The Gene McCall (formerly D Square Industries)Air Glyde 5th wheel hitch: I have a chance to purchase one of these and am interested because of it's fore and aft air cushioning capabilities. Has anyone any experience, info, opinion etc., on this hitch and it's design? I can't remember if it used the Binckley head or not.

I am aware he's no longer in business but the hitch is new, has never been installed and is being sold by a third party.

I had one and loved it. Took a few miles to get the fore-aft air pressure set to match the weight of my fiver but it did wonders for reducing the jerking I was getting on some roads and in cushioning full throttle or exhaust brake shifts.

Gene used several heads, the Binkley was my favorite but for folks with strong grips the Holland is pretty good too. The Holland needs a solid pull to unlatch and it is a good idea to block the fiver tires when backing into it to get it to lock without sliding the fiver's jacks.

http://www.stanmiller.info/pages/photo/photo-hitch.html

Stanley: Thanks for the reply, exactly the stuff I wanted to know. I'm familiar with your set-up as being very similar to mine with truck height etc.. I couldn't recall what other head he was using from when his site was up and running. Either will be an improvemnet over my current 'ancient' hitch which is the old version of a pullright 'wrap-around' that uses a series of levers and such to bring the rear jaw in behind the pin on latch-up. The hitch has now got enough age related issues that it's developing slop and getting difficult to unhitch. My truck being a manual ten means I periodically yank and downshift a little firmer than the trailer likes, am hoping that hitch will mitigate some of that stress on the trailer as well.

The link with pic's was just what the doctor ordered! Many thanks for going to the effort Stan>

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bstark,

That Pullright was a real Rube Goldberg lashup. You'll love the Binkley, just hit it 1/4 inch low and it will clamp on like a gator. Back into the hitch just a touch and it opens with a touch too.

Like Stan I have the same hitch and love the way it works. You will not regret buying this hitch.

Thanks for the reply Steve/Nancy. I had previously looked at Gene's site to get the gist of it but now that his site is down Stanley's link to pic's of his hitch were invaluable and along with your endorsement the deal is closed. I'm going to make a run down into Indianna where the seller is and grab it up. It's never been installed!

Thanks again folks.

We also have the Airglyde and love it. I am sure you will, too, Bruce. The only negatives I've heard about it is the ride height but since we had the Trailair suspension installed and they flipped the springs on the 5th wheel axles we had no height problems at all.

It might be a small world after all. I was just talking with Dale Fenton (the designer of the Trailair system) at the Mobile Suites rally in Amana and he said he had one over in Indiana. I hope that is the one as Dale is an honest individual you can trust.

LLonearth: DANG; don't you go to starting no bidding wars on me now! That is indeed the hitch I'm referring to and yes Dale is a great guy. When there having some adjustment done to my RV, we noticed some flatspotting on one tire and he asked if they had balanced those big 17.5" tires and I said nope! With that he had the boys remove my wheels and threw them in the back of his pick-up and off we went to a place that balanced them for a cheaper rate! He also adjusted my suspension and axles so that the trailer now follows me "like a piece of rope" as he likes to say. A real good guy.

The height is probably not going to be a problem as my trailer was raised for my other hitch height (11" tall hitch from bed of truck) and I can easily set the new hitch down in the bed by about 4" to lower it or with additional difficulty (alter rear frame crossmember) but still doable can go lower if need be.

Bruce: Not my intention at all...just wanted to let you know my impression of Dale in case that was the hitch you at which you were looking. Of course, I could have assumed you might know Dale since you both tow Doubletrees!

I'll be over in Goshen middle of June to have my Trailair checked and adjusted, if necessary. Glad to hear you have sufficient clearance as it is a great hitch.

What happened to Gene McCall and his Air Glyde? For the MDT's I thought that he had a very solid product. I talked with him a couple of years ago and he indicated that business was doing well at that time.

Well, I think he mostly just retired and couldn't / didn't find anyone to take over the business.

My chronology (probably more than you wanted to know, but he is a fellow SKP I think):

I visited NM and talked to him about the hitch and a tow body in Oct '04. Business seemed fine and I liked everyone there and the dogs, too.

November '04 - bought an Air Glyde and have been real happy with it.

Late '06 - I finally got around to wanting the tow body made. Had a bit of a problem getting through to Gene. When I did he said he had basically retired as he couldn't find good help and couldn't work all that much himself. I really didn't expect this as the crew had seemed pretty tight and were doing good work when we had been there two years before. But, a lot can happen .....

During 2007, some of the forums had a few posts by someone who identified himself as working at D Square but I always found the tone a bit off. Haven't even seen these for some months now.

All this is too bad as the hitch is really a great design and the workmanship was excellent. Maybe someone will pick up the design and start making them again. I think at one point Gene was considering licensing out the design but it never came to anything at that point.

Well I made the run down to Goshen and grabbed that hitch. It is a complete, never used, set up with the pressure switches and gauges. It looks like an easy install as the height with air in the lift bladders brings it to the same height as my previous hitch. Whooee, can hardly wait to get the welder going and git-er-dun!

The only trick is getting the fore aft air pressures right, it is a real trick the first couple times.

Start off by getting 40 lbs in each bag and the pivot arm straight up and down (hitch centered on both bags) which will be a good starting place.

Now go towing and have your passenger watch the hitch during moderate acceleration and braking. You want the hitch to go about 75% of the way forward and back, leave the last 25% as a cushion.

Adjusting the air is tricky since you must have the volume in each bag matched. Fiddle the trailer back and forth to get the pivot arm straight and add or remove air to/from both bags at the same time.

You don't want too much air as that makes the hitch too stiff and too little will let the airbags bottom. I wouldn't suggest trying the adjustments while driving as every time I did that I got the pressures equal but the volume (and centering) got well off from where it should have been.


Now if you want to mess with someone tell them it is an automated hitch. Without the fiver on run it all the way forward, back under the fiver until the hitch just touches and stop. Then run the hitch head all the way back and POOF the hitch will automatically lock. Reverse this for automated unhitching. Downside, you gotta adjust the air again but if you remember the pressure you can use the hitch to move the fiver to centered and it won't be much hassle.

I talked to Gene last summer and he told me he was giving it up due in part that it was no longer profitable due to materials and production cost's. I love my hitch, I had to get a new set of rear bags because of my error on too low of air pressure, forgot to check. I do need to start thinking about replacing the shocks and not quite sure who I can go through to get the replacements.

Later

I have not had to replace the bags yet. The shocks can be had at any auto parts store. I got mine at Kragen. The bags should be avalible at most truck stores, ( Peterbilt,Kenworth, freightliner) and such.