Need advice on tow hitch

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

Got carried away a bit no?
Even 80K semis get rocked and pushed around by winds and other semis occasionally. I drove them for a few years in my younger days.

Then let me put it this way. With the Hensley/ProPride design you could be comfortable in these conditions with two fingers on the steering wheel when towing an Airstream and the rig properly set up. You might sense strong winds and semi's, but they won't push us around.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by NoResults

Why not try what the dealer recommends and save the money for solar or some other upgrade.

I have an Equal-i-zer which is similar and find no problems.

From what I have read the Pro-Pride is very hard to hook up unless you are on level ground and you need three men and a boy to lift it. You pro-pride users can chime in if I have the wrong info on this hitch.

I find it easier to hook up my PP if my wife does not help me

Seriously though, been using my PP hitch on the 27' FC and our current '16 30' FC and Dodge Ram 2500 for 13 months.

I find the ability to adjust the angle of the hitch receiver vis the W/D bars to be very helpful on uneven ground. This might not be as flexible if the TV and TT were parked such that there was large crowning in the approach angle.

I'm not a big guy (5'6") and don't find moving the stinger unmanageable. I don't know what it weighs but yes, it is not light.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by NoResults

From what I have read the Pro-Pride is very hard to hook up unless you are on level ground and you need three men and a boy to lift it. You pro-pride users can chime in if I have the wrong info on this hitch.

I know the pro-pride would not work for me as I have to hook up while not level and up hill.

My two cents worth. Dave

Dave, more bad info.

The ProPride hitch head can be tilted up or down and/or tilted to an angle for uneven grades. I do it all the time, and am camping on one right now. Just a matter of turning one or both jack screws to set the head to match your stinger position.

I think some users have tried to force the connection when things are not lined up. That doesn't work, but aligned properly it's as smooth as butter.

[dkottum]

Someone mentioned weight or the Hensley/ProPride being a problem.

The hitch head is bolted to the Airstream A-frame and stays there. You never lift it. The stinger is heavy to lift, but probably less than other hitch assemblies. When disconnecting I just pull ahead about a foot or so, then slide the stinger back into the hitch head where it stays while in camp. That's a very easy maneuver even for me at 71 years.

Does the hitch weight add to the payload carried in your tow vehicle. Maybe, but not much. The ProPride assembly is longer than others setting the trailer tongue about a foot farther behind the receiver. I think that acts as a lengthened lever, reducing the actual weight carried by the receiver. Beyond theory, our 835 lb empty hitch weight, plus load carried in the Airstream front, plus our 180 lb ProPride hitch/stinger assembly adds 800 lbs to the payload carried by our truck after weight distribution is applied.

[rmkrum]

I don't understand why some report difficulty honking up a ProPride hitch system. All you have to do is line it up properly, then simply back the TV so the stinger goes in fully. No huhu.

I've hitched up at almost 90 degrees to the AS a few times. Easy.


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[rostam]

ProPride weighs around 200#. If you use a Sherline scale to weigh the tongue weight before/after installation of ProPride, you will see that 200# gets added to the tongue weight. There is no magic, where some weight somehow disappears. As good as it is, an extra 200# puts us beyond our TV's receiver rating, hence ProPride does not work for us.

One forum member did the weighing. Before ProPride hitch weight was 800#. After ProPride it was 1050#.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1304130

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1307286

[gr.austin]

Here is my take: With your TV worth $50,000+ your TT worth $50,000 you need to buy not only the most you can afford but the best available. Here is why:
Let's say you buy the Blue Ox and do NOT have an accident, your happy.
Let's say you but the PPP and do NOT have an accident, your happy.
Now let's say you buy the Blue OX and HAVE an accident, you are not happy and you'll be kicking yourself for a long time because you didn't buy the PPP.
Finally, Let's say you buy the PPP and HAVE an accident, you can say it wasn't your fault because you did the absolute best you could have done. The $2000+ insurance on a $100,000+ rig is cheap insurance. This is not the place to be pinching pennies. I hope you can say that you wasted that extra hitch money in 10 years. Money well spent for NO accidents.

Happy streaming....

[AWCHIEF]

Anything can be justified if you have enough money invested. This thread is already taking the turn that all such threads here do.

[slowmover]

The worse the tow vehicle, the more the best hitch is needed.

4WD pickup with offroad tire tread is worst. Any other pickup is not far behind. These trailers are more stable and will stay upright longer than the pickups.

The OP ought to ignore those who haven't used the best hitch. Or are still new to this whole thing. Mainly, haven't any depth of experience, maybe just a few months or years plodding around in best weather with one TV design.

A trailer of this design is deceptively good. Just on the ball.

Until it isn't.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[SpletKay06]

This thread is almost as bad as politics. Now that being said if the hitch is "free" meaning your paying for either way, give it a try. If it tows great and you have no issues then it works.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by SpletKay06

This thread is almost as bad as politics. Now that being said if the hitch is "free" meaning your paying for either way, give it a try. If it tows great and you have no issues then it works.

What tests determine that?


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Then let me put it this way. With the Hensley/ProPride design you could be comfortable in these conditions with two fingers on the steering wheel when towing an Airstream and the rig properly set up. You might sense strong winds and semi's, but they won't push us around.

