Sleeve type Coupler - Bulldog and others.

[ChuckBC]

I am wanting to turf the factory installed coupler for a sleeve type. Reading through numerous threads on the sleeve couplers, I see installation concerns on my E19 that others have encountered. I'm hoping owners with this type of coupler direct me to how their install was accomplished. From my picture you can see the electric jack head is touching the propane tank cover. To the rear of the cover the storage box lid is very close to rubbing. Also, I have a chain weight distribution bar that has the lever hook on frame clamps and it rests right beside the back of the propane cover. This location gives me a direct vertical chain pulling up with the bar to lock position. If the coupler is longer to ball, won't this necessitate moving the clamping plates under the propane cover?

From what others say I see the Bulldog coupler moves the jack mounting hole 3/4" rearward. Also the length of the coupler to ball is adding length by 1 3/4"?

I understand for the jack there may need to be changes to the Bulldog coupler position along with the existing trailer backing plate. For the weight distribution unit I have, How have others succeeded in moving the locking plates so as to not conflict with propane tank cover?

Is there another sleeve coupler that accommodates our trailer without involved fabrication? If not, I am open to another coupler that doesn't have the poorly designed ball latch plate that was installed on the E19?

 

[JohnK-ESC]

We acquired our preowned 2020 21C with a bulldog hitch and consider ourselves to be fortunate for having the bulldog. In more than a decade of travel trailer towing I've never felt more confident about a positive hitch than with the Bulldog hitch. We have successfully towed long range (8000 miles) using the Bulldog without and then subsequently with a WDH hitch. When off road with lots of hitch articulation I like a non weight distribution hitch. For normal highway cruising I like the WDH because of its porpoising dampening properties. Either way, the Bulldog hitch is "industrial strength" and confindence.
John

 

[fudge_brownie]

I switched to a Bulldog Type coupler four years ago after experiencing slop or slack action between the ball and coupler. I purchased the coupler at a local farm store and took it to a local welder. Before purchase I would recommend you perform several tests on the coupler action to be sure it is smooth and does not bind. To give you advice on location, WDH fasteners, propane tanks and jacks is something that your welder is going to have to deal with. They are going to cut off the old hitch and weld a new one on. You will have to remove your tanks for obvious reasons. Any other operations are best left to an experienced welder.

The results are dramatic over the original RAM style hitch and well worth it.

 

[CharlesinGA]

If the coupler is longer to ball, won't this necessitate moving the clamping plates under the propane cover?

Yep,, the distance from ball to the chain bracket is critical.

Charles

 

[ChuckBC]

I have a great trailer shop that will take care of the coupler installation and I'm sold on sleeve couplers, however, I don't want to solve my coupler latch problem and in turn created problems with the existing propane cover, storage box lid and proper function and design of my weight distribution unit.

If I can get a better latch coupler than the one on the trailer, I can save myself a lot of grief and the finished product will accommodate the present A frame layout.

 

[Rockhead]

When we replaced the factory hitch with a bulldog hitch. We didn’t have to move anything. Ground the old hitch off n welding the bulldog in place. Easy hitching and unhitching now n no more bumping and tows much better

 

[ChuckBC]

So you have an electric jack, propane tank cover and Escape storage box? With your installation you used the original jack backing plate below Bulldog coupler plate hole and everything lined up without any adjustments? Guess other owners who wrote about sleeve coupler installations had different setups. Thanks for replying.

 

[Rockhead]

Here’s the bulldog we used. No issues with everything matching up

 

[JohnK-ESC]

So you have an electric jack, propane tank cover and Escape storage box? With your installation you used the original jack backing plate below Bulldog coupler plate hole and everything lined up without any adjustments? Guess other owners who wrote about sleeve coupler installations had different setups. Thanks for replying.

Yes we have an electric jack, propane tank cover and Escape storage box.

We purchased the trailer preowned. Original owner installed the Bulldog. The original owner never installed a WDH. We however did install a E2 WDH with great success and no adjustment problems.

Caveat: having said that, with our installation I don't know if the original jack backing plate below the Bulldog coupler plate hole and everything lined up similar to the original coupler installation because we purchased the trailer with Bulldog coupler installed. However what I can say is that there is more real estate along that tongue than what might meet your eye, and I can't imagine the tongue not having enough room left on the tongue to accommodate E2 WDH hardware after any REASONABLE Bulldog coupler modification. My guess is that anyone who can competently cut off the original coupler and weld on a Bulldog coupler will also be able reasonably locate the Bulldog coupler so as to accommodate at the very least an E2 WDH if not more WDH models of your choosing.

Hope it works out for you.

John

 

[Rockhead]

You grind off the original coupler then weld the bulldog in place. They do not cut off any of the original tongue

 

[iamunique127]

A competent welder, trailer or suspension shop should be able to make it all fit if others have done it.

 

[ChuckBC]

Well I did finally proceed with the sleeve coupler installation and fortunately have an excellent shop here in town that tackles these jobs. The finished product looks excellent and best of all my better half is all smiles with the ease of attaching and releasing the trailer. No more binding of a coupler plate trying to get the hitch perfectly over the ball when lowering and likewise getting to a perfect height to facilitate the ball release action. I was glad I understood and communicated with the installer the tight tolerances at jack, propane tank cover, storage box lid and weight distribution bars. He came through with spades with the finished
product.

 

[Ron in BC]

Always nice when someone does what you're hoping for. Looks like a neat and tidy installation.

Ron