Newbie advice on hitching

[g.u.]

This is my first post after extensive lurking over the past few weeks. I’m hoping the collective wisdom of this forum can help us understand if we did our homework before we pull the trigger.

We are very close to tying the knot on a 30’ Flying Cloud FB Bunk (with a slight chance we will end up with a 27’ International). We never towed anything nor, for that matter, drove a truck. Our main concern is safety and we are absolutely OK with being overzealous or even paranoid.

Truck-wise we are close to buying a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 HD. We are going with the Duramax as we don’t mind diesel and value the added peace of mind of exhaust braking. My hunch is that it should be plenty of truck for the trailer, but feedback is definitely most welcome.

We are pretty much lost on WD hitches and sway control though. Plenty of choices, plenty of mistakes to be made, no clear winner, yet apparently a crucial piece to feeling safe down the road. The dealership recommends Blue Ox somewhat implying it’s built for Airstream and sort of the official equipment: I like that they would be installing and stand behind it, but at the same time I’m wondering if a Hensley would give us more peace of mind as we learn our ways in towing a big rig. We could definitely use some advice from this community.

Looking forward to our new Airstream and to more posts to come!

[dkottum]

Hensley/ProPride effectively places the trailer pivot point forward on or near the truck's rear axle. Their can be no sway leveraged to the truck's steering axle, possibility of sway is eliminated.

All others have the trailer pivot point at the coupler. The distance between coupler and the truck's rear axle is a lever to leverage sway forces forward to the truck's steering axle. Sway can happen.

There is no "standard" hitch for Airstream. The dealer would like to sell and install the hitch they stock and make some money on. Can't blame them for that, but they should be a bit more honest. Most dealers should be able to install Hensley/ProPride, good hitch installers surely can.

[n2916s]

One thing that is guaranteed on Air Forums is that you will get widely divergent opinions on hitches, tow vehicles and tires. Hard to sift through all the chatter.

A 3/4 ton diesel pickup will tow your trailer easily.

As for your hitch, the Pro-Pride and Hensley, by design, are touted by their owners as the ne-plus-ultra in towing apparatus with no chance of sway, easy setup etc. . The folks who praise these devices are very strident about their superiority. There are caveats -- they are very heavy but with a 3/4 ton tv maybe a non-issue, they are single-sourced (break something and wait for the FedEx truck).

The mainstream weight distribution systems from Reese, Curt, Blue Ox etc. all have their proponents and all seem to work fine as long as they are installed, set-up and maintained properly. I use a Reese Straight Line and it works fine.

The Anderson is different. People either hate it or love it with some claiming they tried it and it failed completely while others have been using it successfully for years now. It is very light, inexpensive and unique in its properties.

This really isn't rocket science. Maintain your gear, drive carefully, take all the advice you receive (including this) with a grain of salt.

Enjoy

Mike

[87MH]

One more vote for the Hensley.

I pull with an F-250 Diesel, and I assure you that the Hensley/PP hitch would be tough to beat when mated to the trailers you mentioned.

Hensley offers great phone assistance, and with a bit of practice is really easy to hook up. I like the rotary screw means of putting the weight distribution bars in tension as opposed to lifting up and latching an over center chain.

We found it easiest to hook up when I guide Mary to the hookup point rather than using the camera built into the license plate on the truck. Hook up utilizing only the rear view camera is certainly possible, but we nail the stab every time working together.

I am sure you will be more than satisfied with the Hensley.

[paiceman]

It is enough truck. Pro Pride Hensely eliminate sway. I've used none, don't recommend, Reese which are OK and now Equailzer. Equalizer allows sharp turns while backing, easy hook up and very little sway. Less than half the price of Pro Pride or Hensly.

[SeaLevel]

I am still fairly new at this too, having towed the AS home (over 1000 miles), and on 3 weekend trips to FL state parks. The dealer I purchased from recommended the Equal-i-zer hitch. I decided to buy it on my own and have them install it. I have been very happy with the setup and how it tows.

[HowieE]

your truck is more than adequate for the job.

There is no one hitch that is made for any given trailer.

While the Ha Ha has many supporters I think you will find it a difficult system to use in anything other than flat terrain.

What ever hitch you go with I would suggest you check the installation as follows since most dealers have no idea of how to set one up correctly.

