Our ProPride Experience

[Rgentum]

I put over 30K miles on our AS using an AirSafe (~$1K) with a Blue Ox (~$500). With all the hullaballoo on AS Forum, at the beginning of the AS season last year, I bought, installed, and used a ProPride instead. (Retails close to $3K with shipping.) Note: One cannot use an AirSafe with a ProPride or a Hensley.

Comment from my significant other opposite me in the front seat within a few miles of beginning our first trip with the ProPride: "This ride is a lot stiffer. I'm no longer able to read the paper or a book while we're driving. The words on the page jiggle too much."

We put around 1K miles on the ProPride with our trip. Upon returning home, I took off the ProPride , reinstalled the AirSafe + Blue Ox, and ultimately sold the ProPride on Airstream Classifieds.

Next trip: "This is a much smoother ride. I have no problem reading now while we're driving."

I now have approx. 35K miles on the Blue Ox, most of which have been with the AirSafe. So far, no problems, and in my experience, I couldn't tell any difference in weight distribution effects, sway, etc. between the Blue Ox and the ProPride. In other words, I didn't see any improvement with the ProPride over the Blue Ox, and I will refrain from commenting on the ProPride's downsides, of which I think there are some significant ones besides cost as others have mentioned in this Forum.

At the end of last summer and our AS season, I bought and installed a set of Lippert weight distribution straps (ie, the "Straptek" system): https://www.lci1.com/straptek which I have yet to use. Even though I was using a Harbor Freight 24 inch breaker bar & 1 inch socket to set the weight distribution bars on the Blue Ox, that process frightened me and the straps are supposedly more controllable and safer.

[ROBERT CROSS]

With a stiff 3500 you need a soft ride more than a safe one?
In 12 seasons with a PPP I've found nothing difficult and no 'downsides'👍, and I'm not the brightest Crayon in the box.🥺
TETO

Bob
🇺🇸

[Profxd]

Thank god we have the “Hitch police” to make sure everyone is safe!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Profxd

Thank god we have the “Hitch police” to make sure everyone is safe!

Teehee....not 'police' just a GOF.😂
Smile and leave the kitchen if you're bothered. 👍
See signature.

Happy Dyngus Day 🤔

Bob
🇺🇸

[Caffeinated]

Very interesting, and food for thought. I have almost the same setup as you, i.e. A 27 ft FC FB, Blue Ox, and a new 2015 F150 Eco... No air soft though. Leaving for a long trip/Carravan in the fall, and trying out where best to spend somewhat limited funds. On the wish list is, a built in ems surge protector, a voyager back up camera, a micro air easy start, and a portable solar charger. So far I'm leaning towards the surge protector as being at the top of that list, but, I'd like to do the air soft too. I need a money tree.

Mike

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Rgentum

Upon returning home, I took off the ProPride , reinstalled the AirSafe + Blue Ox, and ultimately sold the ProPride on Airstream Classifieds.

Blasphemy!
You must be punished before you speak poorly of Easy Start and diesel tow vehicles.

[AirMiles]

I have over 30,000 miles of experience towing with a Blue Ox SwayPro. It worked perfectly for all those miles behind a Titan XD Diesel. Then I bought an F250 Diesel and didn't like how loose the truck drove with the Blue Ox Swaypro. So I reluctantly bought a Propride 1400#. The Propride fixed the looseness while towing with the F250.

Then I found that I liked the Propride better than the Blue Ox:

1) I don't get greasy every time I go near the Propride.
2) The Propride is easier for me to hitch and unhitch.
3) It so much easier to hitch and unhitch the Propride that my wife can do it.
4) The Propride stinger is lighter than the Blue Ox receiver and hitch head. And it has no grease on it!
5) The Propride's weight distribution is infinitely adjustable and independent from the sway control. Therefore you can use less weight distribution to make the ride as soft as you want without losing the sway control.
6) The Proride works better with my F250 Diesel than my Blue Ox. The comment from my wife was "now the truck feels like its in control with the Propride".

I would have kept my Blue Ox SwayPro if it worked well with my F250. But since it didn't, I bought a Propride that I now like much better. This will be a never-ending debate. Use the one that your "significant other" likes best. Mine prefers the Propride.

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

I have over 30,000 miles of experience towing with a Blue Ox SwayPro. It worked perfectly for all those miles behind a Titan XD Diesel. Then I bought an F250 Diesel and didn't like how loose the truck drove with the Blue Ox Swaypro. So I reluctantly bought a Propride 1400#. The Propride fixed the looseness while towing with the F250.

Then I found that I liked the Propride better than the Blue Ox:

1) I don't get greasy every time I go near the Propride.
2) The Propride is easier for me to hitch and unhitch.
3) It so much easier to hitch and unhitch the Propride that my wife can do it.
4) The Propride stinger is lighter than the Blue Ox receiver and hitch head. And it has no grease on it!
5) The Propride's weight distribution is infinitely adjustable and independent from the sway control. Therefore you can use less weight distribution to make the ride as soft as you want without losing the sway control.
6) The Proride works better with my F250 Diesel than my Blue Ox. The comment from my wife was "now the truck feels like its in control with the Propride".

I would have kept my Blue Ox SwayPro if it worked well with my F250. But since it didn't, I bought a Propride that I now like much better. This will be a never-ending debate. Use the one that your "significant other" likes best. Mine prefers the Propride.

I never understood why anyone would buy a $3000 hitch. I never experienced any sway with my Airstreams. I even tried to get them to sway and it was impossible.

