B&W Companion issue

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

I've found mine varies depending on how much grease is on the hitch fore/aft pivot.

Usually it will stay tipped back, until you put the handle in the Unlocked position, and that changes the balance enough to be a problem.

Since I often hook up without having an assistant around, I would often loop a bungee cord under the base of the hitch and through it's self, then slip the hooks over the rear part of the head.

I thought about either welding on a weight to the rear of the head, or adding a spring, too...


Also, if you use one of those plastic lube-plates, trying to couple with the hitch tipped forward can munch it...

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RustyJC:
It sounds like the difference may be that your hitch will stay in that position. Mine won't - it immediately flops forward when I take my hand off. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
OK, *now* I understand the problem! Yes, our hitch does stay in place while Earl is backing the truck up.

[MaxRock]

I have the same issue with the hitch leaning forward. I took one of the kids water noodles (the long round tubes they float on), cut a 10" piece and I shove it between the hitch and base, forcing the hitch head to lean back. When hitched, I remove the noodle piece and place it inside of the base. Works fine.

When I first got the 5er, I did munch a lube plate by not tilting the hitch head far enough back.

[teamroper60]

I will have to look into the suggestions here. My Companion also tilts itself forward.

BTW, where is everyone hooking their brakeaway wire?? I notice there isn't anything right handy to hook it to...

[teamroper60]

Nobody has a suggestion on where to attach the breakaway switch wire to the Companion??

[RustyJC]

You ask where we're clipping the breakaway cable, not where we should be clipping it, I take it. I clip mine in the spring clip that holds the locking safety pin in the release handle. I really should be clipping it to something attached directly to the truck's chassis as, should the hitch head become detached, the breakaway wouldn't function.

They say confession is good for the soul.....

Rusty

[teamroper60]

That is what I did for the trip home with it but as you said, that really isn't a good spot... I was hoping somebody had figured out a better spot...

Thanks though, it's good (I think) to see I am not the only one to have done it that way...

[Blue74]

I don't have this model of hitch but what I did was drill a hole in the base where it is mounted to the bed and installed a eye bolt to clip the break away cable to. I use a large clip like on the end of a dog leash.

Paul

[teamroper60]

Well, after mulling it over for a few days, I decided to drill a hole in the base of the Companion and put an eyebolt in there to clip the cable to... Surprisingly, the base was pretty easy to drill into...

Also, while I may go with a spring in the future, I found that a short bungee works pretty well to keep the head tilted back. I put one S-hook over one of the u-bolts on the front side of the hitch and the other is on the flat part of the head at the back. There is just enough tension on the bungee to keep it in place and yet it has plenty of stretch to allow the head to pivot thoughout its full range of movement.

Thanks to everyone who answered my questions!

[BookIIRoadtrash]

I have the 12" B&W, since I have a flat bed on my truck, and it stays down when I am hooking up. If it doesn't I will use the spring idea. Also when it was installed they put two threaded 1/2" holes so when I pull goose neck I can install two eye bolts to fasten saftey chains. My hitch base is not very wide, so I can put my brake lanyard to one of the eye bolts.

[BookIIRoadtrash]

I am sorry the eye bolts fasten in the truck's bed