Where to store Hitch and sway bars?

[Britbat]

Hi All, we just bought a 27' '75 Overlander and are delighted with it but before we hit the road and start camping with it or even now while we are cleaning and prepping it the question is What do you do with the hitch, sway bars and mirror extensions while the camper is parked? Do we leave them to rattle around in the bed of the truck or behind the seat or have people figured out a place in the trailer?

[JimGolden]

I have a locking hitch pin that I use while towing.

When parked at a campground, I stick the hitch into the trailer tongue, lock the coupler, and stick the locking hitch pin in it. Just leave it there with the trailer, locked up so it's hard to steal.

If somebody really wants it that badly, they'll either hitch up the entire trailer and pull it away, or take a hack saw to the pin. But I've not had a problem in eight years doing this.

Keeps it out of the dirt and secured. I don't like just throwing it under the trailer...too tempting to walk away.

The above has worked OK for me.

Best of luck,

[MYater]

Originally Posted by Britbat

What do you do with the hitch, sway bars and mirror extensions while the camper is parked? Do we leave them to rattle around in the bed of the truck or behind the seat or have people figured out a place in the trailer?

Everybody has their own take on this, and I'll give you the other question that goes yours.

"Where are you going to be at? RV park, dry camping spots, or dispersed boondocking?

If you are in a dispersed dirt trail boondocking, you will likely be fine setting the bars on the ground behind the trailer and leaving the hitch in your reciever on your TV. Most people are less likely to come into a set up campground and rifle around, it can happen but unlikely. They are too afraid that you might drive up at any second.

For dry camping spots in an improved campground I am a little more particular and put my bars in with the bed of my truck when my shell is on, or stash them under the bed or another spot that will not be in my way. Wrapped up in a large old towel just in case. I also just leave the hitch in the reciever in such cases.

When RV parking everything comes off and a lock goes on the tongue. I put it all in the bed whether I have my shell on or not. I try to place it against the cab either way so it doesn't slide around much, and makes less noise if it does slide around.

Some people are worried about getting rear ended and not being able to tow their trailer home. Statistics say that you have a very small chance of an accident while on vacation. But if you are that small percent that gets in an accident the amount of force it takes to wreck up the reciever will cause similar damage whether you had you hitch in or not.

In the last 20 years I've changed and straitened(customer request) recievers after accidents enough times that as a professional I don't see any greater risk in leaving them in our removing them.

Anything can happen, most people see the WD hitch in a reciever and give more room because it is something out of the ordinary.

[Goal15]

My bars and sway bar go in the rear storage hatch, hitch ball stays in the receiver. If I go into town I always back into an edge space of parking lot so no one could accidentally run the front of their plastic bumper into it or accidentally bang a shin on it


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[twobikes]

Just used my PP stinger to anchor down the awning strap where ground was too loose to hold a stake....am I just too trusting?

[dkottum]

I unlatch our ProPride then pull ahead just enough to clear the head, then pull the stinger out of the receiver and put it back into the head. All stays on the trailer, virtually no lifting.

Same when we had the EQ, pull ahead just enough, pull it out of the receiver and latch it to the ball coupler. Stays there. Can be a knee-knocker, put something there so you have to walk around it.

[Al and Missy]

I made a wooden box that fits across the back of the truck bed. Everything that goes on the truck when towing goes in the box, with separators so each item has a place. Hitch head, sway bars, lock pin, tow mirrors, etc. When we take the trailer to the storage yard the box goes in the trailer empty, and then everything comes off the truck and goes in the box. When we come back to get the trailer, everything comes out of the box and goes on the truck, then the box goes in the back of the truck. When we get to a camping spot where we are going to stay a while, everything comes off the truck and goes in the box.

Don't have to worry about forgetting anything when we go to pick up the trailer, and nothing rattles around in the back of the truck. A few 1x6's and 1x4' s some glue and drywall screws, and it's done.

Al

[msmcv51]

I learned as a kid on my parents car that a hitch can be a real shin buster. I use an Andersen hitch with a quick bite coupler and leave the hitch in the coupler with a locking coupler pin.

[m.hony]

Hitch head stays in the receiver.
Weight bars stay in the L-brackets.

[airdreamers]

Not sure, but I have seen in other threads, leaving the ball etc on the TV not lawful??

As for me, after unhooking, I disconnect the ball from the TV then reconnect it to the trailer and insert a padlock to secure the ball etc. to the trailer. The equalizer etc, I lay on the tongue behind the gas tanks, so far works for me!

[cwf]

Howdy!
I can't remove all of the ProPride from the AS. I leave the "stinger" and rock guards installed on truck as M.hony does with their pic above. This leaves the hitch unusable for most part, by any would be thief.

If you don't want to tote around the WD bars, I would padlock them to the trailer safety chains. You can put them inside a garbage bag so the hitch ends do not pick up the environment. Then just lay on ground under the tongue.

Whatever you choose, just don't worry... You will have done the best you can to keep folks honest.

Just my thoughts... Peace. Channing

[m.hony]

I have seen on forums that it unlawful to leave the hitch head in the receiver.
I have never experienced in reality.
If I am ever in a place where that is true, I will pull the pin and drive off leaving the hitch head on the coupler-

[Rocinante]

We've been storing the EQ bars in the trailer's forward storage compartment under the bed. Then, if we remove the hitch head we put it into the back of the truck in a bag, up against the cab. Last, we lock a California Immobilizer on the trailer hitch. We have a cap, so this arrangement works well for us.

OTOH, we don't have Rock Tamers (yet). Not sure what we'd do in that case.

[Silver Hawk]

I welded a 2 foot 2" receiver tube under my trailers tongue at an angle (out of the way). I just pull out my receiver from TV and reinstall it in the receiver tube on the toungue and lock it with the same receiver lock I use on the TV. Secure, out of the way, out of the dirt and I don't have to worry about it hanging out the back of my TV when we go to town. Also at home it's a great place to stow when it's in storage! Cost $21.00 at northern or any trailer supply.

[Britbat]

Hi All, Thanks for all the great suggestions for a newbie, we'll look at all these and we'll find sweat works for us. These forums are great! Thanks Again.

[John&Vicki]

Originally Posted by Silver Hawk

I welded a 2 foot 2" receiver tube under my trailers tongue at an angle (out of the way). I just pull out my receiver from TV and reinstall it in the receiver tube on the toungue and lock it with the same receiver lock I use on the TV. Secure, out of the way, out of the dirt and I don't have to worry about it hanging out the back of my TV when we go to town. Also at home it's a great place to stow when it's in storage! Cost $21.00 at northern or any trailer supply.

Great idea! I'm going to do the same.

Poppy

[Rocinante]

Would love a picture of that receiver tube when you get a chance.