Hitch Helper

[RSBJR]

Does anyone have information on a product called the "HITCH HELPER" it goes between the tow vehicle and the trailer and is another axel. It is supposed to to help distribute hitch and has a rail or platform to carry a motorcycle. All I can find is older wep sites. 2007
Or anyother ideals on carrying a motorcycle. My tow vehicle is a Toyota 4Runner so no trock bed.

[cpaharley2008]

Unless you live in Tampa, Fl I'd look elsewhere https://www.facebook.com/HitchHelper
You may have better luck with a hitch mounted motorcycle hitch tower-
https://www.amazon.com/TMS-Motorcycl...e+hitch+towing

[rotateclockwise]

When in use, would this be classified as double towing, which would limit use in certain states?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by rotateclockwise

When in use, would this be classified as double towing, which would limit use in certain states?

Which item, the hitch helper or the rear tow hitch?

[rotateclockwise]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Which item, the hitch helper or the rear tow hitch?

I was originally wondering about the Hitch Helper and if it would qualify as a double tow. The rear tow is also questionable as the back wheel meets the pavement.

[Brian B-P]

The original Hitch Helper was a piece of junk which attached to the hitch and added an unsuitable tire with an inadequate suspension. I can only hope that it no longer has much of an online presence because this thing has been banished from the road.

The current offering from Hitch Helper - with or without the motorcycle rack - appears to be a more substantially constructed tag axle assembly with more suitable wheels and tires (except on the ridiculous single-wheel version) and a more roadworthy suspension - it appears to use a Dexter Torflex (just like an Escape trailer) or similar. This is still a very inadequate suspension for the tow vehicle, the vehicle's hitch receiver is not intended for this type of use, and the current non-steering design adds massive scrub during turns.

While it is not a trailer (or dolly) and so there is probably no legal issue for non-commercial use, it is certainly not something which I would allow to be attached to any vehicle which I own.

There is a better-known brand of this sort of junk equipment, if one is comparison shopping.

If the tongue weight of a trailer is too high for the tow vehicle, a weight-distributing hitch (WDH) may be beneficial (removing load from the tow vehicle rear axle is the purpose of a WDH).
If the tow vehicle rear suspension needs to be stiffer to avoid excessive sag, helper springs (air, steel, or elastomer) are available, although these will not increase the rating (allowed capacity) of the axle.

[RSBJR]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The original Hitch Helper was a piece of junk which attached to the hitch and added an unsuitable tire with an inadequate suspension. I can only hope that it no longer has much of an online presence because this thing has been banished from the road.

The current offering from Hitch Helper - with or without the motorcycle rack - appears to be a more substantially constructed tag axle assembly with more suitable wheels and tires (except on the ridiculous single-wheel version) and a more roadworthy suspension - it appears to use a Dexter Torflex (just like an Escape trailer) or similar. This is still a very inadequate suspension for the tow vehicle, the vehicle's hitch receiver is not intended for this type of use, and the current non-steering design adds massive scrub during turns.

While it is not a trailer (or dolly) and so there is probably no legal issue for non-commercial use, it is certainly not something which I would allow to be attached to any vehicle which I own.

There is a better-known brand of this sort of junk equipment, if one is comparison shopping.

If the tongue weight of a trailer is too high for the tow vehicle, a weight-distributing hitch (WDH) may be beneficial (removing load from the tow vehicle rear axle is the purpose of a WDH).
If the tow vehicle rear suspension needs to be stiffer to avoid excessive sag, helper springs (air, steel, or elastomer) are available, although these will not increase the rating (allowed capacity) of the axle.

What is the better known brand ?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by RSBJR

What is the better known brand ?

The point was that Hitch Helper is a lower-grade version of a bad idea, but okay...
It was the Tow Buddy, from a company which was called Hitch Buddy. It was primarily intended for towing fifth-wheel trailers, but for conventional trailers it was equivalent to the two-wheel Hitch Helper. There are lot of online discussions still available, but it appears that the company (and presumably the product) have disappeared, perhaps several years ago.

There's also the Trailer Toad, which is horribly described on their website, but appears to be a steering tag axle setup... also a bad idea, for some of the same reasons plus some slightly different ones.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You may have better luck with a hitch mounted motorcycle hitch tower-
https://www.amazon.com/TMS-Motorcycl...e+hitch+towing

Originally Posted by rotateclockwise

When in use, would this be classified as double towing, which would limit use in certain states?

My guess is that it would, because it turns the motorcycle into a trailer. This actually seems like a perfectly reasonable solution for some tow vehicle and some motorcycle, but can't be used with a travel trailer at the same time unless the motorcycle goes on the back of the trailer... which I think would be a very bad idea.