Hitch Choices for 2018 30' Classic

[ajwbarnard]

Having done my due diligence scrolling through the posts here in this forum on hitches, I have decided to ask a question here specific to the 2018 Classic. The specs are: GVWR 10,000 lbs. Hitch Weight 886 lbs.

We are looking at purchasing a hitch that would work with various tow vehicles as we will be towing for the foreseeable future on occasion with rental trucks due to the fact that we do not own a tow vehicle and are primarily using the trailer as a second home in a seasonal campground. However, the trailer will need to be towed for warranty work, repairs, and a shakedown trip to make sure nothing shows up as a problem towing it for longer than the 1hr it took to go from the dealer to our campsite.

Questions that I have:

Should we invest in the hitch now that we would eventually need for the towing full-time living or go with something cheaper to get us through to retirement? (It is really not about the money, though. It is more about the appropriateness of the hitch to the application.)

Is the hitch transferable between tow vehicles without significant additional parts or adjustments?

We rented a Dodge Ram 2500 for the towing experience and towed without a WD/anti-sway hitch, the ride was unbearable and probably wasn't safe, but we were only driving 1 hr back and forth from the dealer. It was a big hassle getting the right ball at the right height.

Are there hitches you would not purchase if you are interested in using the tow assist on the F250 trucks?

My husband has his eyes on the new F250's for an eventual tow vehicle purchase and I would like to be able to use the new tow assist feature. I have read some comments that this may eliminate some hitches.

Is there a hitch that is more suited to this size trailer?

It is our plan to travel the US and Canada with this trailer.

Would you purchase from a dealer that could also install/adjust/test the hitch? Or if purchased on-line, what would be the best way to have the hitch installed?

My husband would not install a hitch on his own.

Having owned a AS ('64 Bambi II which we took on a major cross country trip) and a boat in the past, my husband has experience towing, but not this size and weight. We are still newbies in that regard. Any advice on this purchase which we would like to do for a summer trip would be appreciated.

[rmkrum]

I don’t know for sure. 10,000 is at the upper limit for a Hensley or ProPride, but at that size you would need a large tow vehicle just for warranty and maintenance work. You should have a look around the forums and check rental opportunities before you go all in...may have ‘fun’ finding a big enough vehicle for rent in that weight class.

[ajwbarnard]

We had pretty good luck with Enterprise Truck Rental Division who we came into contact with at a Tiny Home Festival where many of the tiny homes were brought there by rented trucks. We found 3/4 ton trucks with hitch receivers at a relatively reasonable price. You have to supply the means to attach to the trailer.

[pteck]

If your priority is to have an easy to setup hitch that could be reasonably adapted to various tow vehicles with minimal effort, I would highly recommend an Equilizer brand hitch.

While they are not PPP type hitches, they are very effective WD/anti-sway hitches. Their winning recipe is in the fact that they are easy to setup, and easy to use. Unlike many other more finicky hitches that may be "better" in some ways to some people.

[TSchleff]

Everyone has their opinion. And, always remember you can't believe everything you read on the internet ... So here is my opinion ... FWIW

If you plan on doing a lot of traveling and pulling the trailer a lot of miles, I would recommend one of the projection type of hitches. I personally have a Hensley and have pulled our Classic to all four corners of the US without any issues. And, in a couple of situations (high winds and one screeching tire stop on the Interstate around Miami in a Florida downpour while driving through a construction zone in rush hour traffic) that hitch saved our bacon.

Now if you just plan on pulling it somewhere and letting the Classic sit I would not spend the $$ on a projection hitch. But remember Airstreams are built to be pulled and the world is your oyster (At least the Western Hemisphere )