Trailer Hitch and ball?

[PKI]

Hensley and Propride are great for small trailers (example at JC below). Hensley even has a less expensive model for small rigs. Not so good for TVs with limited tongue weight capacity. If you have capacity, you deal with the weight only to install. Do not remove the hitch except for maintenance. As to hook up, it's a skill to develop just like the line up of a ball and coupler or backing the rig into a tight site. But best to do your own research on hitches. Pat

[dustin]

Appreciate that!

[Daquenzer]

I had a BO and drove on a busy freeway with 28’ International Serenity. It was horrible. Every time a truck or van went buy the rear would shift around. Not that it ever got to a dangerous point, but it was tiring. I’ve also heard others say the same when driving in windy conditions. You might not get that in the BO with a 23’, but I would drive on a freeway with lots of traffic and trucks with it before you settle on it. The BO is pretty easy to put on and set up. So I would have the dealer install it and use it before I’d buy it. You might find the same thing. But everything I read about the PP hitch said that it makes driving so much easier and safer. I read nothing but positive. So I bought a PP and put it together. It was a process. But very doable. Also it isn’t that hard to hook up. The last time I drove with it was in a 20mph cross wind, and it was as solid as a rock. I’ve not driven with it on a busy freeway yet. That will be the test.

Also a BO is a friction system to resist sway. The PP works on a totally different basis and prevents sway. With the PP there is no friction involved and therefore it is much more steady. I had a friend that pulled a trailer with a Hensley (same type of hitch) and said he’d never go any other way.

But it’s a budget and personal decision. For me it was if I don’t enjoy driving the AS I won’t enjoy using it. And I can’t avoid freeways or windy days. If I’m going to spend 90,000 on the AS I might as well spend 3,000 more and get the best hitch available.

[rmkrum]

My thinking and experience was similar. I picked the ProPride because it seems it is MUCH improved and much stronger than the Hensley manufacturing version and does NOT require drilling any holes in the A-frame. And it was cheaper.

If you are active duty or military veteran, email Sean and he will give you a military discount code if you let him know what branch you are/were in and just ask for one.

Sean can also tell you what WD bars you will need for hot AS and tow vehicle .

[PKI]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

-- snip --Also a BO is a friction system to resist sway. -- snip --.

The BOSP is not a friction system. It uses spring force to resist and dampen sway. If it was horible, you did not have it set up correctly. If it was mildly irritating, you had it close. Pat

[dustin]

Enjoyed reading all your experiences with the different kinds of WD hitches.
After all, an ounce of experience is worth more than a pound of gold!

[NoResults]

Some of you are missing the point that if your Pro Pride hitch weight is 75 lbs or more heavier than some other brand this is less weight you will be able to carry in the front of a front bedroom trailer.

My trailer loaded ready to go is about 5,000.00 tongue weight 467.00 You are not supposed to load over 15% so 750 lbs less 467.00 leaves you 283 lbs you could carry in the front. If you want to rob from that capacity you could use one of the pro pride hitches.

You still have the problem of handling the hitch unless you have a few strong friends and a portable jack.

[rmkrum]

Sorry, you still persist in missing the point that once a ProPride or Hensley is installed, it no longer needs any heavy lifting or “handling” whatsoever.

[Peanut]

Dustin - There is a technical service bulletin related to the brake controllers on 2016-2017 Tundras. It’s a software update that should take an hour less. Before I had it done, the trailer brakes wouldn’t lock up using the override on a gravel road with gain set at 10. Now it’s on par with my old Ford and Prodigy 3.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by PKI

The BOSP is not a friction system. It uses spring force to resist and dampen sway. If it was horible, you did not have it set up correctly. If it was mildly irritating, you had it close. Pat

“Conventional trailer sway control hitches apply some type of friction force to damp trailer sway. When a force is applied to the trailer it will attempt to pivot at the hitch ball. Any hitch that allows the trailer to pivot on the ball will allow the trailer to sway. Many hitches have friction forces integrated into the hitch design to damp that sway force.“

The constant bow effect on a busy highway with constant trucks and vans going by was the problem. Off the freeway no problems. If it is that tricky to set up then there is a problem as well. I can’t take it to a scale every time I load it. And I am very careful to have the trailer loaded properly and leveled accordingly.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by NoResults

All of you Pro Pride lovers seem to forget that this hitch is not great for the smaller trailers. I have a 23FB. If I was to use this hitch I would not have any weight left to use the under bed storage as this is front bedroom.

