Trailer Hitch Caddie

[fisher99]

Seems like somebody must make a trailer hitch caddie of some sorts but all of my searches are turning up empty. What I'm looking for is something kind of like a mechanic's stool on casters but instead of a stool on top it would have a cradle for the trailer hitch. The cradle would sit on top of a hydraulic jack so you could raise and lower the hitch to line it up with the truck's receiver. With the hydrualic lift/cradle you could easily remove and install the hitch without having to break your back. If anybody knows of a source for this, I'd love to hear it.

[mrboyer]

Possibly a motor cycle or transmission lift would work. You probably will not use it every day, so you might check out the ones sold by HarborFreight.

[Xmcdog]

Ok, the idea sounds good. However how are you going to store and transport this. Sounds as though it could be quite a heavy item and lifting it onto the truck might be just as bad as the trailer tongue. There is already a jack at the front of the trailer is there not? Maybe I'm missing something. That's very possible.

[LennyC]

I bought a hitch caddy like this to move a 22' utility trailer around my driveway and it worked like a champ. Just make sure to keep the tires aired up or you'll quickly notice the hitch weight!

[carybosse]

I am not sure we are all understanding the same request. My understanding is you are looking for something to enable you to slide your hitch into your receiver without breaking your back.

I would also assume you leave this at home, and leave the hitch in the receiver while camping and unhooked from the trailer. I never remove my hitch from the receiver during a trip.

Maybe something like the motorcycle lift or transmission lift would work. I haven't played with one of those.

I am thinking that a special head mounted to a roll-a-round jack might work nicely. The issue is that there are a dozen (ok, maybe a hundred) different WD hitches that are popular with the world of towing. It might require almost a different head for each different WD hitch.

If you do choose to haul it with you, then the result is you also have a roll around jack for emergency purposes on the side of the road. The downside is, I think my light-duty roll around jack weighs more than my WD hitch, so I am still having to lift a lot of weight to lug it around.

I once had to install a couple of motors on a project I was working on in a manufacturing plant. The motors went into a tight spot that a forklift could not access. We were able to use the roll around jack we used for forklift maintenance to maneuver the motors into position, worked great.

Necessity is, after all, the mother of all invention.

[fisher99]

Yes, CARYBOSSE has it correctly. I'm not looking to carry the "hitch caddie" with me. Just to use it in the garage to remove and store the hitch while at home and then re-install it into the receiver before leaving on a trip. I've thought about the motorcycle jacks but the ones I've seen are pretty big. I'll keep looking. Just thought that somebody surely had solved this problem already and I just couldn't find the solution. I can't be the only old guy with a bad back out there... Hey, maybe this is my "get rich" idea?

[fisher99]

This one is pretty close to what I need:

https://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb...ack-60234.html

[waterjosh]

I use a worm gear winch from harbor freight that goes to a pulley in the middle of the header across the garage. Turn winch with drill to lift hitch, move truck, lower onto 4 wheel dolly and done

[fisher99]

Originally Posted by waterjosh

I use a worm gear winch from harbor freight that goes to a pulley in the middle of the header across the garage. Turn winch with drill to lift hitch, move truck, lower onto 4 wheel dolly and done

Interesting! Elegant in its simplicity! Plus has multiple other uses for getting heavy things into and out of the truck (generator). I'm liking this idea!

[fisher99]

WATERJOSH got me to thinking and now I'm thinking of something like this mounted on the ceiling in the garage. Useful for all kinds of things in addition to managing the hitch:

https://www.harborfreight.com/440-lb...rol-60346.html

[TravelSolo]

Originally Posted by fisher99

WATERJOSH got me to thinking and now I'm thinking of something like this mounted on the ceiling in the garage. Useful for all kinds of things in addition to managing the hitch:

https://www.harborfreight.com/440-lb...rol-60346.html

And what do you do with the hitch then? You still need to move it around the garage.

Seems like a simple inexpensive floor jack would do the job.

[waterjosh]

Originally Posted by TravelSolo

And what do you do with the hitch then? You still need to move it around the garage.

Seems like a simple inexpensive floor jack would do the job.

I lower it on to one of these https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...lly-38970.html and roll it under the shelf

[corn18]

Where do you park your trailer? Just leave the hitch on the trailer. Pull the receiver pin and pull forward. It's right where you need it for next time.

[waterjosh]

Originally Posted by corn18

Where do you park your trailer? Just leave the hitch on the trailer. Pull the receiver pin and pull forward. It's right where you need it for next time.

I have a pullrite superglide and so it's stupid heavy. Also I have a 4 year old and worry about him somehow having it fall off onto him.