? Weight Distribution hitch (and bars) storage ideas ?

[skunked again]

How do you store your hitch and bars?
So far, ours gets stored in the front pass thru. However, I'd like to free that space up.
We have a husky centerline ts.
I've seen things like the ezstorhitch, hitchport, bolting or welding on a short receiver tube. And then putting a bag over the hitch. Other pros and cons?

[sourdough]

My shanks always were in the bed of the truck and the bars in the pass through - they take very little space.

[ssthrd]

I secured the shank to a tie-down in the left rear of my box and kept the bars in the passthrough.

[NH_Bulldog]

I keep ours in the pass thru. When we are connected, the space is used by blocks and chocks, and when parked the blocks and chocks are “deployed”, the hitch and bars occupy the space.

[skunked again]

Thanks all !

[dutchmensport]

I had 3 different travel trailers, all with front pass-through. I always kept the hitch and bars in there. I did not want to separate the hitch/bars from the trailer, like keeping them stored in the bed of the truck. Why? Because if for any reason, the truck was in an accident and the truck was disabled, or yet, destroyed, the bars would be with the truck, not the trailer. Now, how do I tow the trailer? Even with a rental truck, I can still use the same hitch and bars. But if they are in a shop or a junk yard somewhere, I'm just out of luck!

I've seen folks create hangers on the A-frame of the trailer, and they simply leave the hitch hanging from the coupler. I didn't want to do that either because they are constantly exposed to the elements, and subject to rust quicker. It might be OK for a campground, campsite for a week-end, but for long term, over the winter, I'd want them under cover.

[flybouy]

While in a CG I plave the bars and the pipe to snap up the brakets on the A frame of the trailer. If were not doing into town the hitch head stays on the truck reciever. If we're going somewhere where parking is tight (say parallel street parking) then the hitch head comes off and stored under the trailer with the locking pin in it. I've never had any issue with theft.

Not concerned with the "what if" of an accident. I dont know of any any storage lot or repair facility that won't grant you acess to your property unless it's imponded by Law Enforcement. If that's the case then my guess is you have larger issues than just moving your trailer.
Hhitch grip
If the trailer is in the storage lot then the hitch head, bars, snap bracket pipe, and hitch grip tool are stored togather in the garage. Hitch is a Reese straight line dual cam.

[dutchmensport]

flybouy,

After you hitch, raise the truck and trailer as high as you can go. You won't need that snap bracket pipe at all. Attach the bars, then lower the tongue jack and they'll tighten up.

To remove them, do it in reverse. Raise the tongue jack as high as you can, then the snaps for the bars can be done with your little finger. Remove the bars, then lower the tongue again to finish unhitching the coupler.

If your trailer tongue jack will not raise high enough to lift the tow vehicle and trailer high enough, then put blocks under the jack. I fabricated an 8 inch block of wood I kept permanently for placement under the tongue jack, just so I could raise the trailer high enough to affix the bars without taking the risk of breaking my wrist with that snap bar because it has so much tension.

This method is much easier and safer than using that bar.

This works for all weight distribution hitches that use spring bars. Reese with the chains, or 4 Point Equal-i-zer style hitches with the L- bracket. I know, I've had both.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

flybouy,

After you hitch, raise the truck and trailer as high as you can go. You won't need that snap bracket pipe at all. Attach the bars, then lower the tongue jack and they'll tighten up.

To remove them, do it in reverse. Raise the tongue jack as high as you can, then the snaps for the bars can be done with your little finger. Remove the bars, then lower the tongue again to finish unhitching the coupler.

If your trailer tongue jack will not raise high enough to lift the tow vehicle and trailer high enough, then put blocks under the jack. I fabricated an 8 inch block of wood I kept permanently for placement under the tongue jack, just so I could raise the trailer high enough to affix the bars without taking the risk of breaking my wrist with that snap bar because it has so much tension.

This method is much easier and safer than using that bar.

