Novice Hauler-determined to learn

[Lve42dy]

Hello AS Friends,

I’m new to the RV/TT world and have been reading many articles on this forum. I need some perspectives on hitches——

I placed an order for a 2019 Globetrotter and I’m trying to determine the best hitch. I have a 2017 3500 Dodge Cummins Deisel 4x4 and plan to haul my girl over many miles. The problem I’m running into is, I’m traveling alone (female) and some hitches I understand can be extremely heavy. I’m looking for a hitch that I can manage alone and that is easy to use. Safety first.

Any advice would be appreciated. I want to prevent making mistakes and needing your expertise.

[rmkrum]

There are a large number of hitch systems, and a matching set of opinions about what is best.

In my opinion, best for me (a rather old phart that does NOT want to do too much heavy lifting) is the Hensley Manufacturing or the ProPride systems. They have the advantage of being installed just ONCE, the ProPride has a weight distribution tensioning system that requires little effort to tension, and either one flat eliminates sway. That said, there are others available...

Look at www.propridehitch.com for details and descriptions on how these hitches work. I decided on a ProPride and never regretted the choice...only part I have to lift when starting a trip is the "stinger", which is the bar that connects the tow vehicle to the trailer part of the hitch. Once and done...

[AlinCal]

With that truck I would drop it right on the ball and see how it looks.
Some members here will post that is suicidal and will ask when you plan to travel so they are not on the road at that time and on the other side at least one member here will swear it's the right thing to do.
Good luck and enjoy, I'm putting on my flame suit now.

[PKI]

You have made the commitment. Now carry the ball over the line. That would be the Propride. No reason to choose an alternate. Over done finished. Just do it, smile and move on. When asked why, just smile and look knowing.

Now, never do what I told you. Research all the hitches. Understand why you want the hitch you decide to buy. Write the check and only look back to understand more about how to tune your rig.

One hint - with a 3500 you likely don't need to transfer much weight. It's a good thing to be able to transfer weight, but your primary objective is to prevent sway. You want a stable predictable towing experience. In bad weather, park the rig and sit it out. No matter how fast you can tow, slow down and pay very close attention to the conditions in your immediate area and the distance in front that you will need for an emergency stop. As a single driver that is very important. Extend out your following distance and stay away from others even if that means slowing your speed a bit. May be a good idea to limit the distance you travel to what constitutes the distance you can stay focused and safe.

Good luck with your research. Hope to meet up with your smile down the road. Pat

[Rocinante]

Yeah, with that truck load capacity will not be an issue unless you're carrying a couple of Harley's in the bed. Given that, a heavy hitch like the ProPride / Hensley Arrow will give you a great towing experience once you master the process of hitching up.

I was at an Airstream Owners' forum last weekend at our dealer, because we like to go to those. One gentleman there had a Pro Pride. Loved how it towed, but bitterly complained about how hard it was to hitch up with the stinger. He said that it was quite an ordeal, pretty much every time, getting the stinger on his truck into the hitch on his trailer. Said he knew all about manipulating the weight distribution arms to line things up, didn't matter, was quite difficult and frustrating for him. He was actively polling the audience to see what other hitch he could try instead. I'm not pro or anti any particular hitch, but you really should get the whole picture before making that leap.

Best wishes and happy towing!

[heslinhotel]

I have used Reese hitches for years, with a 3500 and only a 23 tt a simple setup will work. If trailer sway is evident there is a issue with the weight distribution in the trailer (too much in front of trailer).

[mimiandrews]

I am a female traveling solo, and I tow with a Reese Dual Cam. It gives good sway control and none of its parts are too much for me to lift.

The heaviest part is the ball mount. Get someone who has a weight-distribution hitch to let you try to lift theirs. Of course, practice safe lifting practices--lift with your leg muscles, not your back.

It's funny what our culture considers too heavy for a female to lift. My theory is that hitch parts are not as heavy as an angry two-year-old, and they're not screaming and kicking while you lift them.

