Quote:
Originally Posted by 2airishuman
ok forum friends, hitch helpers, and towing wanna'bes,
i don't start many theads...
usually when a question develops or a need arrises...
i can search a little and find the answer,
or find a current/past thread where my question fits...
the past few months however, i've been considering a couple of issues...
worthy of new threads.
this is one of them....
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hello all users in haha land...
here is the last post for this thread.
i'll try to keep it short
and i will use the 3Ps +1 for a format to organize my thoughts.
purpose, posts, people...
and one more P,
product.
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purpose
3 year ago today this thread appeared.
at the time i'd been using the orange blob for a 1.5 years with much satisfaction.
but it seemed that whenever one of US would post a question or comment about the contraption in any of the dozens of hitch threads...
we'd get beat on and ridiculed by forum folks who'd never used one and maybe never even seen one.
often a simple question would escalate to silly wild vitriol from NON users.
this struck me as peculiar.
and i pondered the situation 4 a while...
the users guide was conceived and started with the singular purpose of HELPING folks who needed help with the orange lump of iron.
i hoped (and posted early) that NONE of the arguments or antagonists would muck it up and to my surprise they haven't.
for 3 years and over 800 posts.
i am still amazed at that and i am grateful we've been able to stick to the original goals.
it was never my intent to HELP the sell products, and never ONCE have i asked for ANY consideration from the manufacturer.
but over time i've sensed that maybe 1 or 2 folks went for the haha as a result of this thread and the support of other users...
and for certain we've solved MANY of our frustrations related to this gizmo.
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posts
it is extremely rare for any one thread here to STICK to the topic.
but >95% of our posts HERE have done just that.
along with the consistency the QUALITY of postings into this thread have been exceptional.
fitting, installation, operation, hookups, maintenance, repairs, BROKEN bits, rebuilds, improvements, accessories
and other primarily USER issues have remained the focus...
the information and photos on these topics are the BEST i've seen ANYWHERE on the web.
in particular the REBUILD and install posts with photos are exceptionally useful.
while the factory manual is pretty good, NOTHING produced by a handful of company folks can compete with the COLLECTIVE...
and the collective info in this users guide is better than any other printed or web based references i've seen on the haha...
i sincerely appreciate the EFFORT and EXPERTISE from each of the contributors...
the other amazing thing is that the QUESTIONS from new or old users have been really good too.
i've not seen ONE dumb question in this thread and NONE that are so repetitive to suggest the poster isn't READING first, before asking.
for several HUNDRED posts only average users posted here.
then a vendor or 2 joined in, this often means trouble...
but almost all of the posts have remained above board, which again is very unusual once the vendors find a thread.
another surprising thing, almost all of the links posted early (3 years ago) STILL WORK
how is that even possible on the web?
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people
never in the wildest dreams did i imagine SO MANY folks would join in to contribute.
i knew there were a lot of haha owners with streams,, but had NO idea how many would find THIS SPOT useful...
the large number of folks who have made this thread worthy is something special.
just click on the LIST of posters for a runny list of the cast...
i extend a sincere THANK YOU to each of you haha users who have posted.
the PEOPLE who have POSTED and then COMEBACK to help others on all the issues large or small is really WHY this thread has been so useful.
so again i thank each and every one of you who have taken time to post or help other users here.
it has also be fantastic to have a former company guy HELP us here and without a lot of drama.
the PEOPLE define a forum and this thread has had top notch people all along the way.
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50,000 + viewings and more to come...
ALL major threads eventually run their useful course with regard to DEPOSITS into the thread.
and most popular threads get way too long.
many threads become LESS useful as they grow, with incomplete or incorrect answers eventually replacing the good stuff.
it's hard for me to imagine many issues related to this product that haven't been touched on already here.
if one looks objectively at the posting, the last year has been pretty slow in terms of STUFF related to using this hitch.
that means a newbie, looking for help will likely find it covered and without going must past the first 700-800 posts...
so by closing this thread now, FUTURE readers and users can come back often to READ the good stuff.
folks who need a picture to understand hookups or install or maintenance will be able to find it RIGHT HERE.
at one time some of us had the idea to CONDENSE the thread, remove the occasional off topic picture or post and otherwise streamline.
the problem with that notion is NO ONE really likes having a post deleted, even useless ones.
and many of the good answers refer NUMERICALLY to early posts or pics, so deletions would requre EDITING lots of posts to update the numbers...
there are MANY other threads on this product and no doubt there will me more as questions or issues warrant.
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the last P is the product.
users come in all flavors and the trailers/tv combos from every imaginable combo...
but within that spectrum and diversity are some common themes related to the hitch apparatus...
1. it works has described.
2. the orange coating is TOTALLY CRAP!
3. the towing experience is better WITH a haha than without it, among USERS...
for me it was initially expensive, but relative to the money spent on the new truck/trailer, not totally out of line.
for me, COMPANY product support was excellent for 60 days (the return period), ok for the first year and PAINFUL to the point of frustration and anger the last 2 years.
that can remain a topic for fireside chats.
in spite of the so called "lifetime warranty" , i've spent more on maintenance, paint, wear issues, and replacement parts...
than MOST people spend on their entire HITCH assembly.
it is true i've towed 70,000 miles these last 4 year too.
and most of the HIGH MILEAGE users i know have had to RE weld parts or TOTALLY REPLACE major sections, due to cracks, broken welds, or metal fatigue.
the shipping alone for these "lifetime warranty' bits runs 100s of dollars to the owners....
early in this thread and through out it, i've tried to consistently relate the GOOD and BAD of ownership, i think every USER in this thread has done that.
early (the first 100 posts) i described the repainting, and others also posted their UPGRADING diy paint jobs...
mine was painted primarily OVER the original orange poorly cured powder coat.
it's not my intent to debate this issue or have a vendor dispute but those are the facts.
this hitch originally cost as much as a great bicycle and more than some cars...
i would NOT tolerate paint failure on a bike or car in 1-3 years and won't tolerate it on a chunk of towing iron either.
attached are some pictures,
and the a/s tongue area is included since it has the SAME gray paint but over a reliable foundation...
the blank orange/rust area on the hitch is where the original serial number/label lived...
apparently IF that falls off or is lost so is the warranty.
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it's not my intention to have this thread become a cesspool of vendor disputes, accusations and counter attacks.
but i also feel an obligation to anyone READING here who may be considering a purchase...
there are OTHER worthy options now, perhaps even IMPROVED less expensive options.
so do your homework before spending the cash!
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lastly i've appreciated the moderators who have almost entirely stayed OUT of this thread...
i'm pretty sure there have been almost NO deleted posts and ZERO warnings to "play well"...
that is another thing which isn't common in hitch, tire, axle threads.
so again and finally we all should take satisfaction in just how much useful stuff we've laid down in...
the ultimate haha users guide.
anyway it's now time to put her 2 bed, good nite and safe towing.
2air'