Introducing the Patented Cyber Hitch, full motion 5th Wheel Hitch for the Cybertruck

[Jackwsandoz]

Very cool but what exactly is the advantage here, over a conventional gooseneck hitch?

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[Cyber Hitch]

Very cool but what exactly is the advantage here, over a conventional gooseneck hitch?

There are many advantages:

It's monolithic, which means no chucking.

No safety chains are required.

You don't have to be exactly over a ball to couple the trailer to the truck.

You don't have to hide a ball.

In the winter, you don't have to un-thaw a ball to un-hide a ball.

The "smart" version will show you on your display that the hitch is physically locked.

The Cyber Hitch is universal and can be used for nearly all gooseneck and 5th wheel trailers. If your RV trailer has a king pin (which most are) and your flatbed gooseneck has a ball (which most are) , you will constantly be switching back and forth.

You can use the receiver for cyber hitch accessories like bike racks when your not towing something.

Just to name a few.... That's a great question. Thanks for asking.

Do you have a gooseneck?

 

[Jackwsandoz]

No I haven't owned gooseneck yet and I hadn't even towed with on one up until a couple years ago on a CA - GA trip.

Really didn't know what I was missing out on with bumper pulls until then...
(Ease of hitching, tight maneuverability and even ride quality)
Needless to say, I've been pretty sold on them since - hence my interest in the Cyber Hitch.

Eliminating (or at least reducing) chucking would be nice and I can definitely see how a universal joint would do just that.

I'm looking at the design, trying to better understand why it doesn't need safety chains and doesn't require perfect line-up for hitching.
Admittedly I'm still pretty unclear on why those differ but taking your word for it, both would certainly be a nice convenience!

Winter isnt a big concern here in So Cal but I can imagine those points would be huge for some.

My $0.02:
I'd REALLY like to see some marketing videos illustrating these advantages.

Just to be completely honest, the major inconvenience I'd forsee would be lack of compatibility with using a buddy's trailer from time to time (happens often in our group) BUT if the hitch is easily convertible, I'd chalk that up to a win/win.

Thanks for the response and I'll certainly be tuned-in for updates!

There are many advantages:

It's monolithic, which means no chucking.

No safety chains are required.

You don't have to be exactly over a ball to couple the trailer to the truck.

You don't have to hide a ball.

In the winter, you don't have to un-thaw a ball to un-hide a ball.

The "smart" version will show you on your display that the hitch is physically locked.

The Cyber Hitch is universal and can be used for nearly all gooseneck and 5th wheel trailers. If your RV trailer has a king pin (which most are) and your flatbed gooseneck has a ball (which most are) , you will constantly be switching back and forth.

You can use the receiver for cyber hitch accessories like bike racks when your not towing something.

Just to name a few.... That's a great question. Thanks for asking.

Do you have a gooseneck?

Very cool but what exactly is the advantage here, over a conventional gooseneck hitch?

 

[TyPope]

No I haven't owned gooseneck yet and I hadn't even towed with on one up until a couple years ago on a CA - GA trip.

Really didn't know what I was missing out on with bumper pulls until then...
(Ease of hitching, tight maneuverability and even ride quality)
Needless to say, I've been pretty sold on them since - hence my interest in the Cyber Hitch.

Eliminating (or at least reducing) chucking would be nice and I can definitely see how a universal joint would do just that.

I'm looking at the design, trying to better understand why it doesn't need safety chains and doesn't require perfect line-up for hitching.
Admittedly I'm still pretty unclear on why those differ but taking your word for it, both would certainly be a nice convenience!

Winter isnt a big concern here in So Cal but I can imagine those points would be huge for some.

My $0.02:
I'd REALLY like to see some marketing videos illustrating these advantages.

Just to be completely honest, the major inconvenience I'd forsee would be lack of compatibility with using a buddy's trailer from time to time (happens often in our group) BUT if the hitch is easily convertible, I'd chalk that up to a win/win.

Thanks for the response and I'll certainly be tuned-in for updates!

