ProPride 1000 or 1400 - help me pick

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

OOOH! Nice job! I was ground bound in the R.C.A.F.
Yer makin' me jealous!

They took away our tanks in SE Asia.

I had a Flight Equipment MOS @ Da Nang..."Loadmaster"

Bob

[kendrick.l.j]

So you called the manufacturer and you told Sean what trailer you had and what you are towing with and he recommended 1400 bars but you really don’t believe him so you are asking people you don’t know, probably won’t meet and you have no way to know what idiot mistakes they may be making and you want their advice, have I got that right? Really? Why bother calling the man?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by kendrick.l.j

So you called the manufacturer and you told Sean what trailer you had and what you are towing with and he recommended 1400 bars but you really don’t believe him so you are asking people you don’t know, probably won’t meet and you have no way to know what idiot mistakes they may be making and you want their advice, have I got that right? Really? Why bother calling the man?

...."idiot mistakes" why bother posting.

We also called the manufacturer, 1400lb bars also advised. Turns out 1000lb were the proper choice for 'our' set-up. I made an idiot mistake.
Not all will be covered by blanket statements made by the xperts.

Bob

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

...."idiot mistakes" why bother posting.



We also called the manufacturer, 1400lb bars also advised. Turns out 1000lb were the proper choice for 'our' set-up. I made an idiot mistake.

Not all will be covered by blanket statements made by the xperts.



Bob

And between us two knuckleheads - the 1000# bars worked for you and 1400# bars worked for me. Life is good. Glad to be an idiot if you're in that club! 🤣

[kendrick.l.j]

All I am saying is, why take the time to call the manufacturer and ask him a direct question about his product and then not take his advice.
I have learned a lot from this forum and I am very grateful for the time that people took to post a reply or to offer advice but I am not sure I would take the personal opinions of complete strangers over the advice of Sean at Pro-Pride. The guy knows his stuff, knows Airstreams and knows his product and I do not believe he is giving bad recommendations. I don’t even use PP about I still respect his opinion and would follow his advice over someone else.
PS - I use Hensley

[slowmover]

I recommended to the OP he look at it from acquired scale values. Eliminate subjectivity.

The results posted by RC are that end result: (after revealed problems were corrected) the load transferred to the TV Steer Axle is X. That number was tested. One bar set was ideal for X transfer.

The point to scale values is that it reveals the range of adjustment. It's short.

One bar set or the other will be "better". It may or it may not be the recommended choice.

Sean comes highly regarded around here. I've purchased several items from him. So it's not about him or his recommendation, but working with an individual rig.

That rig might be right at the edge of one set or the other. The range of adjustment might allow either to be used. But that range overlap will favor one bar set more than the other.

Mechanical relationships are such that verifying their accuracy pays off with best performance.

As it would with yours, Ms Kendrick. It's easy to adjust a Hensley for best ride as the integrated anti-sway works no matter what adjustment is used. But that doesn't mean your Dodge is set best for the test of an emergency double lane change. Or that braking is best (w/o WD transfer to TT axles). Or that TV tire pressure is ideal. (Too little WD, and too much TV tire pressure is an easy guess; and not about you, but RV'ers in general).

Numbers acquisition and testing are basic.

Is Sean likely right? Sure. Doesn't mean one can't be painstaking in a one time purchase.

I'd not trust that a brand new Airstream had correct axle bearing lubrication, bearing preset, or axle alignment without verifying. It's too costly otherwise. The manufacturer or the dealer wouldn't matter. And shouldn't.

These are the responsibility of the operator. That's what's at stake, here.

.

[Home-N-Tow]

see ProPride Group on FB there is a chart for ProPride model selection based on loaded tongue weight

[Boogieshoes]

Nothing wrong with "Trust, but verify." We have a similar set up; F250 towing a 31 Classic; Sean recommended 1400 to me; I was a bit spooked after reading that the 1400s could cause popped rivets, etc, but went with Sean's recommendation. Added RideRite air bag suspension because DW has never seen a cooking device she didn't want to bring along (she is a chef, so I don't "suffer" too much). Absolutely sold on ProPride; have yet to see comments of regret after purchase. Spent a lot of time on the Cat scales with various loads and WD jack settings. Amazing difference in handling at different settings. What a marvelous device. Nearing 10K miles towing now in all sorts of conditions, never a sway or other sense of control loss. Love our truck, love our AS, love my DW (not in this order!) and love life. Airstreaming is so cool. It is so much more fun when you can tow in confidence; spending many, many hours in research of the many aspects of towing is time well spent.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

And between us two knuckleheads - the 1000# bars worked for you and 1400# bars worked for me. Life is good. Glad to be an idiot if you're in that club! 🤣

I'm in it for sure.....
Your a welcome addition SSM.

"education is what other folks do to you...learning is what you do to yourself."

Bob

[flynmike]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

OOOH! Nice job! I was ground bound in the R.C.A.F.
Yer makin' me jealous!

