How do you store your hitch ball and sway bars on the road?

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Outdoors4me

We have lots of grease on our hitch parts and like to keep them clean and away from things they may mess up. Does anyone know of a bag or box that will hold these parts?

I have an Eaz-lift hitch from CanAm. While at a campsite I store the bars in the bumper compartment and the hitch on the ground under the body of the AS, locked with a cable to the a-frame. I don't worry about a little rust during the camping season and touch it up with some black paint in the winter. For winter storage I put the bars into a padded nylon fishing rod bag. The rod bags would be good if you preferred to store your WD bars in your TV.

[LBOskiBear]

Everything goes in our front storage compartment. The bars have simple ziploc bags over the greasy end. The hitch is always last-in/first-out so it really doesn't touch anything else

[tyggeln]

Originally Posted by WestieHouse

With my Equalizer I remove the head from the receiver and lock it on the coupler on the A frame. I balance the bars on the L bracket. I place yellow flag tape or small orange cone to prevent bumping my shins!😡

I do something very similar with my Equalizer hitch. Its a lot faster than it looks....and keeps me clear of the grease. And keeps everything off the ground, no heavy lifting etc.

1. Park in good spot.
2. lower tongue jack until load taken off W/D hitch and TV.
3. Remove inverted L clips that keep the bars in place.
4. Swing out each load bar until clear of L-bracket.
5. Raise tongue jack until hitch is unloaded in receiver ie no load on TV.
6. Unlock and pull hitch pin.
7. Drive off pulling hitch out of receiver.
8. Swing load bars back onto L-brackets, clip in place (no load).
9. Replace and lock hitch pin on hitch.
10. Place warning cone in front of hitch if desired.

Done in about 2 minutes. Just make sure to grease hitch ball periodically when hitch is back in receiver.

Hitching up is reversal of above steps, made easy with a backup camera on the TV.

[Outdoors4me]

These are great ideas. Thanks everyone.

[guskmg]

Hensley/ ProPride: Chock TT wheels, take weight off hitch, unlock & pull pin, and drive forward. Re-install pin lock. Place a small orange traffic cone in front of stinger. If you also have a "Rock Tamer" (rock guard), place a cone on either end of "Tamer." Has worked for years. The cone(s) are for me!
guskmg

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by TBRich

We also leave the Equal-I-Zer hitch on the truck and the bars in the L-Brackets. We made a vinyl bag to cover the hitch while it's on the truck so it is out of the weather and doesn't get dusty from side-trip travels ... it also keeps the grease off our pant-legs.

I cut the top off of a water bottle and put it over the ball to keep grease off my pants leg.

[Wingeezer]

I made a wooden bar and two rope loop gadget to make it easier to balance and handle our Hensley hitch "stinger" - I just store it under the front of the trailer when we camp, and in the garage when home.

It isn't greasy anyway, I just give it a shot with silicon spray when hooking up to make things go smoothly.

All the greasy stuff (weight bars & bushings) stays attached to the trailer.

[Wayne&Sam]

We travel with dogs and therefore always have a good supply of dog poop bags.

When I unhitch, I put the stinger and bars under the a-frame, usually on a piece wood. I cover the greasy parts with a poop bag.

[rvb]

Hitch bars go in the bumper compartment of the trailer. My wife found small zip lock snack bags with the zip seam on the end and are a perfect fit over the greasy end of the bars.

The hitch stays on the truck with a locking pin and rubber covers from the RV store go over the hitch ball and sway bar balls. I wipe off any grease on the l bases after the covers are on with a paper towel for good measure.

At home, bars in the trailer bumper, hitch in the storage building.

In Santa Fe last year on a caravan we were told to lock up the hitch head and bars because they were being stolen and sold for scrap and the nearest source for a replacement was Albuquerque.

[demijac]

We are full timers. We don't remove hitch. It is secured with a hitch lock. When parked, put sway bars in front compartment behind propane tanks. Also, open tailgate when parked at campsite to keep from bumping into greasy hitchball. Wear work gloves when hitching and unhitching. Overall, this is the easy minimalist solution and we don't have any grease mess issues.

