Hensley vs. ProPride

[OilnH2o]

Wow. This is WAAaaay Cool!

Just cruising the hitch thread... hmmm, another PP and Hensley debate I figured... and like a crack of thunder - your pictures of the PanAmerica!

No wonder you kept it close to your vest! I'm happy just enjoying YOU being happy!

Congratulations!

[Zackybilly1]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Have you towed it yet?
The 3 axle 34's are supposed to have good road manners.

M.Hony,

Other than shuttling it around on my property with my 3/4 ton Suburban...no WD bars...it squatted it pretty good...that's the extent of my towing so far. To get to my AS Docking Station, I have to go between two buildings (25' apart) and then swing a good left on fresh concrete to get into position to back into the slot. During the turn, the tires weren't flexing and gnawing to my surprise nor were there any tire marks on the concrete.

A female driver out of Shreveport (Hillbilly Haulers...I kid you not...$1.25 a mile and I've used them before) picked it up in her 1-ton (Clubcab with flat-bed) and towed it without any WD bars. She and her company haul a lot of travel trailers and she said it pull like a dream. She then hooked to the Classic (using the Hensley...luckily her receiver was in the right ballpark for the stinger drop) and headed to Memphis on the new owner's dime. I found the Classic had a relatively light tongue for that size trailer and towed as good as any trailer I've ever pulled and definitely better than the 28' Signature. One of the trailers had to go to make room for the PA and the Classic drew the short straw. If I have a third trailer, it will be an old Bambi.

I missed it earlier, yes the Silverado has a Class V hitch. I've been using a "bushing" down to 2 x 2 but that just provided for more slop and the greater potential for beating something out. At a tongue weight of 1,490, I guess if I'm ever going to need one, its now even with ballast in the back. I can hardly wait to tow it and think the Silverado is a good match for the trailer....both are bad boys and deserve each other.

Z

[LucaBluPlus2]

Woooooo-eeeeee, I wish I had a reason to *need* one of those.

Ahhhhhh (sigh) PanAmerica...

[m.hony]

Z
There is a lot of slop/play in my 2" receiver/shank.
Does anyone make a shim for this?
Or could I shim it with any old flat thin piece of metal I can find?
Cut open a Coke can, flatten it out, shape it to fit between the shank and the receiver, drill holes in it so the pin holds the shim in, too?

[dbj216]

I have the same issue. My F 350 came with a Cat V receiver at "2.5" inches. I have to use a sleeve reducer to get to "2.0" inches. The ProPride 2.0 inch shank is quite precise at 2.0 inches. But the Ford receiver and reducer sleeve are quite sloppy. I used galvanized sheet metal to make shims to reduce the slop. ProPride makes a 2.5 inch shank that would help reduce slop caused by the sleeve. I think all this slop caused my hitch pin to bend.

ProPride is a fine hitch. I need to solve the Ford sloppy receiver problem. Here is a link to the sloppy receiver issue I was working.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...in-108534.html

Sorry to get off topic.

David

[SteveSueMac]

I also have the 2.5" receiver (Chevy) and got the 2.5" stinger. Very heavy but no slop at all.

[rvguy1966]

I disagree, I have the HA and was able to reach them on a Sunday night. They even sent me three different stingers at no charge and walked me thru the whole setup until it was perfect. I returned the stingers I didn't need. I wound up using the stinger they suggested first but since I was so unsure they humored me. Can't say enough good things about them. Now on to why I put my two cents in here.

I have read a lot of things on the internet about PP vs HA. I even saw a comparison chart and of course it was by one of the companies that sell one of the two.

I want to see a chart created by a third party like popular Mechanics or etc... if one exists?

I have heard stories about PP stingers breaking and also HA bumping when stopping and I would like to hear the un biased version of the actual differences. I don't want to hear from anyone that works for either one or their friends who got a free one to tought the company line. Although I have NO issues or reservations on my purchase I would like to know if there REALLY is issues with both of them. I can always sell what I have to get the other if its proven it IS better (SAFER) for my Family and I.

