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Old 07-02-2018, 03:00 PM   #1
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 81
Instinct propane cover blocked by hitch saddles

So, after having my equalizer hitch set up on our instinct 28rbds, the hitch saddles on the tongue prevent you from sliding the cover far enough forward so that the top pins come out and the cover can be removed. The only way I can get the cover off now is to loosen the saddles and slide them forward. Then I can take the cover off. The only ways that I can think of to fix this is to 1) dremel out slots so that the cover will clear the saddles or 2) try and source some sort of spring loaded pins to replace the stationary pins that secure the top of the cover - and have the actuated by a cable or lever located at the bottom of the cover - depressing the pins would allow it to be freed at the top so that it could be removed I think. I like the spring loaded pin idea better.

But, I was thinking that as common as the equalizer hitch is that someone must have encountered this problem and remedied it. Any ideas? Here’s the best pictures I have on my phone showing the problem.
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Old 07-02-2018, 04:03 PM   #2
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What about custom made brackets that are flush with the top of and mount through the frame or are welded? It would let you keep the integrity of the trailer and any potential water damage.


Edit: Are the inner brackets in the way as well? If not maybe just cut and grind the out bracket.
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Old 07-02-2018, 05:16 PM   #3
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That sounds possible. Thank you. I don’t really remember what the inside part of the bottom brackets/latches look like as I only pulled the propane cover off once before we bought it last week. But the top is definitely held by 2 vertical pins that slide into slots in the fiberglass cap. The lower latches are letting loose when you pull them. You just can’t slide the bottom of the cover forward enough for the pins to get free because of the hitch saddles.

I dropped the camper at storage yesterday. I will try and get by this week, slide the saddles forward and take some pics. If other obligations keep me from it I will definitely get some pics next week as I need to bring it home to pack for a short trip on the 13th.

I marked up the picture below with the app on my phone to highlight the components. The pins are hidden in the pic but X marks their approx spot in the gap.
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Old 07-11-2018, 04:45 PM   #4
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So I ordered these spring loaded pins pictured below. I will replace the fixed pins with them. I will attach a string and handle to them. That will release the top part of the cover when I pull the string/handle. Then hopefully I will be able to remove the cover from the top and it will clear the hitch saddles. I should have a chance to install them in the next day or so and see how it works.
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Old 07-11-2018, 05:23 PM   #5
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Hope that works for you. Seems like Winnebago should have made the trailer tongue a little longer?
Beautiful camper.
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Old 07-14-2018, 02:01 PM   #6
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Eureka!

We’re at a campground and I decided I would go ahead and install the spring pins to hopefully fix this issue. It worked!

I loosened and slid the equilizer hitch saddles forward, removed the propane cover, removed the old pins, drill out the holes in the cover to accept the new pins and installed the pins. I used some para cord and a piece of tubing I found to make a handle.

Now you pull the handle I made, which hangs at the bottom of the cover. That releases the top of the cover. You tilt it out and pull it up. It clears the saddles doing it this way.

Here’s a pic showing how the saddles blocked the cover from working how the Winnebago engineers planned it and some pics showing what I did to fix it.

What’s strange to me is that while I know there are not a lot of instincts out there, surely some use an equalizer hitch and ran into this problem but I couldn’t find anything about it on the internet. It’s also strange that Winnebago didn’t foresee the problem.
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Old 07-14-2018, 04:48 PM   #7
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Thats genius! Great work, glad that worked out for you
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Old 07-14-2018, 05:44 PM   #8
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Thank you. This is our second outting and we’ve gotten most everything thing squared away now.
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