As I’m waiting for my new F-250 PSD I’m looking at ways to improve the safety of towing my boat. One thing that has caught my attention is possibly using a combination Pintle Hook/Ball Hitch instead of my standard 2” ball.
Has anyone here used this set-up? It appears to be vastly superior to using just a ball.
Here’s the link to the one that caught my attention:
If you don't need a pintle hitch why buy the combo ?
Are you thinking you can lock the pintle down over the ball mount ?
It would be a waste of money unless you have a pintle hitch on the trailer.
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O5 F-250 SuperDuty CC SWR 4x4 Lariat
8' box 6.0 PSD Tow Comand new 04/05
2001 40' Alfa Toyhouse
Pulls better stock than my 01 with a programmer
New engine at 42k . Hope my luck with this 6.0 is changed .
It is a waste if you don't have a pintle, it won't lock on a ball hitch only a pintle . I have one for my hydraulic boat trailer because it has a pintle and I can use it on my other trailers that have the 2" ball.
You guys are correct in my assumption. From the pictures it looks like you "lock" your trailer to the ball for extra safety. If you can't then what is the purpose of this type of hitch?
It was made for somebody that has trailers with a pintle and also 2" ball couplers such as I have and can go from one trailer to another without changing the ball mounts.Saves time and money in the long run you don't need two seperate ball mounts.
I have used the combo and didn't really like it, any trailer that uses a pintle is usually also very HEAVY and the ball back there gives it extra slop to slam around which is no fun after about the first 5 minutes. I just use a regular pintle with pintle trailers and you really can't tell much difference from a ball. It wasn't that expensive either.
They do "however" make excellent bumpers to stop little cars from denting your truck at the grocery store. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
Heard my name called over the intercom at Wal Mart one day. UH OH I thought as the guy at customer service said the police were in the parking lot waiting for me. Went out there and some yahoo had managed to run up underneath my rear bumper, pretty hard if I may add lol. Said their foot had slipped off the brake and under they went.
Took a tow truck, a few tears and about twenty minutes of shaking that little car loose from my pintle hitch to separate us. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
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Back on topic, I too often wondered if the combo ball/pintle would lock the coupler down. I have now been edumicated. Maybe I should just get one of those 12 to 14 inch long receivers with the 2 inch ball on it instead...give me some protection from rearenders. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
short_stuff
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Y2K F250 CC PSD Auto, Short-bed Lariat, Woodland Green/Gold, ordered 07/10/99, born 09/12/99, delivered 10/08/99, Access bed cover, Bed Rug, Zoodad mod, Viper Remote Start Alarm, Fumoto valve, 103K somewhat error-free miles (so far) [never back to dealer for anything]
Repairs: CPS, Water Separator Valve assembly, rear axle bearings, VSS, batteries, brakes, alternator, serpentine belt (x2), driver door pwrlock actuator, water pump
2003 VW Jetta TDI auto, 90k miles, all stock, no mods, 41 mpg most days. A rocket in disguise...
Repairs: alternator, brake switch (x2), power window wire harness, #4 glow plug, glow plug wire harness -TRADED as of 11/24/2008
Newest purchase - 2009 VW Tiguan 2.0 l turbo 200 hp gas engine (TDI engine not available yet)
None that I've ever come across. I know that some couplers have a nut adjustment that can really make the coupler to ball connection tight, but I've never run across anything, other than the clevis pin that holds the lever down. I know in the old days, if I had to pull a trailer that I didn't have the right size ball for, I would lay the coupler down onto the step on my step bumper (on the trucks before my Y2K), and chain them down so that they would stay on the step but not bounce off. Only did this in a real pinch a few times, but it worked.
I also pulled my pontoon boat (2 in coupler) with my receiver that had the 1 7/8 in ball in it. Hit a bump and the coupler bounced right off the ball. Came down suspended on the safety chains. Took a little while to slow it down because it kept slinging forwards and backwards. Had to go change my shorts after that little episode. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
short_stuff
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Y2K F250 CC PSD Auto, Short-bed Lariat, Woodland Green/Gold, ordered 07/10/99, born 09/12/99, delivered 10/08/99, Access bed cover, Bed Rug, Zoodad mod, Viper Remote Start Alarm, Fumoto valve, 103K somewhat error-free miles (so far) [never back to dealer for anything]
Repairs: CPS, Water Separator Valve assembly, rear axle bearings, VSS, batteries, brakes, alternator, serpentine belt (x2), driver door pwrlock actuator, water pump
2003 VW Jetta TDI auto, 90k miles, all stock, no mods, 41 mpg most days. A rocket in disguise...
Repairs: alternator, brake switch (x2), power window wire harness, #4 glow plug, glow plug wire harness -TRADED as of 11/24/2008
Newest purchase - 2009 VW Tiguan 2.0 l turbo 200 hp gas engine (TDI engine not available yet)
The other issue with pintle/ball combos, is often the height is wrong. They are often to tall for the average ball hitch trailer, and to low for a pintle trailer. Thats one of the reasons I built my own towing bumper, with a pintle mounted up as high as possible(just clears the tailgate), and a reciever right bellow it, with a tri-ball setup slid into it. That, acompanied with 4,6, and 7 pin connectors in the bumper, means I'm setup for anything I ever need to tow! lol
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88' F-350 reg cab, SRW, 4x4.
7.3/ZF5, 4.10's and 33's, rear locker,
banks turbo, 3.5" straight pipe, pump maxed, and advanced 2 degrees.
89' F-150, 351, 435, dual T-cases, rear discs, front electric winch, PTO winch rear, OBA, 40's
About 3-4 years ago when I worked at the parts store here, I remember a salesman coming to to sell us a coupler of that design, where it latched over the coupler, to prevent it from popping off, and also could be completely locked for theft prevention. I do not remember who made it or if it is still available, but if you did some googling, you could probably find something.
It seems to me that I have even seen one pintle hitch where the guy took a grinder to the latch part so it would close & latch over the coupler, which at the time to me seemed to be a waste of money on the pintle hitch setup.
Buddy
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Former Ford Diesel Tech
ASE Certified Parts Counterperson, Automotive, Medium, & Heavy Truck Technician
1999 F250 XLT 4x4, Red, 7.3 6spd AWA5, 3.73LS rear, CCV Mod, APC Headlamps, Autometer C2 Gauges, (Boost,Pyro,Trans), 4" Turbo-back exhaust, XM Radio, AIS, ITP Regulated return, fuel feed lines, Airdog, & 4pos. chip. My Truck
2001 Ford Escort ZX2 - Black- 4cyl 2.0DOHC, 5spd.
1999 F350 4x4 XLT, CC/LB PSD, 6spd, Aluminum service bed, York Compressor Onboard air, CCV, Custom Intake & Exhaust, Strobes and a few other goodies
RIP Steph F. & Trista J., 4/27/07, you will be missed by many.
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