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New Safety Tow Hitch "Better Than A Dually"
Get better braking, easier hitching, tighter turning and much more with the Automated Safety Hitch (ASH). Even the ride is better with the weight riding on the hitch instead of the towing vehicle. It acts as a drop axle, turning a single axle towing vehicle into something better than a dually at much less cost.
Aeronautical engineer Joe Jamieson designed the ASH after he started towing his own gooseneck trailer. It has got the specs of a front axle off a 1-ton truck, with hydraulic disc brakes that increase braking capacity of the towing vehicle by 50 percent.
"An automotive engineer told me that with the ASH in place, the towing vehicle retains 100 percent of its designed dynamic braking," says Jamieson. "It also automatically integrates the braking systems of the towing vehicle, trailer vehicle and hitch."
Not only is braking better with the Safety Hitch, so is hooking up a trailer. Jamieson's Truck Frame Extension (TFE) bolts to the frame using existing holes and connects to the Safety Hitch with three lock pins.
Hooking up is made even easier thanks to the yoke-style hooking system with its own Warn winch. The operator backs the towing vehicle to within a few feet of the safety hitch and hooks a set of chains between the truck and ASH. The winch pulls the two together, locking the hitch pins.
Once the safety hitch is connected to the towing vehicle, the pivot point for the trailer is now at least 7 ft. behind the drive axle. This eliminates having to pull wide or worrying about cutting corners. The trailer's rear axle tracks more closely to the towing vehicle's rear axle.
Backing up without damaging fenders or cab is also easier. With the pivot point behind the tow vehicle, a driver can jackknife a trailer up to 145?, versus 90? with a standard connection.
Another advantage is that the gooseneck pivot point on the safety hitch is parallel with the ground, so animals riding in the trailer are now standing flat, instead of riding "uphill". It's one reason the Automated Safety Hitch was recently recognized with a safety award from an association of equine veterinarians. The hitch has also received awards from hospital emergency room doctors for its potential to decrease accidents and from independent automotive engineers for its dynamic braking effect.
For the past year, Safety Hitches have been sold direct from the company. Selling price starts at less than $9,000.
"Everything is made in the U.S., and any replacement parts needed are available in any moderate sized town," says Jamieson. "The Automated Safety Hitch is built with the same quality that we build for Boeing aircraft company."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The Automated Safety Hitch, 1701 Gateway Blvd. Suite 403, Richardson, Texas 75080 (ph 940 320-3008; www.safetyhitch.com).


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2009 - Volume #33, Issue #6