Pull the trailer to a level terrain, having towed at least 200 ft in a straight line. Disconnect the trailer, using painters tape mark a reference height the front and rear fenders, reconnect the trailer and measure the heights again. The front fender should not show a significant increase in height nut rather be equal to a close to the first measurement. This insures that the hitch is doing what you want and thus providing weight distribution. While the final amount of weight transferred can not be defined in a single number because the number of variables involved in different rigs. The other consideration is once completed the trailer should be as close to level as possible. A 1/2 in difference front to rear is acceptable.

[SteveSueMac]

Congrats - and prepare yourself for tons of opinions.

Here's mine as someone who bought a 27FB Flying Cloud a few years ago as his FIRST trailer ever - and - FWIW, a Chevy Silverado 2500 Duramax.

1) find a local CDL (commercial driver's license) training center and see if they offer an RV Safe Drivers course - maybe other organizations near you would have them too. Best investment we made. First weekend after having the rig, we spent in that class and I can't recommend it highly enough.

2) Tons of threads in the forums about every hitch known to man. I've only ever used one - the ProPride which is the second generation of the Hensley manufactured by a different company. The Hensley designed hitches operate differently and are stellar at distributing weight and preventing sway. Having said that - many brands of hitch provide great towing experience. Read the threads - any of the major brands will likely serve you very well. For me personally, if the old PullRite was available for my truck, id have gone with that as the pivot point is literally at the truck rear axle making it like an upside down 5th wheel. Exceedingly stable. The Hensley designs virtually project the pivot point near the rear axle and provide rock solid stability. For me - it would be nothing else at this point - your mileage may vary so just know the pros and cons of every choice and why you make the decision.

3) keep a tick list of warranty items - you get 2 years to fix stuff and stuff will need fixing.

4) camp like crazy. Best investment I ever made - hope you feel the same way

Good luck!

[NoNameinNM]

Congratulations on being so close to your purchase!

That truck would be an excellent choice. You'll absolutely love the exhaust brake.

Our local dealership primarily installs the Reese Dual Cam hitches but was perfectly willing to install the ProPride hitch we ordered. If you choose a Hensley/ProPride over the Blue Ox, they should likewise be willing to install it for you. If not, many people here have regularly talked about installing it on their own (I'm pretty sure you can download the instruction manual for the Hensley, so you can see if you would feel comfortable with the process).

It's true-- those of us with a Hensley or ProPride typically love our hitch to the point that we probably sound as though we'd marry it if we could, but the one person I've spoken to who had a Blue Ox installed on his trailer (same combination as us, a 28' International paired with a 3/4-ton diesel) was very happy with it.

[caseywsj]

We are new to the Airstream. Bought 30' and the same tow vehicle you are considering. We also went with the ProPride. While I know there are many ways to accomplish the same thing, I am very happy with the setup we have.

Most of all, just get started. All the pieces will fall into space. Enjoy!

[mojo]

All the above hitches will work. But to make any of them easier to hook up, order your truck with a backup camera.

[g.u.]

Thank you all for the great advice. I will ask the dealership if they can offer the PP/HaHa as an option: I would be quite nervous setting it up myself. Should that not be the case, and should we decide we really want a Hensley-type hitch, would it be safe to take delivery of the rig and tow it to a center who would be able to set it up? And while at it, any suggestion on such shops in the Seattle area?

[silverlabs]

Good luck on your decision. As seen on the thread, many options exist. I have used an Equalizer for over 15,000 miles on a 25FC and a few on my 28FC, then switched to a ProPride on the 28 and have pulled it about 15,000 miles. I love the ProPride. Caught in a severe storm with 50-60MPH cross winds and still managed well with no sway. White knuckles, but no sway.

As a response to those that say it's difficult to hitch in un level sites, I tend to disagree. Yes, it takes a bit of time to understand what to do but it's basically, align the head unit angle to the stinger angle and all is well. I think folks forget you can adjust the head unit easily, up or down by adjustment of the weight distribution jacks. Align, back in and all is good.

Again, good luck on the decision and welcome to the forum.

Chuck

[dkottum]

I would pressure them to install it, it's not hard at all, the ProPride we have is designed to be owner-installed. A couple hours labor should be enough if they've not done one.

If ProPride you'll have to buy it directly from ProPride and can have it shipped to your dealer for installation, if they agree. Sean, owner at ProPride is extremely accessible and will work with you or the dealer. I would be surprised if he hadn't already.

[dkottum]

Yes, ProPride can be hitched at an angle as easily as straight in. It's easily adjustable in vertical or side tilt, and/or direction. It's all about alignment, get it right and back in, latch up and go. No heavy lifting, the hitch head stays bolted to the trailer tongue, you only slide out the stinger from the truck if needed.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by g.u.

