Back in early 2021, I installed a B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount on my truck for the first time. Since then, I’ve been through four trucks in as many years, but my hitch has been on each one and still looks and works like it did the day I got it. This is a rock solid product that is absolutely worth the investment, especially when you haul a variety of different sized trailers and boats on the regular, like I do.
Let’s take a look at what makes this product, and this company, so unique and I’ll detail what kind of minimal maintenance has been required on my part to keep my B&W hitch in top shape over the years. Below, you will also find our initial review from 2021 with our out-of-the-box impressions and results after 11 months of use. As you can see, our expectations were met and exceeded.
Some B&W Background
Since 1987, B&W has earned a reputation for building hitches that are much more than a hunk of metal and a ball, with a focus on craftsmanship and the kind of considerations and finishing touches that only a family business can provide. The company also never rests on its laurels, and is always looking for ways to improve their products.
Roger Baker began his company in Humboldt, Kansas, as a way to make a buck using his background as a farmer and restoring automobiles. From the beginning, he also saw it as a way to potentially allow folks in the area to provide for their families — if he did it right.
Baker and his partner and fellow farmer, Joe Works, used their creativity and a passion for using the absolute best materials available to parlay their small family-operated venture through tough times into a booming company with a 600,000 square-foot facility with more than 500 employees. But that pride you only find in family-operated businesses hasn’t gone anywhere, except into every product that goes out B&W’s doors. And I can absolutely see it in the rock-solid B&W hitch I’ve been using for the past five years.
The Tow & Stow: A Boat Trailer Hitch MUST Be Built to Last
Most anglers can break an anvil, and I am no exception. We’re hard on gear. Period.
Rods, baits, reels, boats and everything in between have “fisherman usage” shelf lives, and most of us have a tendency to have a use, abuse, and replace mentality about most of our gear. If it breaks, get a new one, rarely thinking about durability as much as we should.
The Unbreakable Anvil: B&W’s Tow & Stow
We get to see a lot of bad products here at Wired2Fish. Gizmos and gadgets that are supposed to make the fishing experience better or make a task easier, and many do, but there are some that were designed to catch anglers and their money rather than fish.
On the surface, an adjustable trailer hitch mount might sound like something that’s needlessly complicated that can’t possibly be as solid as a conventional hitch. In many cases, that’s true. Products that have to be put together like a puzzle rarely last very long.
And then again, we also come across some products that are innovative and rock solid at the same time. If properly cared for, the B&W Tow & Stow definitely lands in that category; it will last a lifetime.
The adjustable hitch and ball are held in place by three heavy-duty stainless steel pins at the desired height for the trailer you’re hauling. The hitch is hardly wider than the receiver, and everything tucks away when stowed. There are other multi-mount hitches out there, but they are big and bulky and can stick out almost a foot with attachments all over them. The Tow & Stow is simple and extremely well designed so that it’s out of the way when you don’t need it.
It’s hard to beat that kind of versatility and reliability.
Necessary Maintenance
Now, I have owned and used a lot of hitches in my life; none are as well built or have the kind of functionality of the Tow & Stow. Granted, trailer hitches are not the most exciting piece of gear; we don’t spend time talking about them at club meetings, seminars, or around the campfire. But they are absolutely vital to the fishing experience, and when one fails to do what it’s supposed to, you’ll absolutely remember it, and the day of fishing it ruined, with rancor.
During my four years using the Tow & Stow, the most important thing I realized is, it needs a bit of basic maintenance, especially while going through the winters I endure in Central Illinois with all the salt and crud on the roads. But what gear or tools don’t?
You can’t be lazy — you simply have to take it off of your truck when it’s not in use, especially if you live in a place with harsh winters and salty roads. Do that, and make sure you keep the moving parts lubed up, and you’ll have a versatile and extremely functional hitch that always works like new. But everything made of steel will rust eventually if you don’t care for it.
Not only do I lubricate the receiver, but I find it equally important to make sure the hitch is painted and rust free on both ends of the receiver. Once rust gets a foothold, it’s tough to fight.
Once I made sure the paint was good to go, I would be sure to use a high-quality silicone-based lubricant that won’t pick up a ton of dirt from the road. I inspect the paint and lube after nearly every trip, and if there’s even the slightest hint of rust, it gets taken care of immediately.
The ball of the hitch gets a light coat of clear grease or silicone spray two or three times per year, and because it serves as a ground for trailer lights it also helps to make that contact more sure.
