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Old 04-29-2023, 12:49 PM   #1
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what to do after parking the camper

What are people doing with the mass of steel that is the Equalizer hitch after parking the camper? I can pull it out and carry it but my wife can't.

Some options might be to:

- fold the spring bars parallel to the bumper and rig something to keep them there while driving the tow vehicle.

- have a hoist or lift to remove the hitch for stowing out of the way of the camper or the tow vehicle.

It's her camper and truck so I won't always be present to remove it for her. Have any of you dealt with this? You'll get extra credit points for including pictures.
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Old 04-29-2023, 12:56 PM   #2
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I suppose it depends on type/brand of hitch. I just lock it in a front storage compartment in the camper. put bars on either side. Ours is light enough I can lift it. I don't want to leave it on just driving around. The bars on ours might come off so definitely do not want to leave them on.
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Old 04-29-2023, 01:07 PM   #3
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The knuckle/trunion assy stays in the truck reciever via a lockable hitch pin. That way it can't grow legs! The bars go in the truck bed. DW made a dual sleeve from the pant legs of an old pair of jeans [emoji158]. Insert one bar in each leg, greasy end first. They don't clang around. Probably could have sold those pair of jeans to some fool for big bucks the way kids buy new jeans these days
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Old 04-29-2023, 01:17 PM   #4
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Is this the true 4 point Equal-i-zer WDH? I have this WDH and I simply remove the trunnion weight bars and put them under the A-frame. I leave the hitch head in the truck's receiver.
If you don't have the actual Equal-i-zer WDH, then I'm not sure what you mean "folding the spring bars parallel to the bumper". Don't know how you can do that with the actual 4 point Equal-i-zer.

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Old 04-29-2023, 01:26 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fipntdot View Post
I suppose it depends on type/brand of hitch. I just lock it in a front storage compartment in the camper. put bars on either side. Ours is light enough I can lift it. I don't want to leave it on just driving around. The bars on ours might come off so definitely do not want to leave them on.
I have no patience for those of you not being relevant in your answer. If you're interested in increasing your post count and not being helpful please go elsewhere. Have a nice day.

Here are the facts. It's an Equalizer hitch. It's too heavy for a 120lb woman to lift without injury or damage. The bathroom scale shows it at 85lbs. It's perfectly located at a level to cause maximum damage to a lower back if improperly lifted. It cannot be broken down into smaller pieces that allow for ease of use. edit: After reading BikenDan & Jeff64's post I looked for the pins. The unit can be in sub assemblies.
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Old 04-29-2023, 01:43 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by bikendan View Post


Is this the true 4 point Equal-i-zer WDH? I have this WDH and I simply remove the trunnion weight bars and put them under the A-frame. I leave the hitch head in the truck's receiver.
If you don't have the actual Equal-i-zer WDH, then I'm not sure what you mean "folding the spring bars parallel to the bumper". Don't know how you can do that with the actual 4 point Equal-i-zer.

jeff64... The knuckle/trunion assy stays in the truck reciever via a lockable hitch pin. That way it can't grow legs! The bars go in the truck bed. DW made a dual sleeve from the pant legs of an old pair of jeans [emoji158]. Insert one bar in each leg, greasy end first. They don't clang around. Probably could have sold those pair of jeans to some fool for big bucks the way kids buy new jeans these days
Thanks for the help gents. After reading your posts I looked and saw the cotter pins holding the spring bars on the link plate/ball (knuckle/trunion?) assembly. She should be able to remove them individually and stow them away. The rest of the hitch can stay locked to the receiver of the truck.

I like the pants as a tool suggestion. I have old work pants she hasn't repaired yet that would be better used for that. Thanks.
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Old 04-29-2023, 02:25 PM   #7
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I have no patience for those of you not being relevant in your answer. If you're interested in increasing your post count and not being helpful please go elsewhere. Have a nice day. [/B]
My mistake. Not trying to be unhelpful at all, I was trying to look for more information to be helpful. Where i grew up "equalizer" was a generic term for most weight distributing hitches.
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Old 04-29-2023, 02:46 PM   #8
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You may want to buy some of that patience you speak of, looks like you may need it.
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Old 04-29-2023, 05:21 PM   #9
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Thanks anyway.
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Old 04-29-2023, 05:47 PM   #10
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I know you mentioned leaving the head in place, so please don't take this as me attempting to try your patience, but this is a great product for those times when you need to carry the Equal-i-Zer head assembly back and forth....even your wife could likely move it around with one of these:

Hitch Grip

Added benefit is no grease on your pants, hands etc.
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Old 04-29-2023, 06:17 PM   #11
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Leaving the hitch head in place gives you extra protection if someone rears-ends you (her) at the risk of backing into something. My backup camera works with the hitch still there but gives a constant alarm that I'm "too close" to the hitch ball.