We are very close to tying the knot on a 30’ Flying Cloud FB Bunk (with a slight chance we will end up with a 27’ International). We never towed anything nor, for that matter, drove a truck. Our main concern is safety and we are absolutely OK with being overzealous or even paranoid.

One of the dirty little secrets of the RV industry is that something like 10% first-time buyers of travel trailers end up selling them because they cannot develop sufficient skill and confidence in backing them up. It's an expensive mistake to make. With large class A motorhomes there's a similar problem with people who are never comfortable driving them because of their size and handling characteristics.

Unless you're sure of your ability to learn this, I would highly recommend that you figure out a way to get behind the wheel of a tow vehicle/trailer combination before spending money. It doesn't have to be an RV, any kind of trailer will work. Whatever you can scrounge up from friends and rental places, or buy something off craigslist for a few hundred dollars and sell it when you're done. Then just go somewhere and learn to back it up.

Truck-wise we are close to buying a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500 HD. We are going with the Duramax as we don’t mind diesel and value the added peace of mind of exhaust braking. My hunch is that it should be plenty of truck for the trailer, but feedback is definitely most welcome.

I would characterize that as a good match, as long as you understand what you're getting into with the diesel and are OK with it.

We are pretty much lost on WD hitches and sway control though. Plenty of choices, plenty of mistakes to be made, no clear winner, yet apparently a crucial piece to feeling safe down the road.

The dealership recommends Blue Ox somewhat implying it’s built for Airstream and sort of the official equipment: I like that they would be installing and stand behind it

Blue Ox is an adequate product as far as it goes but they're recommending it because they'll make money on it and it is convenient for them. Go ahead and buy it if you want but don't believe the hype. They will install any hitch you insist upon.

Reese's strait-line hitch is similar to Blue Ox but provides better sway control.

I’m wondering if a Hensley would give us more peace of mind as we learn our ways in towing a big rig. We could definitely use some advice from this community.

I have a ProPride which is functionally similar to the Hensley.

The sway control features of Hensley and Propride hitches are beyond reproach. However, it is not clear to me that the overall safety record taken as a whole is any better than less expensive weight-distributing hitches. These hitches are complex and are made in short production runs. There have been documented instances of structural failures of the ProPride hitches. Hensley hitches have a well-known problem with the tension bar pins ripping through the housing if the maximum turning angle is exceeded. It is possible to do this without realizing it, and it could lead to loss of control at speed.

So it becomes a balance of harms thing. Reese and similar manufacturers have far more hitches on the road and their safety record is well known. They are simple products. With a well-matched combination like the truck and trailer you're considering, sway shouldn't be the only consideration. Most fatalities involving recreational towing occur because of separation of the trailer from the tow vehicle, followed by a collision between the trailer and a hapless driver in the oncoming lane. Sway accidents rarely result in fatalities.

Given the lack, as I see it, of a compelling safety difference, overall, between Hensley/ProPride and conventional weight distributing hitches, cost and practical considerations carry the day for me, and if I had it to do over again, I would get a simpler hitch.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by g.u.

Should that not be the case, and should we decide we really want a Hensley-type hitch, would it be safe to take delivery of the rig and tow it to a center who would be able to set it up? And while at it, any suggestion on such shops in the Seattle area?

Three years ago I moved to a new house. It was a complicated deal for a bunch of reasons but the short if it was that I purchased a 30' box trailer specifically for the move and sold it when the move was complete. I put less than 50 miles on the trailer while I owned it.

I purchased a weight distributing hitch for those 50 miles. I've been pulling trailers for over 30 years.

You decide what's right for you.

[HowieE]

I think Jammer's comments are will above the average you will find.

The only things I would add is if you decide on a trial run towing a trailer you keep one thing in mind. The longer it is the easier it is to back up. So if you can master a U Haul you are home free.

None commercial diesel owners do not drive diesels for logical reasons. It's a Guy thing.

[SCOTTinNJ]

I tow with an F150.

I had a 25' with 600# Equalizer and felt the experience was just OK. More sway then I liked.

I now have a 30' bunk with 1000# Equalizer and the towing is much better. Very little sway and it's damped quickly. I also changed to LT tires from P tires on my truck at the same time so there were two changes, but I'm very happy with the the Equalizer now.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by HowieE

The only things I would add is if you decide on a trial run towing a trailer you keep one thing in mind. The longer it is the easier it is to back up. So if you can master a U Haul you are home free.

Howie makes a good point, also, trailers that are small enough that you can't see them in your mirrors pose their own set of difficulties.