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kry226 · 02-27-2013, 04:37 AM

I was hooking up last weekend in my driveway, which I have done dozens of times. The drive is on a sloping angle, but this go 'round I had a difficult time getting the vertical part of the latch to seat under the catch. Usually, I can use the tongue jack to raise or lower to front of the trailer and get it to seat, and doing this, I finally got it to work. However, raising the hitch a little in order to ease the link-up of my WD bars, the vertical part of the latch popped to the side of the latch catch, marring/bending that vertical part, and allowing the ball to pop off. Hope that makes sense. I know that "vertical part" has a name. But alas...

I would really like to rebuild the hitch mechanism before we get into the towing season, but my Google-foo is weak in the RV world.

Any suggestions on a rebuild kit for the late model Atwood hitch mechanism? Thanks in advance.

TG Twinkie · 02-27-2013, 08:03 AM

I just purchased a repair kit for an Atwood coupler from: R and P Carriages. Com. The part number for a 2 5/16" ball is: 350375633069.

Inland RV Center, In · 02-27-2013, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kry226

I was hooking up last weekend in my driveway, which I have done dozens of times. The drive is on a sloping angle, but this go 'round I had a difficult time getting the vertical part of the latch to seat under the catch. Usually, I can use the tongue jack to raise or lower to front of the trailer and get it to seat, and doing this, I finally got it to work. However, raising the hitch a little in order to ease the link-up of my WD bars, the vertical part of the latch popped to the side of the latch catch, marring/bending that vertical part, and allowing the ball to pop off. Hope that makes sense. I know that "vertical part" has a name. But alas...

I would really like to rebuild the hitch mechanism before we get into the towing season, but my Google-foo is weak in the RV world.

Any suggestions on a rebuild kit for the late model Atwood hitch mechanism? Thanks in advance.

Parts stocking Airstream dealers can help you.

Andy

HowieE · 02-27-2013, 08:31 AM

My first though it that you have Too much rearward pressure on the pawl of the coupler and that is forcing the pawl up against the incline in the back of the coupler. If this happens again try pulling the TV forward a Very Small amount (1/4 in.) to move the pressure to the front of the coupler. At that point the pawl should slide down the incline and allow the latch to drop into place.

kry226 · 02-27-2013, 08:49 AM

Thanks, gents. Much obliged. I'm normally a pretty handy guy, but every now and then I find myself in the center of a perfect storm of unfavorable conditions and something usually gets broken.

kry226 · 03-05-2013, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

I just purchased a repair kit for an Atwood coupler from: R and P Carriages. Com. The part number for a 2 5/16" ball is: 350375633069.

Arrived quickly. Hope to install this weekend.

afneill · 03-05-2013, 05:11 PM

If you still haven't found the repair kit, Google for 88061 Atwood. I saw it for $23 plus on one or two web sites.

kry226 · 03-05-2013, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afneill

If you still haven't found the repair kit, Google for 88061 Atwood. I saw it for $23 plus on one or two web sites.

That's the kit shown above...on my dining room table. Thanks.

Bluto · 03-05-2013, 05:59 PM

Let us know how the repair went. This might be a good item to have on hand, just in case.

**GCinSC2** · 03-05-2013, 06:12 PM

Can you see a model number of your hitch thru the paint? Mine (2007 Classic) is stamped in the metal, don't have the number but I researched mine and it was non-servicable IIRC.

kry226 · 03-05-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluto

Let us know how the repair went. This might be a good item to have on hand, just in case.

WILCO, sir. Heck, I might even document the occasion. (And hopefully nothing else breaks.)

kry226 · 03-05-2013, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Can you see a model number of your hitch thru the paint? Mine (2007 Classic) is stamped in the metal, don't have the number but I researched mine and it was non-servicable IIRC.

Actually, I never checked. But you're telling me that a high-stress mechanism isn't serviceable? I am not doubting you, but I find that hard to believe as the only recourse would be complete R&R of the hitch.

Wow. I guess we'll find out soon. Thanks.

