Pickup Bed Damage Avoidance

[PackerFan]

Here is my Butches Safety Bar. Glad I have the peace of mind it provides!

[sambam]

quote:Originally posted by PackerFan

Here is my Butches Safety Bar. Glad I have the peace of mind it provides!

Thanks for the picture. It really cleared up my questions. I'm new to 5th wheel towing and try and take every precaution when hitching/unhitching. I do the pull test each and every time. But there is still that "what if" thing going on for me. What if the jaws inexplicably let go of the pin? There is no recourse. The trailer will fall and crunch the bedrails, doing damage to truck and probably the Montana too. All you guys have been towing these beasts for a lot longer than me. If you see the value, I certainly do, as well.

[Tom S.]

As stated, there is nothing wrong with the Butch's safety bar - other than the fact you have to remember to engage it, and not to disengage it too soon. The Blue Ox has nothing to engage and is there all the time.

[mach111]

quote:Originally posted by jsmitfl

Have had Butch's for a couple years now and love it

I like and feel safe with my Butch's Latch Kit. Read the info from this site. Friendly rv neighbors can distract you quickly.

[PackerFan]

When I am hitching up or unhooking I have a regular routine I follow. If someone comes up to talk with me or if I get distracted during the process I always start over again at the beginning so I am sure I don't miss or forget something. The main thing is "Always Take Your Time!"

[jlb27537]

All this is a mute point if you have a B&W hitch. You open the jaws, back under the trailer, look at the jaws, put the pin in the release lever, you are done.

Now if you have SOB, you may need a device to CYA. Not needed with a B&W.

Jim

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by jlb27537

All this is a mute point if you have a B&W hitch. You open the jaws, back under the trailer, look at the jaws, put the pin in the release lever, you are done.

Now if you have SOB, you may need a device to CYA. Not needed with a B&W.

Jim

That's great until some schmuck pulls the release at a rest stop just to mess with you, or your screw up and pull the release yourself too soon when setting up camp. Yeah, you can say it will never happen - until it does.

[JandC]

quote:Originally posted by PackerFan

When I am hitching up or unhooking I have a regular routine I follow. If someone comes up to talk with me or if I get distracted during the process I always start over again at the beginning so I am sure I don't miss or forget something. The main thing is "Always Take Your Time!"

The DW and I each have our "jobs" when hooking up and unhooking. A huge part of her job is watching me to make sure I complete everything in the procedure in order, including the pull test with the trailer wheels still locked in place.

I am with Scott 100% on this one. If someone wants to chit-chat then everything stops until they go away, then we start all over.

[Artemus Gordon]

Btw...met a B&W user who dropped his Hitchhiker fiver. I know, I know, it's impossible, but met him at my buddy's body shop! My Curt is foolproof, yet I dropped mine because I did not pay attention! That guy told me same thing, he was talking to someone and it happened. We now have a very serious proceedure of inspection, pull testing and hearing the "Curt" latch slam, as we call it. My point folks, it happens to the best of RVers!

[Artemus Gordon]

Btw...met a B&W user who dropped his Hitchhiker fiver. I know, I know, it's impossible, but met him at my buddy's body shop! My Curt is foolproof, yet I dropped mine because I did not pay attention! That guy told me same thing, he was talking to someone and it happened. We now have a very serious proceedure of inspection, pull testing and hearing the "Curt" latch slam, as we call it. My point folks, it happens to the best of RVers!

[steelpony5555]

It is important to check your hitch every time you are away from your truck when traveling. My hitch is the same as Sambam has pictured above. I also have a padlock for the release figured that will prevent any shenanigans. But one time I looked into my bed and saw a small pin laying. Here it was the locking pin that goes to that giant pin that holds the hitch head on. Now the locking pin for that is the type that has a large round ring that folds over to actually lock the locking pin in place. I highly doubt that pin could come out with out some outside help. I found it just in time cause the giant pin had worked its way back to where it was barely hanging on. Now I check all my pins when I come back to the truck. Oh I also almost did a boo boo too. Once when unhooking I got in a hurry and didn't chock the wheels. Luckily I had already lowered my front jacks down and they were resting on a couple of lego blocks, I thought the site was level but oh'contrar, soon as I released the lock she rolled back and dropped off the lego blocks just barely high enough not to damage any sheet metal, but that woulda happened even if I had a Blue Ox or what ever..

[Hooker]

Maybe I'm stubborn, but I refused to buy a bedsaver. As a long time pilot, my philosophy was that if I needed a bed saver, I should never fly any airplane that had retractable gear...just fixed gear...to be sure I didn't forget to put them down.

My hitch/unhitch policy was to follow the checklist (on a laminated 3 x 5 card) EVERYTIME, do it the same way in the same order, and if interrupted (as mentioned several times above), start the check list over.

[jrpend]

Forgive me for being ignorant, but you had a Butch and you were taking off not having fully engaged the hitch - and the Butch caught it - would you know?

Thanks,
Jerald
Montana Wannabe

[waynemoore]

Most if not all aircraft with retractable gear that I have flown had ground proximity warning systems . Again Pasive safety systems. I have chance my hetche to one that has a higher weight limit do to the heaver 3582RL I just got. You can be sure that the BlueOx will be on the new one.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by jrpend

Forgive me for being ignorant, but you had a Butch and you were taking off not having fully engaged the hitch - and the Butch caught it - would you know?

Thanks,
Jerald
Montana Wannabe

I suspect with the jerk it provided, yes.

[bigred715]

Like the idea of the Blue Oxe always being there and don't have to worry about forgetting. Should have had it before my "accident". Like the idea of the smaller and cheaper alternative, but it still requires you to REMEMBER to engage it. My memory isn't getting any better.

[jlb27537]

OK, we have to remember to engage it, but we can not remember to check the hitch if it is latched properly?

When I am away from my truck, IE: pit stop, I walk around the truck and trailer EVERY TIME and look at stuff. I always look into the bed and look at the hitch release lever. Never a issue in over 21 years of pulling a 5th.

IF while hooking up or un-hooking, I get a visitor, I just start over.

[1retired06]

just bought and installed a Blue Ox bedsaver for the Curt 24K hitch I recently purchased.

[Rondo]

Mike-- that Blue Ox is the cheapest insurance you can have for a possible non-hooked/high hitched situation. I went to the factory here in Nebraska and picked mine up personally. Great people and they even have a small campground for those that want to come out to the factory and have them install it or design one for them. Like I said, great people!

[Tom S.]

In a perfect world, we wouldn't need bed savers of any kind. The Blue Ox shines in that it's a passive system, meaning it's there all the time, whether you're driving down the road, getting ready to pull out or in the case of if you unhitch before you remembered to chock the wheels and lower the landing gear. In other words, it works not only when intended, but when brain farts (aka BF's) happen. The other type works well for it's intended purpose and is cheaper, but offers no protection against aforementioned BF's.

And just remember, there are two kinds of RVer's: those who suffer from occasional BF's and those who someday will.