Wannafbody

Stumbled on this item from another forum, it's similar to a trailer toad but less expensive.

http://safetyhitch.com/

NorthernYankee

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like the with this the pin weight of a 5th Wheel(or hitch weight of a TT) would be on this axle and not on the TV. This would allow the abilty to tow a larger variety of Trailers since you would only need to worry about GCWR and not GCWR and GVWR. I know in my case GVWR is really what limits me.

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

YIKES!!!! NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!


Here's info on the Safety Hitch pricing:

I got my used Trailer Toad for $2000, and I've seen really nice used ones available for $1100, $1500, $2000 and up to $3000 or so.


You can get a brand new Trailer Toad 3500 for $3195, and there's a 5000 model for $3795 that will take up to around a 4000 lb tongue weight.


So...the Safety hitch is a LOT more expensive than a Trailer Toad, but it's also a LOT more of a "hitch extension"!!! It's a big, beefy dolly for towing gooseneck and 5th wheel trailers with tongue/pin weights up to 8000 lbs.


With the Safety Hitch you can pull a gooseneck or 5er trailer with an SUV or payload limited pickup truck.


The Trailer Toad does a similar thing, but only for trailers with bumper hitch type ball couplers.

Wannafbody

I missed the price somehow. Maybe what I thought was the price was just for an option. One disadvantage of the Safety Hitch is that it replaces the hitch on the truck so you are can only use the Safety Hitch to toe and can't tow a smaller trailer without it.

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

I watched one of the videos that showed how they had to remove the stock hitch, but the Safety Hitch installs (according to them) in 30 to 45 minutes and bolts up to the stock mounting holes with the same size bolts.

Once it's installed there are several pins that allow you to remove the part that sticks out behind the bumper, and I think when that's removed there is a regular 2" receiver so you can install a ball mount to tow a regular trailer.

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130428

pretty cool... and yes it does say that you can tow a regular bumper-pull trailer with it.

now I just need to buy a trailer

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Yes - both the Trailer Toad and the Safety Hitch are very cool devices!

The Safety Hitch is a BIG and beefy gooseneck or 5th wheel hauler - it weighs in the neighborhood of 1300 lbs, it has brakes, and it costs more than $10,000. But it allows an SUV or a pickup without much payload capacity to haul a gooseneck or 5er because the Safety Hitch carries the entire pin/tongue weight of the trailer. And, like in the picture below, if you have a pickup you can still use the bed and load the cab and bed up to your full payload capacity.




Well....one of the problems is GCWR - the combined weight of your tow vehicle and what you're towing. For instance, my truck has a GVWR of 7200, and GCWR of 15,500. If I load my truck up to its max weight of 7200, that would let me tow 8300 lbs.

However, if 1300 lbs is used up by the Safety Hitch, then I'd be limited to a 7000 lb trailer.

My older used Trailer Toad only weighs about 200 lbs, and cost me $2000:




So, with my Trailer Toad, I can still pull 8300 lbs, but if the Toad only uses up 200 of that, then I can hook up an 8100 lb trailer before I'm at my GCWR limit - 1000 lbs more than if I had the large Safety Hitch.

The Trailer Toad is a much lighter unit, has no brakes, and only can tow a trailer with a bumper hitch ball coupler.

The Safety Hitch looks like a great unit to haul a heavy gooseneck/5er, but you still need sufficient GCWR to be able to haul a heavy load.

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king nothing

That safety hitch looks like a smaller version of a converter dolly that semis use to pull doubles. Very interesting idea