**GCinSC2** · 03-05-2013, 07:13 PM

I'm the suggesting that the exact model number of your hitch searched on the manufacturers website will provide the factual answer. I don't have my hitch model number handy today, but I searched this a while back and IIRC, mine was not servicable at the component/repair kit level. I'm sure we'll figure it out.

kry226 · 03-05-2013, 07:25 PM

No, I understand, and I appreciate the head's up.

Bluto · 03-05-2013, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kry226

WILCO, sir. Heck, I might even document the occasion. (And hopefully nothing else breaks.)

Excellent!

kry226 · 03-08-2013, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

I'm the suggesting that the exact model number of your hitch searched on the manufacturers website will provide the factual answer. I don't have my hitch model number handy today, but I searched this a while back and IIRC, mine was not servicable at the component/repair kit level. I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Research complete. The part number stamped into my hitch, or A-Frame Coupler, is 88007. The attached repair instructions shows part number 88061 as the repair kit for this coupler. This is the kit I have on-hand. I'll probably do the repair this afternoon, or more likely tomorrow when the nippy wind dies down and we get a few more degrees on the mercury (the new Boondocker might get itself installed too).

More to follow.

Silver Goose · 03-08-2013, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Can you see a model number of your hitch thru the paint? Mine (2007 Classic) is stamped in the metal, don't have the number but I researched mine and it was non-servicable IIRC.

Hmmm, I have an '07 27FB Classic and would assume the 2 5/16" coupler on all recent Airstreams would be the same but it's always a good idea to verify part numbers. I tapped the roll pin out and found it was simple to remove and replace the latch. The reason I took mine out was to clean the old grit laden grease out of the coupler. I bought one to keep on hand as it looks like something that could cause a headache if it became a problem in some out of the way location.

One thing that has worked very well for me during the hitch/unhitch process is to chock the trailer in both directions then loosely chock the TV and leave it in neutral. The coupler will then latch/unlatch with no binding. Then when using the tongue jack to raise the combo to assist in latching the WD bars, the TV is free to move fore/aft relieving the lateral pressure on the jack post assy.

**GCinSC2** · 03-08-2013, 05:34 PM

kry226,

OK, glad you found your repair kit very good. Now here's my Rest of the Story:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...d-91132-5.html

Look at post #58, the pdf is for atwood couplers and repair kits, mine is an 81912 THUMB LATCH and on page 2 it lists latch kit as N/A.

So I haven't contacted Atwood, but looks like mine does not have a latch repair kit.

I'm giving some serious thought to NOT USING the tounge jack to set the bars as this puts the latch in the position of lifting the coupling/hitch/truck to set the bars, considering a bottle jack under the hitch head to lift and to not ask the latch to take this lift load. Comments folks?

kry226 · 03-08-2013, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

kry226,

OK, glad you found your repair kit very good. Now here's my Rest of the Story:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...d-91132-5.html

Look at post #58, the pdf is for atwood couplers and repair kits, mine is an 81912 THUMB LATCH and on page 2 it lists latch kit as N/A.

So I haven't contacted Atwood, but looks like mine does not have a latch repair kit.

I'm giving some serious thought to NOT USING the tounge jack to set the bars as this puts the latch in the position of lifting the coupling/hitch/truck to set the bars, considering a bottle jack under the hitch head to lift and to not ask the latch to take this lift load. Comments folks?

Ahh, yours is a slide out and requires a heavier rated hitch. Yours is rated at 13K while mine is at 10K. But that blows my mind that they don't make it serviceable.

As for your idea, I am not sure that the latch, when correctly done (unlike what I did) assumes much load. I'll continue to use the jack, albeit much more carefully.

kry226 · 03-09-2013, 10:47 AM

Got to the hitch this morning, and it was worse than I thought. It's a really simple, five minute job. Took some pics to share.

This part is called the shoe lock. I don't think it's supposed to look like that...

Complete. And for the moment, I don't really care that it doesn't match the Airstream gray. Once that moment passes, I'll paint it to reduce rusting. And to note, the edges of the latch handle were very sharp out of the package. I took a small file and smoothed them off.