Store the bars in the hollow back bumper.

I pull the head and leave it under the trailer. I didn't think it weighed 85 pounds but I doubt your scale is wrong so my ego just got a slight boost. Plastic grocery store shopping bags easily tie over the whole hitch and prevent grease stains. These come in stylish colors depending on where you shop -- you've got a hundred of them stashed in a kitchen cupboard and in the camper.

I store it inside the main door of the trailer when in storage on a padded mat.

-- Chuck
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Old 04-29-2023, 08:50 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tent View Post
I have no patience for those of you not being relevant in your answer. If you're interested in increasing your post count and not being helpful please go elsewhere. Have a nice day.

Here are the facts. It's an Equalizer hitch. It's too heavy for a 120lb woman to lift without injury or damage. The bathroom scale shows it at 85lbs. It's perfectly located at a level to cause maximum damage to a lower back if improperly lifted. It cannot be broken down into smaller pieces that allow for ease of use. edit: After reading BikenDan & Jeff64's post I looked for the pins. The unit can be in sub assemblies.
A little patience on your part would be helpful. Many folks call most WDH's Equalizers and most of us that have been around a while know that most of these break down so the "meat" of the hitch can remain on the truck - as you found out. Hang around and read sometimes. You might learn something else.
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Old 04-29-2023, 11:55 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tent View Post
I have no patience for those of you not being relevant in your answer. If you're interested in increasing your post count and not being helpful please go elsewhere. Have a nice day.
.[/B]

Sounds to me like an apology is in order. Little quick to go postal!
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Old 04-30-2023, 05:27 AM   #14
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When I had a travel trailer, I bought an inexpensive shotgun case that very neatly held the spring bars and related accessories. I then stored it in the front storage compartment and it worked out very well. I left the hitch head in the receiver with a slit bright-colored tennis ball on the ball.


I also used the Hitchgrip for carrying the head to and from the receiver.
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Old 04-30-2023, 07:05 AM   #15
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I modified a mechanics roller seat (with wheels) to set the hitch on, height wise, it's not a hard lift to slip it in the reciever or, and using the bars as a handle, I easily wheel it in and out of my garage with out getting hurt. I'm using a 14K equalizer wdh.
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Old 04-30-2023, 07:42 AM   #16
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Also.......
Make sure you teach the wife how to raise / lower the trailer to connect/remove the bars.
Did you get her a power jack?


Plus............
Careful where you PUT the pins and those bent square bars
they actually sit on the bumper for quite a while before dropping off down the road....

Keep spares pins on all trips or a metal detector!

Ohhhhhhhhhh ......
and leave the heavy stuff on until you finish camping!
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Old 04-30-2023, 07:55 AM   #17
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Two suggestions;
1. a cut tennis ball or a hitch ball cover would protect the hitch ball from dust or dirt and will help prevent getting grease on people passing by the hitch ball when the vehicle is disconnected from the trailer.
2. Depending on how much you might want to invest to remove the hitch from the receiver the option for a 1/2 ton hoist in a truck bed may solve the lifting issue - https://a.co/d/gKIcJJc
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Old 04-30-2023, 08:35 AM   #18
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The Equalizer(tm) hitch cannot be "disassembled" other than removing the two weight bars. If she lacks the strength to remove and later replace (!) it she will have to leave it on the truck. Simple as that unless there's a small derrick handy.

There's grease "everywhere" on this hitch so a tennis ball will only cover the ball and not the rest of the hitch -- which a grocery store plastic bag will cover and which can be tied in place and look completely tacky. If style is paramount I recommend an Orange ball cover to warn those tailgaters they have a foot less space than they think they have.

At the risk of irrelevance we can take this tutorial further: When removing the bars pull the pins, then pull the bar out only far enough to expose the holes, and put the pins back in the bars so they don't get lost. Remove and store the bars. Same thing with the L-pins on the trailer. Put them back in the square holes and replace the cotter pins so they don't get lost.

Practice this at home. Just be aware it will be raining and dark when doing this when camping but the procedure does not change.

-- Chuck
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Old 04-30-2023, 08:36 AM   #19
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I use a foam can cozy to cover the ball. They're usually free if you hit the shows and haven't flown off while I drive around
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Old 04-30-2023, 09:20 AM   #20
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I have the 4 point Equalizer hitch. While on a trip where I will be moving, I leave the ball mount on the truck and place the spring bars across the A frame. At home with trailer stored I remove the ball mount. As my age advances and two back surgeries it is getting harder to handle. I welded a large washer to the top of the mount and made a T-handle so I would not have to bend over to remove or insert the ball mount.
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