Told to remove ProPride for service!

[adonh]

I like that, I'm a 2% er.

But to respond to the OP, I have never had a problem with the repair shop(s) that I have use for past 14 years with my 2% er hitch. I leave the stinger and they move the trailer when needed. No problems no damage.

[RangerJay]

It's that 2% statistic that is the core of the problem - and my bet would be that the real figure is a heck of a lot smaller than 2% .....

.... meaning .....

..... if anyone on the service staff of a dealership have never seen a Hensley or a ProPride (a very real possibility in smaller, more rural areas) then there is a high probability that they are gonna have a problem moving the trailer around - but if they are familiar with these hitches - then no big deal .....

.... and just to wade in on the side discussion - the real strength of both Hensley and ProPride hitches - i.e. where they shine their brightest - is when marrying a marginal tow vehicle to a trailer that weighs as much or more than it does - mine would be one example - short wheelbase and high centre of gravity SUV - I can guarantee there was a heck of a difference in towing comfort when I bit the bullet and bought the Hensley - I praise the guy who designed the Hensley multiple times every year .....


Jay

[ROBERT CROSS]

What duz 2% have to do with removing the hitch to get your trailer serviced?

WADR>>>

You don't NEED sway to enjoy being a 2%'r.

But until you are you won't understand....."It’s rather more better than before it was then."
And that's the truth.

Bob

[rmkrum]

My glowing comments on the difference are based on A-B comparison on the same AS and the same TV. Different hitch.


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[1965 mustang]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I have had the same hitch, trailer, and tow vehicle for over ten years. I have towed many tens of thousands of miles. Over 10,000 miles on my Alaska trip alone. I have towed in strong winds, in high Colorado mountains, in snow, on ice, on gravel, as low as zero degrees, and at well over 100 degrees. I have towed in 14 Western States and 3 Western Provinces. In all of this time, "My trailer has, only once, swayed violently out of control. This was with my trailer parked in my driveway during a 5.0 Earthquake." Now try to convince me that changing to a 2% hitch is make me feel soooooo much better about towing my Airstream. Please explain to me why so many 2%'ers say they feel so much better now, than before, especially if they never had any ill effects with their previous hitches.
Some people feel great because they got a Flue shot and didn't get sick with the Flue; And some people who never got the Flue shot, and didn't get sick either, should not feel as good????? I have incandescent, fluorescent, and LED lights in my house. They all do the same thing. I don't have a problem with any of them. Will the more expensive lights make me feel better? Bottom line is that I just don't get it! All of the 2%'ers claim "What a difference, but you wouldn't know until you try one." I don't have any pain, but if I take an Aspirin, I will feel better.

Now do you 2%'ers get the point?

Are you on this post to be confrontational? This is clearly a propride post. I'm not sure why you are reading it if you don't have one. I think your looking for an argument.


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[mojo]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I have had the same hitch, trailer, and tow vehicle for over ten years. I have towed many tens of thousands of miles. Over 10,000 miles on my Alaska trip alone. I have towed in strong winds, in high Colorado mountains, in snow, on ice, on gravel, as low as zero degrees, and at well over 100 degrees. I have towed in 14 Western States and 3 Western Provinces. In all of this time, "My trailer has, only once, swayed violently out of control. This was with my trailer parked in my driveway during a 5.0 Earthquake." Now try to convince me that changing to a 2% hitch is make me feel soooooo much better about towing my Airstream. Please explain to me why so many 2%'ers say they feel so much better now, than before, especially if they never had any ill effects with their previous hitches.
Some people feel great because they got a Flue shot and didn't get sick with the Flue; And some people who never got the Flue shot, and didn't get sick either, should not feel as good????? I have incandescent, fluorescent, and LED lights in my house. They all do the same thing. I don't have a problem with any of them. Will the more expensive lights make me feel better? Bottom line is that I just don't get it! All of the 2%'ers claim "What a difference, but you wouldn't know until you try one." I don't have any pain, but if I take an Aspirin, I will feel better.

Now do you 2%'ers get the point?

I know what I like, and I only like what I know!

[J. Morgan]

It is funny that when anyone says anything positive about a Hensley designed hitch..... well.... some folks get all offended...

Why is that?

About a year ago or so I posted about how my Hensley greatly improved my "joy in driving", boy did I ever get put in my proper place.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[r carl]

Originally Posted by 1965 mustang

Are you on this post to be confrontational? This is clearly a propride post. I'm not sure why you are reading it if you don't have one. I think your looking for an argument.


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Maybe because he has the same trailer. I liked the info he provided.

[Jammer]

Well I guess the thread has already gone off in new directions.

I have the ProPride and have towed with it for five years, and have towed with other hitches also. I used to be one of the true believers but have reached the point where I hold a more nuanced point of view.

