Blue Ox BedSaver Pin Lock - Install Update

[waldo238]

I have the original one. When I tested it I did not raise the rig all the way so as I came out from under the rig, the truck came up and the bed saver caught it. Then I backed up a little, raised the rig more and pulled away. I don't think I would trust the counter weight of the other one to spring up and catch it, I would always be worrying is this thing going to work, also by listening to how it is installed does this replace the current plate or go over it? If it goes over it then you just raised the rig up more in the front. Once the bed saver is on and you take the hitch head and tilt it all the back towards the tail gate you can see that there is only one place that the king pin can go, right into the bed saver.

[ehmcfarl]

On the Reese 16k hitch, at least, the Pin Lock does not replace the top plate, it just hooks up under the front lip of the hitch and wraps across the top and down the rear where it fastens to the bottom rear of the hitch. The pin catcher is "always" in the "catch" position except when you are hitching up. When hitching up it is pushed down by the pin passing over it, then it immediately pops back up into "catch" position where it remains. The Pin Lock model does not raise the height of the hitch. It uses a heavy metal strap (1/8" thick x 2" wide) on each side of the hitch head which lies flat against the top of the hitch frame. If you notice on your hitch, the hitch head sticks up about 1/8 inch above the hitch frame. The Pin Lock "catcher", which is as wide as the pin pathway opening on the hitch and a good 5/8 to 3/4 inches thick, sits right up against the rear of the hitch head. It does not protrude back away from the hitch, as the original Bedsaver does.

I just like the Pin Lock a little better than the original Bedsaver because it sits closer to the hitch which produces less leverage stress on the hitch when an accidental release does occur. Either model seems to work well and it is just a personal preference as to which model you choose.

The only picture on the Blue Ox site just shows a model of the Pin Lock where the top plate is replaced. This is not the case with the Reese 16k hitch. It appears that different models of hitches are fitted differently with the Pin Lock device.

Buddy