5th Wheel Hitch choice

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

I’m starting soon on converting my 359 Peterbilt and looking for a decent Hitch.

I know Air ride is the best on hitch, but i am trying to keep cost down and might only look for a regular hitch at this time. 

As for the hitch itself, i like it to be a solid, i.e. Binkley holland style head, but want a single Jaw for maximum reliability.

Any suggestions of who to use and could some guys also post pictures of how you set it up ?

Thanks in advance

[NoDirectionHome]

http://www.safholland.us/us/en/products/fifth-wheels/holland-special-and-light-commercial

[Heavymetal]

If you are going to the ECR there will be a conversation on hitches. I myself had tried the air ride and the air cell hitch I prefer the air cell (bump stop) I use the Comfort Ride (308) 30k hitch on my Western Star. I use to haul with a trailer saver but switched a couple of years ago. The two hitches were designed by the same guy and are basically the same except in the way they cushion the ride. The air cell hitch seems to stop the porpoising more so the then air ride hitch, but it does not automatically adjust for changes in pin weight. The hitch I use has 9 air cells that I can add or remove as needed and it only takes a few seconds to do so, but what I like them most (other them the ride I get) is that I can add the cells not only for weight change, but also to help balance the weight on my hitch. It seems that everything heavy is on the left side of my RV so when I am adjusting my air cells I place more of them on the left side of my hitch to balance the shock on my pin box. 

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

22 minutes ago, NoDirectionHome said:

http://www.safholland.us/us/en/products/fifth-wheels/holland-special-and-light-commercial

thanks for that link. However, i would prefer to find a single jaw hitch :-)

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

15 minutes ago, Heavymetal said:

If you are going to the ECR there will be a conversation on hitches. I myself had tried the air ride and the air cell hitch I prefer the air cell (bump stop) I use the Comfort Ride (308) 30k hitch on my Western Star. I use to haul with a trailer saver but switched a couple of years ago. The two hitches were designed by the same guy and are basically the same except in the way they cushion the ride. The air cell hitch seems to stop the porpoising more so the then air ride hitch, but it does not automatically adjust for changes in pin weight. The hitch I use has 9 air cells that I can add or remove as needed and it only takes a few seconds to do so, but what I like them most (other them the ride I get) is that I can add the cells not only for weight change, but also to help balance the weight on my hitch. It seems that everything heavy is on the left side of my RV so when I am adjusting my air cells I place more of them on the left side of my hitch to balance the shock on my pin box. 

im not going to be able to go to the ECR. i looked at the comfort ride, but don’t want to spend quiet that much at the point. Plus the comfort ride is a dual jaw and i rather try to find a single jaw head. thank you :-)

 

[chief916]

My question????  Do "they" "the industry" even make a single jaw hitch?

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

2 minutes ago, chief916 said:

My question????  Do "they" "the industry" even make a single jaw hitch?

large hitches over 25.000 lbs are usually single jaw. If im not mistaken, Reese, used to make 30 k single jaw.

large hitches are single jaw as well. 

 

[phoenix2013]

The reason for single jaw is the need for the engagement to be sloppy when head is not articulating from side to side.

Dual jaw heads grasp the pin tightly but also allow the side to side movement to reduce stress on the RV frame. 

If you pin weight is low go with inexpensive hard hitch on the truck and an air pin box hitch on the fifth.

[SuiteSuccess]

Don't know for sure if the hitch presentations at the ECR will be PowerPoint or just hand held notes (that is up to the presenter).  If PowerPoint, we will try to post to the ECR website after the rally.

[phoenix2013]

Will the PowerPoint equipment be available for the presentations?

[NoDirectionHome]

I believe JOST has the single jaw versions you are looking for.  They should be available used from Vanderhaags.

[On The Road]

11 hours ago, DIESELSUBMARINER said:

I’m starting soon on converting my 359 Peterbilt and looking for a decent Hitch.

I know Air ride is the best on hitch, but i am trying to keep cost down and might only look for a regular hitch at this time. 

As for the hitch itself, i like it to be a solid, i.e. Binkley holland style head, but want a single Jaw for maximum reliability.

Any suggestions of who to use and could some guys also post pictures of how you set it up ?

Thanks in advance

I have a Trailer Saver 32kLP which I had on my volvo for about a year.  I can get you pictures of it.  I have attached it to a pallet and can carry it to a freight dock.  I will take 575.00 and you pay for the ride.  Here is a link to the hitch I have    http://trailersaverhitch.com/hitch32klp.html 

Trailer Saver gets 1295.00 plus shipping.  I have not listed the hitch yet.  If you would like to see pictures send me an email and I will send them to you.  Let me know.

[SuiteSuccess]

19 hours ago, phoenix2013 said:

Will the PowerPoint equipment be available for the presentations?

Yes.  There will be a projector and screen and both David Dixon and I will have our laptops so you can bring your laptop or your presentation on a flash drive and we can make it happen.  We may be in Tennessee but we've jumped into the technology thing 

[Heavymetal]

23 hours ago, phoenix2013 said:

The reason for single jaw is the need for the engagement to be sloppy when head is not articulating from side to side.

