I have been towing trailers for 40 years. Everything from utility trailers, to horse trailers, to flat bed equipment trailers, and in my opinion, the Bullet Proof is the best bumper tow hitch ever. I will never own another B&W, or any other adjustable hitch. The only hitch that has never failed in any situation has been the Bullet Proof.
I will never have any other brand hitch but a BulletProof Hitch!! I have had the Extreme Duty for over a year now.. I bought the 6" Drop/Rise Extreme Duty with the 2" & 2 5/16" Dual Ball, 1-7/8" Single Ball,2.5" BulletProof Anti-Rattle Clamp, Pintle Attachment and the Heavy Duty Weight Distribution Adapter. Goes great with my 2017 Ram 3500 Dually!!! This combination works Great with all the hauling that I do, especially doing the Disaster Relief Transport.
I have a weight safe w/o the scale 2.5" shank with 8" drop that I bought in 2017. I have the option with 2-5/16" and 2" balls. Great hitch, highly recommended! It actually keeps your receiver from rusting on the inside as the aluminum rubs off! It's fully machined, not fabricated. Only issues that I have is the shank isn't long enough to let the tailgate down with some trailers and the ball not being used can drag pretty easily on the ground when used on lower settings.
I have the Brok from Lowes knockoff Bulletproof hitch and I love it. With my F600 and it I moved a single wide trailer just fine. It’s such a close copy that the pintle adapter I bought for it is genuine Bulletproof Hitch. I swapped the pins out for B&W stainless pins because the Brok pins like to lose their clips. I use a BOLT locking pin in the receiver because the one for the 2000s Ford key worked with my 70s Ford key even though they’re a little different. I’m trying to talk a friend of mine into getting a stow n go for his Dodge dually but I think it might be his Christmas present this year
I bought the Weigh Safe in steel. Primarily, I wanted a decent hitch with a 2" ball that didn't need a reducer for my 2.5" shank to tow our fishing boat and was mainly swayed by my curiosity of the built in scale. Additionally it is nice to have the 2 5/16 ball stowed under the back seat as a spare incase i have a failure of my weight distribution hitch for our travel trailer when I'm away from home. I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but so long as I'm mindful of conditions, it'd get me out of a bind.
Great comparisons, I’ve personally have a gen-y 5 position. 7 years with it and I’ve been pleased with it. The ability to move farm trailers with just the pin coupler & pintle ability is what sold me. Finish is still in good condition.
I used to have and carry multiple hitches in my truck box. I switched over to a B&W tow and stow (got a deal on one at a wrecking yard). I no longer carry multiple hitches and it is super easy to swap ball size and hitch height for the different trailers I tow.
I use the aluminum Weigh Safe without the scale. Not for reduced weight but rust. I live on the NC coast, I found out on my previous truck after leaving a steel hitch in the receiver for a long period of time combined with the salt air, it rusted and seized up in the receiver. After getting it out and purchasing a new hitch, I removed it from receiver after each use. Purchased new Ram 3500 in 2018, immediately ordered the alum. weigh safe hitch, has been on my truck 90% of the time since 2018, no issues. I would still purchase a Gen-Y if I had a need to tow heavy but wouldn't leave it in the receiver for extend periods.
I have the B&W stow and go. I have the two ball set up. I love this hitch because I like leaving it in the receiver and flipping it to stow. You can walk behind the truck and never hit your shins. My truck only has 6800 pound towing capacity so the B&W capacity is more than I’ll tow.
I currently use a B&W Tow & Stow for the convenience factor even though it is beefy especially compared to my Andersen Rapid Hitch which I also love but I need to buy a shorter shank so it wont drag.
Very informative video JD. I think this will give some of the new-to-towing folks some great information to make the right choice for their application. I have the B&W 2/2-5/16 hitch and it is all I wanna do to put it in my tool box when I’m done using it (and I’m a young buck). One suggestion, I think it’d be great to put a few information tables in these comparison videos just so the viewers can visualize the actual specs. For instance: hitch weight, capacity, price.
August 2019...towing a horse trailer, loaded with 4 horses and camping gear. Rear ended by a drunk kid driving a Prius at 100 mph. The gooseneck was bent a foot back and to the left. The hitch broke apart from the ball and came loose. Ball was fine, though I replaced it. Safety chain and campfire wood trapped the gooseneck, and kept the trailer from being disconnected.
