Off the Ball - connection issue

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Mine isn't a Bulldog brand however, but a Ram Collar-lok from E-Trailer. Unhitching is easy and quick.

"Collar-Lok" is a Bulldog trade name, so if it's not Bulldog it's not Collar-Lok. The eTrailer house branded couplers of this type on the website (they have the two latch styles) are called Sleeve-Lock, and the description does suggest that they are the Ram brand... so either they are mis-using Curt's name, or Curt doesn't own it.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I don't know if it's superior, but it's superior to me, because it makes unhitching FAR easier than the one I had from the factory. Unhitching with the stock coupler was a real pain, and believe me I tried all the forum suggestions to make it easier.
...
Unhitching is easy and quick.

With this design, as long as you can slide the collar (which I found on trailers in a dealer lot can be balky, but probably wears in with use), I would expect that the coupler will open easily in essentially any condition. Whether or not it hangs up as the tongue is jacked up will depend on the details of the shape of the socket in the particular model used.

[cpaharley2008]

I’m carrying my brake tool in my hitch box, not to adjust the brakes, but to get the dang coupler to release when unhitching. For me it’s time to get this resolved.
I believe we all carry an unhitching tool already in our tool boxes, one of the best multipurpose items available....I slip this under when it is sticky and use it around the fire pit and at least a half dozen other uses.

[WRGooding]

I do not believe the intent of this computer forum is to discuss formatting and the like. It is about helping others with their RV needs. Some of you need to spend more time using your RV, and less time on th forum if you do not understand this concept.
The "Forum or Facebook or Twitter" are my life people , need to get a life!

[WRGooding]

Great advice on raising the leg to ensure a secure connection. Out of all the towing concerns this has to rate as number one..

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by WRGooding

The "Forum or Facebook or Twitter" are my life people , need to get a life!

Are you saying you need to get a life?

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by WRGooding

I do not believe the intent of this computer forum is to discuss formatting and the like. It is about helping others with their RV needs. Some of you need to spend more time using your RV, and less time on th forum if you do not understand this concept.
The "Forum or Facebook or Twitter" are my life people , need to get a life!

I disagree with you. Often someone will ask for help in a long rambling run-on, single spaced, paragraph. At some point many of us, including those with experience that could answer the question, stop reading. Suggesting that folks try and make their posts a little more readable and therefore more likely to result in them getting help is reasonable.

There's a lot of high mileage folks that not only do use their trailers to the max but also answer a lot of questions, but, as I say, if their eyes glaze over, the question goes unanswered.

Ron

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by WRGooding

I do not believe the intent of this computer forum is to discuss formatting and the like. It is about helping others with their RV needs. Some of you need to spend more time using your RV, and less time on th forum if you do not understand this concept.
The "Forum or Facebook or Twitter" are my life people , need to get a life!

Welcome to the forum . I am sure in a little while you will grow to love us , flaws and all

Best Wishes
Steve D

[Rossue]

Or maybe-

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...ye-8101-6.html

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Or maybe-

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f3...ye-8101-6.html

C&G posted for over 2 years after starting that thread

[Jim Bennett]

I have had dozens of trailers over the years with lots of different couplers. Some are a bit handier than others, but I never had a real problem with any of them, including the one on my 2009 19.

One thing I always do along with lubricating the ball, is the moment any bit of resistance is noted on the coupler, is to give it a good lubrication, then clean off any bit that might be on the surface with a cloth to keep it clean to touch. I wonder how many either do this, or don't do this.

Originally Posted by WRGooding

I do not believe the intent of this computer forum is to discuss formatting and the like. It is about helping others with their RV needs. Some of you need to spend more time using your RV, and less time on th forum if you do not understand this concept.
The "Forum or Facebook or Twitter" are my life people , need to get a life!

This is not only a techie type help forum, but also is a community forum. For those of us who have been on it since it started in 2008, there have been lots of social discussions along with the work type ones. This has led to meeting a good many of the great members here, something I have enjoyed immensely.

For many of use and definitely me, poorly formatted text is difficult to read without constantly reviewing what was written to understand. It does not have to be perfect at all, just easily readable. I enjoy helping where I can, but do need to understand the written concept of the issue.

[MyronL]

Ditto that. Plus, I find the older I get, the quicker my eyes seem to glaze over.

[azjack]

Over many years and much towing, I've had two instances of possible disaster. Once towing a VW convert from ND to calif. I stopped to check and the nut was almost off the ball on the tow bar.
The other time only a few years ago I had a high dollar car on my singe axle car trailer, I hooked the hitch in the dark and then headed up the drive way when the load noise happened, going up hill the trailer came off the ball and was being held by one safety chain. Some chocks saved the day but the latch was secure and closed.
Each time I learned something, if I could only remember what it was.
Azjack

[azjack]

After this last trip where we spent so much time at over 11000' one hill at a time and looking over the edge of the road and then reading about the couplers I thought about replacing mine until I closely looked at it. It looks very sturdy, is good for 8000lbs. and 2000lbs tongue weight and it is a very nice job of welding it on. It must be for a RAM truck though and I saved myself some money and a bit of work.
Azjack

[Greg A]

Hey, JB. I have lubricated and cleaned the coupler on this 19 to death and doesn’t help. It’s a sloppy coupler and I’ve had experience with good positive locking couplers in the past that cause no frustration with unhitching at the end of the day. I don’t want to find a hammer to get my coupler open after a 6 hour pull, when there are much better products out there.

Hope ur recovery and PT are progressing well and you are feeling better every day.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Greg A

Hey, JB. I have lubricated and cleaned the coupler on this 19 to death and doesn’t help. It’s a sloppy coupler and I’ve had experience with good positive locking couplers in the past that cause no frustration with unhitching at the end of the day.

Greg- have you found the bulldog coupler any harder to hitch up with?

[Greg A]

Hey Ross,
It was never an issue hitching on the Scamp. I wouldn’t see why it would be any different on the Escape.
I have lost confidence as well in the security of the connection with the factory coupler. It just doesn’t seem to hitch real securely. Even though I have always raised the tongue jack to put on the wdh bars, so I know it’s hooked, I don’t have a great feeling about it. In order to align the holes to get the hitch lock pin in the latch, the latch has to raise up some. Aggghhh.
When I had the Bulldog, I never felt I didn’t have a really secure connection.

[Rossue]

Wish I had thought to substitute a Bulldog for the Atwood when I too lost faith in the RAM providing a secure hitch. Towing can be stressful enough with the the things you can't control. I would trust your instincts and swap it out.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Greg A

Hey, JB. I have lubricated and cleaned the coupler on this 19 to death and doesn’t help. It’s a sloppy coupler and I’ve had experience with good positive locking couplers in the past that cause no frustration with unhitching at the end of the day. I don’t want to find a hammer to get my coupler open after a 6 hour pull, when there are much better products out there.

Hope ur recovery and PT are progressing well and you are feeling better every day.

It definitely must be buggered up somehow then.

Recovery is coming along. Still need to get the physical up to speed though.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've had zero issues with the 'RAM' on my '14 E21... once or twice, it hasn't wanted to uncouple, I move the truck a half inch forward, no problem, uncouples easily. ditto, once or twice, the coupler hasn't wanted to latch when coupling, same thing, pull truck forward about 1/2", coupler yoke drops right into place.

its never let go of the ball on me, even when I had my incident this spring of the tow ball losing its nut, and coming off the tow bar, the ball was held in place in the coupler.