The ProPride pulls extremely well and controls sway as it should. By all reports, the Hensley does equally well.

The shortcomings of these hitches are in other areas and I do believe they have disadvantages compared to the Reese dual cam. Which hitch is the best is a judgment call because the available data aren't conclusive and because the situation varies from one tv/trailer combination to the next.

Statistically the single greatest cause of fatalities (across all trailer and hitch types including 5ers, the only way for which reliable statistics are available) related to trailer towing is separation of the trailer from the tow vehicle. While sway accidents are common, and as dramatic as they are, they result, by the numbers, in fewer fatalities. Many sway accidents have as a root cause either mechanical failure of hitch components or procedural problems such as failing to lock the hitch or tighten the WD bars.

Bottom line is that after 5 years on the road with it I am unconvinced that, given a reasonably well matched trailer and tow vehicle, these are safer hitches. And, to the point of this thread, they *do* have disadvantages. Among them is the fact that removing and reinstalling the hitch is a lengthy procedure, and yes, the presence of the hitch does preclude moving the trailer with a standard ball.

Service is one obvious place where this becomes a problem. It is also a problem in the rare instance of campgrounds where trailers are parked by staff using a tractor or skid loader. It is also a problem when using a powered trailer dolly to park in tight places, and when pulling the trailer out of the mud using chains or a rope.

So, yes, there are inconveniences and drawbacks to these hitches. They are heavy. They will make the combination a foot longer. They are difficult to hitch on uneven or sloping terrain. They can be damaged or thrown out of alignment on tight turns. You will, at some point, bark your shins on the stinger; like the Reese hitch head it is heavy and you won't want to remove it, but it sticks out further. And yes, they complicate service.

Is it worth it? Who knows, I still have mine on the trailer.

[1965 mustang]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Well I guess the thread has already gone off in new directions.

I have the ProPride and have towed with it for five years, and have towed with other hitches also. I used to be one of the true believers but have reached the point where I hold a more nuanced point of view.

The ProPride pulls extremely well and controls sway as it should. By all reports, the Hensley does equally well.

The shortcomings of these hitches are in other areas and I do believe they have disadvantages compared to the Reese dual cam. Which hitch is the best is a judgment call because the available data aren't conclusive and because the situation varies from one tv/trailer combination to the next.

Statistically the single greatest cause of fatalities (across all trailer and hitch types including 5ers, the only way for which reliable statistics are available) related to trailer towing is separation of the trailer from the tow vehicle. While sway accidents are common, and as dramatic as they are, they result, by the numbers, in fewer fatalities. Many sway accidents have as a root cause either mechanical failure of hitch components or procedural problems such as failing to lock the hitch or tighten the WD bars.

Bottom line is that after 5 years on the road with it I am unconvinced that, given a reasonably well matched trailer and tow vehicle, these are safer hitches. And, to the point of this thread, they *do* have disadvantages. Among them is the fact that removing and reinstalling the hitch is a lengthy procedure, and yes, the presence of the hitch does preclude moving the trailer with a standard ball.

Service is one obvious place where this becomes a problem. It is also a problem in the rare instance of campgrounds where trailers are parked by staff using a tractor or skid loader. It is also a problem when using a powered trailer dolly to park in tight places, and when pulling the trailer out of the mud using chains or a rope.

So, yes, there are inconveniences and drawbacks to these hitches. They are heavy. They will make the combination a foot longer. They are difficult to hitch on uneven or sloping terrain. They can be damaged or thrown out of alignment on tight turns. You will, at some point, bark your shins on the stinger; like the Reese hitch head it is heavy and you won't want to remove it, but it sticks out further. And yes, they complicate service.

Is it worth it? Who knows, I still have mine on the trailer.

I'm not saying they are the best, but they seem to work. I pulled my trailer home with a "standard Reese" with bars and no sway control. It wasn't a pleasant 5 hours. I new I needed something different, but didn't know what. I didn't want to keep buying and selling hitches, so I got the pp. is there drawbacks? Yes. Are there others that are just as good or even better? Most likely yes. But it's what I have and I read these posts to learn and help if I can. That said I like the earlier post of a sleeve with coupler welded on. I think it would be inexpensive and might work for power dollies as well.


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[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by 1965 mustang

I'm not saying they are the best, but they seem to work. I pulled my trailer home with a "standard Reese" with bars and no sway control. It wasn't a pleasant 5 hours. I new I needed something different, but didn't know what. I didn't want to keep buying and selling hitches, so I got the pp. is there drawbacks? Yes. Are there others that are just as good or even better? Most likely yes. But it's what I have and I read these posts to learn and help if I can. That said I like the earlier post of a sleeve with coupler welded on. I think it would be inexpensive and might work for power dollies as well.Attachment 234122


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As long as you remember to retract the jacks (as in apply WD) when you drop off the trailer, this would work fine.

