TrailerSaver History

Jerry Clark had always loved to camp and travel. He started with a ¾ ton Dodge being told that it would pull anything. Stopping was another issue. The next step was a 1 ton Dodge. Some better, but still there was a fear factor involved. In 1996 he purchased an International 4700 truck. Now he could start and stop! Power and braking were no longer an issue. But, he noticed that the ride for the trailer was a little rough. After reading an article by Bill Farlow, Jerry decided that he needed an air ride trailer hitch and purchased one in early 1998. The ride was better, but he had a new sensation of a fore and aft jerking motion. Upon returning home to Stoughton, he showed his new found prize to a fabricator. The fabricator explained that the fore and aft motion was a design flaw and that a design could be made to eliminate the fore and aft motion. Voila! By the summer of 1998, the first prototype was made.

After a couple of prototypes, the design for the TSLB hitch as we now know it was settled and sales began in the early 1999. As we began marketing the hitch, it became apparent that it would be a good idea to get the hitch tested by an independent laboratory. This happened in October 1999 and we passed with flying colors. We then started setting up dealers in earnest, and focused on being installed on new trucks and/or new bodies. We now find that around 75-80% of Medium Duty Trucks with an air ride trailer hitch have a TrailerSaver.

We decided that we needed a trailer hitch for lighter duty trucks. The TSII came into being on October, 2000. This was a double parallelogram design that worked quite well. The first few were made with a B & W head and then we changed to the Holland/Binkley. There was nothing wrong with the B & W head, it was simply a matter of inventory control.

In the spring of 2003, we were increasingly faced with trailer hitch height problems. The TSII had an operating height of 17". The newer GM and Dodge pickups had a higher bed height than we were used to seeing. We decided to develop a new trailer hitch that was lower in height, and was simpler to make. The result of this endeavor is the TS3. The TS3 trailer hitch is modeled after the big truck TSLB and fits into Reese rails. It has half the parts that the TSII had enabling us to have a cheaper price; yet we have maintained our high quality standards. We introduced this air ride trailer hitch in June, 2003 at the Great North American RV Rally. Our next problem was matching supply with demand. We have added a second production line to handle the TS3.

As we looked at the trailer hitch market in the spring of 2003, we saw that there were no rigid hitches being made with the Holland/Binkley head. We have now entered this market with the 26K for Reese rails and 32K for Medium Duty Trucks.

Steve & Jo Dobbs have spent most of their adult life in Hardinsburg, KY. After graduating from College, they came back to help run the family agribusiness. They sold their business in November 1997 and agreed to work for the new company for a year. They joined the RV group, "Escapees", and hit the road in January 1999 in a motorhome. After a year and a half, they joined the "wonderful world of fivers".

In the fall of 2001, we stayed next to Jerry and Marge Clark for a couple of weeks in Alabama. From there, things just evolved to where we are today. We are now partners in TrailerSaver, Inc.

We currently travel around the country, working at various rallies, seeing dealers, and installing hitches.

We have 2 children. Nathan is married to Erin (Davis) and they have a daughter, Keira. Nathan is a medical student at the University of Louisville. Suzanne is married to Wes Davis, a captain in the Air Force. They are currently stationed in Dover, DE.

And now, what about the gray object between us? That is "Abby the RV Dog". Abby is a Bedlington Terrier that is 5 years old. Abby keeps us amused and loves to hike with us. Abby has never met a stranger and is a true "SKP" dog. She knows that everyone she meets is there to pet her!

Jerry Clark retired in 1996 from his home heating and air conditioning business in Stoughton, WI. His career has varied from being a mechanic for Sears, 2 years with the army, management in Sears automotive, his dairy milking parlor business, and finishing his career (he thought) with the home heating business in Stoughton, WI.

Jerry and Marge have always liked the camping experience. They hit the road full time in 1996 and have seen a lot of the country.

Jerry has always been a hands on type of guy that has always wanted to find a better way to do things. He is constantly looking for a way to make the trailer hitch better and at new products. Keep looking for more innovations down the road.

Update

In the spring of 2004, we found that there were more trailer hitches to be sold than we had room to make. So, we explored Stoughton, WI for existing buildings to lease and found none to suit our needs. We then started looking at property to purchase in Stoughton, and found that this was going to be a very significant investment. Steve was originally from Hardinsburg, KY and started a search there for a comparable building and/or land. We finally purchased 3.4 acres of ground in the Breckinridge County Industrial Park. A local contractor constructed a 7500 square foot building and we moved from Stoughton in October 2004. We now have plenty of room for expansion.

David Spencer has lived in the Hardinsburg area all of his life. He is married to Steve's sister, Cindi, and has had an inside track on what was going on in the world of TrailerSaver. He decided to buy in and be a partner in TrailerSaver and manage the factory. So, if you call the factory today, Cindi answers the phone and Dave handles the production and personnel.

Jerry Clark is now traveling full time across the country enjoying his second retirement.