Trailer hitch recommendation

[DaddysBus]

Good morning,

Looks like the rig will arrive first week of July, and I'm starting to make preparations. With that said, what trailer hitch would you recommend for an Escalade ESV pulling a 27FB?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[wulfraat]

I like my equalizer hitch. Simple. Effective. No sway ever encountered in 20k + miles of towing my 25' international.

I've got a new 30' international that I'm picking up in early June, I will use an equalizer with that trailer as well.

I drive an Infiniti QX80. Similar specs (payload / engine) as your Escalade.

[ArkFortyCal]

ProPride or Hensley are what we have used. We are currently running the ProPride on our 28. These are far from the cheapest hitches, 3-4x the price of others but are top of the line. Since you have an SUV you should really consider one of these two.

Pro's - both offer some of the leading weight distribution and sway control making towing with an SUV a great ride and offers better downhill stability. Once setup these are a breeze to use, no bars or chains to remove after towing and I just use a drill to add the tension. There are many reviews for both on the forum if you search.

Con's - price, square peg/little hole when connecting meaning you'll need a backup camera on the tow vehicle or spotter to hitch-up, issues when others need to tow your trailer (like storage locations or some RV parks that park you).

I could go on but will let others comment.

[wulfraat]

How much additional weight does the pro-pride or Hensley add to the tongue? Tongue weight and payload management are 2 important factors when towing with an SUV of course.

[ShinyPete]

[emoji897] here we go.

[Catfish72]

Originally Posted by DaddysBus

Good morning,

Looks like the rig will arrive first week of July, and I'm starting to make preparations. With that said, what trailer hitch would you recommend for an Escalade ESV pulling a 27FB?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

For what it's worth, there is an entire thread on hitches. We are newbies ourselves and have done the research over the last 2 years. Looking to make purchase this summer of a 27' trailer. Currently drive the Yukon XL Denali with AWD, and maxed out on weight before loading tt and tv. So we are trading another vehicle for a gmc 2500hd diesel for safety. Extra breaking power and less wear on transmission. To the point, as referred by the forums I contacted Sean at ProPride and we will be going with the PP3 1400# hitch. We live in FTW, Tx and plan on cross country trips up and down mountains.

Congrats on the new trailer.

[Starstream]

We have a Pro-Pride and first used it with a 1999 Ford Expedition. Last year we replaced the Ford with a 2016 Nissan NV 3500HD. It's has a Titan V8 engine and suspension. The Pro-Pride is a bruiser, so if you're concerned about tongue weight, you might want to consult your mechanic about the limits of your suspension. Our Ford had aging air bag suspension which was developing leaks and had a tendency to drain the battery at inopportune times. Under recommendation of our mechanic we changed them out for heavy-duty coils. The Nissan, though it's the passenger model, is in the commercial line up. It came with the coils.

As far as the Pro-Pride is concerned, we're very happy with it. Does have a bit of a learning curve. Just be patient when hitching up/unhitching. It will get easier with practice. The company does provide good customer support and answers questions in a reasonable amount of time. If you're planning a lot of long distance traveling, you probably won't regret getting a heavier hitch. Can be pretty nerve-racking to get hit by a nasty cross-wind while being passed by a semi on I-80.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

How much additional weight does the pro-pride or Hensley add to the tongue? Tongue weight and payload management are 2 important factors when towing with an SUV of course.

None. The additional length of the ProPride from receiver to trailer axles compensates very closely for the additional weight. Our ProPride-equipped Airstream 25RB added 800-850 lbs to our truck with the w.d. set, on various CAT scale tickets depending how the Airstream was loaded.

The difference in the Hensley/ProPride design from all the others is the projected pivot point design. It projects the trailer ball pivot point forward to the tow vehicles rear axle, like a fifth wheel or semi. Trailer sway or yaw inputs are stopped at the tow vehicles rear axle, rather than leveraged forward to the tow vehicles steering axle, eliminates sway and yaw inputs from crosswinds and passing semi's. The design also keeps the trailer in straight alignment with the tow vehicle in heavy sidewinds, rather than following at a slight angle.

