I’m one of those guys who doesn’t like to have an idle tow hitch stuck to the back of my truck—I don’t like the looks. I don’t like how it gets in my way when I’m working around the back of my truck. I just don’t like it.
But I also don’t like not having a tow hitch available when I need to hook up to a trailer. And I don’t like a tow hitch rattling around under the seat of my truck because I want to have it available … but not hooked to the back of my bumper.
So when I came across the Tow & Stow from BW Trailer Hitches, I actually found a tow hitch I liked. It looks great, it works great. And when it’s not in use, it will pivot up under my bumper so it’s not noticeable or in the way. It’s there when I need it and out of sight when I don’t.
BW Trailer Hitches came about in 1987 when Roger Baker and Joe Works (B&W) got together in the back of a garage and decided they could improve ball mounts for gooseneck trucks. They were building custom truck beds and wanted to improve the convenience of a gooseneck ball, which at that time was permanently welded in the bed.
With a little ingenuity, they created the “Turnoverball” gooseneck hitch. From there they started designing an entire line of hitches for trucks and have grown from the back of a garage to a 383,000-square-foot facility with 350 employees.
The Tow & Stow features a drop-down hitch and pivoting ball mounts that allow you to have two or three balls available. Since the most common ball sizes for pulling snowmobile trailers are 2-inch and 2 5/16-inch balls, I went with a two-ball pivoting mount.
The hitch is designed so you can rotate the balls, as well as rotate the hitch up under your bumper. It also allows you to adjust the hitch height to match your trailer. The hitch is rated for 10,000 pounds. It as an American-made product with the steel manufactured at U.S. Steel in Gary IN.
Price: $271. Website: www.bwtrailerhitches.com