Anybody use a pintle hitch?

[Davy8or]

Both my trailers have 2" ball hitches and I can say I have little love for them. I worked in the movie business for 25 years and drove trucks a towed generator plants. The movie industry only uses pintle hitches and I can say they are SO much easier to deal with. Reliable, strong and simple. On and off easy peasy. I have more than once threatened to convert both my boat trailers to this system.

I'm wondering if there are any of you that have done this and if there are any downsides. The only one I can think of is the pintle system is a sloppier fit than the ball, so there is play back and forth when stopping and starting. Still I occasionally used to tow 9000 lb generator plants with a 4x4 pickup and it was tolerable. What do you all think?

 

[MTboatguy]

No, I never have and I have worked in the RV business since I retired from the military in 2006, they were designed for a certain type of load that is not really susceptible to vibration damage, boats and RV can be damaged because the slop in the pintle hook up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

most boats have surge brakes.

surge brake heads dont fit pintle hitches

I always hated pintle hitches personally. all that slopping and banging just aggravates me.

 

[alldodge]

I like pintle's but there is a bit of noise associated, just that slight bit of slop. Would have no issue using on a trailer with electric brakes.

 

[ahicks]

With the loads most of us are handling, failing to see any advantage a pintle style coupler might have over a conventional coupler. A drop of oil here and there every couple of seasons, and some familiarity, can make a conventional coupler the simplest way to get things done reliably.

 

[alldodge]

If you have never had a real heavy boat, or used a pintle hitch, then you don't know that its easy the pintle is to to get connected over the ball.

The ball you have to get fairly close to get it to slide on, it has to be over the top, and without a camera or help, it can tak a few trys. The pintle ring is larger the the hook, and you can back up until you hit the hook, then just lower the trailer jack

 

[Scott Danforth]

Havent had a problem backing up to a trailer to the point where at most I just used my knee to move the trailer tongue over a bit when coupling the trailer. however there are many years of practice.

backup cameras make it error-proof

all new vehicles now are required to have backup cameras.... not suggesting that you do.... however I have it on good authority that one can be half-in-the-bag now days and get the ball under the coupling to back a boat around the yard.

 

[Davy8or]

most boats have surge brakes.

surge brake heads dont fit pintle hitches

Not true. Every generator trailer I ever towed had surge brakes. No trucks I owned, or was asked to drive even had electric brakes. Pintles can very much be used with surge brakes.

 

[Davy8or]

With the loads most of us are handling, failing to see any advantage a pintle style coupler might have over a conventional coupler. A drop of oil here and there every couple of seasons, and some familiarity, can make a conventional coupler the simplest way to get things done reliably.

It's crazy easy to get the trailer hitched and unhitched. That's the advantage. My double Jet Ski trailer isn't too bad because it's light enough that I can shove it around and get it on and off, but my boat trailer is a lot heavier and a lot harder to shove around and it has to be perfectly centered to get the damn thing on or off. Lots of kicking, shoving, cursing and eventually- Bang! it's ether on, or off. I do have a back up camera, so getting into the ballpark is easy.

 

[MTboatguy]

I never have to back into my boat trailer more than once to get it hooked up and I don't have a backup camera, might want to spend some more time practicing.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Not true. Every generator trailer I ever towed had surge brakes. No trucks I owned, or was asked to drive even had electric brakes. Pintles can very much be used with surge brakes.

not a single surge brake head that I have owned would work with pintle hitches UFP, Attwood and Tilton. so you must have had special ones.

Then again, none of the generators in the rental fleet when I worked for cummins had surge breaks or pintle hitches either. it was electric brakes up to about 700kw, or air brakes up to 2mw. 2" ball up to about 250kw, 2-5/16" ball up to 700kw and goose necks after that.

Lots of kickinit's ether on, or off. I do have a back up camera, so getting into the ballpark is easy.

my guess is your coupler needs some TLC maintenance, such as a shot of grease.

 

[alldodge]

Like G dad always said

 

[oldjeep]

I've seen plenty of lunette trailers with surge brakes. Just one example of the actuators used
https://www.********.com/dept-pg-Bra...ette_Ring.aspx

:nono:

 

[25thmustang]

not a single surge brake head that I have owned would work with pintle hitches UFP, Attwood and Tilton. so you must have had special ones.

Then again, none of the generators in the rental fleet when I worked for cummins had surge breaks or pintle hitches either. it was electric brakes up to about 700kw, or air brakes up to 2mw. 2" ball up to about 250kw, 2-5/16" ball up to 700kw and goose necks after that.




my guess is your coupler needs some TLC maintenance, such as a shot of grease.

My new boat has a Titon Model 6 surge brake set up. In the parts diagram it shows a pintle set up... I believe the Titon Model 10 I looked at on another trailer also showed that as an option.

 

[Davy8or]

I never have to back into my boat trailer more than once to get it hooked up and I don't have a backup camera, might want to spend some more time practicing.

That's cool, but my concerns have nothing to do with backing up to the trailer. No practice needed. I backed up to trailers for about 25 years.

 

[Davy8or]

my guess is your coupler needs some TLC maintenance, such as a shot of grease.

Where would I put this shot of grease?

 

[Davy8or]

Like G dad always said

Well... what did G man say?

 

[Mingo201970!]

Yeah I do.....this setup is for very heavy loads.

 

[Davy8or]

Yeah I do.....this setup is for very heavy loads.

Do you use it for towing a boat? What size and do you like it?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Where would I put this shot of grease?

under the coupler jaw, and in the coupler itself.