Not to mention that you need a floor jack to move the hitch around and the difficulty that I read about in hooking up on a slope.

Not for me.

Dave

They don't forget, they are pushing it relentlessly. I am always suspicious of anything that needs that kind incessant promoting and propaganda.


I had my first real life sway prevention experience with my BO a couple of months ago. Heading EB on I-24 approaching Manchester Tennessee, light but steady traffic at the onset of dusk. I am in the right lane cruise set at 71 MPH closing in on smallish light color car with its right blinker indicating that its existing at the upcoming turn off. I move over to the left lane and pass him up as he is existing (I am presuming). I check my right side mirror and see no traffic so I begin a gradual lane shift back to the fight lane. As I take my eyes of the right mirror a sweep back I notice something moving next to my fight fender, instinctively I jerk the steering wheel to the left at the same time I also instinctively tap the brakes. The dash flashes " Sway Reduce Speed", as I look in the rear view mirror I see the trailer slightly lean on the left side and the wheels come up off the pavement and as I jerk back the same thing on the opposite side. I was like a slow motion move scene. Just as instantaneously the trailer settled back down on both axles and continued tracking liking nothing ever happened. The truck throughout this stayed the course grounded solidly and did not get even slightly jostled by the trailer. The trailer felt like a rag doll behind it.
It took me quite some time to calm down but when I did and realized what just happened and couldn't wipe the grin of my face for a long while.
BTW our rig is a 2017 F-250 (With the big honking diesel) pulling a 2017 30' Classic.

[slowmover]

That post should sell a few VPP hitches, ff.

In forty-four years I’ve managed such as to avoid that series of driver errors. But, as that day might come . . .

The hour after installing a Hensley ten years ago I went out on the Interstate and replicated the errors, repeatedly. And couldn’t shake the TT loose.

I know I wouldn’t be grinning if the dash lit up to tell me what a fundamental set of errors I’d committed. You were lucky.

I’ll give you credit in admitting and describing it all. Too many wouldn’t.

.

[pcskier]

"Best" is subjective, as is "at a reasonable cost."

I have towed my 23 many safe miles using this, for $200.00. Free shipping. Dealer installed it for free, but I would have given them a hundred to do it. So I tipped the mechanic 40 bucks. For you Tundra, you will likely need to buy a shank with a longer 'drop' as well as the Tundra sits pretty high. Bought mine at an RV supply place for under $100. You will need a longer drop with pretty much any hitch you buy, to get the ball down to around 18 inches from the ground.

Time-tested design for decades now. Most WD hitches (except the fancy hensleys, etc) are similar. The hitch industry is like the ski industry. Need to come up with 'new and better', with improvements being marginal at best. Hitches are pretty simple contraptions. (Again not counting the expensive and cumbersome---to me---hensley types of designs. ) Keep it simple, mind your tire inflation, and watch your speed. Enjoy.

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...rt/C17051.html

Added a $50 friction sway bar and life has been good in all sorts of conditions...mountain passes, high wind, curvy roads. I keep my speed in check, maxing at 65 mph, and slow down for conditions. That's the key to staying 'rubber side down.'

Or you can spend $1,000+. There are those advocates on here as well as you are learning. They've towed thousands of miles without issue. But so have I...with a $200 hitch. That's a lot of gas or camping money saved.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

They don't forget, they are pushing it relentlessly. I am always suspicious of anything that needs that kind incessant promoting and propaganda.