[DaddysBus]

You guys rock, thanks for the recommendations.
The Escalade is a temporary solution for short trips as I plan on getting a Ford Super Duty eventually. This has been very helpful.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by dkottum

None. The additional length of the ProPride from receiver to trailer axles compensates very closely for the additional weight.

Sweet

[rostam]

One member used a Sherline scale and measured the tongue weight before/after installing ProPride and noticed a 200# increase in tongue weight:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...on-105162.html

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by DaddysBus

Good morning,

Looks like the rig will arrive first week of July, and I'm starting to make preparations. With that said, what trailer hitch would you recommend for an Escalade ESV pulling a 27FB?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

One of the common questions and one I haven't answered for a while. So here you go.

I've been towing my Airstream with a ProPride for some years and many thousands of miles and recently switched from a Suburban to an F-250.

I have also towed with conventional WD hitches, Reese etc.

The Propride hitch is a good product that does what it is advertised to do, and service and support from Propride remain strong even as the years go by and the size of the installed base increases. It does a great job of controlling sway. For combinations where sway control is the primary hitching concern, I would recommend this hitch. In particular that would cover situations where the tow vehicle is marginally suitable for the job.

The Propride hitch does have a number of inherent drawbacks however.

I find the biggest drawback to be the difficulty of hitching and unhitching on uneven or sloping ground or at an angle. Hitching can be particularly time consuming and frustrating when it is necessary to hitch at a different angle between tow and trailer than was used at the time of unhitching, as can happen in a crowded campground where other parked vehicles limit your choices. Related to this, unlike conventional WD hitches, there's no convenient way to just tow with the ball for short, low speed movements as when switching campsites or going to the dump station and back.

Next up on the practical impact scale is the necessity of removing the heavy and awkward hitch bar from the tow vehicle when unhitched in many circumstances. It is a hazard to shins, garage doors, and the bumpers of other vehicles if left in place.

Third it limits the usable turn angle.

Fourth and finally it is a nuisance when leaving the trailer for service since most RV service shops rely upon being able to move trailers using a skid loader equipped with a ball in the bucket.

[dkottum]

[QUOTE=rostam;1956302]One member used a Sherline scale and measured the tongue weight before/after installing ProPride and noticed a 200# increase in tongue weight:

Sherline scaled tongue weight will become lighter as you move it along the A-frame and out to where the ProPride and Airstream tongue weight are actually carried by the tow vehicle's hitch receiver. That difference has also been shown by members in this forum.

But what does it matter, what we need to know is how much the weight of the Hensley/ProPride hitch adds to our tow vehicle's weight when weight distribution is applied. Our measurements at the CAT scale have shown it is between negligible and nothing.

[dkottum]

Jammer, are you still using your ProPride? I am surprised you are still having trouble hitching at different angles and on uneven ground. It's still a matter of alignment of stinger to hitch head, and if needed you can easily adjust the hitch head vertical angle or tilt by turning one or both of the screw jacks.

A little trick I learned on the forum to help hitching, is to align the hitch head box a little lower (1/8 to 1/4 inch) than stinger bar so it lifts the head head slightly as it goes in and takes off any vertical binding.

Another little trick when unhitching. When backing into a site, back a foot or so farther than you want to end up, then pull forward. This takes any lateral twist and tension off the tires and frees the stinger from any binding when pulling away from the hitch head.

As for the heavy stinger, it is lighter than the Equal-I-Zer hitch assembly I had to remove for storage. The Hensley/ProPride head assembly stays permanently on the Airstream A-Frame. I think this is an advantage.

Limits turn angle? Are you sure, I thought we could get a little more angle with it than a conventional hitch.

Yes, some repair shops can't deal with moving the ProPride trailer, so you can leave the stinger with them. These hitches are no longer unusual, a good shop should handle it without a fuss. Storage yards that want to move your trailer around present a greater problem. Think of it another way, when the thief backs up to your Airstream with his conventional hitch ball, he'll be scratching his head for awhile.

[rostam]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Sherline scaled tongue weight will become lighter as you move it along the A-frame and out to where the ProPride and Airstream tongue weight are actually carried by the tow vehicle's hitch receiver. That difference has also been shown by members in this forum.

