Adventure Trailers Max Coupler

[AlexJet]

I have Max Coupler on my custom trailer and its great for off-road trailer as it can be twisted 360 degrees in all 3 axis. What I also mentioned, that its amazingly quiet on the road, no clinking or any other type of sound and/or noise, just silent. They should call it "Silent Hitch".

Anyway, I have a question to members of off-road community and Martin from AT if you read this. My question has nothing to do with quality of the Max Coupler, its to operating of it.

The hitch is perfectly made, but how do I make my trailer secure from someone hi-jacking it on the parking lot?
This an easy system: 2" receiver on the trailer and 2" receiver on the vehicle, so Coupler slides to one receiver on one side and another on another. For ease of operation I used Gr.8 bolt to tighten the Coupler to the trailer and pin on vehicle side. In this case I can just slide it off from the vehicle hitch and drive on the trail. Problem is that anyone can back-up, slide it to the hitch and drive away. It's inconvinient to have pin on the trailer side and bolt on vehicle as you have to drive with coupler hanging down after.
Now to prevent this issue every time I'm stopping I have to take the bolt off and remove the Max Coupler to store it in my truck trunk. I thought about using a locking hitch pin, but bolt better tight the Coupler and work as anti-ratle device.
Regula trailer hitches has the ball lockout units which works as a ball on the trailer side so you can't slide it on the hitch ball before removing that lock.

I'm trying to see other people opinions and how they deal with the issue.
May be someone can suggest some quick lockable diconnect for the overall system?



Copy from my trailer build thread:

STEP 9
ACCESSORIES

...

3. MAX COUPLER

To be able to have trailer independent from the vehicle I went with MaxCoupler from Adventure Trailers:

Installed:

Operational with 4" drop (in reverse) ball mount:

...

 

[tdesanto]

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/coupler.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page. I use one of these on the trailer and one on the truck. Now, for the coupler itself, you could use a standard locking pin, right?

 

[AlexJet]

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/coupler.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page. I use one of these on the trailer and one on the truck. Now, for the coupler itself, you could use a standard locking pin, right?

The issue with locking pin is that it has some free play and not tight. But is is something I'm considering as an option.

Silent hitch pin (from your link) does not working on trailer end. I have one of those on vehicle end.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: There are two main size locking pins and I use both when I pull my trailer with the L&R hitch, the smaller size comes with a SS sleeve to fit in the larger hitch holes

They're all over the place--ebay/craigs/uhaul/etrailer-etc and they come with dust covers for the key hole

Checkemout

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[chet]

when the trailer is seperated from the truck use a chain or cable through the wheels and up over the frame and a padlock. Or use a hitch pin with a padlock and chain attached and spin the vehcile side of the coupler 180 deg's towards the trailer and chain it tight and padlock it to the trailer.

 

[Martyn]

The issue with locking pin is that it has some free play and not tight. But is is something I'm considering as an option.

Silent hitch pin (from your link) does not working on trailer end. I have one of those on vehicle end.

The Silent Hitch Pin will work on the trailer end of the Max Coupler. The only modification needed is a little grinding to the square nut with the spring on it, that allows it to slide into the coupler all the way.

Having locked the coupler onto the trailer the only person who could tow it away would be someone with the vehicle side of the Max Coupler.

 

[1leglance]

Adventure Trailers was very cool and donated a Max Coupler for the trailer we are using with Disabled Explorers.
I have been in the habit of using a locking hitch pin on the vehicle side and just sliding that out of the reciever and then leaving the locking pin in place.
Yeah someone could break the locking pin out and then use their own hitch pin to steal everything but I don't leave the trailer unattended at camp or other places so not too worried.
I will say that since I have locking pins on the trailer & vehicle side if I really needed to I could completely remove the max coupler and stow it in the rig. Oh and I get no noise from this setup at all.

 

[AlexJet]

The Silent Hitch Pin will work on the trailer end of the Max Coupler. The only modification needed is a little grinding to the square nut with the spring on it, that allows it to slide into the coupler all the way.

Having locked the coupler onto the trailer the only person who could tow it away would be someone with the vehicle side of the Max Coupler.

Thanks Martin.
I didn't try to shave the square nut yet.
Agreed on your second statement if remove the big vertical bolt, but if I just slide it out of my truck hitch, then its an easy walk.

BTW, have you look at the possible solution of designing some sort of a quick disconnect instead of the ball between the coupler and hitch drop bar? This would of been perfect solution.

 

[AlexJet]

...
I will say that since I have locking pins on the trailer & vehicle side if I really needed to I could completely remove the max coupler and stow it in the rig. Oh and I get no noise from this setup at all.

Now with Martin's note I can do the same (both sides lock-in pin).
As I said those couplers are amazingly good!!!

 

[Air Sierra]

They are great couplers, the manufacture is very helpful too if you ever had any problems ( which you will not) http://cuamco.com/

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Having locked the coupler onto the trailer the only person who could tow it away would be someone with the vehicle side of the Max Coupler.

Couldn't anybody with a standard drawbar, remove their ball, and bolt the Max Coupler onto their existing drawbar? Sure, the bolt is probably much smaller than the hole, but they'll probably get pretty far down the road with your trailer.

Alex, how about using left hand threaded fasteners? That would confuse a great many people for a while.

 

[Martyn]

Couldn't anybody with a standard drawbar, remove their ball, and bolt the Max Coupler onto their existing drawbar? Sure, the bolt is probably much smaller than the hole, but they'll probably get pretty far down the road with your trailer.

Alex, how about using left hand threaded fasteners? That would confuse a great many people for a while.

Someone could also just arrive with a flatbed, load the trailer and drive away. If someone wants to steal something they will. The objective is to make it a little less convenient to do so. When you compare the number of max couplers out there to the number of 2" ball couplers you have already reduced the odds by a huge factor.

Personally I just go for encasing the trailer in 10 yards of concrete :sombrero:

 

[ntsqd]

snip..........
Alex, how about using left hand threaded fasteners? That would confuse a great many people for a while.

Ooooooh! I love it!

 

[AlexJet]

Couldn't anybody with a standard drawbar, remove their ball, and bolt the Max Coupler onto their existing drawbar? Sure, the bolt is probably much smaller than the hole, but they'll probably get pretty far down the road with your trailer.

Alex, how about using left hand threaded fasteners? That would confuse a great many people for a while.

I think Martin was refering to removing the bushing bolt out and in this case to get it you'd need a U-shaped chanel with the hole.

Interesting idea on threads.

I think I'd saty with Martins recommndation on shaving locking pin to fit the coupler and remove the overall coupler/draw bar assembly to prevent taking it out. The person will become confused too seeing 2" square receiver in place of a ball coupler. I didn't see any trailer ends around like that, so people are unfamiliar with this type in my area.

 

[atavuss]

I use a locking pin on the vehicle and trailer side for my Max Coupler.
I am very satisfied with my MC, no noise, trailer does not "wiggle" down the road like it did with the stock ball mount coupler.
How often should the Max Coupler be greased?