Ball won’t come off hitch

[Elizabeth28]

Hoping someone is awake and can help. I am in my storage lot. I can’t get the ball to come up off the hitch.

[waninae39]

did you pill the lever up 1st?
did you drive to move the tv fwd and back?

also, be sure there is axle grease on the ball before hitching up.

[Dennis C]

This usually happens when you’ve got some force being applied to the hitch ball. If your trailer wheels are chocked and stable, then try pulling your tow vehicle forward ever so slightly; perhaps 1/2 inch. Hopefully this will release the force/tension and allow you to unhitch.

[InsideOut]

X2^

Chock wheels. Move forward/back a teeny bit. Then try again.

Good luck!

Shari

[bweybright]

Maybe I am over stepping my bounds but.... apparently a new person to towing. From what I see in the pictures, they needed to chock the wheels and let it roll forward to release. My bigger concern is where are the weight distribution and sway bars on this hitch? I tow a 27, and do not straight bumper pull as this appears to me? If I am missing something from the pictures please educate me - but I see other issues from the pictures.

[JunkYard]

Stand on the bumper. Or if you get real fed up pull the hitch pin and pull forward. Wheel chocks of course.

[Foiled Again]

Start over. Lower the trailer until the foot ces.off the ground slightly. Push the ball release back down, raise it again, then jack the trailer back up. Prior posters are correct that moving the tow vehicle forward and aft a small.amount can do the trick.
I've experienced the same thing ... after dark, after a long, frustrating drive, hungry, tired and on my last nerve. Normally, semi-stoic I got emotional, flopped down on the truck bumper and shed a few tears. Then I got angry at myself and jumped back up, planning to torch the wretched ball off if necessary - and it slipped right off.

I think my rotund posterior solved the problem rather than my temper...
But you gotta use whatever you have!

Oh and pulling the pin and driving off isn't a bad idea, but lower the tongue jack first.

[Shiny16]

Originally Posted by bweybright

Maybe I am over stepping my bounds but.... apparently a new person to towing. From what I see in the pictures, they needed to chock the wheels and let it roll forward to release. My bigger concern is where are the weight distribution and sway bars on this hitch? I tow a 27, and do not straight bumper pull as this appears to me? If I am missing something from the pictures please educate me - but I see other issues from the pictures.

They are trying to unhitch. So I’m sure most correctly so would have already remove the bars.

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by waninae39

did you pill the lever up 1st?
did you drive to move the tv fwd and back?

also, be sure there is axle grease on the ball before hitching up.

waninae39 and Paula looks to me like you nailed it. Coupler was still locked.

This is the Demco coupler. The large black lever on top is still shown in the locked condition, DOWN. Lifting the lever UP releases the coupler.

[Dennis C]

Sometimes when they stick, it's difficult or impossible to lift the lever. I suspect this was the case. I regularly use hitch ball grease, and my Demco coupler occasionally sticks.

[GetawA-S]

The one tip I haven’t seen is pushing the lever forward while still in the down (latched) position. On older hitches, it can be raised with no effect on the locking mechanism when it is to the rear.

[Mollysdad]

I think most of us have experienced this. I have the solution, but it won't help you today.
I put on a show at a rally, where crowds were gathering to watch the crazy guy.
I'd try these things.
1. Truck in neutral, let it roll forward. Chock the trailer wheels.
2. Stand on the bumper and rock.
3. Re-insert the bars into the sockets and stand on the bars.
4. Raise the jack more/lower the jack more.
5. Spray WD-40 into the coupler.
6. Pull the pin from the shank. Roll forward. That should take the pressure off the clasp.
Eventually it lets go and you're never sure why.
Now for next time, put a generous dab of White Lithium Grease on the ball before attaching the trailer.
I never have a problem since doing this.


...and replace that 4 x 4 with something more substantial that won't roll over and the drop the jack post.

[inthralled]

Your coupler is still locked. Lower the jack and lift the coupler then raise the jack.

[Trowbridge]

Lift tongue jack up off ground. If trailer is on downhill slope, remove chocks [that will eliminate any sideways pressure on tongue which may have occurred if backed in at an angls]. Then put jacks back in front of wheels. Move truck straight (in line with trailer) ahead 1". Put truck into Park (do not allow it to shift into Reverse) [this will eliminate the tendency of your TV to push back after being put into Park from Reverse]. Lift lever on tongue ball lock. Raise tongue of trailer. If needed, get onto bumper of truck and bounce ball out. Afterwards, buy a new trailer ball and keep it greased.

[milesinmyles]

I've had this happen. Chock the trailer, remove the emergency brake on your TV and then try. This will allow slight movement for the ball to release. If not, then put the TV in neutral but make sure someone is in the truck to step on the brake after the ball releases and the truck rolls. You can also try moving back and forth slightly as others have mentioned. I have found releasing emergency brake works most of the time.

[MickeyC]

Hello bweybright

I tow a Work & Play 18EC without a WD or SB hitch. I have been towing large trailers for 40+ years and never had any problems so-far. Maybe my luck is going to run out but I don't like all the pressure that the WD hitch puts on the truck and trailer frames. I use airbags to level the rig out and it works fine. I see tons of people towing trailers with large loads of all types, flat and cargo trailers and they hardly ever have a WD hitch.

Thanks
MC

[JEB]

If you have two people, first put chocks in front of the front axle wheels. Kick them under so they are solid to the tire. Raise the tongue jack. Have one person pull up on the coupler latch—firmly but not hard—and continue to apply consistent pressure. At the same time, have the other person release the parking brake on the tow vehicle, put it in drive and gently apply the accelerator. The latch will pop free pretty easily once the tow vehicle starts to shift forward.

[dford77]

I have experienced the same issue with my new 2021 25 GT. I never had this issue with my previous 2017 Airstream and the simple release latch. This newer design can be very difficult to release from the hitch ball, even when highly greased. I have tried all of the suggestions and still find it maddening at times.

[Bobbo]

I never try to unhook the coupler after backing the trailer in. I always pull the vehicle forward 1/2 to 1 inch after backing in, then set the parking brake. That pulls the ball away from the locking pawl and allows it to release easily.

[kscherzi]

I wonder if the OP got the trailer unhitched or instead spend the night in the storage yard?