Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

[jacknbella]

OK, this may be a little difficult to explain but I'll give it a try anyway. There appears to be just enough play (or slop) inside my 2" trailer hitch so whenever I accelerate or hit the brakes, it sounds like the boat is flying off the trailer just for a quick second. I told my wife this is normal (so she wouldn't worry or nag me) but it doesn't sound normal to me. How do I remove the play/slop within the trailer hitch receptacle so we really don't experience a "lost" trailer???

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

You don't. It's the nature of the beast. But don't overlook the fact that the noise you are hearing is the hydraulic brake actuator hitting bottom so to speak. Have you checked the brake fluid? Do the brakes work? Is the shock on the coupler ok.

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

I guess the brake coupler could be making the noise, however, the sound (and resultant jolt) makes me believe there is some play within the hitch mechanism. The trailer is brand new and I can sometimes feel the brakes when I begin to slow down. In other words, they appear to be working normal. How would I go about checking the brake fluid levels though?

 

[woosterken]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

there should be a cap on top of the master cyl. like on the truck.
check to make sure you have the right size saftey pin holding the draw bar in the hitch,there are two sizes I think 1/2"or 5/8"

woosterken

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

Thanks! I'll double-check the master cylinder over the weekend and see if it is OK. I usually have to jam the hitch pin in so I'm pretty sure I don't have the smaller one (no play/slop whatsoever).

Thanks again!

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

I guess the brake coupler could be making the noise, however, the sound (and resultant jolt) makes me believe there is some play within the hitch mechanism. The trailer is brand new and I can sometimes feel the brakes when I begin to slow down. In other words, they appear to be working normal. How would I go about checking the brake fluid levels though?

there should be a small master cylinder on the coupler itself with a cap on it for the reservoir. The noise could be a few things added up together: the drawbar sliding about 1/4" inside the actual hitch receiver (mine does), the surge brakes kicking in, and the small amount of play in the hitch pin. from what i understand there has to be some amount of play for the surge brakes to work correctly. as long as its a 2" ball with a 2" coupler and the coupler locks it shouldnt be going anywhere. maybe have someone walk next to your truck in a parking lot and step on the brakes...

 

[bhammer]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

I had an issue of the same nature when I picked up a 1 year old used boat. During stops and starts it would clank real bad. Come to find out, I had a small leak in my surge break reservoir return line (the one to the solenoid for backing up) that was letting in air. Thanks to those here on iBoats, I rebuilt my master cylinder and fixed the leak. No more issues. It may be a good time to back bleed the brakes as well to make sure there is no air in them.

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

It's been over 20 years since I last bled some brakes with my old man on a british-made MG. How hard can it be on a boat trailer? Any advice?

 

[bhammer]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

It's been over 20 years since I last bled some brakes with my old man on a british-made MG. How hard can it be on a boat trailer? Any advice?

Depends on how you want to do it. You could have one person actuate the surge break while another opens the brake caliper. This is the hard way as you have to be able to keep actuating the break.

What I did was to buy the 20-30 dollar kit from autozone that allows you to pump break fluid up from the calipers. Makes a mess because you pump excess fluid out while you do this. I had an old cookie sheet that I placed under mine. I got lots of air bubbles at the master. Once they stopped, I switched sides and pumped until no more air. Took about 10 pumps on each one.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

What kind of trailer hitch do you have? Is it a receiver? If it is check the hole size where the pin goes through. I have had it where that has gotten worn and the little slop in there makes quite a racket.

 

[plumbbob5000]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

and believe me, just because it is new doesn't mean the brakes are good. I bought a brand new boat and trailer and had the same issue. During shipping the reservoir cap was chipped/cracked and caused the brakes to become inoperative. I spent my first weekend as a boat owner fixing it because the dealer was so far away that is was faster for me to do it myself.

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

I agree, any new car/truck/boat could have issues from the get-go. My trailer could very well fit in that category. Unfortunately, the nearest Four Winns dealer is 3 hours away and my limited "mechanical" skill set is...well, limited. I can manage some things on my own but rebuilding master cylinders or bleeding brake systems may surpass what the wife will allow me to do or attempt to do. I was really hoping for a simple solution but it sounds like I am outta luck. I may have to make a trip to the dealer and have them fix the trailer under warranty...

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

I would bet it is just the surge breaks every one I have owned with surge does that a little bit. One other thing to check is the nut under the latch mechanism if it is loose the latch won't snug up to the ball like it is supposed to. Latch it onto the truck ball and get under the latching yoke(part that wraps around boat side of the ball) and make sure it isn't loose or have play in it.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

Didn't see the warranty part, even though it is a pain to drive that far I would have them give it a once over. That is why you have that warranty have them check the grease in the bearings/ brake fluid/ tire pressure etc. It might save you down time in the long run.

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

More good advice. I'll check that out too over the weekend. Gotta run. Thanks again for the all the help!!!!

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, check some local RV dealers or even some auto mechanics. The concepts are the same and it may help you avoid the long trip to your dealer.

 

[willieboy]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

What is your tow vehicle. Some recievers just ahve a lot more play than others. For instance, I" can barely get the draw bar in my Tundra, but the Suburban has so much play I had to buy a special hitch pin to stop the rattle. Alsom the above advice regarding the trailer's tongue lock mechanism not being tight enough is very good. My first camping trailer was brand new, and the hitch mechanism at the trailer was so loose, it would rattle like crazy.

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

Our tow vehicle is a 2008 Chevy Tahoe. I'm taking the boat in for a vessel safety check this weekend with the local Power Squadron so I might be able to get them to take a closer look at it too... I'll send an update in about a week.

Thanks again!

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

Check the brake adjustment.

Scroll down to section D here ; http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html#trouble_shooting

 

[jacknbella]

Re: Trailer Hitch Play/Slop

there should be a small master cylinder on the coupler itself with a cap on it for the reservoir. The noise could be a few things added up together: the drawbar sliding about 1/4" inside the actual hitch receiver (mine does), the surge brakes kicking in, and the small amount of play in the hitch pin. from what i understand there has to be some amount of play for the surge brakes to work correctly. as long as its a 2" ball with a 2" coupler and the coupler locks it shouldnt be going anywhere. maybe have someone walk next to your truck in a parking lot and step on the brakes...

OK, after trailering my boat for 4 hours yesterday, I came to the conclusion the "clunking" sound is coming from the drawbar sliding in and out 1/8" forward and aft. I could see rubbed-off paint on the drawbar so that leads me to believe I've found the root cause of the problem, although, there could be other things going on too. I inspected the entire hitch receptable mechanism and discovered the holes on the drawbar were slightly larger than the hitch pin (about 1/8" larger, go figure). What is the best option to resolve this?
1) New drawbar with press fit hole
2) Larger hitch pin sleeve (where do I find one?)
3) Aftermarket hitch coupling to "clamp" the drawbar to the hitch receptacle
4) Other???