Noisy, rattling trailer hitches are so yesterday...

The Smooth Ride Trailer Hitch Tightener is the brainchild of inventor/innovator/entrepreneur Thom Beck. An avid sportsman, tinkerer, and problem solver, Thom is no stranger to invention. In 1973, he conceived a better way of making competition water ski tow ropes & competition harnesses, and Pro Line Water Ski Ropes & Accessories was born. Shortly thereafter, he brought Bob Kufahl in to lead his sales & marketing team and together they quickly made Pro Line the dominant brand in the competition water ski ropes and accessories marketplace. Thom sold Pro Line in 1982 and they each went their separate ways, but stayed in touch…..until 2017.
 

In 2015, Thom became very frustrated with the constant rattling and jarring every time he towed one of his boats or his utility trailer, so he began thinking of ways to eliminate his frustration. Two years and many prototypes later, the Rattle-Free Hitch Tightener was born.
 

Thinking that there might be a market for his tow hitch tightener, he reached out to Bob (who had recently retired after a 35+ year career as a successful sales/marketing exec in the outdoor industry) to ask his opinion. Bob examined & tested the Rattle-Free Hitch Tightener and compared it to other products on the market that claimed to reduce or eliminate hitch rattle. He told Thom that in his opinion, the Rattle-Free unit was far superior to other products currently on the market. Then, Thom uttered the fateful words…….”do you want to have some fun?”…..and Bob joined the Rattle-Free team. While Thom’s initial goal was to eliminate the annoying rattle & vibration that comes with towing a trailer with a standard, outdated hitch pin towing hitch, he and Bob soon learned that their Rattle-Free Hitch Tightener resolved other issues that many people do not realize are affecting them when they tow a trailer.

 

They learned that because their hitch tightener
eliminates all movement of the ball hitch, it eliminates the jarring during stopping, starting, slowing down, and speeding up. It also reduces trailer sway, reduced the mechanical stress on the towing vehicle transmission & drive train, and improves trailer light electrical grounding to reduce or eliminate trailer light flickering. The result is a very smooth, quiet, comfortable towing experience.

In 2025, we changed the name of our tightener from Rattle-Free to SMOOTH RIDE to better
reflect what it accomplishes.

Our customers frequently tell us that they can’t believe the difference after they install our Smooth Ride Trailer Hitch Tightener…..that it makes their trailer feel like it is part of their truck or car.