New Front Trailer Hitch

Ananda · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:35 pm Post subject: New Front Trailer Hitch

WOW! Maybe a lot of you have no need of this or already have one, but I just added a front hitch to the truck to help in maneuvering Honu down our difficult, narrow driveway. The trip down the driveway used to take forever, accompanied by much verbal frustration !!%$$!!!#@% . This time, with the new hitch, I could see everything right in front of me and it went down the driveway in a couple of minutes. My recommendation: best $$ I ever spent (next to the C-Dory, of course). I only wish I had done this years ago for other trailers. I probably would have lived longer. Wink

Here's a picture, posted in Honu's "Coming Home" album:

thataway · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:32 pm Post subject:

Great idea--we had one on our RV for a small boat. We will probably put one on our current RV for our new smaller boat. You can see where the boat is going, keeps the driving wheels out of the water, and maneuvers much better! Of course we have back up cameras on the RV--so we can see what is in back of us, if we pull the boat out of the water...

Edwin · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: Front hitch

Kathleen

In the 1960's my family had a fishing resort in northern Quebec where we had many fishermen from the New England states come for the land locked salmon. One summer an old and wise man showed up with a front hitch on his truck. Our first thoughts were that he could not back up his trailer.
We were wrong and curious. He let me try his set up and we have had front hitches on our tow vehicles ever since. They are especially great in crowded ramps.
Happy boating

Ed Thumbs Up

mcc272 · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject:

I have one on my F250 that I had fabricated. It is a frame which slides into the plow brackets and which carries a hitch. I can tow my rig up my drive but when I am up, I do not have enough room to get the rig turned around. Without a fron titch, with which I can actually get the boat turned around, I would have to back down a 450 foot drive way (flag lot) that winds down a steep hill. The one thing I have to do is to very carefully block all four wheels with the trailer on the flatest part so it does not take off down the drive and into the woods on its own. Like you, I think the front hitch is worth every penny I paid to have it fabricated.

Jim

Wandering Sagebrush · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:41 pm Post subject: Front Hitch

Kathleen,

Who did you get locally to install the hitch? I have been meaning to get one for a couple of years, but never got off my duff.

Steve

TyBoo · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject:

That's neat to see. Brings back memories. My dad always put the things on his pickups. Back then they had bumpers, so his was a clamp-on hitch. He didn't need it to back up his trailers - even with the camper on the pickup - but he was wise enough to know it was a lot easier. He was a truck driver back then and could back anything. I remember once after he had watched a guy down the street trying for a half hour in a big rig to back a mobile home into it's spot on a lot, he finally got fed up and went over and did it for him on the first try. He still used the front hitch to move trailers around at home, though.

Nice looking boat you got there.

Ananda · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:09 am Post subject:

Great stories! Funny thing... a friend of mine asked why I wanted to go and put that thing on the truck, because people would think I didn't know how to back up a trailer. Lucky for me, being a woman, people already mistakenly assume that... so I figured it couldn't get any worse! In the meantime, I get to make things easier for myself. Smile

Steve, I had the hitch put on at my favorite place here in Portland. It's called "Northwest Auto Accessories" on NE Sandy Blvd., at about 60th Avenue. They've done lots of work for me over the years and really do a great job. They're a little far from you, but a good recommendation is hard to come by sometimes.

Here's a link: http://www.nwautoaccessories.com/.

One note of caution.... I hadn't thought about the front hitch being so much lower than the rear. So, just as I was switching hitches in the middle of the road, in the rain, I realized the jack wheel on the trailer wouldn't go up high enough. Embarassed

Had to make a quick run to the store for a new goose-neck receiver to raise it up a bit.

DaveS · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:56 am Post subject:

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:59 am Post subject:

I had a receiver box welded onto the frame of one of my vans.

Worked great for pushing the boat down a narrow driveway, etc.

The hitch and weld shop that put it on gave me the option of putting it on dead center or off to the passenger side enough so that when backing, the driver would be looking right down the one side of the trailer so as to be able to better place it exactly into a close quarter garage.

I think most folks would want it centered, as it would fit into a narrower driveway and have adequate visibility to fit it into most narrow spaces, but he did have a point that you would be able to see the one side better if that fit your particular needs.

We had folks in our sailing fleet that used the front hitch to launch and retrieve the boat with, too, but with the motor up front, you can only go so deep into the water, and this may not be suitable for larger boats, unless you had an extendable tongue trailer.

The front hitch would keep the rear wheels dry on a rear wheel drive vehicle, which would be an advantage, but a four wheel drive vehicle in low range would be a better solution any day.

(I can launch and retrieve in conventional rear hitch mode my 8,500 lb Sea Ray on a tripe axle trailer with sand on the top of a steep asphalt ramp with my Durango in low range, and the boat alone is 1,000 lbs over the vehicle's tow rating without the 1,300 lb. aluminum trailer. M + S oversize tires help, too.)

I wonder how large a boat could be launched with the old clamp on bumper hitch from J C Whitney for $24.95? Wink

Joe.

Swee Pea · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:39 am Post subject:

I have had one on my 2004 Ford F150 since I have had the truck new. It is a direct bolt on, no cutting, drilling, or professional installation needed. I put it on in less than an hour.

I got it here http://www.etrailer.com/fitguidefmr.htm

John
Swee Pea

rogerbum · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:31 am Post subject:

I have one on my old F250 and a will be getting a new one on my new Tundra on Tuesday. I can't quite back the boat into the parking spot next to my house without it (I have to go around a slight curve of the retaining wall). It makes a HUGE difference in maneuverability since the front wheels of the truck are now close to the hitch as opposed to 12' away. I got mine at Mann's trailer hitch. The one for the F250 was $250 a few years ago, the new one is $289 installed. Of course with the excellent link provided by John above, I found a bolt on unit for $159 with free shipping that would fit (doh!). Oh well, I broke a finger on Wed, so it's best I pay someone else to put it on anyway.

Doryman · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:34 pm Post subject:

I was looking at the website referenced above and was curious how they can claim that the hitch can be installed with no cutting. Seems to me to be able to have a hitch at the same height as the rear hitch you would have to go through the bumper or the grille.

If you go below the bumper, then your ground clearance is affected.

TIA for an explanation!

Warren

ramos · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject:

A variation of what you are discussing here: if you have a tractor with a front end loader on it. I used 1/2" plate to make a 2' extension that bolts through the bucket and put a ball on it, it will also convert to accept a fifth wheel RV hitch. Some advantages: excellent visibility, tight turning radius, ability to raise and lower either end. We put a 32' fifth wheel in one of our buildings that required a short, sharp "S" turn and ability to change trailer "pitch" to negotiate a steep incline. Would not be able to have done it with a conventional tow rig from either end!

thataway · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject:

Warren, the front hitch may not be at the same level as the rear hitch. You will use a different draw bar to drop or raise the ball for the trailer tongue. You can also get adustable draw bars, as well as extension (longer) draw bars, if necessary to allow the boat and trailer to be further in the water.

For example we have a bolt on tow bar for our Honda Pilot which we tow behind the RV. The bar attatchments are hidden behind the grill. The actual draw bar is attatched to this "hidden" points. Although it is bolt on, some of the bumper parts had to be removed, and are replaced by this front draw bar--it is possible that a tow hitch could be installed on this same base plate.

Ananda

The new front hitch I talked about above did not require the installer to do any cutting or fitting. It was ordered to fit the Tacoma and it all bolted into place easily. I'm sure anyone willing to spend some time on the ground could do it themselves and save a few dollars. Here's one of the photos; for more, take a look at the "New Hitch" folder in Honu's album to see how it fits.