The law for each state is a little different but typically, if the trailer is connected to the vehicle by a ball, it has to have chains. My 5th wheels never used chains but my gooseneck does. From what I can figure, this setup is basically a really small 5th wheel connection that is flush with the bed. I wouldn't cut into my CT bed but would consider a hitch that utilized the T-rails for sure!

 

[TyPope]

The additional load on the computing resources are insignificant compared to other loads. Note that what the OP is proposing is managed by a cell phone app. Where this concept gets exciting to me is that the rear wheel torque vectoring of the CT may well eliminate the need for fifth wheel, gooseneck or pivot point projection hitches as the torque applied by a swaying trailer is easily taken out by applying a torque in the opposite direction at the wheels if the vehicle is capable of doing that and the TriMotor CT will certainly be able to do that and the other models can do it too if not as elegantly. This will impose additional demands on the tracking stabilization software/firmware but they shouldn't be significant. The additional sensors will be a couple of strain gauges in the hitch but as Musk is already talking about extra towing software capabilities they are, presumably, already part of the design. These sensors will, as do all the others back there (camera, sonic...), will simply plug into whatever bus (ethernet, CAN...) Tesla already intends to have to service that part of the vehicle.

If you remember pulling a 5th wheel trailer, you must remember one of the greatest assets of them. You can turn VERY sharp with a 5th wheel. I've managed to turn around on a dirt road pulling a 35' camper. You can't do that with a bumper pull. You just can't. Also, moving the weight of the trailer from some fulcrum located behind the rear bumper to a point much closer to center does WONDERS to stop that trailer porpoise when you hit a bump. It's night and day pulling a 5th wheel vs. bumper pull. Now, I know active suspension will help ease all that but you can't undo the effect of hanging a couple thousand pounds off the rear bumper. You just can't.

Ask anyone who has pulled a 5th wheel trailer and they'll say "I'll never pull a bumper pull again if I don't have to."

 

[ajdelange]

Can't say I remember pulling a 5th wheel trailer because I have never done it! I have certainly gotten myself into pretzels with bumper hitches though. Now there is a device which attaches to the bumper which pulls a cart with its own pair of wheels over which there is a ball to which you attach your trailer. The wheels have differential speed sensors so this thing knows when you are making a sharp turn and steers the wheels against it allowing even more spectacular sharp turn performance.

In making the comments I do about rear wheel torque vectoring I am not suggesting that doing this will result in an overall better towing performance than gooseneck, fifth wheel, pivot projection or the steerable cart approach. I am just observing that torque vectoring should help with sway (which I assume what you mean by "porpoising") to the extent that towing of smaller rigs will be much safer with a bumper hitch than in a truck with less sophisticated torque vectoring.

I've seen people express the opinion that the sails will make fifth wheel towing impossible with the CT,

 

[TyPope]

Can't say I remember pulling a 5th wheel trailer because I have never done it! I have certainly gotten myself into pretzels with bumper hitches though. Now there is a device which attaches to the bumper which pulls a cart with its own pair of wheels over which there is a ball to which you attach your trailer. The wheels have differential speed sensors so this thing knows when you are making a sharp turn and steers the wheels against it allowing even more spectacular sharp turn performance.

In making the comments I do about rear wheel torque vectoring I am not suggesting that doing this will result in an overall better towing performance than gooseneck, fifth wheel, pivot projection or the steerable cart approach. I am just observing that torque vectoring should help with sway (which I assume what you mean by "porpoising") to the extent that towing of smaller rigs will be much safer with a bumper hitch than in a truck with less sophisticated torque vectoring.

I've seen people express the opinion that the sails will make fifth wheel towing impossible with the CT,

The porpoising is the up/down movement caused by going over a small rise or through a dip. The vehicle looks like a porpoise from the side. And because the word looks so weird, a porpoise is like a dolphin... They jump in the air as they swim along. Pulling a heavy bumper pull definitely makes your vehicle like a rollercoaster at times. A 5th wheel? Not at all... smooth as butter.

