Hitch Question

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Hitch Question

Postby OCBINVA » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:10 am

Picked up a very old UHAUL trailer for a tiny camper project. It has the old style adjustable hitch that is bolted to the frame. Anyone got experience with these? It works fine but I am debating of removing and welding on a standard 2". Image

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby Dale M. » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:16 am

IF it works fine and not worn why change it?...

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby OCBINVA » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:23 am

Well that's my thought too but not sure if these types are known to have issues. I have a '67 apache and a 66 Beelline both with original hitches but there not the adjustable type like this one since it began its life as a rental. At a minimum I will replace the bolts with new grade 8 bolts for piece of mind.

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby tony.latham » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:41 am

I had a similar hitch on a state-owned horse trailer. Once on the ball, you'd tighten it up of course. The problem was that if the part that tightened to the ball was already pushing against it (from forward roll of the trailer), you'd crank it down, then pull away and the hitch would be loose. It popped off twice pulling over embankments.

I passed my concern on. A few years later––while towed by another driver––it popped off while traveling down a highway and took out a fence. Fortunately, it was empty.

:frightened:


I think the only way to make sure it's tight is to pull away, stop, and retighten while the trailer has rearward pressure. But this may function differently than the old screw-down hitch I used.

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby OCBINVA » Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:04 am

tony.latham wrote:I had a similar hitch on a state-owned horse trailer. Once on the ball, you'd tighten it up of course. The problem was that if the part that tightened to the ball was already pushing against it (from forward roll of the trailer), you'd crank it down, then pull away and the hitch would be loose. It popped off twice pulling over embankments.

I passed my concern on. A few years later––while towed by another driver––it popped off while traveling down a highway and took out a fence. Fortunately, it was empty.

:frightened:


I think the only way to make sure it's tight is to pull away, stop, and retighten while the trailer has rearward pressure. But this may function differently than the old screw-down hitch I used.

Tony
Tony...

One of my concerns also. After I hooked it I rocked trick back and forth a few times, tightened. Then stopped after about a mile and rechecked.

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby swoody126 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:43 pm

unless you goto anBulldog type coupler the one in your picture is better than most anything you can buy

sw
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Re: Hitch Question

Postby jondbar628 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:37 pm

Hitch will work fine if you always be sure to double-check for forward pressure when you tighten up. It's made for the rental market, to be as simple and reliable as possible. I've rented several Uhauls, always rock the trailer while tightening. Nothing is totally idiot-proof (not to say that all failures are caused by idiots :beer: ). Same goes with standard hitches. No difference............jd
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Re: Hitch Question

Postby OCBINVA » Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:30 am

Thanks all!...spoke with my dad last night and emailed him the pic. He says he prefers those types. He is in his 70s and life long mill worker, farmer, outdoorsman. So I am good to go. Just getting ready to tear down to frame to refinish and repair. One less thing to worry about. RICK

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby elcam84 » Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:42 am

OCBINVA wrote:Picked up a very old UHAUL trailer for a tiny camper project. It has the old style adjustable hitch that is bolted to the frame. Anyone got experience with these? It works fine but I am debating of removing and welding on a standard 2". Image

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I have allot of experience with those hitches. Had a fleet of sailboats many of them Hobe 14' cats as well as a few hunters and macgreggors and odd boats for the Explorer post. Those hitches were extremely dangerous. They are very difficult to make sure they were on tight and they will loosen. Keep a pipe wrench handy to tighten it and use a bungee cord pulling on the corner of the nut to keep it from loosening while driving. The threads and pieces rust and cause it to catch and not tighten well etc.

We had several instances of them loosening while driving and one got so loose it came off at the boat ramp. I replaced all of them with modern conventional hitches not just for safety but some of them were 1 7/8 hitches which was a real nuissance.

That hitch was the cheapest hitch available years ago and they phased it out because of the safety issues. Any hitch you buy today will be much much safer and easier to use.


In fact just a few weeks ago I pulled into Home Depot and had to drive around a trailer that was sitting in the entryway. It had that hitch and no chains... It was just sitting there... I could have hitched up that trailer and taken it home then just gotten a home built trailer tag for it but no I'm not like that I rolled it out of the way and into a parking spot. It was gone when I came back out and I assume the owner finally realized he lost his trailer and got it.

Will post a pic when the app will let me....

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby OCBINVA » Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:55 am

Well i am tearing down to frame here shortly to check welds and clean up rust. I will take closer look then. Thanks for taking the time to write. Great forum!

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Re: Hitch Question

Postby Camp4Life » Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:00 pm

For piece of mind vs cost, I'd swap it out. I bought a 20' trailer this year with tandem axles, it's an 88, and the axles are in great shape, but, I'm swapping them for new once this spring just because they'll be 30 years old... Again, piece of mind, especially while pulling it down the highway at high speeds...
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