It is an awesome job and the best enlisted job in any service! I would have done it for free for the first 10 years. The places I got to go and the aircraft I got to refuel...just too cool for words. I always say it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

[Martee]

Originally Posted by Boogieshoes

Nothing wrong with "Trust, but verify." We have a similar set up; F250 towing a 31 Classic; Sean recommended 1400 to me; I was a bit spooked after reading that the 1400s could cause popped rivets, etc, but went with Sean's recommendation. Added RideRite air bag suspension because DW has never seen a cooking device she didn't want to bring along (she is a chef, so I don't "suffer" too much). Absolutely sold on ProPride; have yet to see comments of regret after purchase. Spent a lot of time on the Cat scales with various loads and WD jack settings. Amazing difference in handling at different settings. What a marvelous device. Nearing 10K miles towing now in all sorts of conditions, never a sway or other sense of control loss. Love our truck, love our AS, love my DW (not in this order!) and love life. Airstreaming is so cool. It is so much more fun when you can tow in confidence; spending many, many hours in research of the many aspects of towing is time well spent.

Absolutely. Airstreaming does become more fun when you have peace of mind regarding your tow hitch. I just puchased the Propride P3 1400 from Sean yesterday and already confirmed shipment to Colonial in Lakewood. Tried to order the 1000 and went with 1400 after brief discussion with Sean. What a wealth of experience. He must keep some type of data base for all the combinations of TV and Airstream Trailers that exist today. I pickup my new 2018 Airstream FC 25FB in two weeks at Colonial.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by kendrick.l.j

All I am saying is, why take the time to call the manufacturer and ask him a direct question about his product and then not take his advice.
I have learned a lot from this forum and I am very grateful for the time that people took to post a reply or to offer advice but I am not sure I would take the personal opinions of complete strangers over the advice of Sean at Pro-Pride. The guy knows his stuff, knows Airstreams and knows his product and I do not believe he is giving bad recommendations. I don’t even use PP about I still respect his opinion and would follow his advice over someone else.
PS - I use Hensley

I hear ya. I'm the idiot who went against his recommendations. Admittedly I was confused by the AS manual that says something like - tongue weight can't be over 1,000# or at most the amount on your TV receiver....and....there was a TON of talk in these forums about popped rivets with too heavy a bar. So what did I know? I learned though and that was cool [emoji41]

Happy camping!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I'm in it for sure.....

Your a welcome addition SSM.



"education is what other folks do to you...learning is what you do to yourself."



Bob

I thank you. [emoji3]

Perfect quote! Is that original? Love it!!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I thank you. [emoji3]

Perfect quote! Is that original? Love it!!

It's original.....just not I.

TED Talk by MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito.

Bob

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

It's original.....just not I.

TED Talk by MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito.

Bob

Well played and thanks!

[mojoe7009]

Originally Posted by flynmike

I like everything about the ProPride hitch so I've decided to pull the trigger.



I've exchanged emails with Sean and he's recommended the 1400. My current Airstream is my 4th Airstream in over 30 years of trailering so I've seen my share of popped rivets and damage caused by rough roads. My current hitch is a Resse Dual Cam with 800 pound bars and the ride for me and the trailer isn't bad.



My tow vehicle is a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel and handles my 30' Classic with ease.



I'd like to hear from ProPride users with similar combinations, which bars you have and your experience with ride and any other information to pass.



Thanks in advance



Mike

I have a 2016 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel and tow a 2017 30 ft Classic with the ProPride Hitch. We have the 1400 lb. bars per Sean’s recommendation. Couldn’t be happier. The rig tows like it’s one solid unit. Sean knows his stuff. Good luck, you’ve made a great decision in my opinion.

[mojoe7009]

Originally Posted by SMLJeep

I have a 2015 Ram 2500 with Cummins and tow a 27' FC FB. Have 1400lb bars and 2.5" hitch bar. The 2.5" hitch bar is a perfect fit in my received with no play at all. I have an Equalizer hitch when we had a 23" AS and they didn't have an option for a 2.5" hitch bar and there was a lot of play with the sleeve.



Make sure you get an accurate measurement of the receiver's height on your Ram for Sean so you have enough drop in the stinger. The Ram's receiver seems to be higher than other makes.



I love the ProPride and wouldn't go back not the Equalizer type WD/anti-sway hitch systems.

Ditto on the drop for the stinger. Sean had to have one made for our 4X4 Ram 2500. (Longer) Extra $50 but it was perfect when we installed it.

[flynmike]

Originally Posted by mojoe7009

Ditto on the drop for the stinger. Sean had to have one made for our 4X4 Ram 2500. (Longer) Extra $50 but it was perfect when we installed it.

In my exchanges with Sean I gave him my receiver height measurement and he's told me the standard drop is good but thanks for all your info.....it's appreciated!

[james.mileur]

I use the 2" standard stinger in my 2.5" sleeved receiver on 16 3500 4x4 RAM, adjusted to level the trailer, with about 4" of jack travel to just lightly load the 1400 bars, as my 17 Classic tongue loads the truck to under max payload, when I'm packed for full timing. Love the combo.

[rmkrum]

Sean knows his stuff. I have 1000 pound bars on my rig, per his recommendation and it tows beautifully, and I haven’t popped any rivets anywhere yet. I note that I have sufficient adjustment range to handle whatever load variances that are in either my AS and/or TV.