[SteveSueMac]

Rvguy - I don't work for either company, and got no freebies from either company.

The hitches are both designed by the same guy. They both do the same thing. They both do it really well. The only reason I went PP vs HA was for the changes for easier hookup. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Even as a PP user, I too get turned off by the hard sell side by side comparison stuff you can find on the web. Sean knows his stuff and is pretty good at customer service, but marketing isn't his strongest suit.

There's a thread in here somewhere from the customer who had the PP stinger with the failed weld. It's apparently the only one (though one seems like one too many) and was handled really well by Sean and the ProPride company.

The "Hensley Bump" can happen in either setup if the brake controller isn't properly engaging the trailer brakes first.

Again - both seem to be outstanding products from my perspective and work as designed to prevent sway from happening (as opposed to reacting to it once it started). And for that matter, other hitches seem to react well to sway to control it - and either way, the driver is a huge factor in sway prevention/reaction...

One guy's $0.02

[m.hony]

My preference for the ProPride basically boils down to no drilling- simple as that. If I already owned a Hensley I would not replace it.

[switz]

When I ordered our 2013 25FB International Serenity in October of 2012, I had only seen conversations about the Hensley on the forum. Thus we installed a Hensley on the trailer. When we had to get a proper sized tow vehicle for the weights involved, the CanAm slightly bent and shortened straight stinger for the 2007 Mercedes ML 320 diesel would not work on the Dodge truck. So since the original stinger was no longer stock, we ordered and paid for the Hensley 2" drop which worked fine due to all the modifications done to the hitch area on the Dodge to lower the receiver opening.

When we sold the 25FB trailer, I removed the Hensley and put it in our storage unit, where it still is sitting with new frame parts.

By the time our Classic was past the initial order phase in October 2013, I had read enough about both the Hensley and ProPride hitches to deicide to have the second generation Jim Hensley design for the new Classic. I liked the fact that it came with an adjustable height stinger and no holes were necessary in the frame. An added bonus was the lower initial cost for the ProPride and there were not a lot of recommended little spare parts to order and have on hand "just in case".

When I installed the lift arm towers, I was able to place them as close as possible to the front of the trailer A frame to leave room for our planned Lifeline battery box for the solar system. The location of the Hensley frame brackets would have hindered our ability to mount the this battery box.

I prefer the steel lift arms and their operation of the ProPride to the Hensley. The factory brake controller in the 2012 Dodge is less than stellar in operation and we get the bump with the ProPride as well in some braking situations.

An undocumented tidbit is that the ProPride frame cross member U-bolts need to be torqued to 50 foot pounds as mine shifted laterally and created a slight towing issue.

Our planned solution (parts came the day before I left on a trip) is to install a Tuson DirectLink NE brake controller and bypass the Dodge factory brake controller. That new controller should help the Titan disk brake pump work properly to remove the "bump" from my operational experiences as well as more uniform braking.

YMMV

[Zackybilly1]

Originally Posted by rvguy1966

I would like to hear the un biased version of the actual differences.

Maybe you can form your own opinion and put together an unbiased chart. Here is a partial of how I formed my own opinion.

I went through two Hensleys before owning a ProPride (now, two ProPrides)...because the Hensley was the bomb in it's day...which has come and gone. With exception of some subtle improvements on the ProPride, they both perform the same basic function...but, for me, that is where the similarities end. Aside from the subtle improvements, construction is the key for me.


While running a ProPride and a Hensley hitch, I reconditioned the Hensley.






...and it looked presentable...but after working with the ProPride, no matter how pretty...in the back of my mind, I knew it was substandard by comparison.








Aside from the bearing fits, the Hensley looks like something a welder could build on the back of his welding truck with some thin, low-yield plate and a big side-grinder. Construction is crude at best and the plate does not have good wear characteristics where the stiff-arms pin up. I, personally, don't like the ball welded to the hitch either.





