I have one and it's OK for actually carrying the hitch. It does not make it lighter at all. 51 pounds will still be 51 pounds.
The problem is, on my (use to have) when attempting to insert the shank into the receiver hitch, the hitch grip would hit the bumper of the camper before the shank even started to be inserted into the receiver. I'd still have to drop shank and ball to the ground and lift it with both hands to get the shank in the receiver.
I stored my hitch and ball in my pass-through in the camper. There was not enough door clearance height to get the hitch and the hitch grip through the hole. Besides, handling that weight with one hand was a bit for me and that was a few years ago. Here again, set the hitch on the ground and I'd lift it from the ground to inside the pass through with both hands.
Depending on where you store it, you may not have this problem.
The short distance from the back of the truck to the camper pass through (what 10 feet) was not worth the hassle of wrangling the the hitch grip.
However, when I got the fifth wheel and I pretty much retired the WDH, it was nice using the hitch grip to carry the hitch head and ball some 200 feet from my garage to the shed.
Would I ever buy another one. Absolutely not! Should I have purchased it the first time? No However, if you have a shop and move multiple hitch heads around from one vehicle to another, and swap them back and forth, and have to carry them a distance, then yes... I think they are great!
Yea, the hitch grip did not make it any lighter, it only balanced it making it a bit easier to carry with one hand.
If you were in my neighborhood, I'd give you mine.
I kept a plastic grocery bag over the hitch ball to keep grease from getting all over the hitch grip too. I think in the photo above, that was a paper shop towel.
The problem is, on my (use to have) when attempting to insert the shank into the receiver hitch, the hitch grip would hit the bumper of the camper before the shank even started to be inserted into the receiver. I'd still have to drop shank and ball to the ground and lift it with both hands to get the shank in the receiver.
I stored my hitch and ball in my pass-through in the camper. There was not enough door clearance height to get the hitch and the hitch grip through the hole. Besides, handling that weight with one hand was a bit for me and that was a few years ago. Here again, set the hitch on the ground and I'd lift it from the ground to inside the pass through with both hands.
Depending on where you store it, you may not have this problem.
The short distance from the back of the truck to the camper pass through (what 10 feet) was not worth the hassle of wrangling the the hitch grip.
However, when I got the fifth wheel and I pretty much retired the WDH, it was nice using the hitch grip to carry the hitch head and ball some 200 feet from my garage to the shed.
Would I ever buy another one. Absolutely not! Should I have purchased it the first time? No However, if you have a shop and move multiple hitch heads around from one vehicle to another, and swap them back and forth, and have to carry them a distance, then yes... I think they are great!
Yea, the hitch grip did not make it any lighter, it only balanced it making it a bit easier to carry with one hand.
If you were in my neighborhood, I'd give you mine.
I kept a plastic grocery bag over the hitch ball to keep grease from getting all over the hitch grip too. I think in the photo above, that was a paper shop towel.