Good luck!

[Gneiss Guy]

How many of you have had bars or hitch-ball base stolen? Is this a real problem? I just put a piece of non-slip rubber on top of the battery box and put the bars there. If I need to remove the stinger, I use an EAZYlift and stick it under the trailer. This is when I am traveling, which I believe is what the OP asked about.

[DaveMc]

I leave my PP stinger on the truck when we travel. I do have to think ahead about where I'll be parking--3/4 ton 4 door and 6.5' bed needs some room to park. I do try to back into a space on the edge of the parking lot so the stinger isn't in the way. WD bars stay put with a PP, but I'd leave them under the A-frame in the campground when I had a Husky hitch.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

We travel with dogs and therefore always have a good supply of dog poop bags.

When I unhitch, I put the stinger and bars under the a-frame, usually on a piece wood. I cover the greasy parts with a poop bag.

Full or empty?
It might be a good lubricant, and would dissuade thieves!

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by tyggeln

I do something very similar with my Equalizer hitch. Its a lot faster than it looks....and keeps me clear of the grease. And keeps everything off the ground, no heavy lifting etc.



1. Park in good spot.

2. lower tongue jack until load taken off W/D hitch and TV.

3. Remove inverted L clips that keep the bars in place.

4. Swing out each load bar until clear of L-bracket.

5. Raise tongue jack until hitch is unloaded in receiver ie no load on TV.

6. Unlock and pull hitch pin.

7. Drive off pulling hitch out of receiver.

8. Swing load bars back onto L-brackets, clip in place (no load).

9. Replace and lock hitch pin on hitch.

10. Place warning cone in front of hitch if desired.



Done in about 2 minutes. Just make sure to grease hitch ball periodically when hitch is back in receiver.



Hitching up is reversal of above steps, made easy with a backup camera on the TV.

Same. Guys from Wpg find the easy way. My explanation was to just leave all the junk attached to the Airstream. (Like owning a Hensley without the expense) Jim

[hugheym]

We found that purchasing a sturdy Cordoba gun case, both bars and the sway control, along with the cheater bar, all stay under control. I store the package in the truck bed out of sight and out of the way. The case protects everything from grease. For the hitch ball, I simply lock it into place on the A frame, followed up with covering it with a plastic bag. The covering keeps the grease form being transferred to any bodies clothing.
I never carry my hitch ball mounted on my truck, it is not only rude, it is a liability to others. If you have ever run into one, you will know what I mean.. Not funny.
Hope this helps some of you.

[75Bob]

I just keep the ball on the truck and throw the weight distribution bars in the back of the truck. But wait a minute. One of these threads said building a holder under the A frame . What a good idea. I have a second marine battery behind the Propane tanks so no room there but I can weld on some custom made holders so they stay with the trailer. I made a custom wooden box for in the garage but on the road this is a great idea. Thanks you guys.

[Caymanite]

We use hard plastic rifle cases for the spring bars, no mess. When traveling they can go under th "A " frame or in the pickup bed. The hitch ball is covered and either left in the receiver, the bed of the truck, or under the "A" frame.

Clean and simple.

[wolf146]

Hitch stays on the truck and place a cut tennis ball over the hitch ball to keep me from getting grease on me. ( I park the truck in such a way that there is no chance that anybody can walk into it or hit it)

sway bars go either in the back of the truck or underneath the trailer. If the ground is sandy I place them in the truck.

Have done this for years and never had an issue.

Wolf146

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Full or empty?
It might be a good lubricant, and would dissuade thieves!

This is exactly why Airforums is so great. I never thought that. Save on grease, sh!t in thieves! Perfect!

[Milo1952]

Built something similar. Keep in the back of the pickup for easy access. Use to keep it in the outside rear compartment of my TT. took too much extra time lugging this stuff back and forth. and heavy. Now it is where I need it.