Coupler wobble

[2bits]

Hey guys! My coupler moves just a little bit inside the receiver and it drives me nuts, I keep thinking the hitch isn't tight enough on the ball and keep being nervous about the trailer going flying off! Of course that's the first thing I checked and it is set good but it still freaks me out when I hear that noise. My tongue weight is only about 60-70lbs so that probably contributes to it, but this allowed me to pick it up and see exactly where it is coming from and yup, the coupler is just about a 16th of an inch too small and moves just enough to make a clunk when I hit a bump. I never noticed this before on my other vehicles, is there a fix or is this just the way it is? Maybe just get a new coupler? It's a brand new hitch on the truck.

[Greg M]

There are coupler tighteners out there. I don't know what they're called but I've seen them on etrailer.

[halfdome, Danny]

Here's a few choices to eliminate the wobble.
Danny

[Wolfgang92025]

Thomas,
I had the same problem. Drove me nuts to hear it rattling around while going down the road.
I cut a piece of this aluminum and jammed it into the gap with a hammer. Much better now.

[eamarquardt]

If it really drives you crazy you could drill a clearance hole in the receiver and a matching hole that is tapped in the drawbar. Then you could screw in a bolt (perhaps a 1/2 or so with a fine thread) and immobilize the drawbar in the receiver. You'd only need one bolt on one side of the receiver/drawbar. The hitchpin would still be there to take the load. If you put the new holes near the front (towards the front of the car) you might be able to get a nut on he bolt inside the draw bar which would be a bit better than threading the draw bar and it would allow easy replacement of nut/threads at a later date if required.

It would take a bit of effort but it would address your frustration and the banging.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[danlott]

I have wrapped black electrical tape around mine in the past. Works great.

Dan

[2bits]

You guys are awesome! Thanks!!!

[mary and bob]

I made my own anti rattler with a u-bolt, a flat piece of steel, and a piece of square stock. Couldn't find a 3/8 square u-bolt local, had to order it from McMaster Carr.

[milliejohn]

y

[Dale M.]

might not be enough tongue load, add some extra weight and tow a little, compare the difference

Yah...Was thinking its a little tongue lite too....

Dale

[mary and bob]

Our Uhaul camper has plenty of tongue weight but bounces a little causing the ball mount to make noise if I don't install the tightner. I don't see how I could add more tongue weight to the teardrop to eliminate the rattle, so the tightner is necessary in my case. I have a couple receiver bike racks that I use a nut on the inside to keep them tight. Nut is welded to a flat piece of metal so I can insert it from the rear. Have another that uses a bolt through a nut welded on the outside of the hitch tube as previously mentioned, and another bike rack that has a threaded insert and bolt rather than just a pin. Several options to eliminate the noise, I made my own because I'm too cheap to pay for a manufactured one.

[Nobody]

I have wrapped black electrical tape around mine in the past. Works great.

Dan

Ditto, 'cept I used red duct tape. Put it on in 2008 (maybe early 2009) & after 4yrs it's still working great. Have towed the TD, boat, & couple of utility trailers many thousands of miles, silently...

[tonyj]

Really, Harvey? Red?

Red duct tape should only be used for racing applications! Since our campers are usually registered as utility trailers, the choice of duct tape color is either grey or black.

Blue or green is for boat trailers. Yellow for backhoes and bulldozers. White or beige for larger camping or travel trailers (pay attention, Thomas). Choose brown if you are only planning to haul a$$.

Sorry for the hijack, but I couldn't resist ( and i am now going out to wrap some duct tape on my hitch to quiet that annoying rattle i have live with for 10 years! You people are geniuses!).

[jeff0520]

Since it's not structural, I wouldn't hesitate to cut a little scrap wood into a thin wedge and drive it in there with a mallet to stop a rattle

[danlott]

I have wrapped black electrical tape around mine in the past. Works great.

Dan

Ditto, 'cept I used red duct tape. Put it on in 2008 (maybe early 2009) & after 4yrs it's still working great. Have towed the TD, boat, & couple of utility trailers many thousands of miles, silently...

Duct tape works well too. I used the electrical tape, because that is what I had with me when I got tired of listening to the rattling.

Dan