 

[drcarric2650]

I would like for this company to work directly with Tesla, for instance I suspect Tesla has done some work on dealing with sway and such, if not perhaps your company could help them. You have X inputs, what would you like tesla's software to do to accommodate you? I think alone you make a really good product, I think your company working with Tesla will make one hell of a product.

 

[gotyoursix]

Yeah I agree. This is a difference maker. I really hope these guys can get on the same page and get this to be a factory installed option. If I can tow my 5th wheel with the Cybertruck, I can let my RAM 2500 go which really wasn't even in the cards. I just wanted a Cybertruck because I thought it looked awesome. If I can get rid of that other truck payment, that would be sweet.

 

[kev12345]

this is amazing. 5th wheel towing without the drawback of losing the bed. you guys should try to get licensing agreements done with all manufacturers as this seems like a better fit for factory installation.

 

[cyberhunter]

That’s a nice fifth wheel hitch. Fifth wheel towing is nice on paved roads and has way better back up characteristics than bumper pull for sure, but in off road situations bumper pull really is the way to go. I had to sell my goose neck trailer because it came so close to crunching the bed rails when I took it on dirt roads. I had to go extremely slow and was constantly watching the bed rails to make sure I didn’t get the bed rails crunched. Just transitions from paved to dirt road the off-camber was nerve racking. The CT sails will make this even more of a concern for fifth wheel and gooseneck. The fifth wheel will have to be designed to accommodate the sail at the least and I don’t see the CT as a go to vehicle for fifth wheel towing. The bumper pull has zero chance of damaging your vehicle off-road. I am fine with bumper pull for my needs. It’s what I do now with my Ram 2500. I use air bags to adjust the spring rate on the rear for towing now. I imagine the active suspension on the CT will allow us to stiffen the rear suspension to our needs when towing...not only spring stiffness for correct ride height for the payload, but also the dampening which is huge for towing and payload and making the truck feel planted. The active suspension alone can make the CT a better towing vehicle than a 3/4 ton diesel when it comes to ride quality and control. I sure hope the CT will allow us to custom control spring rate and dampening. That would be huge.

 

[Cyber Hitch]

That’s a nice fifth wheel hitch. Fifth wheel towing is nice on paved roads and has way better back up characteristics than bumper pull for sure, but in off road situations bumper pull really is the way to go. I had to sell my goose neck trailer because it came so close to crunching the bed rails when I took it on dirt roads. I had to go extremely slow and was constantly watching the bed rails to make sure I didn’t get the bed rails crunched. Just transitions from paved to dirt road the off-camber was nerve racking. The CT sails will make this even more of a concern for fifth wheel and gooseneck. The fifth wheel will have to be designed to accommodate the sail at the least and I don’t see the CT as a go to vehicle for fifth wheel towing. The bumper pull has zero chance of damaging your vehicle off-road. I am fine with bumper pull for my needs. It’s what I do now with my Ram 2500. I use air bags to adjust the spring rate on the rear for towing now. I imagine the active suspension on the CT will allow us to stiffen the rear suspension to our needs when towing...not only spring stiffness for correct ride height for the payload, but also the dampening which is huge for towing and payload and making the truck feel planted. The active suspension alone can make the CT a better towing vehicle than a 3/4 ton diesel when it comes to ride quality and control. I sure hope the CT will allow us to custom control spring rate and dampening. That would be huge.

Oh we understand completely. We are currently working on the bumper version, which will eliminate the ball, and will be replaced with the cyber hitch. See the section about the bumper pull cyber hitch version.

 

[Cyber Hitch]

Our rendering of the Cyber Hitch bumper pull. As per the FHWA, a 5th wheel attachment does not require safety chains. The bumper Cyber Hitch is smoother, stronger and safer.

 

[Cyber Hitch]

Here was Proto Type #1 which was designed for the 4" round gooseneck. We picked up a horse trailer from Logan Coach for a friend. That was many years ago.

 

[Cyber Hitch]

Proto type #2. Our first build of the RV adapter.