Bulldog Hitch Upgrade?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

I chatted ahead of time with the welding shop and they'll be arc welding it on - not gas welding. Not to get too technical, but that means that the frame will see a "whole big bunch" of voltage for a nice long fat arc, and "whole big bunch" of current for a nice hot molten pool of metal. So my little electronical pea-brain is wondering what possible effect that might have on the all the electrical stuff in and on the trailer. While the frame will be used to complete the circuit for the arc welder, it will also be part of the live circuit(s) for all the trailer stuff. ?

So should I e.g. at least disconnect the battery cables while they're welding?

To those of you with knowledge of such things - please let me know if there is reason for concern.

I asked a trusted welder and he said you should always disconnect the battery. He has arc welded on many trailer and car frames without issue. This includes the frame recall welding on our Escape 19 and the rear frame modifications to accommodate the mini-split outdoor unit I did for viator36 on his 21.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I asked a trusted welder and he said you should always disconnect the battery. He has arc welded on many trailer and car frames without issue. This includes the frame recall welding on our Escape 19 and the rear frame modifications to accommodate the mini-split outdoor unit I did for viator36 on his 21.

Does the factory battery disconnect switch also disconnect the solar panel from the battery? Not sure which way that's wired, but seems like it should.

[Greg A]

The welder I had install the coupler had me disconnect the battery terminals, remove the propane tanks, and tongue jack before he came out to start. Saved me a few $$ prepping it per his instructions.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by tractors1

Does the factory battery disconnect switch also disconnect the solar panel from the battery? Not sure which way that's wired, but seems like it should.

No, it typically doesn't. The switch is to prevent anything from running the battery down during storage of the trailer, and the solar system can keep the battery charged.

In addition to the solar charging system, a trailer may also have an inverter and other devices (typically power tongue jack) which are not disconnected by the storage switch.

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by Bea

What is your experience with your Ram coupler with the Andersen WDH? Do you like and recommend this combo?

Here's some advice, FWIW, which while independent of your WDH concern, might be useful for others as well.

According to previous posts, rbryan4 got a RAM sleeve-lock hitch installed and didn't have to deal with a re-located tongue jack center-line and had no issues with the 3 jack mounting bolts, while GregA went with the Bulldog coupler and had these issues.

I had (optimistically hoping for the best w.r.t. things lining up as they did with the original coupler) already ordered a Bulldog, and once it got here (as mentioned in a previous post) discovered that the center-line of the tongue jack will be re-located rearwards about 3/4", and figured that I would simply elongate the 2.25" jack clearance hole in the cross-member that's welded across the bottom of the main frame rails - problem solved. But in thinking it through, my slow-motion brain finally realized that the purpose of that cross-member isn't really to stiffen the tongue structure as much as it is to provide secondary support in the horizontal plane to handle lateral loading of the jack so it doesn't lean over and collapse when side-loaded. E-Trailer sells loose cross-member plates with the 2.25" jack clearance holes, and in talking to my welder guys they have a stash of such plates on the shelf for when they scratch-build trailers. So they'll grind off the old cross-member and weld on a new one that'll be in the proper position for use with the Bulldog coupler.

With the tongue jack moved toward the rear, it'll be located such that there is more side-to-side room between the main frame rails and there would be plenty of room for the 3 jack mounting bolts to be used with loose washers and nuts - they wouldn't need the 3 tapped holes in the top surface of the coupler.

So... My advice would be to go with the RAM and avoid the whole issue. I had decided on the Bulldog thinking that, in general, quality and price rise and fall together in a somewhat linear fashion - not always but in general - and for such safety-related things as hitch couplers, spare no expense. Had I known what I now know, I would have gone with the RAM coupler.

[Bea]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

Here's some advice, FWIW, which while independent of your WDH concern, might be useful for others as well.

According to previous posts, rbryan4 got a RAM sleeve-lock hitch installed and didn't have to deal with a re-located tongue jack center-line and had no issues with the 3 jack mounting bolts, while GregA went with the Bulldog coupler and had these issues.

