ProPride bent stinger.

[Ron Gratz]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Yeah - that just looks bent. If a weld fail at that spot, wouldn't it snap right off?

Not necessarily.

Depending on how the loading was applied, if part of a weld failed, the yielding (bending) of the remaining intact structure could alleviate the overload and the bars could remain connected.

Many structural failures are a result of bending without breaking.

Ron

[MaxTow]

In the cause and effect equation we are only seeing pictures of the effect. Hard to deduce exactly what happened by only examining the pieces that were damaged.

And I would certainly not conclude that there was a failure in this part. Nothing is broken - just bent from application of a considerable force.

One would need to understand what limited the motion of the head on the trailer. If it loses the ability to swivel for some reason then turning is going to cause something to bend...

If a chain were to get caught perhaps? A pinched link of the chain would be able to withstand considerable compressive forces...

[Ron Gratz]

Originally Posted by Sean Woodruff

Frame bracket DID slip so it was not "accompanied by a lack of the slipping of the "frame bracket""

Is there also a photo of that?

Ron

[Sean Woodruff]

Originally Posted by Ron Gratz

Depending on how the loading was applied, if part of a weld failed, the yielding (bending) of the remaining intact structure could alleviate the overload and the bars could remain connected.

None of the weld failed.


-

[Sean Woodruff]

Originally Posted by Ron Gratz

Is there also a photo of that?

Ron

Yes, there is.


-

[ROBERT CROSS]

Something bad happened….

I think we can say that this is an unusual situation.
Very likely one that wouldn't have happened at all had a more "experienced" person been behind the wheel.
That wasn't the case.
Whats important is that certain things need to be done to reduce the chances of it happening again.
Educating the user is number one.
Improving design is number two.
Assigning blame is not in the game.

Bob

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Something bad happened….

I think we can say that this is an unusual situation.
Very likely one that wouldn't have happened at all had a more "experienced" person been behind the wheel.
That wasn't the case.
Whats important is that certain things need to be done to reduce the chances of it happening again.
Educating the user is number one.
Improving design is number two.
Assigning blame is not in the game.

Bob

Huh?

[lsbrodsky]

Huh? I agree with Doug, I think. Nothing points to design flaw here, just operator error. Nothing against Annie but when she first posted she admitted she was a newbie to all of this. Newbies make more mistakes but we do learn from them. I, for one, now know to be more careful about backing at an excessive angle. I can still remember when I hit a gas pump guard rail with my boat trailer; the only design flaw there was me.
Larry

[ROBERT CROSS]

OK....forget about the stinger configuration.

Owners responsibility to learn.

Sellers to teach.

Bob

[mccrosti]

Bob - Amen to that. Been towing things for 40 years. First time out with the trailer I caught the bumper on a gas pump island protector. Got out, got duct tape and went home embarrassed. I assume in this situation the buyer was setup or "trained" by the vendor. More than likely nothing more than a quick run trough of systems. When I purchased my boat, if I hadn't known to ask the vendor to set up the trailer so tongue weight was correct it would not have been done, and I would have gone blithely on my way. Pillorying the manufacturer for this without understanding what happened at the dealership is wrong.

[gmw photos]

Another non-engineer here throwing in comments that are essentially out of my depth, but here goes anyway. I'm thinking that during the application of force required to bend a solid piece of 2" steel, any number of other parts or attachments points saw stresses that were likely beyond, maybe far beyond design limits. If it were mine, I would do and/or have done a "very thorough" inspection of this entire situation.
Yikes.... I can't imagine the force required to do that damage.
Sorry to hear of your troubles AnneMarie. Very open and honest of you to post this so that others can learn.

[Wingeezer]

Annie,

Just curious to know, have you had the hitch receiver on your tow vehicle checked out since this incident?

I know that some OEM hitch receivers - such as the one on our GMC truck - don't seem to have a very good reputation, and with the damage you have shown us on your
PP hitch, there must have been some unusually high forces applied to your tow vehicle's hitch receiver.




Brian.

[LFC]

Myself....I'd be seeking a full refund on the faulty hitch.

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Annie,

Just curious to know, have you had the hitch receiver on your tow vehicle checked out since this incident?

I know that some OEM hitch receivers - such as the one on our GMC truck - don't seem to have a very good reputation, and with the damage you have shown us on your
PP hitch, there must have been some unusually high forces applied to your tow vehicle's hitch receiver.




Brian.

I wholeheartedly agree. Some models of GM vehicles, in particular, are known for their junky receivers. I experienced broken welds on the receivers on both my 2004 and 2005 Suburbans. These broken welds occurred without any extreme forces.

Brian

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by moosetags

I wholeheartedly agree. Some models of GM vehicles, in particular, are known for their junky receivers. I experienced broken welds on the receivers on both my 2004 and 2005 Suburbans. These broken welds occurred without any extreme forces.

Brian

I can't say personally had any bad experience with the hitches on a GMC Safari AWD van and two GMC trucks that we have owned, but have read of a lot of other folks that have!

Because of that, I try to remember to check the hitch welds on every trip we make, and would change to an aftermarket hitch if/when I ever see signs of developing problems.

Brian M.

[PharmGeek]

How from the stated facts and photos here do some feel it warranted to categorize as "faulty"?

It seems highly important to establish if something is faulty - but just as important to determine if human error and the way the error occurred

[anniemaine]

Thanks everyone for all your concern and comments. I did notice a ripple on part of the hitch the day the hitch had been installed after I'd towed from Maine to Vermont. So that would indicate that the chains were incorrectly attached when the hitch was installed. However the stinger wasn't bent. On the entire trip I was very cautious about where I parked (a combination of Walmart and camp grounds with pull throughs and gas stations with wide turning radii).

I knew one of my weaknesses was a lack of mechanical know-how. I'm sorry it caused problems so early in my fulltiming/rving life. I'm feeling pretty disheartened. I'm worried that other parts of the hitch have also been damaged. I'm not sure where to have it checked out. Sean has seen a number of pictures and has advised me how to fix something he observed as out of alinement. Once I work through this, I know I'll regain my more positive attitude about this new life adventure. Yet again, you have all been so wonderful and supportive. Thanks, Annie

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

How from the stated facts and photos here do some feel it warranted to categorize as "faulty"?

It seems highly important to establish if something is faulty - but just as important to determine if human error and the way the error occurred

There's nothing faulty, some are trolling, others don't like the ProPride/Hensley because they don't have one. If they did they would defend it, just like every other product we see discussed in these forums.

It's the flak we must fly through to carry on a decent discussion.

[anniemaine]

Hopefully I uploaded it correctly this time.

[Chipster]

Nothing in this discussion indicates a problem with the hitch. It is apparent that "excessive force" and improper chain hook up was the cause of the bent stinger. A lesson learned in the "school of hard knocks" was taught and brought to the attention of all concerned. One knows that "education" has a price tag attached. Thank you for sharing your experience, we all have learned a valuable lesson.
I think that replacing the stinger at cost is a very nice "graduation" gift from Sean.
As for seeking a full refund for a faulty hitch, that would be a personal choice. I think that common sense and fairness might indicate that the demand would be without merit, but the beat goes on ........
Happy trails,
Chip