once. Drove for almost twenty miles, fast, slow, turns, over RR tracks, and highway. I was taking the 5er to scale it at a local weigh station, was a bit surprised when I went to release the hitch, to scale just the TV.
My issue was that I had my Companion pinned OPEN from the last unhitch, so the pin never even closed the jaws. (I have the older style and the hitch =has= to be pinned open or the jaws won't release.) Had I unpinned the latch handle so it was in the "armed" position, the pin would have closed the jaws, just the safety pin wouldn't have been in place. Given that the jaws, when properly latched, go to an "over center" position, not having the safety pin in place isn't a huge issue.
Lyle
2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Crew Cab 4x4 6.5' Bed
B&W Turnover Ball with 5th Wheel Companion
2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
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blofgren
Surrey, B.C.
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Joined: 11/26/2005
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laknox wrote:rhagfo wrote:laknox wrote:I posted this a while ago, but after 15 years of RVing, I managed to forget to latch my hitch and dropped my FW on the bed. What happens when you get in a hurry.
Lyle
Well I also forgot to latch the Reese twin jaw hitch we have once. Drove for almost twenty miles, fast, slow, turns, over RR tracks, and highway. I was taking the 5er to scale it at a local weigh station, was a bit surprised when I went to release the hitch, to scale just the TV.
My issue was that I had my Companion pinned OPEN from the last unhitch, so the pin never even closed the jaws. (I have the older style and the hitch =has= to be pinned open or the jaws won't release.) Had I unpinned the latch handle so it was in the "armed" position, the pin would have closed the jaws, just the safety pin wouldn't have been in place. Given that the jaws, when properly latched, go to an "over center" position, not having the safety pin in place isn't a huge issue.
Lyle
I've backed into my fiver a few times with the hitch pinned open too, and wondered why it wouldn't latch. ![[emoticon]](https://forums.trailerlife.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/doh.gif "doh") It really doesn't take much to make a mistake which is why visual checks and a pull test are so important.
2013 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW Laramie 4x4, 6.7L Cummins, G56, 3.73, Maximum Steel, black lthr, B&W RVK3670 hitch, Retrax, Linex, and a bunch of options incl. cargo camera
2008 Corsair Excella Platinum 34.5 CKTS fifth wheel with winter package & disc brakes
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Cummins12V98
on the road
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Joined: 06/03/2012
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I am all about VISUAL testing my B&W but no pull test for me. Now on other brand hitches I have used the the pull is done for sure.
I saw a guy with his new B&W drop his 5er and yes it was because he pinned it open and was used to backing into his old hitch and having it latch. Thankfully no real damage. He admitted not reading about the new hitch.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"
"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600
2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable
2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD
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rhagfo
Portland, OR
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blofgren wrote:laknox wrote:rhagfo wrote:laknox wrote:I posted this a while ago, but after 15 years of RVing, I managed to forget to latch my hitch and dropped my FW on the bed. What happens when you get in a hurry.
Lyle
Well I also forgot to latch the Reese twin jaw hitch we have once. Drove for almost twenty miles, fast, slow, turns, over RR tracks, and highway. I was taking the 5er to scale it at a local weigh station, was a bit surprised when I went to release the hitch, to scale just the TV.
My issue was that I had my Companion pinned OPEN from the last unhitch, so the pin never even closed the jaws. (I have the older style and the hitch =has= to be pinned open or the jaws won't release.) Had I unpinned the latch handle so it was in the "armed" position, the pin would have closed the jaws, just the safety pin wouldn't have been in place. Given that the jaws, when properly latched, go to an "over center" position, not having the safety pin in place isn't a huge issue.
Lyle
I've backed into my fiver a few times with the hitch pinned open too, and wondered why it wouldn't latch. It really doesn't take much to make a mistake which is why visual checks and a pull test are so important.
Well a Reese twin jaw 16K will pass pull test even without the handle locked. This is why a visual check to lock the handle is needed.
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