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05-27-2015, 07:52 AM
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#11
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,115
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Re getting the coupler to let go of the ball. I will repeat a suggestion I have made before. It is not popular, but works wonders.
Chock the TM wheels. Unhook your TM from the tow vehicle, and move the tow vehicle away. Use the tongue jack to get the coupler 18-24" off the ground. Drop the front corner jacks in the front to the ground. All that is purely for safety.
Now, get down on the ground, on your back, with your face directly under the coupler. Look straight up into the cup, work the lever a few times, and watch what happens inside the coupler. As you watch the moving parts slide around, it will suddenly become clear how the coupler works, why it sometimes hangs up, and what to do when it won't uncouple.
Before I did this, I had occasionally used a hammer or a pry bar to get the darn thing to release. I even broke the coupler at one point, and had to get a welder to fix it. Can you say EMBARRASSING? But once I saw what was going on inside the thing, I was able to uncouple easily every time.
Bill
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05-27-2015, 08:20 AM
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#12
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Greeley, Colorado
Posts: 314
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I think I learned this great trick from Bill a couple of years ago. Block you trailer tires. Get in the tow vehicle and apply the trailer brakes manually from it's controller and then put vehicle in drive and apply the gas. I couldn't hear from inside the tow vehicle, but I think there is the "clunk" sound and then the coupler releases normally. I too was trying to pry the darn thing up until Bill warned be off of that!
__________________
Mark & Claudia - Greeley, Colorado
2016 Lance model 1995
2013 Ford Lariat F-150 Super Crew Eco-boost with 4x4 Off Road & Max Tow
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05-27-2015, 08:33 AM
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#13
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Orlando
Posts: 2,796
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"Unhook your TM from the tow vehicle" might mention that if you do all of the above and just pull the pin on the receiver, you can drive away and leave the ball just dangling, then work on the coupler with little load on the ball.
Is more difficult/dangerous to try to reconnect that way, takes two people and is why brakemen before the Janney coupler replaced link & pin often were missing fingers. Don't do it. Please.
__________________
Looking for a 24/17 in or near Florida.
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05-27-2015, 08:37 PM
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#14
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Guest
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just got in to Branson, Mo... drove from Woodstock, Ga.. must admit I was impress the way the TM tracked right behind my vehicle. when we got to the hotel my 12 year old grandson figured out how to release the coupler.. will take a pic on Thursday as its different then the lever ( KINDA) ...
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05-28-2015, 05:48 AM
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#15
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: GA
Posts: 503
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I get really cautious when any kind of trailer connection gets stubborn like that. It is usually due to some EXTRA pressure from the ball inside the coupler. Front, back, or sideways. And I usually have this most often when the trailer is not on level ground and there usually is a lurch one way or the other when the ball does pop out. Even with the wheels firmly chocked.
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05-28-2015, 08:41 AM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
Posts: 10,115
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I agree entirely, OldStick. And I have discovered that cranking up the tongue jack before the coupler is released is another way to apply that EXTRA pressure. The jack should go no higher than enough to bring the tow vehicle to normal height. Similarly, trying to uncouple while the springbars are still raised will do it.
Bill
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05-28-2015, 09:42 AM
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#17
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: GA
Posts: 503
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Yep, always best to try as much as possible to re-center the ball to a neutral point inside the cup, by slightly moving the TV. As others mentioned above. Not always easy to do in some situations.
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05-29-2015, 06:57 PM
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#18
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Guest
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first time doing pics but this is the lever I was talking about.
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05-29-2015, 08:50 PM
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#19
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Orlando
Posts: 2,796
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I do not see any difference from mine.
__________________
Looking for a 24/17 in or near Florida.
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05-30-2015, 09:55 PM
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#20
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Padgett
I do not see any difference from mine.
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Its getting easier....
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