Friend, a 30 MPH Cross Wind pushing against your TV and TT sides will move you and you will feel it period. Especially exiting bridge viaducts and such. And on black ice ? Please lets get real. Being able to make a two finger correction is more a function of a power steering than your hitch. And at the end of the day why would any sane person be out there pulling a trailer in dangerous windy or black ice conditions.
My point is simply this. We buy an Airstream and pay the premium because the way we feel about the product. The same goes for the overpriced and over built hitches. As to simply getting the job done safely and comfortably there is no need to overspend. The same goes for pulling an AS with an 3/4 or 1 ton diesel.
We just purchased a 2017 F-250 diesel to pull our 30' International. We have been getting the job done with our F-150 Ecoboost. However decided to spend the extra money for the increased heft and payload of the 3/4 ton.
I will continue to use our Blue Ox hitch however since it has been performing just fine.

[n2916s]

Basically:

Park the tv. Measure the distance from the ground to the top of the wheels wells.

Hook up the trailer.

Is the trailer level or slightly nose low?

Then apply weight distribution. Still level?

Are the ground to wheel well measurements at or very near the numbers from the first step? Especially in the front?

If not - more weight distribution, if so:

Tow the trailer. Does it feel stable? Try some 90 degree turns, simulate some quick lane changes.

Get out on the highway. Do passing semis push you around? (You will feel them - but does the movement or pressure wave seem excessive? ) Do passing Kia's push you around?

If things feel good, give it a shot. If not, you might consider a different type of hitch or, if near a trusted RV shop, get what you have looked at and tweaked.

More expensive does not mean better. People love their Hensley, Pro-Pride, Reese, Blue-Ox what have you and become very vocal advocates for their brand.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

Friend, a 30 MPH Cross Wind pushing against your TV and TT sides will move you and you will feel it period. Especially exiting bridge viaducts and such. And on black ice ? Please lets get real. Being able to make a two finger correction is more a function of a power steering than your hitch. And at the end of the day why would any sane person be out there pulling a trailer in dangerous windy or black ice conditions.

My point is simply this. We buy an Airstream and pay the premium because the way we feel about the product. The same goes for the overpriced and over built hitches. As to simply getting the job done safely and comfortably there is no need to overspend. The same goes for pulling an AS with an 3/4 or 1 ton diesel.

We just purchased a 2017 F-250 diesel to pull our 30' International. We have been getting the job done with our F-150 Ecoboost. However decided to spend the extra money for the increased heft and payload of the 3/4 ton.

I will continue to use our Blue Ox hitch however since it has been performing just fine.

You honestly don't understand the difference inherent between a conventional WDH with integrated antisway and a Jim Hensley designed hitch. Nor the value of money spent for benefit received.

I run a larger, longer and heavier combo than you. Not only can I run circles around your rig, you'd turn over at a lower speed even though your trailer has the better suspension.

With two hard flicks of the steering wheel to opposite sides, you're in trouble. I can go around traffic that way. If I wanted to. There's less difference between just on the ball and a conventional antisway hitch than from there to a Hensley.

As to black ice, you can read "Steve Rankin" in a post from 07/08 on Woodalls entitled, "Hensley Hitch". About the fourth one. Saved his bacon. "Larry Adams" post before it is also good

I have to drive in every kind of weather. All across the nation. It's simply the job. I wouldn't plan on chaining up my private rig. But I'd never discount running into adverse conditions in it. Only takes once.

So why I'd want to spend the money necessary for one of these trailers and a tow vehicle and cheap out on the hitch is a mystery to me. As Larry noted in that post, it's arguably the most important piece of the combined rig.

For skeptics, use the money back guarantee. Lifetime warranty.

"Arguments" about cost and weight and complexity don't hold water. It's nitpicking attempted by those who've never used one.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[NoResults]

What a load of crap. There are many good hitches out there. You just love your pro-pride. I don't see a lot of posting on accidents with trailers and have put the blame on the hitch.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by NoResults

What a load of crap. There are many good hitches out there. You just love your pro-pride. I don't see a lot of posting on accidents with trailers and have put the blame on the hitch.

You should investigate what happens in a loss of control accident. And maybe more experience will also help.

I've pulled these trailer forty-three years. Cars, trucks and most every hitch design. But what you think of my experience isn't the same as you coming to understand the technical differences. Why they matter.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by NoResults

What a load of crap. There are many good hitches out there. You just love your pro-pride. I don't see a lot of posting on accidents with trailers and have put the blame on the hitch.

well said.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

well said.

Both of you come back with relevant experience. Then others will listen.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[rostam]

I'm sure these hitches are good, but there are no silver bullets, regardless of what fanboys say. Accidents do happen with these hitches as well.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1508471

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1050377

What bothers me is that the fanboys feel the need to shoot down other hitches to prop their own hitch. Whats wrong with just saying you are very happy with your hitch, without bashing other hitches? For the record I get the performance that these guys rave about with a lowly Andersen hitch, that costs only $450 and weighs 50#. Can be installed/uninstalled in less than an hour (Simplicity is a virtue). I can have 2 fingers on the steering wheel as semis pass me at 80 MPH. Why would I want to "upgrade"?

[n2916s]

There are tens of thousands of travel trailers out there. A tiny percentage of them are towed with a VPP hitch. Yet, everyone more or less seems to get where they are going safely.

There is no arguing that they are brilliantly designed and afford their owners a very comfortable, stress free towing experience.

However, the suggestion that non-VPP operators are less safe is, well, a reach at best.

If there was hard evidence that VPP hitches were markedly safer, the insurance companies would either mandate their use or, at the least, give a significant discount to those who use them. I think the states might weigh in as well, not to mention the Feds.

If I had payload and money to burn, I'd order one up tomorrow. But, I don't.