[2012FB]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I have had the same hitch, trailer, and tow vehicle for over ten years. I have towed many tens of thousands of miles. Over 10,000 miles on my Alaska trip alone. I have towed in strong winds, in high Colorado mountains, in snow, on ice, on gravel, as low as zero degrees, and at well over 100 degrees. I have towed in 14 Western States and 3 Western Provinces. In all of this time, "My trailer has, only once, swayed violently out of control. This was with my trailer parked in my driveway during a 5.0 Earthquake." Now try to convince me that changing to a 2% hitch is make me feel soooooo much better about towing my Airstream. Please explain to me why so many 2%'ers say they feel so much better now, than before, especially if they never had any ill effects with their previous hitches.
Some people feel great because they got a Flue shot and didn't get sick with the Flue; And some people who never got the Flue shot, and didn't get sick either, should not feel as good????? I have incandescent, fluorescent, and LED lights in my house. They all do the same thing. I don't have a problem with any of them. Will the more expensive lights make me feel better? Bottom line is that I just don't get it! All of the 2%'ers claim "What a difference, but you wouldn't know until you try one." I don't have any pain, but if I take an Aspirin, I will feel better.

Now do you 2%'ers get the point?

I am happy to explain it.

When towing with the previous other 98% in high winds I was always having to put near constant steering correction in. I was always anticipating the major corrections required with clearing a semi in heavy cross winds. This was pulling with a 2012 Sierra HD Denali with a new Reese Dual Cam. Similar to my experiences in the past towing with Equalizers, Dual friction brakes and various Ford Power Stroke Excursions.

We got tired of driving the truck every day and traded it in on a 2014 ML350 Bluetec which naturally made the issue a bit worse in heavy winds. When I sold the 2012 25'FB I also sold the Reese Dual Cam and bought a new Anderson WD Anti-sway to pull my new 2015 30' Bunk. What an awful experience pulling I80 from Boise in heavy winds. It is the only time I have ever had the TV anti-sway warning system kick in. And did it ever do a good job keeping me from potentially losing it. I immediately got home and bought the ProPride.

With several trips now under our belt in similar heavy wind conditions I no longer need to constantly make steering corrections and feel utterly confident and relaxed passing or being passed by semis. In my opinion it is a significantly safer way to tow.

When hitting major bumps or undulations especially in curves it is much more controlled. Hard braking is must more controlled.

The dual pivot point system makes the pivot point between the TV and Trailer much more solid than a single point ball and socket. This is just simple mechanics and the effect is very obvious in heavy wind and adverse towing conditions.

Other niceties:

I no longer have to mess with taking the spring bars on and off.

I no longer have to stop, unhook and store them prior to backing into tight spots.

With the pivot point a little further back backing up is much easier especially in tight spots.

Gone are all the loud pops and grinding that make people jump when pulling in and out of parks, gas stations etc..

My cut down stinger is lighter and easier to store than the big 98% WD hitch heads.

I adjust the height of the PropPride hitch receiver to 16.5", mount the stinger, set the back up camera to trailer mode and back straight in quickly without an issue. Then make the connections, raise the hitch a bit, power drive the spring bars into position and done. It is much easier and less time consuming than other systems except the Anderson which was much easier but totally ineffective.

To each his own but unless you have lived with both back to back I don't think you can possibly understand/appreciate the differences.

Hope you can see my point.


FYI: I have a brand new Anderson hitch I will be putting on Craig's list in the next week or so. Just have not had time to get it listed. The Anderson is a great setup for maybe up to a 23'.


I picked up the trailer yesterday right where I left it. It really was not that big of a deal and the up side might be that I know it is parked in a service bay when I leave and will most likely get done quicker which it did!!

[rmkrum]

Similar to what I am experiencing except I started with a Husky WD only hitch. Night and day better on the road, in close quarters, and hitching and un-hitching in no issue once I figured out a few things.


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[J. Morgan]

What I will say is that these hitches do exactly what they are advertised to do, they eliminate sway.

They also make driving a pleasure again. I did not pay new retail for mine, but after using it I would without reservation.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by 2012FB

I am happy to explain it.

Hope you can see my point.

Hi, 2012FB; Although I have not had any of the problems towing that you have and therefore have no need to change hitches, I can see why you did. And with a smaller tow vehicle and a 30' trailer, it makes even more since for you. As mentioned previously, it makes more since with a set-up like yours. Thank You for being the first person in the world to be able to explain why instead of the usual, "Because" type answer.

I also think 1965 mustang has the right idea on a solution so repair shops can easily move your trailer around.

