Where do you store your hitch when not in use?

[cantdrv55]

I keep my hitch in the garage but I keep the weight distribution bars and anti-sway bar in the AS's rear compartment. I don't think the rear compartment is very secure but I figure the bars are no good to anyone without the hitch. Am I wrong about that? Are the bars universal meaning they can by used by any hitch? Where do you store your hardware?

[carver 1]

My pro pride stays right on the trailer where it belongs. Now the stinger...

>>ron<<

[Tincampers]

Bars go in the front compartment, hitch in the shed. When camping the hitch goes under the tongue. My bars/hitch can only be used with the Blue Ox hitch.

[msmcv51]

When at home the hitch head is in the garage and because we have an Andersen hitch it has chains, so I guess that any camper in their right mind would need them. While camping the hitch head gets locked into the quick - bite coupler.

[Skater]

Usually I keep it in the back of the pickup (we have a cap). If I need the bed space in the pickup, I'll put the hitch inside the camper, putting cardboard down to protect the floor. Once in a while, I'll throw it under the tongue of the camper when we're set up at a campground - again, it depends on what I'm doing with the truck.

There are two things driving this decision. One, the (admittedly small) chance of it being stolen. It's a low probability/high impact event, so I take steps to protect the hitch. Also, I like to keep it out of the elements when it's not in use.

[PaulnGina]

I keep mine in one of those plastic foot lockers. That will be stored in the cab of the truck when we're not using the truck. Otherwise it will be stored in the trailer.

[moosetags]

We tow with a Hensley Arrow and, of course, the main unit and weight distribution bars stay on the Airstream. The hitch bar usually comes off of the truck. When we are at home, I put it in the garage. When I remove the hitch bar at a campground, I put the hitch bar on a stack of three Legos and lock it to the tow chain on the Airstream.

Brian

[AWCHIEF]

I have a BlueOx SwayPro so of course I remove my hitch and store it in the garage. At camp grounds it goes under the A-frame. Not impressed when someone leaves their over sized hitches attached to the TV and sticking out in crowded parking lots.

[paiceman]

When camping hitch goes either in the pick up bed, with cover OR if we go places visiting in the truck they head goes on the floor of the back area in the pickup in a low plastic box. Bars go in the back storage area as this is the only outside storage we have. While at home everything goes on shelves in the garage.

[dkottum]

The ProPride head and bars are attached to the A-frame. When camping I pull ahead a foot and slide the stinger back into the head, at home we store the stinger in the garage. I treat the wear areas with CorrosionX and occasionally with touchup paint, then cover it when stored.

[Tom_T]

As with the PP & Hensley owners above - everything stays on the trailer, which was a major reason for me to get our Cub, among many others related to towing & ease of use of the tension jacks vs chains.

As with any hitch setup, the tow bar/stinger goes in the TV cab floor/cargo area on the trips, & in the storage shed with the other car & trailer stuff at home.

[Nomad518]

When I put the AS into storage, I lay down an old folded sheet on the floor inside the door of the trailer. I lay the hitch, anti-sway bar, weight distribution bars, and the small tool bag that contains all my other hitching stuff right there on that sheet. That way, it's always there with the trailer and I never have to worry about leaving anything at home. This system works for me and I've never gotten any grease inside the trailer.

[airdreamers]

It is too bad that we all have to be paranoid about securing our stuff. What is mine is mine and yours is yours, let it be. That being said, when "camping" I store the ball hitch locked into the tongue receiver, the bars and the sway bars are stored behind the gas tanks on the "A" frame.
BTW! When I bought our AS the mechanic at the dealership stressed the fact that I should not lock the ball to the AS receiver, in the unfortunate event that I needed to separate the trailer from the TV quickly and need a key! I won't get into the details as to why we would need to separate the vehicles, quickly!!

[m.hony]

The weight bars stay on the L-brackets on the trailer tongue. The hitch head stays in the receiver on the pickup unless I need a different hitch with a different size ball or a different drop for pulling a trailer other than the camper. During those times, the hitch head is stored under the carport or in the shed. We camp almost year-round. February was the only month we didn't camp this year.

[Al and Missy]

I made a wooden tray to hold the Equalizer hitch, add on tow mirrors, WD bars, and other miscellaneous stuff. It has carpet covered rails on the bottom which protect the floor when it is in the trailer. It slides on furniture glides on a two-part base that goes in the back of the truck. When we store the trailer, the tray goes in the trailer and then the hitch head, bars, mirrors, etc. are put in the tray. When we pick up the trailer, everything mounts on the truck and then the base and tray go in the back of the truck. The tray slides out onto the tailgate on a fold down flap so I don't have to lean over the tailgate to put the hitch in or get it out. If we are staying at a campsite long enough to unhitch, the hitch and accessories go in the tray, on the base, in the back of the truck.

[airdreamers]

There has been mention of leaving the ball and hitch attached to the TV. My ball and hitch extend out from my TV too far for my comfort. What is it called, KNEE BREAKER? I think that I have seen in other threads that it unlawful in some states to leave the ball and hitch installed when not attached the a trailer or something.

[terryV]

I leave the ball in the receiver on the truck. It doesn't stick out that far. (If you run into it, you are way too close to my truck.) Besides, with my knees and hips, it's really painful to get down there to pull that pin out.

The bars I lay across the A frame behind the propane tanks. No, I'm not worried about somebody stealling them. They're not much good without the head and the parts bolted to the A frame.

If, by some really strange twist of fate, somebody did steal them, I can tow the trailer on the ball to a dealer for a new hitch. My insurance deductable is only $250. Small price to pay for a new hitch. Besides, I would like to have a Blue Ox or ProPride, anyway.

[rmkrum]

I pull the ProPride stinger out of the truck when it's not hitched. It gets carefully dropped in a corner of the garage where I won't stumble or trip over it. Balance of the hitch stays on the trailer as a deterrent and convenient ballast.

My only real issue with the ProPride is the sheer weight of the stinger. Typically, once I hitch up at the start of a trip the stinger stays on the truck until we get to our final destination. I generally stay hitched enrout because we stay at pull through sites at KOA or other easy in and out sites. We've managed to avoid backing, especially because we tend to pull in fairly late in the day, a consequence of traveling with dogs that need regular breaks. I need to park and set up quietly in the dark to avoid disturbing others.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[Jack46]

Since we store our trailer at a secure location, we store our Hensley just inside the AS door.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by airdreamers

It is too bad that we all have to be paranoid about securing our stuff. What is mine is mine and yours is yours, let it be. That being said, when "camping" I store the ball hitch locked into the tongue receiver, the bars and the sway bars are stored behind the gas tanks on the "A" frame.
BTW! When I bought our AS the mechanic at the dealership stressed the fact that I should not lock the ball to the AS receiver, in the unfortunate event that I needed to separate the trailer from the TV quickly and need a key! I won't get into the details as to why we would need to separate the vehicles, quickly!!

I store mine exactly the same way as you do, and have done it that way for years. Works well for us!
I do agree with your mechanic, by the way, I use a snap pin to secure the couple latch when traveling....we've never had to "quickly" separate the vehicles, thank goodness....

Larry C