Hitch Jack Won't Turn?

Hi guys. I'm not sure how this happened but I arrived at my destination and I can't seem to pull out the metal piece that allows me to turn the hitch jack. When I pull it all the way out and the spring is fully compressed, the metal is still not out where I can turn the jack. I thereforw can't raise the camper off my hitch. Anyone have this issue?

 

I feel like I'm going crazy guys this has worked perfectly fine for two years and I look and it now and I can't seem to do the most absolute basic part of setting up my camper

 

To me it appears that the part of the bracket against which the spring presses has become "squeezed" closer to the mount plate. The location of the curves in the bracket suggests that this might have been caused by a large sideways force on the jack tube.

Maybe others can chime in on a suitable temporary fix.

I did not have your specific issue, but I have been paying attention to my swivel jack a lot more since I deformed a jack handle by securing it improperly (I had bungee'd it in a position where a severe turn caused the handle to press against my tow vehicle bumper, rendering it unusable).

 

I'm not near mine to see if the curvature in the bracket the spring stops against, that Turnip mentioned, is normal or if it has been damaged, but it appears that some good penetrant oil like Sea Foam Deep Creep https://www.amazon.com/Seafoam-Extr...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583520395807768&psc=1 , or something similar, along with a pry bar may be needed to get the pin totally disengaged for the jack to turn on it's swivel. Once it's movable, you should be able to tell if the mechanism is bent, and needs to be tweeked to get everything bent back into position to engage and disengage properly, then some additional regular lubrication may keep it from recurring.

 

Yeah, that became pinched which is why it will not let your pin out.

Here is what it should look like: See if you can pry it back open if possible, but that is fairly thick. Something had to hit it pretty hard to bend that.

 

Probably the turn I made where I busted my kids bike. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this short of hammering it like a madman?

 

Could try some large vice grips and prying on it.

 

Unbolt and remove jack from frame?

 

You need a long lever to do this safely. Do you have access to a 18”-plus crescent wrench? And a pipe to slide over the handle to use as a breaker bar? Or maybe a metal-working friend?

Slide the jaws of the wrench closed on the bent section, stand back and start pulling it into shape, as shown in @CampinnGlampin’s picture. Bear in mind that with the force you can apply at the end of a long lever there is a lot of energy that could be released if something slips!

 

I'd be tempted to put the torch on it and get it red hot to soften the metal and then bend it.

 

crow bar, maybe a block of wood too.

 

Hey, Long-
Hopefully by now, you've got this sorted.
Just curious- how fixed?

Btw, I'm assuming you could just camp as is, CI still attached to the TV by hitch,
Add chocks on rear wheels, lower leveling jacks holding the CI steady enough.

In a pinch I'd haul out my car jack and prop it on a block of wood or a rock or something tall enuff to lift the trailer tongue just enough to take pressure off the car suspension some. Probly not kosher...
And

Awkward to have to park the TV like that but still able to save the trip...glamp on!