The unofficial pp users guide...

[Pete B55]

Originally Posted by ghaynes755

Here's my solution for a carrying handle for the receiver/stinger. $4 3" C-clamp from Harbor Freight. Balances pretty well and makes removal much simpler. Since I have the 2.5" shank version it weighs in at 55#.



Attachment 341163

Home Depot ratchet straps (about $15) have a handle that fits perfectly. Throw away the strap and the ratchet mechanism Mount with a single bolt through the stinger. Heavy duty and won’t fail

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by greghoro

For those using a powered drill, how do you crank it up to the same position consistently?


Like Switz, we use the speed wrench. When unhitching, we drop the WD jacks 30 turns (15 on one side, 30 on the other, then 15 on the first side). We then reverse the procedure when hitching up. Always on the money when I do final measurement.


For measuring height, I printed a ruler which I then taped to the breaker bar handle. I originally taped the ruler to the inside of each WD jack but they were scraped off in short order.







Greg

I just use a small tape measure. By the way I use a 20 watt Dewalt Drill to adjust. Just make sure to raise the back up quite a bit. Works great.

I crank it up about 3/4 of the way on each side. Measure and then go from there on each side and adjust. I go up to 9 inches.

[wulfraat]

Heya everyone. Installed my propride today (bought a gently used unit from a neighbor who moved to a 5th wheel). Replaced my equalizer which I’ve been using for 10 years.

Everything went well, except when I torqued down the 3/4” hardware that attaches the yoke to the main hitch head, it bound up the yoke and it would not rotate up and down in order to get the tail into the guide under the frame. I had to go back and loosen it up in order to pivot the yoke and get the tail into the guide. Then I tightened again, locking it in place vertically, essentially.

I’m thinking it’s not able to rotate when torqued down because the washers were used / slightly warped and not delivering a flush mountain surface against the bushings.... but would appreciate any advice.

My understanding is that the yoke should pivot vertically on the bushings (after being torqued to 200+ft lbs) allowing for you to adjust the angle of the head by changing the height of the WD towers for hitching / unhitching and for accommodating undulations as you drive on down the road over crests and through dips.

Let me know your thoughts, here is a picture of the 3/4” bolt (just to the right of my finger) with bushing connecting the yoke to the head unit....

Haven’t spoken to Sean yet....

PS - boy I’m glad I’ve got a 3” lift! This thing hangs low! Might need to tighten up my chains as well...

PPS - I installed the towers just a little further back then recommended, to accommodate the LP tank cover. Is that what most of you have done? vs. trimming off the leading edge of the guard rail in the tower bracket?

[switz]

We trimmed the tower bases to fit close to the Propane tank cover on our 201431' Classic because we had a battery rack between the propane tanks and the front skin. The specified measurement is necessary for vertical lifting of the arms.

[wulfraat]

Thanks Switz. Does your yoke pivot up and down / rotate at all on bushings / 3/4” bolt that connects it to the main head?

[CarterKraft]

I don't have a 3P hitch but I do believe the yoke should pivot at those locations, if it doesn't the up and down motion when traveling down the road will likely loosen the bolts I imagine.

If the hardware is suspect you might try switching to hardened washers for those locations, they won't deform under load. If you need any suggestions I can provide part numbers for CAT hardware that will be Grade 8 heavy duty.
Ultimately if the bushings are narrower than the yoke you might have to shim the washer out or sand the faces of the yokes to allow some "slip".

[rmkrum]

Check with Sean. As i recall my ProPride does not pivot around those two bolts. If it says torque them to spec, I’d strongly suggest doing so. The yoke doesn’t pivot up and down as far as I’ve seen, but I remember having to align the yoke bracket and tail before torquing those two bolts

[ghaynes755]

Wulfrat, do you have a washer on both sides of the yoke 3/4 bolts? One under the head and the other between the yoke and the actual PP head? Maybe the inside one is missing?

[sheriff1]

No pivot at that point.

[wulfraat]

Thanks all. Yes I have washer on both inside/outside of each arm of the yoke so good there. I bought some new 3/4” washers yesterday just to be safe and plan to replace all 4 as at least one of the originals is deformed.

Spoke to Brent - he said torque it down to 175lbs - it will not rotate freely, but will rotate if its forced to do so under load. Kinda odd that they engineer with bushings but it is not intended to rotate freely. Maybe that’s just to reduce potential slop of an unfinished opening of the yoke arm through which the bolt is inserted.. I’m just not visualizing how the head itself can change angle effectively by pivoting up/down around the axis of the ball to accommodate the natural motion of going through dips and over crests though....

For hitching up at an angle (stinger pointing slightly up or slightly down as compared to level) when unhitched you can rotate the head up/down around the ball by raising / lowering WD bars using the jacks but it would seem you are limited by the vertical movement of the Yoke tail within the slot bracket under the tanks..... so it would seem...

Appreciate the feedback / validation from everyone.