The ProPride is constructed using more machined components and therefore, more accurately built, as well as, more compact. The only thin plate on the ProPride is a bolt-on cover. Where the Hensley stiff-arms pin to the hitch head, ProPride uses a yoke system which is equipped with bronze bushings to handle movement.


The stinger receiving box for the ProPride is precision built to mate up to the centering ramp of the stinger and has a robust stiffener around the opening.




The Hensley stinger receiving box...to be blunt, it is scabbed-together, make-shift affair and it's shape changes with time and use as the centering ramp for the stinger distorts the receiving box. Gimpy piece-milled stiffener around the opening, as well.





The ProPride Stinger is not only adjustable but it is build with a uniform, machined centering ramp.



....and it can be dialed in as close as you want. The only way you can dial in a stinger for a HA hitch is to order a replacement from ProPride, of all people.



The Hensley stinger...well...you fill in the blanks. It is in a fixed attitude for better or worse. I had two Hensley hitches rigged up on two trailers to tow with two TVs. Hensley couldn't provide the drop necessary for my 2013 3/4-ton Suburban (w/ tow package). They suggested that I cut my coupler off my trailer and weld a new one on above the A-frame along with some other hair-brained ideas such as flipping my axles over to make the trailer taller (I kid you not) and adding a second receiver on my Suburban. Base on my phone calls, I am totally convinced that HA has zero engineering base to draw on. When I asked specific, technical questions, all I got was a "canned", pre-rehearsed answers that were not even relevant to the question I asked. I'll say it to you and I'll say it to them...what a bunch of worms. During the heat of the moment when I indicated that I was through with HA hitches, they were very interested in buying my used, worn hitches to recondition and sell to some unsuspecting souls which I told them I would throw them off the creek bridge before I excepted their offer. Wonder how many miles where already on your new hitch when you bought it?

In the long run, it worked out fine as the POS Hensley stingers would not interchange between Hensley hitches...an unforgivable screw-up in the manufacturing community (of which I am a part of). Is it any wonder why their stingers wedge and stick? I got rid of one Hensley hitch on a trailer I recently sold and the second one is being used as a door-stop in my shop.



Hensley uses a gimpy spring-loaded dog-point to retain the WD bars in the hitch head whereas PP uses a fool-proof solid disc system. If the HA dog-points aren't to the perfect depth, the WD bar hits the end of the threads ruining the bar retainer. Problem is, you don't know if your retainer is ruined until the WD bar falls out at speed. The PP retainer is installed with the disc in a milled slot in the side of the bolt-in bushing. It's in no bind and couldn't get loose if it wanted to. The ProPride bushings are more robust and a better fit in the head as compared to the HA. Hensley sells a bag of spare parts to keep their hitch going...with PP, there is no such bag required.

The ProPride WD bar tensioner jacks have a right-angle drive on top which makes access easier but more importantly, it prevents the WD bar tension from changing due to vibration like what occurs on the HA (the reason HA doesn't recommend lubing the threads of the jack).

As mentioned in post above, the ProPride requires no drilling of the A-frame. I like the links from the jack towers to the WD bars better on the PP as the thin-walled tubing of the HA tends to wear and elongate on the HA.

So why would anyone pay more for the HA?.....my guess is that they were just uninformed at the time of purchase and needed RVGuy to put together a chart. This is no where near a difficult decision once you know what you are dealing with.

I sincerely do believe that HA was a stand-up company in its day and if they had worked on a continual improvement process, they would be marketing ProPride's P3 hitch today. I get the impression that they are hanging on based on their former position in the industry. I'm not a gambling man but I would wager that their days are numbered.

No, I'm not affiliated with Sean. He stole my girlfriend and I'm still pissed about that. I'm thinking about painting my ProPride hitches chipped-up, pumpkin-orange and post them all over the internet just to get back at him.