I didn't feel like dropping 350 bucks on a B&W hitch for my Ram 3500, so I got a YATM hitch off Amazon. 200 dollars, class 5, 8" drop, all 3 balls included. Have had no issues with it so far. Coming up on 1 year of ownership.
I have the aluminum version of the 2.5 inch Weigh Safe hitch. I tow a 14k trailer regularly and its held up very well over 5 years. I recently switched to the steel version. The steel version is significantly heavier.
Gen Y Boss torsion flex is the best money spent on my rig. Seriously. Towing a 30’ Airstream (Ram3500drw6.7C) 2022 Took a 3k mile trip 65-75mph (speed limit-and look at my setup above-I’m fine) had breaks with sewer storage, my kitchen faucet, cooler fell over spilled water, wood trim popped off, used an Equalizer wdh. 2023 5600mi trip similar route & speed, GEN Y torsion hitch. NO DAMAGE WHATEVER in or outside the rig. It was noticeably smoother. It took me 3 years to make the decision to spend the cash. I regret not doing it sooner. Also dealing with customer service was incredible on a few issues, they go above and beyond. Expensive sure, but so worth it. For measuring sake, I got the GH2315 (5 hole,2.5”) for my truck with Carli front and rear suspension (3.25”) and 37” tires. The 6 hole would have been too long, the 4 hole would be fine but only for that trailer wouldn’t be able to use on a lower flatbed type so I got the 5 hole length. I use a chain lock around it because it’s an $800 hitch, and I use the sway control adapter since I’m not running a WDH (900lb hitch weight, 3500 dually, 5k air bags) I don’t need the weight distribution but the sway still needs to be managed. Although consider I’m towing one of the best made towing trailer for aerodynamics and sway. Airstream is built differently and I would not recommend my setup for everyone, especially a long box shaped trailer on a single wheel truck. Quick note, buy the torsion hitch for your weight, don’t get a 32k lb hitch for a 10k lb trailer it will be hard as a rock. Call Gen Y they will talk you through it.
I wish JD would do one on suspension hitches. My truck is destroying the camper but I can’t decide on Gen Y or the Shocker hitch with the airbag in it. Right now with a solid insert I have to reassemble the cabinets after we get to the campground.
Have the 2.5" Weigh Safe w/ gauge for my 22 F-350 w/ 7.3 and 2" Weigh Safe w/o gauge for the wife's 22 Expedition. Have used the B&W in the past, but feel like they have more play in them compared to the Weigh Safe.
I'm a big proponent of leveling and sway control hitches. These are great if you have a heavy-duty pick-up and keep within your towing capacity. I own a 08 Keystone 311bhs Sprinter travel trailer with a 780lb tongue weight and have no issues towing with my 2020 Ecodiesel Ram Longhorn 1500. I have towed it with ease through the mountains of BC and throughout the Canadian prairies (even in a late spring blizzard with 60mph side wind gusts) without incident. I bought the trailer in 2019 with the system included, and I can't find anything to indicate the brand but it is very similar (updated for sure) to an Equalizer system my Dad bought for his 73 Scamper single axle trailer when I was a young whipper snapper. Anyway, great video as usual, sir.
I’m not an RV’er (yet, potentially). I just haul a small cargo trailer and a boat trailer occasionally. I use Reese or its it’s equivalent that I can find that’s American made at either a big box store or local farm store. Nice video on the hitches; what’s your thought on receivers? Is one brand better than another?
JD-Do you have any recommendations for an adjustable hitch with multiple ball size options, etc…AND can offer weight distribution? One thing I hate is having to swap my WDH with conventional a lot. Wish I could just swap ball sizes and add the bars. Big market IMO for something like that.