I had my first real life sway prevention experience with my BO a couple of months ago. Heading EB on I-24 approaching Manchester Tennessee, light but steady traffic at the onset of dusk. I am in the right lane cruise set at 71 MPH closing in on smallish light color car with its right blinker indicating that its existing at the upcoming turn off. I move over to the left lane and pass him up as he is existing (I am presuming). I check my right side mirror and see no traffic so I begin a gradual lane shift back to the fight lane. As I take my eyes of the right mirror a sweep back I notice something moving next to my fight fender, instinctively I jerk the steering wheel to the left at the same time I also instinctively tap the brakes. The dash flashes " Sway Reduce Speed", as I look in the rear view mirror I see the trailer slightly lean on the left side and the wheels come up off the pavement and as I jerk back the same thing on the opposite side. I was like a slow motion move scene. Just as instantaneously the trailer settled back down on both axles and continued tracking liking nothing ever happened. The truck throughout this stayed the course grounded solidly and did not get even slightly jostled by the trailer. The trailer felt like a rag doll behind it.
It took me quite some time to calm down but when I did and realized what just happened and couldn't wipe the grin of my face for a long while.
BTW our rig is a 2017 F-250 (with the big honking diesel) pulling a 2017 30' Classic.

An important detail I left out. The driver in the right lane with the turn signal indicating that he is exiting changed his mind and did not exit. This I couldn't see since I was looking up and ahead until I almost crashed into him moving back to the right lane. He did exit a mile further on.

[rmkrum]

Frank’s story points up the need for some kind of sway control under any traffic circumstance. Even his big truck, stable as it is, benefited from the friction anti-sway and the truck electronics cutting in to help.

The difference with my ProPride is that it is basically impossible to get sway started because of the ‘lock’ on the movement of the trailer—mechanically impossible to get into that situation. With a smaller trailer on a smaller truck, I need all the help I can get in swerve maneuvers. This setup, properly adjusted to ‘plant’ my front axle runs like it’s on rails.

I’ve carefully tried to get a wiggle going, and can’t. Panic stops smoking all 8 wheels stay straight, especially in Phoenix downtown traffic (full of fools). Frank’s add-on comment points out similar situations I see every trip. The other drivers seem to not see that I’m towing a big silver trailer. Must be driving “head up and locked” is the only way I can explain the dumb moves I get right in front of me....

I may be a little too happy about the ProPride setup, but it’s saved our butts too many times. Priceless.....

[dustin]

Thank goodness nothing bad happened! Glad y’all are safe and sound...be safe out there!

[rmkrum]

You know it’s a stupid situation when you are standing on the service brake with both feet, have the trailer hand lever hard over to max, and the air in the cab is turning blue from the words i was using. We rocked to a stopped position dead straight just two lousy feet from the back bumper of the knucklehead that jumped in front of us, then hit his brakes.

That was the point that the ProPride paid for itself....in downtown Phoenix. That part of Arizona is on my “I have a little list, they’ll never be missed** ” list. We stay far away from there nowadays.

**Extra points for those that can identify the source of the line...

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by NoResults

Some of you are missing the point that if your Pro Pride hitch weight is 75 lbs or more heavier than some other brand this is less weight you will be able to carry in the front of a front bedroom trailer.

My trailer loaded ready to go is about 5,000.00 tongue weight 467.00 You are not supposed to load over 15% so 750 lbs less 467.00 leaves you 283 lbs you could carry in the front. If you want to rob from that capacity you could use one of the pro pride hitches.

You still have the problem of handling the hitch unless you have a few strong friends and a portable jack.

The WD hitch head is a hybrid beast. The hitch head does fit into the receiver, so it counts against the receiver weight limit. However, the ball is on the hitch head and the tongue of the trailer sits on it, so the hitch head does NOT count as part of the tongue weight. The only weight that counts as tongue weight is the weight that actually sits on the ball.