I had (optimistically hoping for the best w.r.t. things lining up as they did with the original coupler) already ordered a Bulldog, and once it got here (as mentioned in a previous post) discovered that the center-line of the tongue jack will be re-located rearwards about 3/4", and figured that I would simply elongate the 2.25" jack clearance hole in the cross-member that's welded across the bottom of the main frame rails - problem solved. But in thinking it through, my slow-motion brain finally realized that the purpose of that cross-member isn't really to stiffen the tongue structure as much as it is to provide secondary support in the horizontal plane to handle lateral loading of the jack so it doesn't lean over and collapse when side-loaded. E-Trailer sells loose cross-member plates with the 2.5" jack clearance holes, and in talking to my welder guys they have a stash of such plates on the shelf for when they scratch-build trailers. So they'll grind off the old cross-member and weld on a new one that'll be in the proper position for use with the Bulldog coupler.

With the tongue jack moved toward the rear, it'll be located such that there is more side-to-side room between the main frame rails and there would be plenty of room for the 3 jack mounting bolts to be used with loose washers and nuts.

So... My advice would be to go with the RAM and avoid the whole issue. I had decided on the Bulldog thinking that, in general, quality and price rise and fall together in a somewhat linear fashion - not always but in general - and for such safety-related things as hitch couplers, spare no expense. Had I known what I now know, I would have gone with the RAM coupler.

Really appreciate your feedback on this. Very thorough! Sounds like the RAM coupler is a much simpler/smoother install, but in the end I'm sure you'll be much happier with your Bulldog coupler over the original ETI coupler. For now, when our coupler gets 'sticky', popping the gear into neutral seems do the trick so we'll 'stick' with it for now...(no pun intended) However, nice to know what a good alternative is for future improvements. Just hoping it will work in harmony with our Andersen WDH. Thanks so much, -Bea.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Greg A

The welder I had install the coupler had me disconnect the battery terminals, remove the propane tanks, and tongue jack before he came out to start. Saved me a few $$ prepping it per his instructions.

Good to know Greg ! Haven’t installed the Bulldog yet ! Will definetly ask ! Pat

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by Bea

Really appreciate your feedback on this. Very thorough! Sounds like the RAM coupler is a much simpler/smoother install, but in the end I'm sure you'll be much happier with your Bulldog coupler over the original ETI coupler. For now, when our coupler gets 'sticky', popping the gear into neutral seems do the trick so we'll 'stick' with it for now...(no pun intended) However, nice to know what a good alternative is for future improvements. Just hoping it will work in harmony with our Andersen WDH. Thanks so much, -Bea.

As our German-Thai friend Ralf would say: "Welcome You!".

https://www.andamansnorkeldiscovery....eling-company/

Highly recommended and recommended highly. If you ever get the chance, yada, yada, yada...

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by Greg A

The welder I had install the coupler had me disconnect the battery terminals, remove the propane tanks, and tongue jack before he came out to start. Saved me a few $$ prepping it per his instructions.

Beyond the $$, it's often prudent to have the other guy only do the absolute minimum. Do any and all related stuff yourself to avoid dents and scratches, stripped bolts, untightened nuts (thank you to Kirkland Toyota for leaving me some loose jam nuts the last time you did a front-end alignment on my 4Runner; glad I got it up on jack-stands and checked everything when I got it home), rips and tears, greasy fingerprints, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseam...

[Doug2000]

Originally Posted by Rossue

It takes about an hour to grind off, then about another to weld on. Then they need to paint up over the triangle, however you could say you would do that yourself. When I had this done in 2016 Reace said it should cost $150. It was $300.

So many contractors want to quote you time and materials to build you a house. To me that is like writing a blank check and refuse to do that.

You can't get much done these days for $150. What's your time worth. I am a welder fabricator and would quote 4 hours at $100 hour. It takes time to get prepared, gather tools and supplies, grind it off, time to straighten the frame, and maybe 30 minutes to weld it. When I did my Trillium, I had to brace the frame before I cut the coupler off. Don't forget cleanup too.

I would contact a weld shop with a welder on the back of a truck. I wouldn't risk towing it and losing the trailer.