Dude the beauty of the bulletproof hitch are the pins . You wanna remove the hitch just pop the pins and remove the hitch . It’s not that heavy . While the main body remains in the hitch of the truck! Sounds like you need to hit the gym 😂
Dumb question, but I've built up my Jayco 17' "Baja" trailer (pretty lightweight) for actual off road driving in Baja. The bigger tires and the beef up'd axle I've installed really raises the trailer profile for extra ground clearance; but, I'm really having a tough time finding the correct Hitch. I need one that is tough, but sits high enough for the added inches of clearance I've created. Generally speaking, every hitch I see drops "down" because of the super lifted trucks that are associated with 4 x 4 off roading. I need the opposite. My Tundra is only lifted 2" and when hooked up, the trailer ends up with the tongue on a downward trajectory, not level. The hitch I'm currently using has actually started to bend downwards because of the angle and weight of the trailer. Any advice or suggestions? (other than stop using the cheap off market brand I bought online exactly like you warned against). Thanks, Dave
BTW: Are the, for example 14' Drop hitch's actually ok to just flip over and make the 14" drop into a 14" (or a little less) rise? The engineering seems not as strong? It feels like I'm putting it on incorrectly
I had a bulletproof hitch. The pins bent and started to shear. Went to a Gen Y and had no issues. Was using the adapter for a sway control system. Equalizer for my 31’ bumper pull toy hauler. Have a B&W fifth wheel hitch now.
Not a fan of adjustable drawbars. Why have so many pins? These are all points of failure ot misuse. I have different trailers and have a fixed drawbar for each.
I have been towing trailers for 40 years. Everything from utility trailers, to horse trailers, to flat bed equipment trailers, and in my opinion, the Bullet Proof is the best bumper tow hitch ever. I will never own another B&W, or any other adjustable hitch. The only hitch that has never failed in any situation has been the Bullet Proof.
Haha I guess it earned its namesake.
I'm thinking of getting a Bullett Proof. Is it so large that the backup sensors go off in reverse when you aren't hooked up?
I love how easy it is to swap the ball size on the b&w it works so well.
I will never have any other brand hitch but a BulletProof Hitch!! I have had the Extreme Duty for over a year now.. I bought the 6" Drop/Rise Extreme Duty with the 2" & 2 5/16" Dual Ball, 1-7/8" Single Ball,2.5" BulletProof Anti-Rattle Clamp, Pintle Attachment and the Heavy Duty Weight Distribution Adapter. Goes great with my 2017 Ram 3500 Dually!!!
This combination works Great with all the hauling that I do, especially doing the Disaster Relief Transport.
I’ve had the B&W since 2016 2.5” reciever, great hitch used on the farm
Love my b and w. Having ball in for my shins on daily when not towing is amazing
I have a weight safe w/o the scale 2.5" shank with 8" drop that I bought in 2017. I have the option with 2-5/16" and 2" balls. Great hitch, highly recommended! It actually keeps your receiver from rusting on the inside as the aluminum rubs off! It's fully machined, not fabricated. Only issues that I have is the shank isn't long enough to let the tailgate down with some trailers and the ball not being used can drag pretty easily on the ground when used on lower settings.
I went with the B&W trailer hitch I have bought two of their 5th wheel hitches with the 2 1/2 shank.
I have the Brok from Lowes knockoff Bulletproof hitch and I love it. With my F600 and it I moved a single wide trailer just fine. It’s such a close copy that the pintle adapter I bought for it is genuine Bulletproof Hitch. I swapped the pins out for B&W stainless pins because the Brok pins like to lose their clips. I use a BOLT locking pin in the receiver because the one for the 2000s Ford key worked with my 70s Ford key even though they’re a little different. I’m trying to talk a friend of mine into getting a stow n go for his Dodge dually but I think it might be his Christmas present this year
I bought the Weigh Safe in steel. Primarily, I wanted a decent hitch with a 2" ball that didn't need a reducer for my 2.5" shank to tow our fishing boat and was mainly swayed by my curiosity of the built in scale. Additionally it is nice to have the 2 5/16 ball stowed under the back seat as a spare incase i have a failure of my weight distribution hitch for our travel trailer when I'm away from home. I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but so long as I'm mindful of conditions, it'd get me out of a bind.
Great comparisons, I’ve personally have a gen-y 5 position. 7 years with it and I’ve been pleased with it. The ability to move farm trailers with just the pin coupler & pintle ability is what sold me. Finish is still in good condition.
I used to have and carry multiple hitches in my truck box. I switched over to a B&W tow and stow (got a deal on one at a wrecking yard). I no longer carry multiple hitches and it is super easy to swap ball size and hitch height for the different trailers I tow.
I have the Weigh Safe True Tow Heavyweight WDH. I got the adapter with 2 6/16 & 2 in balls for non weight distribution towing.