After all, a reliable and sturdy hitch and receiver is the only thing holding together two of your largest investments, your vehicle and your boat, on the road. Don’t ignore it.
Options
There are several Tow & Stow models available — I’ve been using a height-adjustable model with multiple balls in different sizes. It doesn’t matter what trailer I’m hauling or what drop I need, the Tow & Stow has had me covered.
It’s built to tight specs, and there isn’t much sloppiness, even with the adjustable pin positions. I like that the Tow & Stow can be turned and locked to sit under the bumper when not in use; it’s nice to not have to worry about it rattling my shins every time I walk behind my truck.
Keep It Slick
Maintenance is the key for keeping all hitches in working order, the Tow & Stow needs some TLC now and again, but I’ve never had a more dependable receiver. The powder coat is second to none, and the stainless steel pins are also very low maintenance — just be sure to keep them clean and greased each time they are removed or adjusted.
B&W didn’t invent the hitch or the receiver, but they continue to innovate, making their competition up their game. If you take care of a B&W hitch/receiver it will take care of you.
A long time ago I spoke to Joe Luck, and it was very clear that the company’s passion for old-fashioned American craftsmanship and building superior products is what B&W was about when he and Baker founded it, and continues to be so today.
Below is our original out-of-the-box review of the B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount from January 2021:
I added the B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount hitch to my Toyota Tundra this past winter and moved it to my new GMC Sierra this past summer. It’s been a rock solid towing accessory for my boat and truck. This will likely be the last hitch I ever buy, and here’s why.
Options for Perfectly Balancing Multiple Trailers
I have a boat trailer and a hauling trailer. One has a 2-inch ball receiver and the other has a 1 7/8-inch ball receiver. I used to carry around two hitches. Then one of my locks rusted stuck and I had a heck of a time getting the one hitch off.
So that had me on the hunt for a better mousetrap. The B&W Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount hitch has lots of options. You can get it for 2-inch, 2 1/2-inch and 3-inch receivers, you can get it with small, medium, large and extra large adjustments, which means you can raise and lower the ball from 3 inches (small) to 9 inches (extra large) amounts, and you can get it with two or three balls.
That’s a ton of options for all your towing needs, made to fit a huge variety of stock and lifted tow vehicles.
Compact for Being So Heavy Duty
I like how compact the B&W Tow & Stow is. Three heavy duty stainless steel pins hold the hitch and ball in place at your desired height. The hitch itself is just barely wider than the receiver and everything tucks away nicely when stowed.
I’ve seen other big hitches that stuck out a foot, had attachments on both sides and just seemed like an accident liability waiting to be claimed.
Incredibly Strong Hardware
The three pins control the ball orientation and the height or drop of your Tow & Stow. These pins move easily in and out but are snug in their positions so the hitch isn’t rattling or shifting when towing and heavy-duty cotter pins keep them from backing out from vibration.
Quickly Tucks Away
When I want to park the truck in the garage, I used to have to take my hitch off and store it somewhere out of the way. It was always a pain because the hitch receiver would have grease and grime on it, so you couldn’t just put it in your truck.
With the Tow & Stow, you pull the three pins, turn the balls around and swivel the drop tongue down and around the hitch receiver to tuck it neatly out of the way.
It’s also theft proof, thanks to its design. The balls can’t be removed from the hitch, and you can secure the hitch to your receiver with a locking pin so that, even if all three pins are pulled, the hitch is unremovable.
All of these adjustment options and the ease of stowing makes it an ideal hitch. When tucked away, I can pull into the garage and close the door and not worry about anything catching. It only sticks out past the bumper a couple inches when stowed — very low profile.
Another bonus: the automatic car wash I use, like most, won’t wash the back of your vehicle if you have a hitch on your truck. But with my Tow and Stow tucked away, I can go right through and get my truck fully cleaned.
Five Years Later
I have had the hitch on my trucks now for five years, and it has been rock solid without the least bit of wear or tear showing. There is no play in the hitch because the components and hardware are built with top grade construction utilizing heavy duty materials with tight tolerances.
B&W bills the Tow & Stow Adjustable Mount Hitch as the last hitch you’ll ever need to buy, and I believe it now. Mine still looks brand new after almost half a decade of fishing and towing all over the place.
If you want to buy one hitch and be done with it forever, go to BWTrailerHitches.com and use their configurator to figure out the right hitch for your tow vehicle. You won’t be disappointed.
