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Old 01-15-2021, 09:04 PM   #1
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new hitch on the market

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Old 01-15-2021, 09:13 PM   #2
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That really looks wrong...
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Old 01-15-2021, 09:21 PM   #3
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Cool

Jeff Foxworthy would be so proud of the owner of that masterpiece.
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Old 01-15-2021, 09:25 PM   #4
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21st. Century backyard engineering at it's finest!
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Old 01-15-2021, 09:26 PM   #5
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What’s so funny is before every trip my wife thinks I am crazy because I will triple check every little thing to make sure nothing goes wrong. Meanwhile someone is doing this and has never had a problem or care in the world
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Old 01-15-2021, 09:45 PM   #6
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If both tongue weights are within reason its a perfectly viable option.
It does look odd but that guy is who you want to be with you in a pinch.

Has anyone seen the swing hitches((?
They mount up by the differential and a long bar swings in an ark and telescopes out the back of the vehicle .
I've only seen one in real life. Supposedly you need only get your trailer close, move the hitch head until it hooks up, pull forward a bit to straighten and then insert two pins.
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Old 01-15-2021, 10:04 PM   #7
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Would love to watch him back up
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Old 01-15-2021, 10:21 PM   #8
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It’s an old idea that’s been around a long time. This one is just home made.

It’s not really all that different than dual semi trailers we see on Interstates where the rear trailer has a similar dolly. They come in different sizes.
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Old 01-15-2021, 11:32 PM   #9
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What is the presumed advantage of such a thing?
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Old 01-16-2021, 01:48 AM   #10
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What is the presumed advantage of such a thing?

The most obvious appears to be that it allows pulling a 5th wheel trailer with a vehicle that can only bumper pull (conventional towing).

As crazy as it looks, I see the dynamics as similar to that of a wagon; although in case of a 5th wheel trailer, with much lower percentage of weight on dolly.

Except for size and weight-distribution differences, doesn’t arrangement look very similar to a car on a tow dolly? Don’t get me wrong, I would never use one of those, and in no way am I recommending it.
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Old 01-16-2021, 02:01 AM   #11
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Backing up would be more like backing a set of doubles, very difficult for more than just a few feet.
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Old 01-16-2021, 02:38 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
It’s an old idea that’s been around a long time. This one is just home made.

It’s not really all that different than dual semi trailers we see on Interstates where the rear trailer has a similar dolly. They come in different sizes.
.
These are properly engineered. The other looks like something my grandfather would had made on the ranch. Sure it would work but in the back of your mind you are just waiting for your trailer to pass you going down the freeway.
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Old 01-21-2021, 11:04 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
It’s an old idea that’s been around a long time. This one is just home made.



It’s not really all that different than dual semi trailers we see on Interstates where the rear trailer has a similar dolly. They come in different sizes.

.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
The most obvious appears to be that it allows pulling a 5th wheel trailer with a vehicle that can only bumper pull (conventional towing).



As crazy as it looks, I see the dynamics as similar to that of a wagon; although in case of a 5th wheel trailer, with much lower percentage of weight on dolly.



Except for size and weight-distribution differences, doesn’t arrangement look very similar to a car on a tow dolly? Don’t get me wrong, I would never use one of those, and in no way am I recommending it.


Go to ytube and search for “safety hitch” that’s what they are called. They make them in different weight capacities. The advantages are numerous, you can tow any size 5 wheel of bumper pull with a 3/4 ton diesel, you don’t need a 1 ton dual. All your getting with a 1 ton or 1.5 ton is weight capacity. They all have same engine and transmission. You end up with two more disk brakes. You can back into tighter spots. Go look on ytube the concept is interesting. They are made in Fort Worth Texas. The guy (Joe Jamieson) that answers the phone is the inventor. I currently have a class a pusher, but if I was every to change to a 5wheel I would definitely get one of these. They come rated for 7,500, 8500, 9500, and 13,500 lbs.
“The ultimate ignorance is the rejection of something you know nothing about, yet refuse to investigate “
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https://www.safetytowingsystems.com/
Also Google wwwfifthwheelst.com for a review.
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Old 01-22-2021, 06:11 AM   #14
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I think that was the first generation of the Safety Hitch.
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Old 01-22-2021, 01:35 PM   #15
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Old 01-22-2021, 02:56 PM   #16
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These are properly engineered. The other looks like something my grandfather would had made on the ranch. Sure it would work but in the back of your mind you are just waiting for your trailer to pass you going down the freeway.

That’s an interesting topic in itself. As an engineer myself, I can assure you that there’s a huge difference between “properly engineered” and “looks like it’s properly engineered”.

Making something look pretty and finished can hide defects and provides illusion of good design, but under great looks the engineering could be quite flawed. And the very opposite is also true. An item can look rough and a little crude, but the engineering itself can be good.

Regarding the OP picture cavie posted, the trailer seems relatively small, and if I recall correctly, they were not very heavy. The toughest part of engineering was done by pickup truck and hitch manufacturers, leaving the builder of that rig to mostly just add a proper tongue to a pickup bed he cut off. Granted, he had to add brakes, but we can’t see those details in picture, so can’t assume they are not done right.

The trailer/dolly should be more level, but that could be due more to user error than poor engineering. The tongue could have been designed right, yet driver used hitch with ball too high. Who knows, driver could have borrowed dolly to move old trailer to a hunting camp or some other one-time deal.

After traveling and camping in rented trailers a few times, I have no interest in owning a trailer, so I would never need one of those dollies. Having said that, the concept has a major drawback that would make me stick to normal towing if I owned a large 5er.
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Old 01-23-2021, 01:22 AM   #17
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Problem with the set up is the mini 5th is not attached to the axle of the actual tow vehicle. Now wet pavement and lock this thing up.
What goes where and what direction.
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Old 01-23-2021, 02:41 AM   #18
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In the movie with Lucy and Desi The Long Long Trailer, they use something similar to tow that huge trailer behind their car, think it was called a Slip Dolly.
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Old 01-23-2021, 02:47 AM   #19
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A quick Google search brought up references to a "slimp dolly" in an Airstrem forum; from back in 2008...
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Old 01-23-2021, 02:58 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
A quick Google search brought up references to a "slimp dolly" in an Airstrem forum; from back in 2008...
Maybe that's what it was called in the movie. It's been many years since I've seen the movie.
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