On another note - Brent said I should cut the leading rail guide off the tower brackets and move them closer to the tank. Is that what everyone else as done? Or do you just shim up the tank cover and slip underneath? These are the universal towers (L/R are the same). Note the slight angle below.

[BAB]

Wulfraat, I've never seen a bend in the jacks on any ProPride on any install. You really need them to be moved forward towards your propane tank. After you apply weight distribution, those jacks should be vertical rather than bent forward. I think that your set up will eventually either bend or break the jacking mechanism. It seems to be designed for "up and down" rather than "back and forth."

I've had ProPrides on both of my Airstreams and can't imagine towing with anything else. And, of course, you get Sean Woodruff as well. With him you get service during the sale, but for a LONG time afterwards as well. Great company, great product.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by BAB

Wulfraat, I've never seen a bend in the jacks on any ProPride on any install. You really need them to be moved forward towards your propane tank. After you apply weight distribution, those jacks should be vertical rather than bent forward. I think that your set up will eventually either bend or break the jacking mechanism. It seems to be designed for "up and down" rather than "back and forth."

Got it. Will move forward. Shim up / raise the tank cover and slide the little guide bars underneath....... for now...

[SailorSam205]

Wulfraat,
Call Sean at Propride. Send him your pictures. He will get back to you with answers almost immediately. That way you are getting answers from the guy responsible for the hitch... He really is great at support.

[greghoro]

I set my propane tank cover on top of the guard rails.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the L & R jacks are the same and not mirror images of each other. For easier access to the bolts on the right jack, I drilled holes on the other corners to make it a mirror image.

Eye bolt is used to secure a small portable (11 lb) propane tank.


Greg

[ghaynes755]

Shim or cut them off. I cut mine off on both of the Classics. Leaving the front edge there when it couldn't be used due to the tank cover made more sense than shimming.

[BAB]

Gary, hope you’re enjoying that new trailer AND new Ram. I, too, took delivery of a ’19. I ended up with a Limited....and was able to find one with the Air Bag option. I think I got the only one in NC. My local dealer didn’t have a single 2500 or 3500 equipped the way I wanted it. Have already put just at 5,000 miles on it. I thought my ’14 was awesome, but the new one? Even better.

Just finishing up the install of 4 of the Battle Born LiPo’s. VERY easy compared with the initial placement of the Magnum 30 amp inverter, the 4 Lifeline 6 V AGM’s, etc. The toughest part (as always), is cutting the 4/0 wire, swaging, etc. I will not miss carrying over 300 lbs of AGM’s under the dinette!

Hope you’re well and enjoying your set up.

BTW, make SURE you take some sealant (even silicone will work), and carefully seal the (almost) infinitesimal distance around the half-round silver bearing protectors. Sean ended up replacing my entire hitch head last fall when I had a massive bearing failure. Water had leaked into the bearings and they rusted out. If I’d thought this was a serviceable area you can bet I’d have taken them off and packed grease around the roller bearings!

Best always!

Barry

[ghaynes755]

Barry best back at ya. My whole life before was GM/GMC products. But the 2019 Rams are amazing. Very happy with the setup. Towing the Classic 33 is rock solid. Only weird thing on the truck is on two lane roads with the right wind conditions, while passing a semi from the opposite direction watching the back edge of the hood on the drivers side bounce up and down about 1-1.5 inches. Read on another forum that this was considered 'normal' by Ram. Next time I'll get video.


Getting the lift kit and East Starts installed as I write this. Lift kit should be standard.


Stay in touch.

[wulfraat]

Ok moved those jacks forward and shimmed up the tank cover. In spec now. Also changed out the 3/4” washers for the bolt/bushing assembly connecting the yoke to main hitch head and threw some oil at the connection for good measure.

On another topic I had 4 washers on the tilt adjust for the stinger... I did this because the instructions said to try and get the stinger as level as possible.

In my phone conversation with Brent he suggested I might want to back off to 2 washers so as not to preload the WD too much... I did so this evening but now the stinger is less than level when hitching up. I know it will level out some when hitched and load is applied but still....

Thoughts on moving back to 4 washers from 2 in order to level out the stinger?

[Rdavenp3]

I have my stinger level (4washers) and only need 6” of lift on the towers for good WD (verifies on the scales). With your angle, it’ll make it harder to get the stinger into the hitch, especially on uneven ground without adjusting the head angle.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Rdavenp3

I have my stinger level (4washers) and only need 6” of lift on the towers for good WD (verifies on the scales). With your angle, it’ll make it harder to get the stinger into the hitch, especially on uneven ground without adjusting the head angle.

Ok, I've not read much on this...and I have a Hensley (same...same), but I have, and I advise that you want your stinger with all the tail downward tilt that the stinger will allow. That way, when the spring bars are tensioned, the head and stinger will be level after taking up receiver slop.

Note: I have Sean's adjustable stinger for Hensley.