Air Ride Hitches - Air Ride Pin Boxes
11/2/2016
Do You Really Need and Air Ride Hitch?
The majority of people who have converted an HDT for RV use generally agree that one should either use an air ride hitch with an articulating head or an air ride pin box when pulling a non commercial trailer with one of these monsters. The general consensus is that the use of both is pretty much a waste of money.
For one reason or another everyone has their favorite ARH manufacturer but the majority of members in the forum have chosen to go with the TrailerSaver TSLB2H AR hitch with a 5K pin weight but many have opted to go with the 7.5K pin weight option.
Here is one thread with photos of what can happen without an air hitch.
| From 5th_Wheeler: When I first contacted TrailerSaver about mailing me the literature on their TSLB2H AR hitch they included a letter in the packet that stated I could get 10% off the regular purchase price within a given amount time if I mentioned the letter when I placed a phone order. I'm not sure if they still make this offer when you order their literature packet but it's worth a try.
Just remember, when choosing a particular air ride hitch that the top most surface of the Binkley Head should ride at between 45" to 47" off/above the ground which should mate up to just about any 5th-Wheel you might decide to purchase at a later date. |
Note:
Remember, as a rule of thumb, you'll need approximately 60" clearance from the center of the hitch pin to the back of your cab or to whatever else you anticipate hauling on the bed to accommodate trailer swing in addition to uneven ground conditions.
Here's the current list of air ride hitch and air ride pin box manufacturers that we are aware of.
Note:
The ET and ET Jr. are the brain children of hjsdds (Henry Szmyt).
If you do a search under ET hitch you'll Find that quite a few owners praise their hitch choice.
Note:
The Comfort Ride Hitch is an evolution of the TrailerSaver using new technology air cells in place of air bags.
The air cells dissipate vertical energy without aging like air bags.
Note:
D-Square "website now closed" manufacturer of the McCall ARH is now operating on a Very Limited Basis.
Gene McCall is essentially retired but I've heard that whenever possible he will service prior customers hitches. You can contact Gene or his wife Pat @ (1-505-531-2105) to discuss the possibility of them servicing your hitch.
Note:
For the Holland (Binkley) FW0001, 02, 05 Series Hitch Installation, Operation and Maintenance PDF Instructions which also includes a breakdown of the hitch parts which would come in handy should you need a replacement part for your Binkley head.
DIYGuy (Mark) had brought this PDF File to our attention some time ago as most of us with Air Ride Hitches are using the FW0001 version on the various manufacturer's AR Hitches that we purchased.
Additional AR Hitch Information
Jack Mayer (Jack)'s air ride hitch page includes his notes and a few photos related to adding the third air bag to a TrailerSaver TSLB2H ARH which brings the pin weight on the hitch up to 7,500 lbs. from the standard 5,000 lbs. Mark & Dale Bruss (Mark) also has an article on the reasons for an air ride hitch, the options he considered, and his choice.
shows an Air Ride Hitch Gauge that is flush mounted into the lower left hand portion of a VNL610 dash which allows the driver to view and adjust the air pressure to the hitch from within the cab while in transit or from the ground during hookups.
Air Ride Pin Boxes:
Air Ride Hitches - Versus - Air Ride Pinboxes:
As with most things in life there always seems to be individuals wanting to debate over just about everything in life including which is best and what is completely adequate when it comes to Air Ride Hitches and Air Ride Pin Boxes for our toters.
Hitch Head Lube Disks:
Sometimes manufacturing variances on the pins on the trailer so not provide enough clearance to use the standard 1/4" thick teflon RV hitch pad. The indication that the pin clearance is wrong it that the lower collar on the pin interferes with the hitch head claws.
You could choose to put grease on the hitch plate to keep from having a steel on steel contact, but that can be messy and exposed grease is a great dirt attractor. Grit in the grease on a hitch head will cause wear, and enough wear will result in an expensive replacement.
A better solution for a pin with insufficient clearance for a 1/4" hitch pad is an 1/8" hitch pad
Another less elegant solution is to take a 1/4" and sand the surface until there is enough clearance.
Also you can try using the bottom of a Home Depot/Lowes bucket or the bucket cover, trimmed to fit.