I use the aluminum Weigh Safe without the scale. Not for reduced weight but rust. I live on the NC coast, I found out on my previous truck after leaving a steel hitch in the receiver for a long period of time combined with the salt air, it rusted and seized up in the receiver. After getting it out and purchasing a new hitch, I removed it from receiver after each use. Purchased new Ram 3500 in 2018, immediately ordered the alum. weigh safe hitch, has been on my truck 90% of the time since 2018, no issues.
I would still purchase a Gen-Y if I had a need to tow heavy but wouldn't leave it in the receiver for extend periods.
I have the B&W stow and go. I have the two ball set up. I love this hitch because I like leaving it in the receiver and flipping it to stow. You can walk behind the truck and never hit your shins. My truck only has 6800 pound towing capacity so the B&W capacity is more than I’ll tow.
Would really be interested in seeing you use a shocker hitch! And review
I currently use a B&W Tow & Stow for the convenience factor even though it is beefy especially compared to my Andersen Rapid Hitch which I also love but I need to buy a shorter shank so it wont drag.
Very informative video JD. I think this will give some of the new-to-towing folks some great information to make the right choice for their application. I have the B&W 2/2-5/16 hitch and it is all I wanna do to put it in my tool box when I’m done using it (and I’m a young buck). One suggestion, I think it’d be great to put a few information tables in these comparison videos just so the viewers can visualize the actual specs. For instance: hitch weight, capacity, price.
August 2019...towing a horse trailer, loaded with 4 horses and camping gear. Rear ended by a drunk kid driving a Prius at 100 mph. The gooseneck was bent a foot back and to the left. The hitch broke apart from the ball and came loose. Ball was fine, though I replaced it. Safety chain and campfire wood trapped the gooseneck, and kept the trailer from being disconnected.
I didn't feel like dropping 350 bucks on a B&W hitch for my Ram 3500, so I got a YATM hitch off Amazon. 200 dollars, class 5, 8" drop, all 3 balls included. Have had no issues with it so far. Coming up on 1 year of ownership.
I have a 2 1/2 6 inch drop weigh safe 180 for my superduty and love it.
I have the aluminum version of the 2.5 inch Weigh Safe hitch. I tow a 14k trailer regularly and its held up very well over 5 years. I recently switched to the steel version. The steel version is significantly heavier.
Gen Y Boss torsion flex is the best money spent on my rig. Seriously. Towing a 30’ Airstream (Ram3500drw6.7C)
2022 Took a 3k mile trip 65-75mph (speed limit-and look at my setup above-I’m fine) had breaks with sewer storage, my kitchen faucet, cooler fell over spilled water, wood trim popped off, used an Equalizer wdh.
2023 5600mi trip similar route & speed, GEN Y torsion hitch. NO DAMAGE WHATEVER in or outside the rig. It was noticeably smoother. It took me 3 years to make the decision to spend the cash. I regret not doing it sooner. Also dealing with customer service was incredible on a few issues, they go above and beyond. Expensive sure, but so worth it.
For measuring sake, I got the GH2315 (5 hole,2.5”) for my truck with Carli front and rear suspension (3.25”) and 37” tires. The 6 hole would have been too long, the 4 hole would be fine but only for that trailer wouldn’t be able to use on a lower flatbed type so I got the 5 hole length. I use a chain lock around it because it’s an $800 hitch, and I use the sway control adapter since I’m not running a WDH (900lb hitch weight, 3500 dually, 5k air bags) I don’t need the weight distribution but the sway still needs to be managed. Although consider I’m towing one of the best made towing trailer for aerodynamics and sway. Airstream is built differently and I would not recommend my setup for everyone, especially a long box shaped trailer on a single wheel truck. Quick note, buy the torsion hitch for your weight, don’t get a 32k lb hitch for a 10k lb trailer it will be hard as a rock. Call Gen Y they will talk you through it.
I wish JD would do one on suspension hitches. My truck is destroying the camper but I can’t decide on Gen Y or the Shocker hitch with the airbag in it. Right now with a solid insert I have to reassemble the cabinets after we get to the campground.
Have the 2.5" Weigh Safe w/ gauge for my 22 F-350 w/ 7.3 and 2" Weigh Safe w/o gauge for the wife's 22 Expedition. Have used the B&W in the past, but feel like they have more play in them compared to the Weigh Safe.