[cityofdestiny]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

So we went to pick up the trailer to take it home and start preliminary preparations for our long-awaited and hoped-for and as-yet ill-defined next trip.

Apparently the guy driving the fork lift that they use to move trailers around at the storage lot seized the opportunity to hit the coupler when parking our trailer the last time we dropped it off 6 weeks ago. It had a nice long time to sit out in the weather and get good and rusty before we went there today. Surprise!

They said they’ll pay for the old coupler to get ground off and a new one welded on. And they're Damn Right They Will!

Hope that it was only the coupler that got bent up – not the front part of the trailer frame. The frame is lots stronger than the coupler, being thick-wall rectangular stock. It got clobbered on a downstroke of the fork lift so the tongue jack took a pretty good hit too.

The wayward fork lift driver is no longer with the company, so maybe this little misadventure got his sorry butt fired. Planning to order a Bulldog 7,000 lb coupler from E-Trailer. The head guy at the storage lot suggested a particular trailer/welding/repair shop - about 16 miles way, yikes - and he had already called them. They specialize in trailer repair and from-scratch fabrication, so I called them and had a nice chat – they seem on the proverbial ball (pun definitely intended), but ya never know. Will go back to the storage lot tomorrow with my mechanic’s creeper and have a nice long look up the inside of the coupler ball socket and hopefully it will look good enough for a very cautious and slow 16 mile run up to the welding shop next week.

Anyhow, this looks like a grand opportunity to upgrade to a Bulldog Hitch. We'll definitely not miss the occasional struggle unhitching the original crappy coupler.

So...

I have seen lots of good things regarding the Bulldog hitches, and am seeking any input from any of you Bulldoggers out there, both good and bad. Any cautions or regrets or general hitch switch concerns or whatever else to share?

Thanks...

I know it's probably even further than 16 miles if you're in Redmond, but Torklift in Kent is really good.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Hancock

By the way, I avoid RV shops like the plague and took the trailer to a trailer shop to have it installed.

RV shops have too many new, inexperienced mechanics for our taste.

Of our 15 previous campers none have ever been to a RV shop. I know of many horror stories, so find specific shops, with long-time experience to do my work. Since moving near Rochester, MN, our campers go to a mechanic that only works on trailers (Kullot Trailers). Since Dexter axles are on many trailers as well as RV's he is well experienced with Dexter's trailer products and has a complete inventory of Dexter parts.

Originally Posted by Doug2000

I would contact a weld shop with a welder on the back of a truck. I wouldn't risk towing it and losing the trailer.

Again,

There's no way I would tow an expensive trailer just to save a couple of bucks.

Enjoy,

Perry

[ocala guy]

After three years of frustration with the ETI stock coupler. I changed to the Ram bulldog type of slip coupler today on my 2017 21 foot trailer. It took about an hour plus or minus. Cost to cut off the old and weld on the new was less than $100.00. Florida prices vary lots depending where you are located. I had the tanks off and everything cleared out of the way for the change. I also cleaned up the welded area and did the paint work when I got it home.The bottom jack support had to be replaced because even with the ram coupler from e-trailer it did not line up. Not sure how far it was off but some where between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. Moving back helped with the jack mounting bolts that were pretty tight on the factory coupler. One was so tight to the frame that the threads were damaged. Even with the coupler mount postion change it looked like a very tight fit if nuts and washers were needed as in the Bulldog. In the pictues of the Bulldog it appears the slide collar is heaver gage. The only plus I see after todays modification is not having to try and put nuts and washers in a very tight spot. Could make difference if down the road you need to change out the power tongue jack. I have fought rusted nuts and bolts before and even in a open area they can be difficult. I put anti-seize on the bolts before the install. On the tow home I could feel a difference. The couple has a tighter feel to it. There was some slop in the old coupler and some times you could feel a slight bump when pulling off after stopping. In dropping off my trailer into my storage spot it was so nice not to fight the factory coupler. I have been pulling trailers for close to fifty years now. I keep the ball greased and do all the recommended pointers to make it an easy process in the hitching department but I never had a coupler that was such a pain to work with as the escape coupler. When we picked up the trailer after delivery in Washington State he had a very hard time getting it off the truck. Anybody thinking about changing will be happy they did so.