This works for all weight distribution hitches that use spring bars. Reese with the chains, or 4 Point Equal-i-zer style hitches with the L- bracket. I know, I've had both.

Thanks for that advice, been doing it that way for several decades and trilers. I use the pipe because of nerve damage that causes numbness in my hands. The pipe keeps my fingers clear of pinch points.

[RVGator]

When I had my travel trailer I bought and installed the below. It worked perfectly. Even came with a cover for the hitch itself.

https://hitchport.com/

[JRTJH]

Here's a couple of things to consider:

1. If you store your trailer and truck in separate locations, having the hitch with the truck is a "recipe to forget the hitch and make two trips". Having the hitch with the trailer means that you're always ready to tow the trailer, even if you're the "forgetful type".... BTDT

2. NONE of us expect to be involved in a serious accident, but if the 40 pound steel hitch and two 20 pound "spears pretending to be bars" are laying in the back of the truck bed and you're involved in a "rapid decelleration accident", those objects can readily come crashing through the bed and into the cab.... If you do decide to store them in the bed of the truck, think about how secure they are, in the event of a head-on or frontal accident.....

[skunked again]

Thanks all!
Good points to ponder.

[levic900rr]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Here's a couple of things to consider:

1. If you store your trailer and truck in separate locations, having the hitch with the truck is a "recipe to forget the hitch and make two trips". Having the hitch with the trailer means that you're always ready to tow the trailer, even if you're the "forgetful type".... BTDT

2. NONE of us expect to be involved in a serious accident, but if the 40 pound steel hitch and two 20 pound "spears pretending to be bars" are laying in the back of the truck bed and you're involved in a "rapid decelleration accident", those objects can readily come crashing through the bed and into the cab.... If you do decide to store them in the bed of the truck, think about how secure they are, in the event of a head-on or frontal accident.....

This second part is real. The friend I have that got the most hurt in a car accident was hit in the head by a group 24 battery that he had in the back seat of his car.

[captainbillyw69]

Originally Posted by skunked again

How do you store your hitch and bars?
So far, ours gets stored in the front pass thru. However, I'd like to free that space up.
We have a husky centerline ts.
I've seen things like the ezstorhitch, hitchport, bolting or welding on a short receiver tube. And then putting a bag over the hitch. Other pros and cons?

I purchased a bumper mount receiver & attached it to the trailer’s A frame near the trailer body. The receiver of course allowed me to use the same locking hitch pin to lock the hitch to prevent theft.
The bars I manufactured four basically fish hook like brackets that I bolted to the frame. I used steel about 1/8 inch thick & one inch wide. I bent them around the bars on a bench vise. I had to apply a torch to the metal bars to bend them more easily!

[Pfxmichaelm]

I really like the EzStorHitch (https://ezstorhitch.com/), easy to use and lock up your WDH out of the way.

[Balvar24]

I've got some large parts bags that came from a machine shop. These are heavy, some kind of plastic weave. I slip them over the hitch, pull the pin, and then remove the hitch with it in the bag. No muss, no fuss. I either throw them under the trailer, or in the back of the truck. Same goes for the weight bars. They're in the way in my pass thru.

[Folkie]

I put a bolt on bumper receiver on the A-frame (it required longer bolts). Normally I leave the hitch on the truck when camping but if I need to go into town where parking may be an issue then I can lock it on the A-frame. I usually just lay the bars across the A-frame when we are camping with friends. The extra receiver can also be used with my flag pole mount. When I store the camper off site the hitch and bars live in my garage. And yes, I do have an extensive check list and so far have not left home without them.

[skunked again]

Thank you all for the input!!
Much appreciated!

[LCrabtree]

We store ours on a bracket on the trailer frame. You can lock it there if you need. Out of the mud in the winter and sand in the summer. No grease in the PU bed or the trailer compartments. And no barked shins. I’m trying to upload pictures.

[skunked again]

Thank you!