Best hitch (non-slider)

Just asking. I haven't been in a while and don't want to ruffle any feathers.
Ferg

It's my understanding that the forum rules don't allow posting items for sale - perhaps others can comment.

Mike

Sorry to hijack your thread but is there anywhere on the forum where you can list items for sale?? I have a 2012 model ISR Series Pullrite #2900 18K hitch complete with rails, bolts and shims, less the frame brackets I need to sell. I sold my short bed truck.

octanemaniac wrote:
Bumping this to ask another opinion. I'm setting up a 2013 F450 for a 5'r with a 23.5k gross and 4k+ pin weight. The truck will have airbags. After reading through many posts references and manufacturer sites, I am leaning toward the Pullrite OE Series (25k max) and Trail air pin box. The trailer is "3-axle" MorRyde IS Suspension (no traditional axles).

I'm wondering if I can further improve smoothness of ride by going with an air suspension hitch or if that would be overkill? Very impressed by Hensley's, but I'd have to go with their biggest unit - weighing 360lbs, which would be self defeating in terms of being able to use the truck as a pickup while parked (too much work to remove) and that is an important consideration.

Interested in others thoughts. Thanks.

The setup you are leaning towards is exactly (except for the MoRyde)what I'm running now. It glides like the Queen Mary on calm seas :) Not saying a Hensley wouldn't be even better, but I don't find anything objectionable (or even questionable) as it is...

PS. BTW, I had the same consideration as you. The OE pops in and out easily and I lift it with a small chain hoist and lower it onto a furniture dolly to move it around the garage.

PSS. By the way, that's a heavy trailer...

Bumping this to ask another opinion. I'm setting up a 2013 F450 for a 5'r with a 23.5k gross and 4k+ pin weight. The truck will have airbags. After reading through many posts references and manufacturer sites, I am leaning toward the Pullrite OE Series (25k max) and Trail air pin box. The trailer is "3-axle" MorRyde IS Suspension (no traditional axles).

I'm wondering if I can further improve smoothness of ride by going with an air suspension hitch or if that would be overkill? Very impressed by Hensley's, but I'd have to go with their biggest unit - weighing 360lbs, which would be self defeating in terms of being able to use the truck as a pickup while parked (too much work to remove) and that is an important consideration.

Interested in others thoughts. Thanks.

nisham wrote:
I bought a TrailerMate hitch last year and I really like it. You can watch it work on You Tube. I had a Reese for years no problems until I purchased a new trailer and it pulled terrible.It would literally make you scared to pull it. It would bounce up and down so bad it would bring the rear wheels off the ground. My TrailerMate cured this.

Is TrailerMate still in business? Their website seems DOA.

I bought a TrailerMate hitch last year and I really like it. You can watch it work on You Tube. I had a Reese for years no problems until I purchased a new trailer and it pulled terrible.It would literally make you scared to pull it. It would bounce up and down so bad it would bring the rear wheels off the ground. My TrailerMate cured this.

BigToe wrote:
mobilecastle... thank you for rewording what 12V98 was saying... now I understand completely what he is saying.

Now Cummins, doggone it you've stumped me again! When you say you "hit the inner edge" to tighten the slip plate, do you mean aimed your hammer inside the donut hole of the lube plate? To flare the inside diameter up (perpindicular to the plate) to create a lip? Or do you mean you smashed it in the same pancaked plane, but the distortion from the hits reduced the inside diameter of the donut hole enough to create friction around the king pin?

Hey I never claimed to be an English Major! HA

Yes by hitting the edge of the hole in the disk it makes the hole smaller so it stays tight on the Kingpin!

It was loose and would start to slide down. I backed up to hitch and the plate slid down some and it bound and kinked it. Now it is all good.

Just want people to know they may need to "tighten the hole" with a Hensley 1/8" slip plate.

mobilecastle... thank you for rewording what 12V98 was saying... now I understand completely what he is saying.

Now Cummins, doggone it you've stumped me again! When you say you "hit the inner edge" to tighten the slip plate, do you mean aimed your hammer inside the donut hole of the lube plate? To flare the inside diameter up (perpindicular to the plate) to create a lip? Or do you mean you smashed it in the same pancaked plane, but the distortion from the hits reduced the inside diameter of the donut hole enough to create friction around the king pin?

mobilcastle wrote:

BigToe wrote:
Please talk more about being able to see "when the hitch and the king pin plate separate when unhitching".

I'm not so sure I understand what you are saying... how the 1/8" difference enables you to see the B&W jaws release? Or see a slight gap between bearing plates when the landing gear has landed in position to bear the weight of the trailer?

Sounds like you've come up with a solution to something that more people might be interested in, regardless of hitch. My insufficent experience however, blinds me to the benefit, and I need a bit more help to understand and appreciate your tip better. I'm making a mental note nevertheless, but I would like to know more.

If you watch the king pin plate and the hitch plate as you are raising the the front of the 5ver up, you will see the two plates separate from each other slightly-that is the point which makes it easy to disconnect since you have no weight from the 5ver on the hitch. I hope this explains it for you.

Thank you for a better explanation.

Most hitch jaws are much thinner than the B&W so a 1/4" slip plate is no problem.

The Jaws on the B&W are 1" thick so with a 1/4" plate you don't have much clearance when you are trying to see the gap between the plates so you can disconnect from the RV.

The 1/8" slip plate just gives you a bit more room, nice when it's dark!

The 1/8" plate from Hensley is expensive.

I took the slip plate and laid it on a hard surface and hit the inner edge a few times with a hammer so to tighten it so it would not slip off the KingPin.