[moosetags]

I have a Hensley Arrow that I bought new when I bought my 2005 Safari 25FB. Yes, it was expensive, but so was my Airstream. I towed that first Airstream over 120,000 miles, and spent over 1,300 nights in her. In 2013, I traded the 2005 Safari on a 2012 Flying Cloud 23FB. The same Hensley went on this Airstream. I towed her 15,000 miles and spent 150 nights in her. In 2014, I again traded Airstreams. We moved to a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB. Again, the same Hensley went on her. We have now towed the 2015 5,000 miles and have spent 60 nights in her.

We have now covered 140,000 Airstream towing miles, and have spent 1,500 nights of Airstream camping. All of this experience has been with a Hensley Arrow Hitch System on three different tow vehicles. My experience has been that there is absolutely no sway ever, under any circumstances or conditions. The towing is always straight and steady regardless of road conditions or other traffic.

All of this being said, I know that there are some members on these Forums who feel that I am stupid for spending so much money on a hitch. There are also many RVers who think that I am stupid for spending so much money on a travel trailer. All I can say is that they have the right to their opinions, and I have the right to mine.

If some folks want to buy a brand new $10,000 travel trailer and hook it to their car with a $50 hitch, that is their choice. I respect their opinion. All I ask is the same form them.

On these forums, I try to share the experience that I have along with my opinions on certain issues relating to Airstreaming. I try never to characterize as stupid another's opinion. Some seem to revel in doing this.

Brian

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by moosetags

I have a Hensley Arrow that I bought new when I bought my 2005 Safari 25FB. Yes, it was expensive, but so was my Airstream. I towed that first Airstream over 120,000 miles, and spent over 1,300 nights in her. In 2013, I traded the 2005 Safari on a 2012 Flying Cloud 23FB. The same Hensley went on this Airstream. I towed her 15,000 miles and spent 150 nights in her. In 2014, I again traded Airstreams. We moved to a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB. Again, the same Hensley went on her. We have now towed the 2015 5,000 miles and have spent 60 nights in her.

We have now covered 140,000 Airstream towing miles, and have spent 1,500 nights of Airstream camping. All of this experience has been with a Hensley Arrow Hitch System on three different tow vehicles. My experience has been that there is absolutely no sway ever, under any circumstances or conditions. The towing is always straight and steady regardless of road conditions or other traffic.

All of this being said, I know that there are some members on these Forums who feel that I am stupid for spending so much money on a hitch. There are also many RVers who think that I am stupid for spending so much money on a travel trailer. All I can say is that they have the right to their opinions, and I have the right to mine.

If some folks want to buy a brand new $10,000 travel trailer and hook it to their car with a $50 hitch, that is their choice. I respect their opinion. All I ask is the same form them.

On these forums, I try to share the experience that I have along with my opinions on certain issues relating to Airstreaming. I try never to characterize as stupid another's opinion. Some seem to revel in doing this.

Brian

Hi, Brian; You no doubt have done a lot of towing with your Hensley Arrow, but you failed to mention that your hitch broke and had to be repaired, replaced, or exchanged. In all fairness I believe that this should also have been mentioned. You also stated that it took about four hours to do the change out, and later in another post said it was a less than one hour job.

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, Brian; You no doubt have done a lot of towing with your Hensley Arrow, but you failed to mention that your hitch broke and had to be repaired, replaced, or exchanged. In all fairness I believe that this should also have been mentioned. You also stated that it took about four hours to do the change out, and later in another post said it was a less than one hour job.

Yes, the Hensley head did come apart in Washington while on a trip. It was readily replaced by Hensley under their lifetime warranty. At that time, the hitch had been in use for approximately 125,000 miles. It did take several hours to replace the head as the replacement head had to be completely removed and weighs about 100#. Also, the broken head had to be packed and shipped back to Hensley.

I also personally installed the Hensley on each of my Airstreams. When taking a Hensley from on trailer to another, it is quicker work as there is no heavy lifting involved because the tow vehicle does the heavy work.

Brian

[J. Morgan]

I guess Hensley's and ProPrides are the only hitches that wear out and break?


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Thank You for being the first person in the world to be able to explain why instead of the usual, "Because" type answer.

Dang - I thought I was the first guy who gave that kind of answer.... :-)

Post #17 here (from 2013) is an example of thinking through the why of any decision (in this case, hitches). I've posted something like this probably dozens of times when the "best hitch" question shows up again (and again) - just as you frequently share the story of the only sway your trailer has experienced :-)

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...-112639-2.html

By the way - I'm sure someone has provided their rationale well before that - I guess I'm just surprised that you found such a response novel. While not as frequent perhaps as unsupported "just because" opinions, I think this happens a lot in these forums and is helpful to understand how folks think. Pharmgeek has a huge thread on the decision making process for camp chairs (did you get those yet, Pharm? :-) ) as another example.