[TG Twinkie]

Look into the Andersen WD hitch.
With your TV and the coach you selected it should be a good match.
Once the stinger is slid into the receiver on your truck there are no heavy parts to handle.

[Rgentum]

Dear Lve...,

I, too, have a Ram/Cummins 3500 (2018) (and had a 2015 Ram/Cummins 2500 which I traded-in on the 3500) as well as an AS 27, which I think is a great combination, having put 30K miles on them in the last two years (and rarin' to go once we in the NW get two or more successive days of sunshine).

This Forum has a lot of ProPride advocates, and if money is no object and you want to go "First Class," then a ProPride is likely the first choice. The problem is that a new ProPride with shipping is just shy of $3K.

Similarly, this Forum also has a lot of lesser expensive hitch advocates. For example, I've used a Blue Ox Sway Pro, which costs in the range of $500 to $600, and so far, it's worked fine for me and, apparently, many others. Similar hitches are the Equalizer, the Reese, etc., all in the range of several $100, not several $1000. Some suggest the Anderson, but others say that while it works well for a lighter trailer, it doesn't work as well for a 25 ft or longer trailer.

Welcome to the AS life, and I wish you my best with your travels.

Sincerely,

Richard Wills

[sbowman]

Originally Posted by Lve42dy

Hello AS Friends,

I’m new to the RV/TT world and have been reading many articles on this forum. I need some perspectives on hitches——

I placed an order for a 2019 Globetrotter and I’m trying to determine the best hitch. I have a 2017 3500 Dodge Cummins Deisel 4x4 and plan to haul my girl over many miles. The problem I’m running into is, I’m traveling alone (female) and some hitches I understand can be extremely heavy. I’m looking for a hitch that I can manage alone and that is easy to use. Safety first.

Any advice would be appreciated. I want to prevent making mistakes and needing your expertise.

We tow a 30' classic w/a 3500 RAM using a Blue Ox system. The receiver on 3500 RAM is 2-1/2", yes it came w/a 2" sleeve/adapter for the more common 2" hitches. The Blue Ox has hitch's in 2-1/2" or 2", we bought the 2-1/2", giving a greater range in towing weights. Yes the Blue Ox has some weight to it. The only hitch that I am aware of being light is made of aluminum. We have one for our other haul trailers, however would not use it for towing our AS. It is not set up/designed to help w/sway and weight transfer. Another matter to be aware of, getting a hitch that allows adjustment (the ball height to trailer socket) so as to level your AS when hitched. From what I have researched, read, and 40 years of towing, what/which hitch set up can be or is used depends on TV and what you are towing or what you may tow in the future. Last having the comfort and safety feeling when towing is important to many if not all that tow.

Best regards and safe travels

[tbashin]

I agree with what AlinCal said. I wouldn't worry about weight distribution but I would recommend sway control but that's all you should need.

[joshjack]

Originally Posted by Lve42dy

Hello AS Friends,



I’m new to the RV/TT world and have been reading many articles on this forum. I need some perspectives on hitches——



I placed an order for a 2019 Globetrotter and I’m trying to determine the best hitch. I have a 2017 3500 Dodge Cummins Deisel 4x4 and plan to haul my girl over many miles. The problem I’m running into is, I’m traveling alone (female) and some hitches I understand can be extremely heavy. I’m looking for a hitch that I can manage alone and that is easy to use. Safety first.



Any advice would be appreciated. I want to prevent making mistakes and needing your expertise.

I have an almost identical setup and our dealer threw in a BlueOx. I’ve been really happy with it. It smooths out things a little. Put a cover over the ball when not towing and don’t worry about leaving it in. I bought a 24” breaker bar to use instead of the included wrench and it makes locking the chains much easier.

[TxDave]

I've been towing travel trailers for over 20 years. I use a simple Reese WD hitch with sway control and have never had any towing issues. I guess if I was having problems I'd see if spending more money would help, but fortunately that has not been the case.

