Pintle ring type trailer

[Melville]

What are the advantages of a pintle type hook up trailer? I see them on contruction sites and heavy equipment. Has anyone rigged up or have any ideas about pulling a pintle type trailer behind their tractor. A pintle type is the kind of reciever that uses a ring rather than a ball. I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas to share.

Patrick

 

[LarryRB]

I have a Bri-Mar 12,0000 trailer and pull it with my Dodge diesel heavy 3/4 ton picj up.. I have the pintle ring and rather this over a ball hitch. You do have to get use to a little slack on take off. The good thing is, people are always asking can I borrow your trailer? For one, no.. For two, once they see a pintle they realize they can't pull it anyway.. I get, can you do it? and the answer again is no.. I don't want to attempt putting a car on a basically much higher trailer, trying to get over the radical incline for loading/unloading said vehicle.. It does make it much easier on me and have always had a pintle hitch anyway and am quite comfortable with them..

 

[DavidJ]

The biggest advantages are greater flexibility in the joint, easier hookup and greater load rating.

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> once they see a pintle they realize they can't pull it anyway </font>

It should not make any difference whether it is pintel or ball. My two trailers (10K and 6K gross) use a ball but when I need to use my neighbor's 12K trailer with pintel, I just insert the pintel mount into my receiver.

Jeff

 

[Soundguy]

There are also ball's with flip up pintle latches on them.. kinda combo-ish setup.

Soundguy

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

That's what I have on the dump trucks.

If you use one of those 'Convert-A=Ball' set ups with that hitch you never have to change anything but the ball and can pull virtually anything. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[RayH]

Ive pulled both and currently have a light weight trailer with a ball and a 10000 lbs trailer with a lunette ring. The pintle hooks up real easy. I can usually get it close enough on the first backup. Just know what your trailer should look like in the mirror and keep backing until it bumps then pull forward 1" and its there. The drawback of a pintle arrangement, as everyone else has said is the lash or play when taking off or stopping.
Oh, and it has been a convieneint excuse to not lend the trailer out on at least one occasion. I dont advertise that Ive got a 2" receiver insert with a pintle on it

 

[LarryRB]

More than convenience as an excuse. I did say the people in question do not respect anything that they borrow even from their own parents. I just happen to be a married by family, uncle.. I say no, I mean no one borrows my equipment and besides you haven't a CDL B license for one, and secondly I use pintle arrangement.. Goes a lot deeper in meaning than another excuse, believe me..

 

[dos_perros]

I have a Canadian military trailer with a lunette ring and pintle hitch on my truck. In addition to prior posts, i.e. ease of hook up, flexibility of joint in off road use, etc. also note the following. You can't back up your trailer, with any degree of ease, because it will not follow a straight line. You can learn to manuver your vehicle, but this variety of hook up is not designed to back up an attached trailer.

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> You can't back up your trailer, with any degree of ease, because it will not follow a straight line. </font>

Interesting comment.

I primarily use a ball type hitch and every once in awhile I use a pintle type. I have never noticed any difference in backing either type of trailer. I have had to back the pintle style into some tight spaces. Curving drive way, then straight back to spot attached trailer between two other trailers.

Now that you have told me that it can't be done easily, I probably will have trouble with it from now on /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Is it the pintle that is the problem or is it a "short coupled" trailer (i.e trailer axle is close to hitch pivot point)? A short coupled trailer is always a challenge to back up even with a ball type hitch.

Jeff