Truck bed savers

[dj3spots]

Has anyone installed the "truck bed saver"? New to fivers and want to make life easy and safe. Please advise, pros and cons. Thanks.

[ependydad]

The two that I'm familiar with (don't own either, so my opinion is suspect) are the BlueOx Bed Saver and Butch's Bed Saver.

They work off of 2 different principles-

1) the BlueOx is something like $250, is big and heavy BUT is always engaged (you hitch over top of it and don't have to do anything to have it in place to catch a dropped pin).

2) the Butch's is something like $50, is small and light BUT requires that you remember to slide of across the pin in order for it to be "engaged".

Both have their pros and cons especially when mated to various hitches.

[AquaMan]

There was a thread a while back that discussed the pros and cons of both. I believe 99% of dropped trailers, is user error.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by ttrost65

I believe 99% of dropped trailers, is user error.

Agreed.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by ttrost65

There was a thread a while back that discussed the pros and cons of both. I believe 99% of dropped trailers, is user error.

I think if the truth be known, it is 100% operator error. Haven't heard of a single mechanical failure of any of the bed savers.

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I think if the truth be known, it is 100% operator error. Haven't heard of a single mechanical failure of any of the bed savers.

I was thinking the 1% being more in the line of a hitch failure than a bed saver failure.

[dj3spots]

Well. Wished I had gone ahead and put the bed saver on the hitch when hitch was first installed; before we picked up trailer. DH did not correctly engage hitch and the trailer dropped into the truck bed. We are insured on both truck and trailer but have to pay the deductibles. It would have been cheaper to install the bed saver. Of course, we had a bed saver installed when they repaired the truck. My mantra this past week : he bought it, he broke it , he' ll fix it. Oh my. He was so upset with himself, I never said a word. You all were right - 100% operator error.

[RhoZeta]

One of the guys at my work did this with his brand new XLR toy hauler, destroyed the bed of his F250, did little to no damage to his camper. He bought the trailer saver after that but after all the ribbing everybody at work gave him I am pretty sure he will NEVER forget to do a pull check again.

[Red Wolf]

Will the Blue Ox work with Revolution boxes? Will the wedge prevent it from catching the king pin?

I exchanged some emails with Butch, he said his system wouldn't work with it at this time.

For that matter, since the wedge locks the kingpin in place and won't let it move, and the pivot is back at the pin box, I'm wondering if I couldn't run some latch pins through it to keep it from disengaging at all.

[OldCoot]

Got a wedge on my Revolution and my homemade Butch's hitch catcher works. I now add a pc of the thick wall tubing over the shaft to increase the 'catching' ability. If it missed the wedge, it catches the pin.

[Weezer]

Just checked Butch's web site, and it states his safety bar won't work with a Revolution.

Anyone know a source for these safety bars that WILL work with a Revolution?

We're both OCD about the test pull, but having that safety bar would take some of the stress off when hitching up.