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Member
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Location: Spokane, WA | Does anyone have experience with either of these hitches with their horse trailer and how they reduce the bumpy ride for the horses? Shocker claims that their hitch works in both up/down and front/back motions to absorb shock while Airsafe only works up/down. Airsafe claims that because Shocker does not ride totally on the airbag, the effect is limited and that due to Shocker's pivoting hitch, shock isn't absorbed as well. Shocker is half the price, but if the effect isn't comparable, then obviously it would be a better investment to go with the AirSafe.Has anyone noticed a difference in their horses after using Shocker or AirSafe hitch? |
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Expert
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Location: Vermont | http://youtu.be/DCnn-x5KYdA |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | http://mrtrailer.com/c7-air-ride-hitch.htm |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | we have a 4 horse with 17' LQ, we have an air safe hitch on it and it was the best investment I ever put on a trailer, it totally changed the way the trailer pulls and feels for the good. The horses come out of the trailer after long rides always feeling fresher and they never seem to be stiff. |
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | Would like to find something like this for my horse trailer and 30' gooseneck flat deck both but 2 issues I am having with both trailers is my truck has a flatbed with a gooseneck trough and the hitch on both trailers has to be raised all the way up the trailers are level. Tried the shocker and some other type of air hitch and the trailers was not only too high in the front but I couldn't turn without damaging the hitch or truck bed. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | I have 2 trucks one is a regular dually and I have to lower the hitch on the trailer when using this truck but I have a cm bed on my 550 and I have the ball on top of the bed, the airsafe hitch has an 18" turning radius, so you need this space or a little more all the way around it, it does take up room but it makes a big difference on heavy trailers as to the way they pull. I have a friend with the same set up, except his truck has the trough and he mounted a plate and ball above it. |
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | Originally written by kooner on 2014-11-26 2:44 PM
I have 2 trucks one is a regular dually and I have to lower the hitch on the trailer when using this truck but I have a cm bed on my 550 and I have the ball on top of the bed, the airsafe hitch has an 18" turning radius, so you need this space or a little more all the way around it, it does take up room but it makes a big difference on heavy trailers as to the way they pull. I have a friend with the same set up, except his truck has the trough and he mounted a plate and ball above it. I thought about doing that, but I think if I raise my trailer up that high I will start having tire issues on the rear axles on both trailers since that is going to be about a 6" rise plus whatever difference the hitch is. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | HOGTOWNBOSS I thought that may be the case on mine but it was not, If you have a flat bed back your trailer up to it and just set it down somewhere besides the trough and have a look, the main thing after that is to see how far up your hitch will go up to make it level again, the pipe on the airsafe is a lot shorter than a regular hitch tube to accommodate this issue also when you un hook with the airsafe you may have to block your jack as you have to go up a little higher because of the air bags, when you take the weight off the truck the bags go down several inches. |
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | Already tried that and the hitches on all of my trailers are up as high as they will go and it makes my trailers sit about 4" high in the front just sitting on the bed not including the ball!. My truck is a 07.5 Dodge Ram 3500 quad cab factory cab/chassis truck with a CM hauler bed along with firestone airbags. When I hook up our horse trailer with 50psi in the airbags on the truck everything sits perfectly level. Same thing when hauling 19 round bales on my flat deck, the truck and trailer is level! |
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | Trying to post a picture of one of my trailers loaded.
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 457497_402671426451799_259592735_o.jpg (102KB - 293 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1351
Location: Decatur, Texas | Here is one of the horse trailer. Not a good picture but you can see what I am talking about. |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | Did you definitely notice a difference in the horses after the trailering? I have heard more about Shocker hitch than Air Safe but it looks like the Air Safe might have more of a benefit. Did you ever consider the Shocker hitch? |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | I'm trying to determine which hitch is better--they both look good, but with the AirSafe hitch being twice the price, it's a tough call. |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | Originally written by kooner on 2014-11-26 5:59 AM
we have a 4 horse with 17' LQ, we have an air safe hitch on it and it was the best investment I ever put on a trailer, it totally changed the way the trailer pulls and feels for the good. The horses come out of the trailer after long rides always feeling fresher and they never seem to be stiff. Did you definitely notice a difference in the horses after the trailering? I have heard more about Shocker hitch than Air Safe but it looks like the Air Safe might have more of a benefit. Did you ever consider the Shocker hitch? |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | Originally written by PaulChristenson on 2014-11-26 5:39 AM
http://youtu.be/DCnn-x5KYdA I'm trying to determine which hitch is better--they both look good, but with the AirSafe hitch being twice the price, it's a tough call. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | since I have an airsafe all I can say is that I like it and would have another if needed, what kind of price are you seeing?? I know several dealers that will come way down on the price from msrp. |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | I'm Looking at the AirSafe website--The class 4 receiver is $825! Where do you think I could get it for less?? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | I have a goosneck so I never priced the other, the dealer I deal with is close by and I will see what he has in stock and a price. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350
Location: Penrose, Colorado | checked on the price and he is a little cheaper but the freight getting it to you is not worth it, you need to get it closer to home if you can. all I can say is that on a gooseneck that is big and heavy and when pulling said trailer with a truck larger than a one ton the airsafe makes a big difference, they are pricey but it takes a lot of stress off the trailer from vibration etc. |
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Member
Posts: 9
Location: Spokane, WA | Thank you soo much for your input and looking into it for me. I have a bumper pull trailer but I'm sure it makes a significant difference on that as well. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
Location: Sumas Washington | I had a Shocker hitch, it worked OK with the trailer but not as much difference as I thought it would be. When I removed the P/U bed and installed the flatbed the Shocker would no longer fit (Recessed ball) so I sold it. |
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