How to unhook your ball-hitch easily...every time

WilliamA

This question has been bantied about in a recent thread but I thought I'd give it its own so folks can find it easier using search...
WilliamA
I recently read a post about folks having a bugger of a time unhooking. Let me say I'm not a huge fan of the hitch on my T@G, preferring the pull-up style on the Little Guy line, but there is a way to easily get out from under the Atwood hitch without a crowbar and cutting torch.
The situation(problem):
The Atwood style hitch can be hard to unhitch. Its design makes it aggressively hold, refusing to unlock if there is ANY pressure on the sliding portion of the lock. It also won't "crawl" forward and up off the ball if there is any weight/rearward pressure toward the back of the trailer. That's good if you are towing but may cause problems unhooking if the tow vehicle isn't exactly right. I puzzled over it until I came up with a super easy solution.
The solution:
This requires a couple of definitions. If you are backing "up the hill", however slight, the trailer is "pushing" on the hitch. If backing "down the hill", the trailer will be "pulling" on the hitch.
1. Block the trailer downhill side tires. (Preferrably, block both front and rear of both sides. (Jeez people, the cheesy wheel chocks are 3 bucks apiece. Spring for a couple more.)
2. Now unhook the umbilical, safety chains and attempt to move the hitch lock to the unlocked position. If it won't unlock, the trailer is in the "push" position, with its weight moving toward your tow vehicle. Jump in your TV and move forward (usually, that takes no more than putting the TV in neutral and letting it roll a tiny bit) until the trailer wheels come up against the wheel chocks. This has the function of stretching out the hitch, taking the pressure off the hitch lock. Then jump out (with vehicle back in park and parking brake on of course) and pull up on the hitch lock.
3. Now you'll find that although the hitch is unlocked, it still wont come up off the ball. That's because the ball is now firmly seated in the front of the hitch. Now, the magic part.
4. (You've got your trailer wheels chocked, right?)
5. Lower your landing jack until the jack just starts to raise the rear of the tow vehicle. I crank mine up until I can see the rear of my Jeep start to rise a couple inches. No, you aren't lifting the TV. You are unloading the tongue weight from it with the tongue jack. Now, get in your TV and put it in reverse. As soon as the TV moves, the ball will drop down out of the hitch. Now trannie in park, parking brake on, jump out and finish cranking the tongue jack until the hitch clears the ball.
That's it. I know, I know....It sounds terribly convoluted and difficult, but it's not. The trick is learning when the trailer is pushing on the tow vehicle and when it's pulling. Try it and you'll go: "AHA!"
Practice a couple of times to get your chops and it will take less than a minute or two to get out from under....

WilliamA

LuckyJ

@WilliamA
I have only used the standard hitch once when I pic the T@G at the dealer to bring it home, for a simple reason (I did not wanted to work with the 2" ball) I replaced it with a multi axe.

But I can easely see in my head your explanation.

Good job!