[Greg A]

I’m sure you will be much happier with the new coupler. Like you, I’ve never had a worse experience with a trailer coupler than the one on the Escape. Love my Bulldog, now.
The puzzler is why ETI continues to push out $40k trailers with a piece of junk coupler.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Greg A

The puzzler is why ETI continues to push out $40k trailers with a piece of junk coupler.

Maybe because it's not a problem for most of their customers?

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Maybe because it's not a problem for most of their customers?

Or maybe they don't know what they're missing?

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Or maybe they don't know what they're missing?

That is quite possibly true, but I know what to do to ease hitching and unhitching, so that's what I do.

[kstock11]

I completed my change to the Bulldog on Tuesday. Had to adjust my Anderson wdh but that wasn’t difficult with the use of an 18” breaker bar. Have been looking forward to this change for a long time. I usually do well with figuring out how to make things work well, but with the Escape installed hitch coupler, there would be random times that things just didn’t work as they should. Like others have said, for a slight difference in cost, Escape should change to a quality coupler like this. Looking forward to many more years camping with one less challenge.

[fudge_brownie]

I had a similar experience with alignment of the jack. The welder was unable to get a socket into the front nut. He asked and I agreed to tack weld the front of the jack.

I likewise had significant slop on the Ram coupler. All due to the use of an Andersen WDH, a known problem. The only other issue is the lever to release the coupler. I have an original Bulldog. Lubricant helps but I think I may have to attack the lever area with a file.

In all, a much improved model. FYI I paid a bit over $200 with the same prep work and painting you did. The welder did have to insert some steel where the new coupler met the frame.

Originally Posted by ocala guy

After three years of frustration with the ETI stock coupler. I changed to the Ram bulldog type of slip coupler today on my 2017 21 foot trailer. It took about an hour plus or minus. Cost to cut off the old and weld on the new was less than $100.00. Florida prices vary lots depending where you are located. I had the tanks off and everything cleared out of the way for the change. I also cleaned up the welded area and did the paint work when I got it home.The bottom jack support had to be replaced because even with the ram coupler from e-trailer it did not line up. Not sure how far it was off but some where between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. Moving back helped with the jack mounting bolts that were pretty tight on the factory coupler. One was so tight to the frame that the threads were damaged. Even with the coupler mount postion change it looked like a very tight fit if nuts and washers were needed as in the Bulldog. In the pictues of the Bulldog it appears the slide collar is heaver gage. The only plus I see after todays modification is not having to try and put nuts and washers in a very tight spot. Could make difference if down the road you need to change out the power tongue jack. I have fought rusted nuts and bolts before and even in a open area they can be difficult. I put anti-seize on the bolts before the install. On the tow home I could feel a difference. The couple has a tighter feel to it. There was some slop in the old coupler and some times you could feel a slight bump when pulling off after stopping. In dropping off my trailer into my storage spot it was so nice not to fight the factory coupler. I have been pulling trailers for close to fifty years now. I keep the ball greased and do all the recommended pointers to make it an easy process in the hitching department but I never had a coupler that was such a pain to work with as the escape coupler. When we picked up the trailer after delivery in Washington State he had a very hard time getting it off the truck. Anybody thinking about changing will be happy they did so.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by ocala guy

After three years of frustration with the ETI stock coupler. I changed to the Ram bulldog type of slip coupler...

What does this mean? Ram is a brand name, and more than one type of coupler is offered under that brand. Bulldog is a different brand; again there are various types of coupler from Bulldog, but most people mean the forged steel side-jaw design which Bulldog calls "Collar-Lok" when they say "Bulldog coupler". "Slip coupler" is an unusual term, and it's not clear what would be intended by that; the Ram used by ETI is a yoke-type coupler.

My guess is that you installed what eTrailer calls eTrailer-branded (but is actually the Ram brand) coupler of the same type as the Bulldog Collar-Lok, called "Sleeve-Lock", available in "flip" latch (like what Bulldog calls "low-profile" latch) and "ratchet" latch (which actually has a rack and pinion) versions.