41.22 Hitch Slider – A Light Weight and Low Profile Option to Protect Your Hitch
A skid or slider for your hitch isn’t something that typically makes the priority list when it comes to adding armor to your vehicle, at least it wasn’t for me. But after a recent trip, I saw the amount of trail rash I received on the bottom of my traditional shackle hitch receiver and the purpose of this product started to make more sense to me.
I can’t speak for other vehicles, but I know on the 4Runner and the Tacoma, the hitch has the potential to make contact with the ground/obstacles on a pretty regular basis (especially on stock vehicles). Add in a traditional hitch recovery point and this point of contact extends further. But with the 41.22 Hitch Slider, you get a closer, lower profile recovery option, as well as an integrated slider to help the hitch/rear of the vehicle glide over obstacles.
Who is 41.22?
41.22 is located in California and they originally started with a passion for Jeeps. However, their appreciation of off-road setups extends to all makes and models. The name “41.22” stems from a bit of history. The number “41” is for the year “1941” when the very first Jeep Willy’s was made. The number “22” is the mileage of the iconic Rubicon Trail near South Lake Tahoe, California. The naming itself is a nod to the companies passion for four-wheel drive recreation.
Find it Online:
- 41.22 Hitch Slider: Check Price
Key Features and Specs
The 41.22 Hitch Slider offers protection while not losing a key component of your hitch and includes features such as:
- Sloped Underside to help glide over obstacles vs. digging in or catching
- Integrated 1″ recovery point for use with most soft-shackles as well as traditional D-rings
- Solid one-piece construction of aircraft grade 6061-T6 billet aluminum
- Fits most 2″ receivers; has two hitch pin slots depending on receiver depth
- Weighs 2lb 6oz compared to 7lb 9oz of a traditional hitch shackle
- Lifetime Guarantee – if you break it, they will replace it for free; and if you are not satisfied, send it back and they will refund you
Recovery Options
The integrated 1″ recovery point on the hitch slider is a subtle, yet functional addition. Being able to accommodate both hard and soft shackles, your recovery options are taken care of.
Hard Shackle
This 1″ recovery point is sized to fit most traditional D-rings. The D-ring has a decent amount of lateral play, so I wouldn’t want to leave the ring in place due to rattling around. However, having the ability to quickly attach and use a standard D-ring is a nice option in a recovery situation.
Soft Shackle
Again, this 1″ recovery point can also accommodate most soft shackles, even ones with abrasion guards. In our testing, we used the shackles in conjunction with a kinetic rope, but in the same vein, a winch line could also be used.
Performance on Rock
Coming over and off a rock, as my rear wheels began to come down, I was worried this slider would be too low profile and too centrally located to do any good. But, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it performed. You can see by the marks on the rock that it drug the majority of the rear weight of my 4Runner, keeping my bumpers, backup lights and spare tire clear of any damage.
In fact, in the above picture, my back passenger tire is almost completely off of the ground.
Performance in Dirt/Mud
If you have ever drug a trailer hitch, shackle, or even just your receiver through the mud/dirt, you know how they act as a “plow”, gunk up mud, and get hung on things. Well, with this hitch slider and the sloped front, it doesn’t get hung in the mud/dirt in the same ways.
Although this situation is not as functional as coming over rocks or roots, it is still nice to have a product that “glides” through mud versus “plowing” through it. As a bonus, your recovery point is still easily accessible, even when the slider is buried in the mud.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am very impressed with this hitch slider. I was, admittedly, skeptical of its functionality in the beginning. After driving around with it for a weekend, I think the design and execution was spot on. The aluminum is scraped and pitted, but not anywhere close to the point of compromising it’s strength (and better it than my hitch).
I think this is a great alternative to a traditional shackle hitch receiver and other large hitch skids. From a recovery perspective, it’s an incredibly easy addition to any vehicle that also offers protection. If you have a stock height/smaller lift vehicle, I can’t recommend this enough. Based on experience, this would have been invaluable to have pre-lift. Post lift, I still highly recommend this slider.
Going out and enjoying the outdoors in our vehicles is the goal, and this product helps to ensure that our vehicles are getting just a little more protection while out on the trail.
The product is probably great, but the people and company are truly horrible. I waited 5wks for mine before contacting them. Then I received an email that mine shipped, but 6 days later the tracking number was still inactive. I contacted them and they made up an excuse, and told me it would ship out that day. A week later, the tracking still remained inactive. I asked for a refund/cancellation, and they agreed. However 2wks later, they still haven’t provided a refund! Unfortunately I can’t contact them now as they’ve blocked my number!
So DRT vs this one? which would you pick?
Have it. Friggin love it! My hitch would be so bent and scraped up by now without it! The recovery point proved useful several times too!
$189 seems like a rip off to me.
Sick – seems like such a no-brainer addition.