Equal-i-zer Hitch Thread.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

It kinda works. If you have a shank longer than mine it won't work. Despite no being able to grap ith handle at the end only between the shank an ball, it's still easier to pick up the hitch head and insert it into the receiver.

Kelvin

Thanks for this. Ordered one last night. Exactly what I need. I'm tired of bending over, grabbing that head with the new heavier shank, and awkwardly carrying it to the truck, getting my hands and pants greasy in the process.

I e-mailed them to ask if they had a taller version, but I think I ended up with my hitch head one hole higher. If not I'm going to get with a friend and machine up something to go between the claw plates and the handle to make it an inch or so higher.

Al

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

My spring bar sockets have a loose fit, there seems to be almost an inch of play at the end of the bar. I don't think they've expanded open as they still appear square. However I could see some wear on the retaining pins and one of them was slightly bent so I replaced them with new ones.

Kelvin

Over several tows I could feel some very slight pressure from passing semis starting to appear. I disassembled and cleaned my hitch head and reassembled it, torquing to specs in the instructions and it got rock solid again.

Al

[kscherzi]

As I've used the hitch over time I noticed that I didn't have to jack the truck/trailer up as high to slide the bars onto the L brackets. Heading home from camping it looked as if the truck was squatting in the rear more than I thought it should. During the cleaning and disassembly I noticed that the pin that's held extended by the washers had flattened some in the front, probably by a thickness of a washer. There's a lot of compression force on that small spot. Since that pin doesn't lay exactly flat against the hitch bar it has flattened itself over time and made a small divot in the hitch bar.

I also was noticing that the weight distribution bars move at least an inch or two up and down when hanging loose due to slack within the sockets. Don't recall if that's the way its always been. After adding another washer I'll see how it looks and measures when I hitch up next time.

[dznf0g]

I think you have the right answer. Btw, all the hitches I have had display the same flattening of the "rivet" pin and require more washers over time.

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by richw46

I like they way they use AS trailers in their ad.

So what do you think of it?

I think I would have a hard time lifting it with one hand. It would throw me off balance it seems. Wearing cheap work gloves, I put one hand under the ball head and the other under the shank. It seems to be working and I don't have to carry or wipe down another piece of equipment.

Before the Hitchgrip I was squatting down with one hand under the shank and the other around the ball lifting to chest height and using my legs to lift up so I could waddle over to the truck then partially squatting to slide into the receiver. The stomach muscles were straining the whole way. It wasn't too bad with the 2" shank but the new 2 1/2" shank itself weighs over 30lbs. With the HitchGrip I grasp the handle and lift with my legs arm straight and walk over to the truck and slide in the receiver without squatting. It would be nice if the handle base was taller for these longer shanks but I can live with it.

The only other solution is to make an elevated dolly so I could roll the hitch head to and from the truck.

Kelvin

[Piggy Bank]

I apologize in advance if this was covered somewhere else, but I could not find via search.

We have an Equalizer hitch for our Sport 22.
TV is Toyota Tundra.

Regarding the part of the hitch setup that attaches to hitch and ball to the TV. This attaches to the truck with what Equalizer calls a hitch pin. The hitch pin slides through an opening, and then is held in place by a cotter pin.

We are unsure exactly how to use the cotter pin on the hitch pin.

It is a bit difficult to get on in the first place. The pin has a wavy side with an open end, a middle wave, and then the U turn to the straight side of the pin. DH has been pushing it into the middle (center) bulge in the cotter pin. He has been doing this for all of our (3) trips.

When looking at this I thought that it should go all the way through to the big part where the cotter pin loops over and U turns to the straight side. My thinking that it wold be more secure this way.

But neither one of us was able to get the pin pushed through that far.

The equalizer instructions don't plainly state the answer.

So how do you do this if you have this pin,if it does indeed go in further. Is there some sort of pliers or special tool to push the pin in further, and more importantly allow to pull it out to remove the cotter pin?