Z

[rumbac]

Nice review. I got the same answers when I asked about my 2013 Yukon. They also mentioned bigger wheels for the trailer.

[switz]

I figure buying the Hensley was another of life's expensive lessons for me. There have been several others so far in our Airstream experience, like buying the wrong for us new original unit sight unseen.

[Roadtech]

After much research, I decided to go with a new Hensley Arrow. It was easy to set up and has performed exactly as specified. I pull my 27FB International with a Suburban 1500 and the HA handles the loads great with zero sway. The folks at Hensley have been very helpful and answered all my questions during the setup with much patience and interest. I am very pleased with this hitch.

[crispyboy]

I would have to agree with most of Zackybilly1's assessment, it was an honest write-up. For now I'll stick with the Hensley because it works but I have seen the improvements in the PP hitch and it would definitely get my vote if I was purchasing new. If I ever see a good used PP then I would make the switch.

[m.hony]

X 2

[Zackybilly1]

Just to be clear.... and from a different thread.

Originally Posted by Zackybilly1

All thing being equal and already having the Hensleys, I would have used one but after buying a new TV with a considerably higher receiver ('13 Suburban 2500), the Hensley has been rendered useless to me and apparently, there is nothing Hensley can or will do to provide me with a solution.

These are just my opinions based on my experience and comparisons. Again, if my TV worked with the HA, I'd be using it and just keeping an eye on the things that I think are the weak links on that hitch. On the other hand, I can't ever see me buying another. The HA was as good as it got until something better came along...namely, the ProPride.

Z

Like many here, we are all in so deep on our expensive hobby that a few hundred dollars one way or the other wouldn't kill any of us if we thought the more expensive hitch was better. But on the other hand, I wouldn't buy a Murray lawn tractor if I could get a John Deere or a Kubota cheaper (not trying to offend Murray lawn tractor people either).


Z

[switz]

I lack the correct spelling but this is close phonetically - chi zen - which means never ending improvement. The name of the game for me is safety for us and our rig and those around me on the road.

My starting point weight is now around 18,000 pounds and likely to get closer to 18,500 when we load the balance of the stuff like food, top off the fresh water tank and other boon docking stuff that goes into the truck bed. That mass needs to stop when and where I want it to and not have a weak link in the connection between the truck and trailer.

Having said that, in the few thousand miles we used the Hensley, there was obvious wearing of parts that are or should be considered consumables. Those parts are not on the ProPride which is what one might expect in the second generation design of a product. If a third generation were to appear, I would carefully review the changes and if I like what I see, more forward with the next generation.

My Airstream experience to date mirrors my airplane and boat experience. The initial acquisition cost helps determine the size of the hole down which more money will flow in the future.

[Zackybilly1]

Originally Posted by switz

My Airstream experience to date mirrors my airplane and boat experience. The initial acquisition cost helps determine the size of the hole down which more money will flow in the future.

I hear you loud and clear, Lou. Reminds me of the saying...if it floats, flies or fornicates...rent it. Thankfully, our Silver Bullets didn't make the cut on that saying.


Agreed that for what our TT and TVs cost, it's no time to start cutting corners on quality/safety.


The way I've got it figured, I could stay in the Towers of the Waldorf Astoria of New York continuously for 1.8 years for what I've got tied up in travel trailers and TV's....but then I would miss out on the joys of sanitizing sewer hoses and re-packing wheel bearings.


Roughing it isn't cheap and that is before you ever get out of the driveway!


Z

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by switz

in the few thousand miles we used the Hensley, there was obvious wearing of parts that are or should be considered consumables. Those parts are not on the ProPride which is what one might expect in the second generation design of a product.

Switz: What parts on the Hensley do you consider consumable? I understand that all of the parts are covered by Hensley's lifetime warranty. Also, why do you think the ProPride is the "second generation design" of the Hensley?