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Binkley Refurbishment
The head on my TrailerSaver hitch gave out in just about one year of use. Replacing the hitch head ($525 + S&H) every
year is not sustainable. I don't want to worry about my trailer falling off my tow vehicle.
Here's what I know:
- My trailer is heavy (27,000 lbs)
- It gets a lot of miles for an RV (18,000/yr).
- The pin is heavy (6,200lbs).
- I'm not the only one out there fulltiming in a heavy trailer.
If you are like me, I expect to get more than a year out of my hitch head, especially after spending
upwards of $3700 on an air hitch.
Here's what I've learned about TrailerSaver and the Binkley head:
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TrailerSaver has a 3 or 5 year warranty on their hitch depending on model, but that warranty doesn't cover
the Binkley head or in the case of air hitches, the air bags.
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TrailerSaver has a 1 year warranty on the Holland Binkley head.
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The Binkley head for/aft articulation is a pair of solid metal pins, each turning on 2 sections of 1/4" plate steel
with no bushings, bearings, or other means of preventing wear at that pivot point.
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Holland recommends that the pivot pin NOT be greased so it doesn't attract dirt. TrailerSaver recommends greasing it.
Who's right?
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This means that the pivot pin is bare metal rotating on bare metal, exposed to the elements.
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Bare metal rusts.
If you've read enough forums and been to enough RV shows, the Holland Binkley head is the current gold standard
of hitch heads. You also know that trailers are getting heavier all the time.
So, based on what I know and what I've learned, the only solution to my current problem is to refurbish
my worn Binkley head. Making just one is an exercise in engineering. Figuring out how to refurbish Binkley heads at a
reasonable cost is a business.
Not only will you get a hitch head that is stronger than the original head, it is now serviceable. Unlike the
Holland/Binkley design where once the pivot assembly is worn, the head is not serviceable, your refurbished Binkley head will
be 100% serviceable with replaceable pivot wear points.
Further on down the road, if the jaws or lock block becomes worn, then a simple transfer of salvaged parts from an original
Binkley head, or a new set of parts, will give your refurbished head a brand new lease on life.
| All New Parts Are Used ... |
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| ... To Refurbish Your Binkley |
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Over the next several weeks, I plan to build the few precision jigs that the process calls for, refine the process with
my vendors, and refurbish the first few heads.
The target price point is a slightly above replacement cost. The entire pivot mechanism is being replaced by
a set of parts with much greater mechanical tolerances, durability, and servicability. The hitch head plate and
support structure is also being replaced with a stronger, larger mechanism to support the new pivot mechanism.
To recap, I am not making new hitch heads, but refurbishing existing hitch heads. The refurbishment *may*
result in a lowering of the head height by 1/2" and I anticipate that the new hitch head will weigh 25lbs more than the current
head.
If you are interested in being an early adopter of a refurbished Binkley, send me an email: Mark at
RVNomad dot COM and we can discuss a few details.
UPDATE: 9/8/2008 BRP is in production!
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| Top Side |
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| Inventory!!! |
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| Bottom Side |
Manufacturing jigs have been built and fabrication has started. Cost of goods reduction is the next thing to be applied
to the process. Currently, the unit is well above my top desired price target. Some of the purchased parts can be sourced
at a few dollars less, but some of the parts are just going to be expensive. A machined 20lb. top plate has to be just that
precise.
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| Unmodified Base |
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| TSR Base |
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| Lock Block Carrier |
The concentricity of the opposing pivot tubes is critical. Therefore, the final milling can not take place until the
base is completed. The second picture shows a base for the Szmyt TSR hitch. I have the parts to offer a replacement for both
of the Smzyt hitches, a TrailerSaver, and unmodified. The only potential issue is the attachment of base metal might mis-align
the pivot tubes.
The original Binkley head with no base modifications weighs 57lbs. A BRP head weighs 77 lbs. with a modified base for
a Szmyt TSR hitch.
Serial Number 00001 Being Assembled, 9/9/08
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| Body and Pivot Plate |
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| Pivot Detail |
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| Range Of Motion |
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| The Red Hitch |
Freshcoat Finishing in NH did me a big favor today. They powder coated the hitch part using a polyurethane based paint.
I made the first one red so that the hitch has the same two tone paint scheme as my toter.
Visable in the pictures above are a few of the special details of the refurbished hitch head. Notice the tolerances in
the pivot assembly and the head of the nitrided pins that attach the main assembly to the pivot assembly.
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| Steve, Master Welder |
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| Breaker Bar |
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| Business End of Head |
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| Completed Hitch |
Hitch S/N:00001 was completed 9/10/2008. It was installed in a modified Szmyt RV TSR Hitch. The testing of the head
will be done with my personal trailer, a 27,000 lb. SpaceCraft. A few minor pulls over the next few days, and then off to
Hutchinson, KS for the 2008 HDT rally. Yes, I am hooking up our house, our home, everything we own, to a hitch
that I built, using a design I modified, using a head I designed, helped fabricate, and assembled.
UPDATE: After 8000 miles, the refurbished head still has absolutely no play in any of the refurbished bearings.
I made a small design change during the final days of fabrication. The security of the Binkley hitch has always been
a concern. Without a padlock, it is easy to tamper with the lock lever. I replaced the lever with a much smaller block that
has a 1/2" drive socket attachment. The hitch is operated with a 1/2" drive breaker bar, that is removed and stowed. When
you're stopped, nobody can mess with the hitch. As an added precaution, it still retains the ability to be padlocked.
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| Installed - Left View |
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| Installed - Right View |
Final Word
After figuring out all of the costs, the hitch head refurbishment has to retail out for more than the market would
bear for just a head. A lot of the cost was what it took to have a fabrication faciltity set up to produce them.
Secondly, the purchase parts where hard to get a hold of at anything other than distributed retail pricing.
Since then, a hitch manufacturer has purchased the design and rights to build it. If you'd like a hitch head, please
contact Szmyt ET Hitches for a quote.
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