Troubleshooting Handle on Curt A16 5th Wheel Hitch Not Moving to Tow Position

Updated 12/30/2019 | Published 12/27/2019

Question:

I have the Curt A16 hitch and when I back up to my 5th wheel, the handle doesnt move to the tow position. You can clearly see that the hitch has engaged with the 5th wheel. Please help, because I seem to only be able to get my hitch to engage, when I slam my vehicle back against my 5th wheel.

asked by: James G

Helpful Expert Reply:

I reached out to my contact at Curt and he said the most common cause for the issue you're experiencing with the handle on your A16 5th Wheel Hitch # C16521 is that the handle mechanism (referred to as the "pawl" in the owner's manual) just needs to be lubricated. This is essentially a steel on steel component so if it's not greased it's pretty easy for the handle to get stuck on a particular position so that it doesn't snap back like it's supposed to when coupling up to the trailer.

What you can do is simply use some wheel bearing grease to the pawl at the handle opening when you have the jaws in the open position. I have attached an image that shows exactly where this location is on the hitch.

This should resolve your issue but if you continue to have trouble, please let me know and I will be happy to look into this further.

expert reply by: Chris R