How do you tell if the Blue Ox is latched? I have been using a Roadmaster for years but it is only a 6000 lb. rating. Bought a Blue Ox with a 7500 lb. rating and used it for the first time last trip. The Roadmaster latches drop down when latched so a visual tells me all is well. The Blue Ox latch is in the same position whether latched or unlatched. When leaving an overnight stop I did the usual left and right turns then got out and looked at the tow bar and all seemed ok. 2 miles down the road I though the coach engine had developed a miss from the seat of my pants. Looked in the right and left mirrors and the backup camera and thought something might be wrong. Pulled over and the right arm was fully extended and the left arm was fully retracted from my stopping. The miss I felt was the tow bar hitting the collapsed position periodically. I unhooked both arms and positioned the car to make the left arm able to be hooked up while latched and backed up the car while turning the wheel to latch the right arm. Now at home I find the right arm latches easily and the left arm has to be yanked to latch. Are users of the Blue ox setting the backup camera to watch the latches go down and up to tell if they are latched? A visual does not tell anything.
I can "feel" ours lock into place and confirm in the camera that the car is tracking properly.
Never had a problem...so far.
Craneman, hose the mechanism and shafts with CorossionX. Let sit for a while. Very penetrating and very lubricating stuff
Did that and it helped but right still latches easier than the left. Maybe ok now will find out when we leave. My Roadmaster latches much easier than both the Blue Ox arms though.
I'd give Blue Ox a call. Mine latch without a problem.
chuck I have one of the 10K blue ox hitches and both sides slide very easy
I think i would be calling Blue ox
Chris
The arms both slide easily it is cocking the latch that is the problem. Blue Ox doesn't help much from what I have read on other forums as they want you to buy a new one after the warrantee expires which this one has long passed. I think it is going to get better with use as it had sat for 3 years since I bought it.
Is it possible that the arm is bent and that is why it is not waning to lock? It does not take any effort to lock. Sometime while I am getting ready to hook up I will move the arm out to connect to the Tahoe and arm will lock if I pull it all the way out.
The only time I had a problem with mine not locking is when I had the safety cable going on top of the release arm and was causing it to not latch.
Chuck, not sure if this helps, but when we hook up car, wife is still in the car and I have her back up slightly and watch the levers lock in place on the blue ox. Have not had an issue doing it that way!
After I hook up I always back the car up. However only one locks as it is too time consuming to get the car perfectly centered to latch both that way. I only started the post to see if there was any secret procedure to the Blue Ox. I will refresh this post after my trip as I believe use is going to end the issue.
I used to do a couple of S turns after hooking up, but found that it was always latching anyways. May start looking at it closer again. I had Roadmaster for years, but now have Blue Ox as it came with my coach.
We have someone at rear of coach looking at tow bar to see it locked and Jeep tires to see free left & right movements, every time we start out driving a short distance with coach moving right & left a little. Then that person gets back in coach.
Not applicable to use due to Lynda's condition. That was the way we used to do it with her driving the car into position while I guided her then I would pull ahead while she checked the arm locks. That was with the RoadMaster that the arm locks came down when latched. Not the case with the Blue Ox