AFBronco235
Crew Chief
I'm planning a trailer build soon, and wanted to pick over the brains of the experienced builders/campers here about which hitch setup is better.
I currently have a 2" ball set up on my Bronco. I've always used ball hitches and have very little experience with pintle hitches except for some easy going stuff at work. (By easy going, I mean towing a 100+ ton aircraft with a 40 ton tow tractor on slopped concrete.) My biggest question is, how does the articulation of each hitch compare to the others? Which one articulates more or which one will be more likely to fail if the twist between trainer and truck becomes too much?
The trailer I'm planning on is more than likely going to be a bed trailer with plenty of clearance underneath, and I only plan on towing no more than 1000 lbs. max on it, not including the trailer. 500 lbs if going off road.
I'm very familiar with all type of ball hitches, from the collar lock design to more modern catch systems. The older collar lock is tougher, but IMO, doesn't allow for enough flex, especially on trails. The newer latch lock style seems to be more flexible, but not nearly as strong.
Anyways, obviously pintles are stronger, but do they offer enough flexibility, especially when twisting, to be worth it on a trail? And am I likely to damage the thing if the trailer twists too much?
There's also the combination pintle and ball hitch setup I've seen, but I can't help but think that its not very good as a pintle hitch. It looks to me as if the ball could snap off too easily. I know how unpredictable load forces can be on a rough trail and don't need to be stranded with a broken trailer hitch.
I currently have a 2" ball set up on my Bronco. I've always used ball hitches and have very little experience with pintle hitches except for some easy going stuff at work. (By easy going, I mean towing a 100+ ton aircraft with a 40 ton tow tractor on slopped concrete.) My biggest question is, how does the articulation of each hitch compare to the others? Which one articulates more or which one will be more likely to fail if the twist between trainer and truck becomes too much?
The trailer I'm planning on is more than likely going to be a bed trailer with plenty of clearance underneath, and I only plan on towing no more than 1000 lbs. max on it, not including the trailer. 500 lbs if going off road.
I'm very familiar with all type of ball hitches, from the collar lock design to more modern catch systems. The older collar lock is tougher, but IMO, doesn't allow for enough flex, especially on trails. The newer latch lock style seems to be more flexible, but not nearly as strong.
Anyways, obviously pintles are stronger, but do they offer enough flexibility, especially when twisting, to be worth it on a trail? And am I likely to damage the thing if the trailer twists too much?
There's also the combination pintle and ball hitch setup I've seen, but I can't help but think that its not very good as a pintle hitch. It looks to me as if the ball could snap off too easily. I know how unpredictable load forces can be on a rough trail and don't need to be stranded with a broken trailer hitch.
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