[Daquenzer]

I think much of it depends upon where and what you tow and tow with. I had a Blue Ox and it was fine when I wasn’t in heavy traffic on the freeway. It was horrible in Milwaukee, Chicago, and heavy truck traffic areas. The bow effect from the big rigs made driving miserable. I said if I have to drive like this for 3 to 4 hours I’m going to hate traveling. When I changed to the Propride that all went away. Now going through Milwaukee and Chicago is tiring, but not exhausting. Much more manageable.

Now having said that I have an F150. Maybe with an F350 it would be different. I don’t know. All I know with my F150 the difference was significant.

I saw a video on YouTube where they went from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton and it greatly improved their towing experience.

For me using an F350 as an everyday driver would be a no go. I chose the F150 because of the gas mileage, capable, and comfortable.

By the way I kept my Blue Ox. You never know if I get a different AS and truck.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I never understood why anyone would buy a $3000 hitch. I never experienced any sway with my Airstreams. I even tried to get them to sway and it was impossible.

Yep...much too expensive for an Airstream.🤓

Bob
🇺🇸

[rmkrum]

It’s NOT overkill, and I won’t tow without one. Our 22 footer is easy to make sway without good sway control and proper WD setup. Just go down the Cajon Pass on a windy day. And no, it was basically empty with no water aboard.

And, in the grand scheme of things, my family is priceless. $3,000 is cheap in comparison.

[out of sight]

If your trailer sways out of control at normal highway speeds then there is something else wrong and a hitch is not going to help you. Indeed one of the arguments against the use of sway control equipment is that it can cover up a developing problem and keep you from realizing it until it's too late.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by out of sight

If your trailer sways out of control at normal highway speeds then there is something else wrong and a hitch is not going to help you. Indeed one of the arguments against the use of sway control equipment is that it can cover up a developing problem and keep you from realizing it until it's too late.

How long have you been using a PPP hitch?

Bob
🇺🇸

[out of sight]

Never. I wouldn't use one.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Never. I wouldn't use one.

Good to know. [emoji55]

(Insert tongue firmly in cheek....)

Like you and PPP hitches, I don’t use vegetables. Never even tried them. I don’t care how many people like them or how many Doctors tell me they’re good for me. I just don’t use them, which is why everyone should give credence to my anti-vegetable stance.

(Making appointment to have tongue surgically removed from cheek...)


Have a salubrious day![emoji3]

[out of sight]

Hitch people are strange. If you criticize their hitch they take it personally and they come back with nonsensical platitudes. Never do they come back with an statement of substance.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Hitch people are strange. If you criticize their hitch they take it personally and they come back with nonsensical platitudes. Never do they come back with an statement of substance.

I had no reason to post in this thread when I read it, because it is titled Our Propride Experience, and, well, I don’t have experience with a Propride.

But you have posted four times, despite claiming no experience. I find that strange. You have strong opinions for someone with an acknowledged lack of experience.

[nryn]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Hitch people are strange. If you criticize their hitch they take it personally and they come back with nonsensical platitudes. Never do they come back with an statement of substance.

Hitch people are indeed strange. Their response to a constructive post in which someone goes into detail about exactly why they went with a ProPride hitch is “I never understand why someone would buy a $3000 hitch.” They then get uppity by making a comment about how people getting uppity. Klassy with a k.

There are at least two people on this thread who have tried both styles of hitch and who have, through direct experience, come to conclusions that differ but that work for them. As hitch threads go, you really can’t ask for more. Unfortunately most hitch/tow vehicle/generator/camping style threads descend into ignorant blathering that conveys more about the commenter than it does about the thread topic.

To future readers of this thread—the OP (Rgentum) and Airmiles have both posted pros/cons based on direct experience with each type of hitch. If you came here looking for help with a hitch decision, you’ll learn the most from those two. But respect your time—I know I will. Chances are (sadly) that this thread goes downhill from here.

[out of sight]

I'm still waiting for some statement of substance.

[AirMiles]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I never understood why anyone would buy a $3000 hitch. I never experienced any sway with my Airstreams. I even tried to get them to sway and it was impossible.

Are you married? Did you read this quote "now the truck feels like its in control with the Propride"?

My wife is deathly terrified of trailer sway. We nearly rolled a 23' boat and tandem trailer at 65 mph on a four lane highway with paved shoulders. Imagine eight tires squealing as you oscillate ditch-to-ditch over every inch of pavement available. That incident was over 20 years ago and my wife and I still hyperventilate each time we travel that stretch of highway.

Fast forward to today . . . we bought what we thought was the best tow vehicle in the world - a brand new 2019 F250 Platinum Diesel. But when we hitched up the Arstream, we had a loose and swaying feeling with the Blue Ox. I had 1000# bars and couldn't find a setting to tightened up the rig. I bought 1500# bars for $220 and still couldn't tighten up the rig. I put a rear stabilizer bar on the truck for $250 and still couldn't tighten up the rig. I tried every setting possible on the hitch- higher ball height, lower ball height, more weight distribution, less weight distribution, 1000# bars and 1500# bars, weighed and reweighed a dozen times, and nothing could make my wife comfortable. This is when you buy a $3,000 hitch.

I bought an "nearly new" used Propride for $1,600 so I could sell it if it did not fix the looseness. I installed the hitch and leveled the Airstream with 7" of weight distribution then headed to the scales. 7" was full FALR. I backed the weight distribution down to 6.5" and got equal weight on the truck's front and rear axles. Drove home and picked up the wife. After about 15 miles on the interstate, she was so happy to be able to ride comfortably in our rig without the fear of sway. Here was her exact quote "now it feels like the truck is in control". At that point, I was done setting up my new F250 and we were set to go traveling.

If your Blue Ox Swaypro works for you, I'd suggest to keep it since our Blue Ox worked perfectly for us for 30,000 miles. But if $1,600 (or $3,000) is the cost to make my wife comfortable in our rig, it is money well spent.