Thanks in advance

[Al and Missy]

I use a locking hitch pin. Makes it more difficult for someone to steal either the trailer or the hitch.

If using the cotter pin (in other applications), I only push it to the point that the wavy part is over the hitch pin.

Al

[Ron Gratz]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

We are unsure exactly how to use the cotter pin on the hitch pin.

Here's some instructions and commentary.

NOTE: The clip is pointing in the wrong direction in the title photo.

The clip should point in in the same direction as the "handle" on the end of the pin.

How to install hitch pin clip

Ron

[KJRitchie]

Get a locking hitch pin. Deadboltlocks.com

Get the 3 5/8" length for 2 and 2 1/2" receiver shanks.

Kelvin

[Piggy Bank]

Thank you all, Al, Ron, and Kelvin.

[dznf0g]

Like this.....

[KJRitchie]

What are the dimensions. Got a side view photo?

I'd like to build something small that doesn't take up much room in the back of the truck and that can be used in dirt/gravel campsites.

Kelvin

[dznf0g]

Kelvin, credit where credit is due. I copied the design from another forum member several years ago. Don't remember who it was. The height should be about 1" lower than the receiver height, minus the height of your drop shank so when you back it under the tv, you only have to lift it a bit to start it into the receiver. If you use PP or HaHa, height should be about 1" lower than box opening height. Width is irrelevant, except for stability. I'll look for more pictures.

[dznf0g]

Her ar two more. I can measure if you like. What hitch do you have?

[dznf0g]

Never mind. Found your picture up thread. Make the top floor about an inch lower than the distance from the ground to the bottom of your eq head. Mock up a block fixture to hold the assembly upright.

[chaseav]

Here's an amateur question: Where does everyone attach their breakaway switch wire? What is this thing REALLY going to prevent? It's longer than the chains are so in order for it to deploy I'd think the entire hitch assembly would have to come off... no? If so, attaching it to anything but the hitch assembly seems futile. Thanks for input!

[Al and Missy]

There have been discussions of that. One camp says you want the brakes to activate should the trailer become unhitched but remain attached by the chains. Another camp says the intent is to apply the brakes in the event that the trailer becomes completely disconnected. There are probably other camps. I haven't figured out how to make the cable short enough to activate while the trailer is still attached by the chains and still be long enough to make turns. I also suspect that if the trailer is still attached by the chains the umbilical would still be connected and the TV could still activate the TT brakes. So i hook mine through a convenient pair of holes in the bumper mounting bracket.

Al

[chaseav]

Good, so you agree: it's ridiculous. I'm all about safety and multiple forms of redundancy I just do see how that one deploys when needed or without multiple independent things going very, very wrong. Like, my ball came loose to the point where the hitch separated, the TWO chains broke and / or were not connected and the amount of drag caused by the trailer setting down on the WD hitch bars didn't effectively do the same thing as deploying those brakes. In the interests of keeping this topic on track I'm going to create a new topic called "Trailer Breakways: What's the point?"

[Rich W]

The spring arms aren't attached, that's just friction on the L brackets. (I had a spring arm come off the L bracket because I made too sharp a turn at a gas pump.) So if the hitch ball AND chains came loose, the trailer would drop and fall away, pulling the breakaway cable.

I changed my cable to be on the left side transport tie down. I drove about 500 miles but never thought to see how it was doing. I guess the wind whipped the loose cable around and it scraped paint off the bumper. So I hooked it back to the hitch. I'm going to find someplace else to hook it up, I probably need to add something near the center that's not on the hitch.

Many states have laws that require that breakaway cable. I hope I never have it deploy but if I'm stopped I want it to be there to avoid a ticket.

[Al and Missy]

Actually the chain attachment points on my hitch are a plate welded to the receiver tube. If (and I understand this has happened) the welds holding the receiver tube were to fail, the tube, hitch shank, and safety chain plate would all come away as an assembly. That's why I connect mine to the bumper bracket.

Al