On 27 Oct 2006 13:06:48 -0700, "ContestID67"
wrote:

I needed to move a Blanik L23 trailer over the weekend. Using my 2"
tow hitch ball and I had a heck of a time disconnecting the two. I
knew that the Blanik trailer has what I assume is a 50mm tongue.

I was kind of surprised that my 2" ball (which works out to be 50.8mm)
would be a problem disconnecting. 8/10's of a millimeter difference
doesn't seem like enough to worry about.

What is the tolerance on a 2" setup? Is it so close that 0.8mm can be
a problem?

I'd suspect lubrication first. Trailer hitches exist in a really sucky
environment. The metal heats up in the sun, the lubricant gets thin,
and it eventually drips out...and the lubricant that doesn't leak out
picks up dirt on the road and gets gritty. The movable part that
slides in under the ball to hold it in place very often gets stuck.
Clean up the hitch and grease its innards with lithium bearing grease,
and see what happens. Then keep the hitch wrapped in plastic or foil
when the trailer is idle, and give it a cleaning and lube at the start
of every season.

rj