That broken factory hitch scares me!!!! A LOT!!!!

What is the hot ticket for aftermarket hitches? Seems there has to be something that fits nice and is stronger than the factory hitch.

Any ideas?

Hensley would be great, I just don't have 3k+ laying around for hitch work.

 

I choose to go with Drawtight ultraframe 14k rating.Night and day diferance in construction .I could lift the stock hitch with one hand no way I could do that with new hitch.

 

Thats not completely true, I have a 53' car hauler and whether im loaded or not I actually "lose" weight off my front wheels.

I scaled out my truck one day and with my trailer whether loaded or not my steer axle was 4300lbs without the trailer my steer axle was 4320lbs so I "lost" 20lbs off my front wheels when I had my trailer on.

Kind of stinks really cause in the snow with a heavy load before the rear tires or the trailer tires lock up my fronts will causing the ABS to go nuts up front...

If I had my 5th wheel rails more towards the front of my truck I may eliminate that but I dont think I will be moving them anytime soon

I will say though that I do prefer 5th wheels or GN's over bumper pull trailers.

 

A TT has a lower center of gravity, less "sail" to catch wind and it tracks better. An aerodynamic trailer doesn't "trap" the wind like a box does. A fifth does NOT tow better when either are set up properly. The difference is that it takes a good deal of work to set up the TT properly; estimates are that 90% are off somehow, somewhere. Plus, I can use my longbox covered or uncovered, with the topper or without.

A better comparison is an aerodyamic trailer versus a box, whether TT or fifth wheel. The rounded front, sides and roof are a big aid at speed, crosswinds and with other traffic. A sealed belly makes it even better.

I've run roads not noticing the wind when the tractor-trailers and fifth wheels have had to pull over or be blown over, DRW or not. A Hensley and an aerodynamic trailer is tops for mileage and road conditions; sort of like a flatbed with a 12" high load of steel and listening to the dry-box and reefer drivers whine about the wind.

Plus, it is easy to improperly load a fifth side to side what with all that space for junk you don't really need. Toy haulers are the worst offenders.

Drawbacks:

- the total length of the rig. My longbed QC and 34' trailer makes me at 63' when hitched.

- some entrances and exits across dips have to be planned (depending on overhang and hitch height).

 

WoW were splitting hairs here...

The point I was trying to make was the same weight on the bumper vs the same weight 1"-2" (ideal location for gn pin) in front of the differential will pull better..Put a tongue on your 53' trailer and hook it up to the bumper if you don't think it makes a difference..

Just my opinion

This trailer (that I built) pulls just fine behind the ol Cummins ..

 

I tow a 30 ft TT with equalizer and one friction sway bar. It's fine at 65 mph or so. I added the sway and it made a big difference. My old TT was 24 ft and needed no sway.

Personally I need the bed for two motorcycles and the TH cost too much, at least any nice one with good creature comforts. And the weight is less.

Not knocking the 5er at all, but for the money I had to get something more suited to hauling bikes.

 

On an equipment trailer it's pretty hard to not want a GN/5er. On a travel trailer towing it's pretty hard not to want a GN/5er.

On using one there's the rub. Alot of friends pull their trailers up to a trailer park and leave them for hunting season. They have shells on their trucks so they can transport dogs and gear out of the weather. When they commute back and forth everything is secure and dry, and they aren't dragging their trailer 300 plus miles every weekend.

It's easier to find a 5er with a generator than a TT if you are going to dry camp then that might make a difference.

 

I just traded a 30' TT for a 30" 5er and my experience is the 5er is much easier all the way around, hooking up, towing and on the truck. I think you can get a good towing TT and a bad towing 5er. I will never go back and unless I did not plan to pull very far or very much.

 

TT can work well with a $3k Hensley. The physics of the TT make them inheriently unstable, without aids. A fiver works much like a Semi; pin on the rear wheels, less leverage from the trailer on the truck.
I have a top of the line 20k Pull rite. The rails are bolted to the frame. The hitch can come out of the bed, a job for sure. The Pull rite was about $1100.
In the end, it is what works best for you, Certainly most Full timers with bigger trailers go the Fiver route.
The Fiver normally has more wind profile than a TT. Still, they can get reasonable mileage at 55-60. I get 12-13, less with a head wind.

 

OK so after doing some reading on the ProPrideHitch site, I learned that the ProPride 3P hitch was designed by the same guy, Jim Hensley, who designed the original Hensley hitch. Jim and the previous VP of Hensley separated from them and went on their own, selling an improved version of the Hensley for $500 less!!! So in other words, the ProPride 3P is an improved, $500 cheaper version of the Hensley Arrow! If I were in the market for a hitch of this type it would be a no-brainer to me!

Jim Hensley story..
http://www.propridehitch.com/article...ley_hitch.html

The 3P hitch...
http://www.propridehitch.com/3P_trailer_hitch.html

 

Opinions.........
If you want or need bed space....BP. The heavier the trailer the more you will need a 5th wheel. If a bumper pull is squirmy something aint right. Either to much, or not enough tongue weight. Even a WD hitch can be set up wrong and cause problems. Heavy loads I go with a 5er. I still don't believe they back better!....Opinions

 

A 5er is more stable but you lose the use of your bed. The only thing I will say is that the chucking with a 5er is very bad so if you get one make sure you get an air ride pin box on it like a 5th Airborne or similar. The difference is night and day on the ride.

 

Check out the Putnam XDR. Just one more option for a standard heavy duty receiver hitch.


That is true as some have a generator bay. The one I bought didn't so I stuck one on the back bumper. Of course I changed out the back bumper.

Here is an option that I patterned mine from: http://www.cumminsonan.com/rv/products/hitch