Dual jaw heads grasp the pin tightly but also allow the side to side movement to reduce stress on the RV frame. 

If you pin weight is low go with inexpensive hard hitch on the truck and an air pin box hitch on the fifth.

This why I like this forum! Everytime I read through the post I learn something new. 

[Jack Mayer]

If you have a lighter trailer a suspension hitch of some kind is even more important. The HDT will beat that trailer up, and it is unlikely to e designed for the forces involved. Put some sort of suspension someplace - either on the truck or the trailer. Either cells, or bags. 

And before people jump on this - YES, people have pulled without suspension with an HDT. But not many have done it without damage to the trailer. "How do you do in the casinos" is perhaps a relevant question.

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

15 hours ago, On The Road said:

I have a Trailer Saver 32kLP which I had on my volvo for about a year.  I can get you pictures of it.  I have attached it to a pallet and can carry it to a freight dock.  I will take 575.00 and you pay for the ride.  Here is a link to the hitch I have    http://trailersaverhitch.com/hitch32klp.html 

Trailer Saver gets 1295.00 plus shipping.  I have not listed the hitch yet.  If you would like to see pictures send me an email and I will send them to you.  Let me know.

i would be interested in this one. where are you located at?

 

thanks

 

[DIESELSUBMARINER]

as far as single vs dual jaw : from what i learned is that the single jaw is a more secure connection between the hitch and the king pin.. thats why big hitches only use single jaw.. at least that is what i been taught.

 

as for my camper : 42ft Teton... around 25300 gross weight and 6000 pin.

I was hoping to change my truck to the peterbilt low air leaf suspension with softer bags, as i do not need the high capacity for load and I will not put a car on it.

thanks

[GlennWest]

I'd put nothing but an ET on that.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

12 minutes ago, DIESELSUBMARINER said:

as far as single vs dual jaw : from what i learned is that the single jaw is a more secure connection between the hitch and the king pin.. thats why big hitches only use single jaw.. at least that is what i been taught.

 

as for my camper : 42ft Teton... around 25300 gross weight and 6000 pin.

I was hoping to change my truck to the peterbilt low air leaf suspension with softer bags, as i do not need the high capacity for load and I will not put a car on it.

thanks

 

That weight will max out a Trailersaver even with the 3rd airbag installed.  

[RickS]

I have a 30K solid hitch from my 2008 MDT. If anyone is interested I can bring it to one of the rally"s.

 

 

 

[On The Road]

1 hour ago, DIESELSUBMARINER said:

i would be interested in this one. where are you located at?

 

thanks

 

I sent you a pm

[hone eagle]

4 hours ago, DIESELSUBMARINER said:

as far as single vs dual jaw : from what i learned is that the single jaw is a more secure connection between the hitch and the king pin.. thats why big hitches only use single jaw.. at least that is what i been taught.

 

as for my camper : 42ft Teton... around 25300 gross weight and 6000 pin.

I was hoping to change my truck to the peterbilt low air leaf suspension with softer bags, as i do not need the high capacity for load and I will not put a car on it.

thanks

someone correct me if Iam wrong but are not all commercial hitchs are duel jaws?At least my binkely  is ,and they are comercial.Henry gave a talk on the duel jaw "when the block is in place its not opening"

[rickeieio]

Both my commercial hitches are single jaw.  I don't recall what brand they might be, likely Holland.  Either hitch style is quite secure, but as Henry noted, the single allows for articulation within the hitch, rather than having the hitch itself pivot.

Single jaw is good enough for 120,000# loads, and more, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it'll hold up to RV use.

But, as noted above, you'll save money in the long run with some type of a cushioning hitch.  RV's, in general, are NOT built for the punishment that a HDT will pass through the hitch.

[Heavymetal]

22 hours ago, Jack Mayer said:

If you have a lighter trailer a suspension hitch of some kind is even more important. The HDT will beat that trailer up, and it is unlikely to e designed for the forces involved. Put some sort of suspension someplace - either on the truck or the trailer. Either cells, or bags. 

And before people jump on this - YES, people have pulled without suspension with an HDT. But not many have done it without damage to the trailer. "How do you do in the casinos" is perhaps a relevant question.

Just had a friend who's DVR had to be put back together for this reason. He took it in because the bedroom slide was out of alignment come to find out all the welds up front were broken. DRV added gussets and supports to it and hopefully found and repaired all the damage. Jack is so right use some kind of suspension hitch because as the saying goes pay or pay latter. 

[Scrap]

Holland is the only 2 jaw of the commercial hitches too.  It is the same love/hate debate there too but the one thing that is for sure is you get to know one and you stick with it.  A lot of union contracts even write the 5th wheel into the truck order.  You've got to be extra diligent and know what you are looking for on a pre-trip with a two jaw.  Even just one high pin and it should get a rebuild.  I've heard from many small fleet managers where you start mixing up 5th wheels on drivers and you'll start getting dropped trailers.  For whatever reason the 2 jaw starts to do it first.  Kingpin lock indicators are getting to be a big thing this year....Maybe y'all can adapt them to your Binkley?