Shrek51
Houston,Tx
New Member
Joined: 05/10/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
I purchased my 5er in April of 2010. My first trip was to Pheonix, then to Houston(home).
Then to New Mexico to homethen to Mississippi then home. All together 4or5 Thousand miles. No problems hitching and un-hitching everything went fine.
When backing into my drive way the hitch(Reese 16K) tried to remove it self from the bed of my truck. Got it parked and went to Camping World where it was installed. Found out that they had installed only 3 of the 5 bolts in the rail and 2 were not seated properly.
Well I had the rails replaced and mounted properly. I did not have the hitch replaced although in retrospect I should have.
Well long story short I was was hooking up to go to Florida did all my checking and testing, backed into hitch and the handle extended and retracted with the customary clang
and clunk as usual. All visual inspection did not show anything unusual,jaws closed around pin, no gap between pinbox and hitch head. As I started to leave the hitch released the pin and it hit the bed, rails of bed and tailgate.
The hitch was at a 75 degree angle with the 5er's weight (14000lb) torquing the head and the jaws of the hitch. Lost my confidence with Reese, now have a PullRite which works great.
Just my experience.
|
cwit
Upstate New York
Senior Member
Joined: 07/20/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Could you please tell us what caused the 75 degree angle. Did hitch unhook from rails? Did something seperate on the hitch itself? I have a 16,000 lb. reese and would like to know.
|
lar5camping
Rocky Mountains
Senior Member
Joined: 02/08/2010
View Profile
|
Maybe I got hosed? Bought the BedSaver. Never needed it.
Never had a problem. Heard stuff on this forum and thought
it was good insurance. I always do a visual inspection of
the hitch to make sure the jaws are shut, secure in the proper
spot and not high hitched. I NEVER do a pull test. If it's
locked, loaded and secure, why pull the trigger when it's already
safe?
|
Mile High
Denver, CO
Senior Member
Joined: 02/05/2008
View Profile
|
Shrek51 wrote:I purchased my 5er in April of 2010. My first trip was to Pheonix, then to Houston(home).
Then to New Mexico to homethen to Mississippi then home. All together 4or5 Thousand miles. No problems hitching and un-hitching everything went fine.
When backing into my drive way the hitch(Reese 16K) tried to remove it self from the bed of my truck. Got it parked and went to Camping World where it was installed. Found out that they had installed only 3 of the 5 bolts in the rail and 2 were not seated properly.
Well I had the rails replaced and mounted properly. I did not have the hitch replaced although in retrospect I should have.
Well long story short I was was hooking up to go to Florida did all my checking and testing, backed into hitch and the handle extended and retracted with the customary clang
and clunk as usual. All visual inspection did not show anything unusual,jaws closed around pin, no gap between pinbox and hitch head. As I started to leave the hitch released the pin and it hit the bed, rails of bed and tailgate.
The hitch was at a 75 degree angle with the 5er's weight (14000lb) torquing the head and the jaws of the hitch. Lost my confidence with Reese, now have a PullRite which works great.
Just my experience. I'm not sure what the first incident contributed to the Reese story? Certainly you aren't blaming Reese for Camping World's sloppy work are you? Hats off to Reese for pulling your trailer across 10 states with only half the bolts installed!!
2006 Ford F350 4X4 SB CC SRW Powerstroke 6.0
2007 Montana 3400RL 5th - hi gloss, electric awning, remote system, Onan 5500, G614, JTs, wet bolts, Dish, Ariston W/D, 5th Airborne.
"A picture is worth a 1,000 words, but it uses up to 12,000 times the memory"
|
wandering1
Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 06/18/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Shrek51 wrote:I purchased my 5er in April of 2010. My first trip was to Pheonix, then to Houston(home).
Then to New Mexico to homethen to Mississippi then home. All together 4or5 Thousand miles. No problems hitching and un-hitching everything went fine.
When backing into my drive way the hitch(Reese 16K) tried to remove it self from the bed of my truck. Got it parked and went to Camping World where it was installed. Found out that they had installed only 3 of the 5 bolts in the rail and 2 were not seated properly.
Well I had the rails replaced and mounted properly. I did not have the hitch replaced although in retrospect I should have.
Well long story short I was was hooking up to go to Florida did all my checking and testing, backed into hitch and the handle extended and retracted with the customary clang
and clunk as usual. All visual inspection did not show anything unusual,jaws closed around pin, no gap between pinbox and hitch head. As I started to leave the hitch released the pin and it hit the bed, rails of bed and tailgate.
The hitch was at a 75 degree angle with the 5er's weight (14000lb) torquing the head and the jaws of the hitch. Lost my confidence with Reese, now have a PullRite which works great.
Just my experience.
Did you have the latch secured on the handle? If so the jaws would not have opened if the handle was locked in place.
HR
|
|
|
wandering1
Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 06/18/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
lar5camping wrote:Maybe I got hosed? Bought the BedSaver. Never needed it.
Never had a problem. Heard stuff on this forum and thought
it was good insurance. I always do a visual inspection of
the hitch to make sure the jaws are shut, secure in the proper
spot and not high hitched. I NEVER do a pull test. If it's
locked, loaded and secure, why pull the trigger when it's already
safe?
Sounds like you got hosed listening to all of the personal opinions and not the facts.
|
7.3 psdman
home
Senior Member
Joined: 10/16/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
bpounds wrote:The various "bedsavers" are popular with those who have little confidence in their equipment and themselves. I've never seen one installed around the campgrounds I visit, and I often peek in truck beds to see what folks are using. But obviously there are enough folks out there to keep that business running. Pretty small percentage in my estimation.
I guess you didn't see where a guy from California on a different forum just posted an item called WHOOPS. Yes there does seem to be very few of us who have enough sense to use them.
|
jerb
phillipsburg, KS
Full Member
Joined: 07/31/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
i have 16k reese hitch, to the op, was there a lock or similiar device installed to keep the handle from popping back out? unlikely, but must have been something??
|
jetboater454
No Idea
Senior Member
Joined: 07/21/2009
View Profile
|
Shrek51 wrote:
The hitch was at a 75 degree angle with the 5er's weight (14000lb) torquing the head and the jaws of the hitch. Lost my confidence with Reese, now have a PullRite which works great.
Just my experience.
Could not even get close to hitching if I was at a 75* angle.Hitch won't even tilt that much.
"If momma not happy  ....Who cares.I have my TH AND my toys  .
2008 3500 Dodge Ram CTD dually 4X4
2007 Gulfstream Endura Max 40
2001 Polaris Ranger 4X4
Mod Pics
|
Dustytuu
Somewhere in the USA
Senior Member
Joined: 03/16/2004
View Profile
|
After 10 years of pulling 4 different 5th wheels, we had the experience of the bedsaver saving our pickup bed and damage to our trailer. One time it was a new hitch and it locked a little different that the previous one. Another time the bar was not fastened and it would have fallen if not for the bedsaver.
Let nothing distract when hitching or unhitching. No one is perfect! Don't say it can not happen to you!
2008 dodge 5500, diesel,Laramie
2008 Carriage Carri-Lite, 36SBQ, 4 slides,dishwasher,washer/dryer,2 fireplaces,6500 gen.
D & D
Two Schnauzers and a BIG cat
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/Dustytuu/
Criminals prefer unarmed victims!
|
|
|