[Adventure.AS]

No matter which hitch you get the HitchGrip would likely make handling it much easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73XsNQ22r8c

[fbgairstream]

Congrats on your new trailer. I’m currently towing with a ram 3500 Cummings and love it. My trailer is 30 ft. I did tow it with nothing but the ball and had no problem. The truck does all the work. I was confused about which to buy .I bought a Pro Pride but I find it difficult to hook up.I purchased it because supposedly it will not allow sway. The blue ox corrects the sway after it starts. You will love your truck and trailer-great choice

[Abraham]

Originally Posted by mimiandrews

I am a female traveling solo, and I tow with a Reese Dual Cam. It gives good sway control and none of its parts are too much for me to lift.

The heaviest part is the ball mount. Get someone who has a weight-distribution hitch to let you try to lift theirs. Of course, practice safe lifting practices--lift with your leg muscles, not your back.

It's funny what our culture considers too heavy for a female to lift. My theory is that hitch parts are not as heavy as an angry two-year-old, and they're not screaming and kicking while you lift them.

I like this ladies attitude. And I agree with her choice of Reese Dual Cam Sway control hitch. Don't know exact current price (probably $500 to $600). Mine is 35 years old and still working as well as the day I got it. Have used it with several different TVs and different trailers. Just had to adjust the height of the ball with each equipment change.

As mentioned the ball mount is the heavest part and the heavest one I have used is about 40 lbs. But you don't have to take it off your truck every time. I leave mine on truck most of the time, even when running around home without trailer. Only hazard it it can be a knee knocker when walking around the back of truck. Just put a red flag on it and go for it. I may not ba a girl but my wife (at 5'2") can handle all of the hitch parts without my help, so I think anyone can.

I don't recommend towing without a weight distributing hitch. The sway control part is as important as the weight distribution feature. Sorry to dissagree, but I do. I have a 2500 truck and a 25ft a Airstream, so my setup is similar to the OP and I would not be happy without WD and Sway control.

Welcome to the traveling crowd. Travel save and ask anything you want here. You may get differing opinions, but I'm sure all are give in good faith. Just read all and make your decision based on all the info you can get.

Abe

[kendrick.l.j]

I am also a solo female with a 2017 Classic and my TV is a 2017 RAM 2500 Lariet with all the upgrades, add on, lights, sunroof, ram boxes, HD tow package and I choose the Hensley Arrow. Do some more research but while you are asking questions make sure to ask who is their (whoever you are talking to ) biggest competitor? Everyone I spoke to All pointed to Hensley as the BEST. It is very easy to use. Other than the stinger, I don’t have any other parts to lift. Completely eliminates sway! Easy maintenance. I am totally happy with my decision. When I hear people mention price I am always taken aback, in my case I paid in the ballpark of $100,000 for the Airstream, paid $67,000 and some change for the truck. The most important part of the whole system is what links them together, right? Why would a try to go with the least expensive WD/ain’t-sway? If I were that close on my budget than I would need to find a much cheaper toy/hobby/whatever.
Welcome to the forum, you will learn a lot in the first year. You are not alone. I have met 100’s of folks out there on the road and in this forum that are doing the same thing we are doing. It’s great and you’re gonna love it 98% of the time. If you want to talk more about hitches, PM me. Very happy travels to you.

[Air4563]

I tow our 31' with a Check 2500 duramax and I use the Hensley which I purchased used. I love the Hensley and would never want anything else. Once installed, hitch up is easy. You might want to check out the weight of the stinger but my wife can manage it when necessary. I would recommend you get a back up camera on your truck if you don't already have one-it makes hitching up a whole lot easier.

[rmkrum]

Sadly, it's NO help/not needed on Hensley or ProPride systems...nothing to attach it to...

[Mattirs]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

No matter which hitch you get the HitchGrip would likely make handling it much easier.

Strong endorsement here for the Hitchgrip.

I use it and went from struggling to carrying the hitch to doing lifts so I can get a work out while I carry it. My spouse laughed so hard at me the first time she saw me doing that.
It locks in better than you would think it does once you get the hang of it.

Matti