A towbar with a hitch ball system is shown and described. The towbar with a hitch ball system may include a first bushing member, a second bushing member telescopingly engaged with the first bushing member, the second bushing member including at least one aperture, and a pivoting arm telescopingly engaged with the second bushing member. The towbar with a hitch ball system may also include an engagement device operatively coupled with the second bushing member, the engagement device including a pin member and an electrically-operating device, where the electrically-operating device generally aligns the pin member with the at least one aperture of the second bushing member.

A weight sensor can be located either on the trailer side or the vehicle side. An electric actuator slide moves forward to raise a load sensor sandwiched between an actuator block and a contact block, through an opening in the bottom of a tube and into contact with a force transfer bar, to load the sensor for determining the weight loaded on it.

A silencer assembly for trailer hitches and a method of use thereof. The silencer assembly includes a sheet of material that is durable, abrasion-resistant, wear-resistant, ultra-violet light resistant, and sound dampening. An adhesive is applied to a bottom surface of the sheet which is then placed on a portion of the drawbar that is selectively receivable in a bore of receiver tube of the trailer hitch. The adhesive fixedly secures the sheet to the drawbar. The drawbar is inserted into the receiver bore. The sheet occupies part of a gap defined between an exterior surface of the drawbar and an interior surface of the receiver tube reducing relative movement between the drawbar and the receiver tube, and thereby reducing rattling noises. An additional sheet of material and one or more shims may be used to further reduce the gap between the drawbar and receiver tube, and thereby further reduce rattling.

To improve a trailer device for a motor vehicle, comprising a holding unit for a crossmember mountable on a vehicle body on the rear-end side thereof and a ball neck receiving body having a ball neck receptacle, into which an insertion portion of a ball neck carrying a coupling ball is insertable and fixable, wherein the ball neck receiving body is arranged mounted on the holding unit so as to be pivotable at least between a working position, in which a ball neck is insertable by means of its insertion portion into the ball neck receptacle, and a rest position, it is proposed that the trailer device comprises a drive, which is coupled to the ball neck receiving body by means of a coupling unit which has a freewheel and which in particular comprises a plurality of coupling elements.

A trailer hitch assembly includes a shank, coupleable to a receiver carried by a towing vehicle. A ball attachment bracket is attachable to the shank. A ball assembly is receivable within the ball attachment bracket, the ball assembly capable of mating with a trailer coupler carried by a trailer to be towed. A distribution block is attachable to one or both the ball attachment bracket or the shank. The distribution block has arm socket attachments to allow coupling of a pair of arm sockets to the distribution block, each of the arm sockets capable of receiving one of a pair of spring arms attachable to the trailer to be towed. The distribution block is removable from each of the ball attachment bracket and the shank while the ball attachment bracket remains operably coupled to the shank for use as a standard ball hitch assembly.

A weight distribution hitch system comprising a vehicle attachment member comprising a forward end configured to rigidly attach to a vehicle, and a rearward end extending rearwardly toward a trailer, the rearward end comprising an upper portion comprising a trailer attachment member configured to pivotally attach to a coupler of the trailer, and a lower portion configured to receive a moment bar; a moment bar comprising a moment bar forward end attached to the lower portion of the rearward end of the vehicle attachment member so as to prevent rotation about a horizontal axis, and a moment bar rearward end; a tension member comprising a top end configured to be supported by a frame member of the trailer, and a bottom end configured to support the rearward end of the moment bar, and a spring, configured to bias the moment bar rearward end toward the frame member of the trailer; and wherein, when the tension member is in tension, it imposes an upward force on the moment bar rearward end, which, in turn, imposes a forward moment on the vehicle is disclosed.

A weight distribution hitch system comprising a vehicle attachment member comprising a forward end configured to rigidly attach to a vehicle, and a rearward end extending rearwardly toward a trailer, the rearward end comprising an upper portion comprising a trailer attachment member configured to pivotally attach to a coupler of the trailer, and a lower portion configured to receive a moment bar; a moment bar having a modulus of elasticity, the moment bar comprising a moment bar forward end attached to the lower portion of the rearward end of the vehicle attachment member so as to prevent rotation about a horizontal axis, and a moment bar rearward end; a releasable tension member comprising a top portion configured to be pivotally supported by a frame member of the trailer and configured to pivot about a horizontal axis, and a bottom portion configured to support the rearward end of the moment bar; and a moment bar preload mechanism configured to push up the moment bar rearward end to thereby preload the moment bar; wherein, when the moment bar rearward end has been preloaded, the releasable tension member can be pivoted between a first angular position and a second angular position below the preloaded moment bar; wherein, when the tension member is in tension, it imposes an upward force on the moment bar rearward end, which, in turn, imposes a forward moment on the vehicle is disclosed.

A hitch assembly includes a jack assembly that includes a base that includes a frame rail passage. A telescoping assembly that extends along a central longitudinal axis includes an outer tube fixed to the base. An inner tube moveable along the central longitudinal axis within the outer tube to adjust a length of the telescoping tube assembly. A link assembly includes a first spherical end link attached to the telescoping assembly with a first spherical joint. A second spherical end link is fixed relative to the first spherical end link and has a second spherical joint. A spring bar is pivotably attached to the first spherical link end.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example apparatus includes a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar.

A vertical tapered trailer hitch coupling adapted for mounting on a vehicle hitch mounting frame. The mounting frame attached to an undercarriage at a rear of a vehicle. The vertical tapered trailer hitch coupling includes a vertical tapered collar with a four, equal sided tapered collar hole. A vertical, four equal sided tapered post is received inside the tapered collar hole. The post can be rotated 90 degrees in the collar hole. Mounted on top of tapered post is a trailer ball plate with a trailer ball. Also, the ball plate can include more than one trailer balls. This design allows for two different heights of drop hitches on a single hitch. The trailer balls are adapted for pulling different types of trailers behind the vehicle.