Bedsaver by Blue Ox

[pops91710]

As some of you may recall about four years ago I had a costly accident when my trailer unhitched from my Pullrite while merging onto the highway from a campground. A few weeks later I purchased a Blue Ox Bedsaver and mounted it to my hitch. This June I put the Bedsaver to a real test (accidentally) right here in my very own driveway.

While backing up my trailer to do some maintenance on it, it slid out of the hitch and landed perfectly in the Bedsaver's pin catcher. Whereupon the support arms of the Bedsaver promptly collapsed and dropped the trailer to the cement (onto it's landing gear). The trailer came within one inch of making contact with the bed rails. Had it not been for the fact the landing gear were only far enough above the ground to move the trailer, it would have caused serious damage to truck and trailer.

Are these things designed to collapse? I do not know. Their ads certainly don't say so, and neither did their demonstration video. Neither did their service department when I complained to them Even so, the collapsing was too close for comfort, and who is to say it would not have gone all the way save for the landing gear. Blue Ox sent me testimonial letters with customers praising their bedsavers. One fellow described how his collapsed, too but saved his bed. My question is, how far can it collapse before it stops and saves the bedrails? I am not willing to find that out again.

I will be the first to say Blue Ox makes great products, but I cannot say that about this one. You be the judge. Click here and look at the photos: http://rides.webshots.com/album/574385467lwhlCW

I called Blue Ox was was oddly interrogated by their customer service rep. The questions she asked had nothing to do with the problem. I was totally befuddled. One week later, their verdict was, "sorry..it is your fault". HUH? I contacted Goodsam's ombudsman who took up my cause. Blue Ox refunded me the full cost of the Bedsaver. I got the check yesterday.

[bigbunkhouse]

That is awful and to pay good money to save your bed, and have it fail is unacceptable! Sorry to hear of your misfortune and that it took intervention to get your money back.

[Olbird]

It is not designed to collapse, but I bet it has load limit. If you must have one I would add some support on the extended area of the bed saver.
I would first try to understand why your hitch keeps coming open, the hitch you have should snap into the closed postion with a spring loaded jaw clamp.

[Future Fulltimers]

I looked into getting one of these but decited against it, mainly because of the cost. In their video (on their web site) they showed a fifth wheel coming unhooked and being able to re-hook just by backing up. Makes me real glad I didn't purchase one.
I agree with George. It seems that something may be wrong with the locking jaws on your hitch. I would have it checked out. Having your bird come unhooked at 50mph would make a REAL mess.

[pops91710]

I looked into getting one of these but decited against it, mainly because of the cost. In their video (on their web site) they showed a fifth wheel coming unhooked and being able to re-hook just by backing up. Makes me real glad I didn't purchase one.
I agree with George. It seems that something may be wrong with the locking jaws on your hitch. I would have it checked out. Having your bird come unhooked at 50mph would make a REAL mess.

I have no issues with the Pullrite hitch. The first time it un-hitched was due to a mistake. (Dealer trained me improperly). Do a search in this forum where I posted the accident analysis about 4 years ago in either late 2005 or early 2006.

The second time it happened I assumed the handle had slammed home, (I think). Anyway, I took the necessary precautions that ended up paying off for me.

I tried in vain to convince Blue Ox's rep their ingenious product lacks the proper gauge steel to handle the weight. I work with excellent welders and intend to modify the side supports with channel iron and strut the end of it back to the hitch base. I also tried to convince Blue Ox that by not using straight steel, they set the side plates up to fail right at the factory formed bends. They informed me the bends were there to allow the side plates to go around the Super 5 cover plate across the back. Who needs that? It is just for looks anyway.

[rpfan]

This is why I ALWAYS do a pull test. No matter how sure I am that it is locked. Never assume the hitch is locked. The only way is to do a hard pull test. I thought mine was locked and it came off and landed on the legs, about a 2 inch drop and not hard either. It takes less time to do a test pull than it does to fix truck and trailer. I am sorry that Blue Ox gave you a hard time but, glad that you were refunded and no one was hurt.

Rich

[Olbird]

Channel side supports will do the job, somthing I always do is look from the back of the pin box to see that the hitch jaws are around the pin and handle is lock in place.

I was going to build my own Bed Saver on the hitch just in case I ever made a mistake but I got into a habit checking as stated above.

[Traveler II]

Mike, sorry to read about the problems you're having with your bedsaver. We've had other Blue OX products in the past and always had good luck in talking to them and having them take care of us. But companies change, and it sounds like not for the better.

[pops91710]

This is why I ALWAYS do a pull test. No matter how sure I am that it is locked. Never assume the hitch is locked. The only way is to do a hard pull test. I thought mine was locked and it came off and landed on the legs, about a 2 inch drop and not hard either. It takes less time to do a test pull than it does to fix truck and trailer. I am sorry that Blue Ox gave you a hard time but, glad that you were refunded and no one was hurt.

Rich

Rich, You are quite right. I,too, always do a pull test. However, to do a pull test you have to go forward. In this case what I did was go backwards because what I needed was more room in front of the trailer to get my truck farther onto the concrete so I could crawl underneath it to change the motor oil. It was when I tapped the brakes to stop that the trailer slid off the hitch. I am sure I thought I saw the handle in the fully locked position. Obviously it was not, and I screwed up. You can be sure I will go back to my usual routine in the future and not get in a hurry. I will also never move the trailer again without hooking on the umbilical for brakes. I am sure that would have stopped the trailer at the same time as the truck. There are a lot of DUH's here. But at least now I know what to expect of the Bedsaver.

By the way, let me re-iterate: Blue Ox makes excellent products. I just think their design engineers missed this one. As for customer service, I was appalled by their first handling of my complaint. Ms. Denise Graham was very polite, but I think she doesn't have a clue as to what I was trying to tell her- even with the photographs I emailed to her. I wondered if she has ever towed a trailer. Just how she presented my case to the warranty committee I do not know. She obviously skewed it or spun it, judging from her (their) verdict.

When the company president received the case from Goodsam (Highways Magazine), he was quick to make things right. So, I wouldn't lose faith yet in them.

[rpfan]

Mike,
I hope you understand that I was not poking at you in any way. I too have learned from my (and mostly others) mistakes. I think I could have done the same thing if I were doing what you were.
I also know that I am not immune to a drop. All of us are at risk with a mechanical failure of the hitch. I do have a routine and stick to it. If someone comes by and wants to chat, I hve to blow them off till I am done, Simple.

Rich

[pops91710]

Mike,
I hope you understand that I was not poking at you in any way. I too have learned from my (and mostly others) mistakes. I think I could have done the same thing if I were doing what you were.
I also know that I am not immune to a drop. All of us are at risk with a mechanical failure of the hitch. I do have a routine and stick to it. If someone comes by and wants to chat, I hve to blow them off till I am done, Simple.

Rich

Absolutely no offense taken whatsoever!