Handy tip for Blue Ox SwayPro hitch and 1 more

[OTW]

I called Blue Ox because I was just very curious what the actual weight is of my hitch head once it's been bolted to the shank they use, and we got to talking. This morning when I'd hitched for the first time, that second sway bar was a real bear to get tensioned. I'd raised tongue jack plenty far enough but that second one was still a rip. Well, the guy told me that it can be MUCH easier to wind on, and also to release that tension if using a breaker bar with a 1-inch socket instead of the provided wrench. Yay!

Second thing, and this has already saved my back. If no one has brought up this gadget, HitchGrip.
https://www.amazon.com/HitchGrip-Hitch- ... B00HSO37B0
It sure helps not to have to be crouched or bent when dealing with a heavy hitch head. There's a little promo video that shows how it works on Amazon's page. Only caution is use the tool in either forward or 180 backward orientation, not at an in between but it's just so much easier.

[gypsyrose1126]

So you have actually used the hitch grip and it works as shown on the video?

[OTW]

Yes. And I found it a lot easier to carry the hitch with one arm which I would not be able to do without it. I have not tried inserting the hitch shank into the truck receiver once the hitch head had been torqued onto it (now one big very bulky oddly shaped hunk of steel) without the HitchGrip but I am sure that would have been a LOT harder. I don't recall my Reese weight distribution hitch head which I had on my big pop-up being anywhere near as heavy or bulky as the Blue Ox assembly which I'm told is about 50 lbs. but that was a guess (I think it's a tad heavier than that). The HitchGrip not only raises how high off the ground your hand has to be picking up the assembly, carrying it or inserting it, but it allows you to position your hand in a place on the HitchGrip's handle that balances out the weight of the hitch assembly so that the weight of it is evenly distributed front to back. Again, this tool simply slides onto the ball, so you only have to be sure it's either parallel with the part that goes into the truck or 180 in the other direction (both are shown on the video). If you had it at 15 degrees or something on an angle like that, it might-could slip but I don't find that to be scary because it's easy to point it properly before lifting. I reeeally like being able to carry the thing with one hand, well out of the way of my feet. And I'm pretty sure I would have had a very hard time balancing the whole assembly while feeding the shank into the truck receiver.

Here's what I'd recommend if you happen to be near a Walmart. Order it through their website and do free pick-up at the store. If you don't like it you can return it to any Walmart within 90 days with no shipping cost either way. That's actually what I did because I ordered it on pure blind faith of a gent friend who'd said he'd gotten one and really liked it. I think he has a Reese, it's not a Blue Ox.