I've been a commercial driver in the past, mainly 7 and 9 axle heavy equipment hauling. In that business, they call this type of device a jeep, still transfers a percentage of tow weight to the hitch, but decreases axle loads, by adding more of them. But this one, has me concerned with minimal towing weight transfered to the tow vehicle, and with a narrower track width of the tow vehicle.There's a nice formula between hitch weight and tow weight, and this gizmo isn't going to get it.
I'll second that, I drove commercial for for many years BUT:
It looks to me like a jackknife situation waiting to happen. There may be a lot they aren't showing and telling but I would err or the side of caution.
Be very careful with this.
Don
And you get to deal with an extra set of tires ( LT vs. ST), bearings, lugnuts, etc... Yippee!!!! Something else that costs a zillion dollars, very few people have one - exclusivity!!!! - wonder why? Hmmm - I'll give you a minute if you need it.
Oh, and it just looks like one more thing that YOU have to deal with, fix, work on, repair, when they are practically GIVING away big motored HD trucks. Scratching head, thinking! NOPE, DON"T MAKE NO SENSE! Any way you cut it.
Like someone said, trade that TV and do it right. Put the rest of your money to work at the pump and GO.......!!!!!
Rube Goldberg is filing to get a patent on this "Hitch Buddy" dealio right now! Count on it.
BTW - Where would you store it? Do you leave it attached to the trailer? Anyone could hitch up and drive off....or? Do you drag it with you to go see Crazy Horse Monument? ( and extra $7 per axle and I think they would count that one for sure!!!!!)
OK - enough time, typing effort and derision heaped on that by me - sorry if I offended anyone or put them off - I wasn't trying hard enough I guess.
I'm sure "Hitch Buddy" works exactly as advertised (disclaimer!).
With a "national" 3 lawyers to every 50 odd people ratio, you can't be too careful! Or is it 3 odd lawyers to 50 normal people ratio? I get confused
"The Hitch Buddy’s unique design independently carries the full load of the trailer pin weight. This means that 100% of your vehicle’s horsepower can be dedicated to pulling, rather than having that power reduced by a typical hitch."
I was not aware that typical hitches reduced horsepower in this way.
I was also amused to see the price of this hitch justified on by comparing its cost-per-foot to the cost-per-foot of an SUV.
"The Hitch Buddy’s unique design independently carries the full load of the trailer pin weight"
This statment alone makes me nervous, Humm, kinda like a train concept, pull rather than carry, and we all no how efficent this concept can be under emergency braking
__________________ 78 Airstream Ambassador 29' 97 Ford Powerstroke 4x4 Crewcab Shorty A few Citroen's and Peugeot's AIR# 649
From the Hitch Buddy website:" This means that 100% of your vehicle’s horsepower can be dedicated to pulling, rather than having that power reduced by a typical hitch."
Sales torque?
__________________
Nick Crowhurst, Excella 25 1988, Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel. England in summer, USA in winter.
"The price of freedom is eternal maintenance."
We knew that this topic would give rise to many responses and we were glad to hear from you all.
We live in Brooklyn here in New York City and our Tahoe barely fits in the garage which is a must for security reasons. The shortest pickup which will carry our family and tow our Safari is a 227 ft. Dodge and that cannot be secured in the garage. The lease on the Tahoe is over in August of 2007 and so we are stuck with the short wheelbase until that date. We are already using the H/A but towing is nothing like when we towed our Trailmanor via a Reese.
We are not thinking of running out and purchasing the Hitch Buddy, but just think that If this device is ever found to be useful, it could be a blessing to us city drivers who must fight for the limited supply of legal parking places not to mention clogged and narrow streets...the very reason that our Schefenacker is on sale in the classifieds. It would be nice to have a way to lenghten the shorter wheelbase of the Tahoe just for towing our 28' Safari but then remove and store the extra piece for moving around the city.
Our TV will definately be changed in 2007 and the Suburban or pickup will have to be bought but in the mean time we are open to suggestions. We are encouraged by the fact that the Hensley Arrow was not greeted with open arms from the start.
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