I just brought home a used Featherlite 3 horse trailer and a 2008 Dodge 3500. We got it up the driveway and had it at the barn. I went to unhook it today and we could not get it released from the ball. We pull the pin up and then slide the collar towards the cabin of the truck. Used the electric jacks to lift the trailer but only succeeded in lifting up the truck back end (not off the ground but all the weight was off the leaf springs). We put the trailer down, slightly moved forward/backward and tried again but no luck. It’s really stuck on there. I have no idea what to try next. Both the truck/trailer are from my in laws and it was hooked up before we got there. They said this has never happened before. Any ideas?
I would shoot some WD 40 up into the coupler. You could also jack up the trailer and have a couple of people jump up and land in the truck bed if you have enough room. I’ve had to do that with a bumper pull before.
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Haven’t tried jumping up and down on the bed. Will try that on Monday. I used many four letter words with it but those did not help either.
Here are two pictures are where we are at. The side view was taken at an angle. The truck/trailer are not really at the different of an angle. Also you’ll notice the ball is unscrewed from the bed. About an hour into this ordeal I decided to try and unscrew the ball and made it most of the way out before deciding it is not moving much. I may have damaged the threads…it’s been a banner day.
Did they sell/give you the truck and trailer? Because if it still belongs to them = their problem. Or if you have USRider road service, maybe they can call someone who can help?
I would not be liking these inlaws too much right about now. :lol:
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It’s a timely reminder: grease your balls people.
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Have you phoned the previous owner? There may be a “trick” to the unhooking. Perhaps a safety that you do not know about.
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Good suggestions. We definitely were on the phone with my in-laws (previous owners). They had not run into this before.
Definitely plan to apply liberal amounts of grease the first time we hook up the trailer.
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Even though you have pulled up the hitch locking pin, the internal mechanism may not be releasing fully. Try the WD-40 on the hitch lock as well as on the ball.
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i’ve been through this with a tag along and i jumped on the hitch and finally go it unstuck. i believe if you keep the ball part greased it will lessen the chances of a recurrence.
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I’d probably try a grease gun, if possible, instead of WD 40, but agree with the jumping up and down (have done so on the bumper with a BP trailer).
With a GN, I saw my farrier get into the truck bed, put his back against the side of the bed, and shove (hard) with his feet against the trailer.
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If the trailer is a little off angle, pitched to one side of the other, not sitting level and or the truck. The ball can and does get hung up,binds in the hitch. Esp if both the ball and the receiver is not kept greased. WD-40 has its place but it not a “universal”.lubricant. A shop should have a couple different types, I keep white lithium grease, a lite lubricating oil, axle grease (what I like to use on the ball and receiver). I prefer PB Blaster over WE-40 for rusted/stuck nut/bolts.
Keep the “straw” that comes with the cans. What you have going on is a perfect time to use it because you can direct the “straw” up/into the joint and spray some lite lubricating oil with it.
Jack up the trailer with a just a tad of up-force on the hitch & ball. Get in the bed and jump/rock the bed/truck up and down. May take several people. This should free it, unbind it. Get in and try rocking it back and forth, forward/reverse just a tad each way. This usually gets the trailer to “spring” free.
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PB Blaster is also what I would use it is really a good product, or you could buy a second truck and just leave the trailer connected
(once separated inspect the ball and the hitch for unusual wear that may be the cause for the two being locked together)
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I had one of these and a dentist appointment right after dropping the trailer… Could not drop the trailer even with 4 of us jumping up and down and instead pulled the pins on the spider plate to disconnect so I could get to the dentist. Came back later that night and used a 4x6 and some very strong me to get it out of there. The coupler was needing some serious lubrication. It was a real idiotic scene.
LOL precisely my thoughts. I leave a little container of white lithium grease in a cup holder (in a ziplock) in my truck to remind me to grease mine. Oh how they screech if I don’t.
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Move to flat ground? then jump up and down in the bed.
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