I'm a big proponent of leveling and sway control hitches. These are great if you have a heavy-duty pick-up and keep within your towing capacity. I own a 08 Keystone 311bhs Sprinter travel trailer with a 780lb tongue weight and have no issues towing with my 2020 Ecodiesel Ram Longhorn 1500. I have towed it with ease through the mountains of BC and throughout the Canadian prairies (even in a late spring blizzard with 60mph side wind gusts) without incident. I bought the trailer in 2019 with the system included, and I can't find anything to indicate the brand but it is very similar (updated for sure) to an Equalizer system my Dad bought for his 73 Scamper single axle trailer when I was a young whipper snapper. Anyway, great video as usual, sir.
Hello, the best truck accessories in China, you deserve it!
I need a weigh safe for my enclosed trailer. I use it for various things but mainly for my SxS.
I’m not an RV’er (yet, potentially). I just haul a small cargo trailer and a boat trailer occasionally. I use Reese or its it’s equivalent that I can find that’s American made at either a big box store or local farm store. Nice video on the hitches; what’s your thought on receivers? Is one brand better than another?
What about the Air Safe Tow Hitch for an F-350 SRW towing a 36-37' travel trailer?
You should try out the Shocker hitch
I have a B&W hitch. I like it, but I just feel like there's too much play in the ball and hitch of the trailer. Like where they connect.
What’s your recommendation for a hitch for 10k pounds and under. Only tow one trailer so I don’t need an adjustable hitch.
Brother, you are going to love a video I'll be producing soon to address and compare multiple hitches in that category.
JD-Do you have any recommendations for an adjustable hitch with multiple ball size options, etc…AND can offer weight distribution?
One thing I hate is having to swap my WDH with conventional a lot. Wish I could just swap ball sizes and add the bars.
Big market IMO for something like that.
Check out the accessories for the Bulletproof hitch. They make a weight distribution attachment head for it.
all receiver style hitches have the same single point of failure, the pin holding the hitch into the receiver
Dude the beauty of the bulletproof hitch are the pins . You wanna remove the hitch just pop the pins and remove the hitch . It’s not that heavy . While the main body remains in the hitch of the truck! Sounds like you need to hit the gym 😂
Dumb question, but I've built up my Jayco 17' "Baja" trailer (pretty lightweight) for actual off road driving in Baja. The bigger tires and the beef up'd axle I've installed really raises the trailer profile for extra ground clearance; but, I'm really having a tough time finding the correct Hitch. I need one that is tough, but sits high enough for the added inches of clearance I've created. Generally speaking, every hitch I see drops "down" because of the super lifted trucks that are associated with 4 x 4 off roading. I need the opposite. My Tundra is only lifted 2" and when hooked up, the trailer ends up with the tongue on a downward trajectory, not level. The hitch I'm currently using has actually started to bend downwards because of the angle and weight of the trailer. Any advice or suggestions? (other than stop using the cheap off market brand I bought online exactly like you warned against). Thanks, Dave
BTW: Are the, for example 14' Drop hitch's actually ok to just flip over and make the 14" drop into a 14" (or a little less) rise? The engineering seems not as strong? It feels like I'm putting it on incorrectly
I had a bulletproof hitch. The pins bent and started to shear. Went to a Gen Y and had no issues. Was using the adapter for a sway control system. Equalizer for my 31’ bumper pull toy hauler. Have a B&W fifth wheel hitch now.
You probably had one that wasn’t rated properly for your towing load . I have a medium duty Bulletproof hitch for 5 years now and not an issue !
I'd also be interested in knowing exactly which Bulletproofing hitch you had. It would require a tremendous amount of sheer force to bend a pin.
With the weight distribution adapter. At the time I was using the 14,000lb Equalizer hitch on a 2021 Shockwave 31KXGDX I think it was.
I have pictures and also sent the pins back BP for their R&D
Think I'd read something about the WD adapter being a problem - and the old one is now designated 'med duty' and they have a newer HD rated one.
Trailer was a total loss, frame was bent on the F350, as well as suspension brackets broken. Minor injuries to people and horses.
Not a fan of adjustable drawbars. Why have so many pins? These are all points of failure ot misuse. I have different trailers and have a fixed drawbar for each.
I have a fixed insert for my camper but for general use I pull so many trailers I need the versatility