Just to clarify, here are some photos from the thread I cited:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...on-105162.html

Member Denis4X4 measured the tongue weight using Sherline scale before installing ProPride and got 800# (Sherline scale placed under the coupler). After installing ProPride, he placed the Sherline scale under the stinger (I think thats what its called) and got 1050#. So, it seems ProPride DOES add weight.

Originally Posted by dkottum

But what does it matter, what we need to know is how much the weight of the Hensley/ProPride hitch adds to our tow vehicle's weight when weight distribution is applied. Our measurements at the CAT scale have shown it is between negligible and nothing.

Of course, we all know the weight will be distributed after weight distribution is applied. Whats important is that you do not exceed the receiver rating. In Denis4X4 example, without ProPride a receiver rated at 800# would do the job. With ProPride you need a receiver rated at 1050# or more. This is one reason we skipped ProPride as our SUV is already at its max receiver rating with a conventional hitch. I had also heard about hitching difficulty that Jammer mentioned. ProPride is a good hitch, but like any other hitch, there are tradeoffs.

[Masondood]

Another vote for the Equal-i-zer, how a 30 ft Serenity with it and is highly stable. The Hensley is a good hitch too, but we thought 3K US (4K for us Canadians) was too much

[dznf0g]

Rostam,

For true receiver weight, place the scale under the stinger at the witness marks from the mouth of the receiver.....makes more of a difference than you would think.

[Rgentum]

You can spend $500 for a hitch such as the Blue Ox, which has worked for us with no problems pulling our 27FB for 25K miles in 12 months, or you can spend $2,500 for a ProPride, which, according to its many advocates, should work equally well & maybe even better.

What I'm wanting is to read a critical review of the various hitches written by an independent testing service that has actually hooked up the hitches, road-tested them under standardized conditions, and made objective, repeatable observations. If anyone knows of such a comparison, please tell me.

Pardon me, but having obtained olfogeydom has left me skeptical. Like Cuba Gooding Jr said in "Jerry Maguire," --- "Show me the money!", my plea is "Show me the data."

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Jammer, are you still using your ProPride? I am surprised you are still having trouble hitching at different angles and on uneven ground. It's still a matter of alignment of stinger to hitch head, and if needed you can easily adjust the hitch head vertical angle or tilt by turning one or both of the screw jacks.

Yes. It depends on the situation.

The most frustrating situation is when hitching from the side (say, a 60 degree angle), because the WD bar on the opposite side will hit the tongue jack, so you have to leave that WD bar totally slack so that it can swing out far enough to miss the jack. Or, support the trailer some other way and raise the tongue jack.

Have also run into problems when the rear wheels of the tow are in a low area. It is possible to exceed the downward travel of the WD bars and still not have the hitch properly aligned.

Never have trouble in reasonably straight, reasonably spacious sites but sometimes those sites lack interest for other reasons. We like sites that are on a lake or on a river and often those sites are small and uneven. Doesn't seem like the limitations of our hitch should affect our choice of sites.

As for the heavy stinger, it is lighter than the Equal-I-Zer hitch assembly I had to remove for storage. The Hensley/ProPride head assembly stays permanently on the Airstream A-Frame. I think this is an advantage.

I am not very fond of the Equal-I-zer and see some of the Reese hitches as being the score to beat for simplicity of use. You remove each of the two WD bars and then you have a hitch head of manageable size and weight on the tow vehicle, and some hardware on the trailer.

Limits turn angle? Are you sure, I thought we could get a little more angle with it than a conventional hitch.

There's more to it than meets the eye. You pick up some body clearance due to the extra foot of length. The problem is that the loads on the yoke assembly become very large at extreme turning angles, especially so if you are backing uphill or on soft ground. So the yoke assembly tends to slide on the trailer A-frame, and go out of alignment, and you have to adjust it before you get back on the road. On the Hensley the same forces can cause you to rip the struts right out of the head.

Yes, some repair shops can't deal with moving the ProPride trailer, so you can leave the stinger with them. These hitches are no longer unusual, a good shop should handle it without a fuss. Storage yards that want to move your trailer around present a greater problem.

It is possible to leave a stinger, and I do, but the shops still don't like it. I find that typically they'll try to figure out a way to work on the trailer wherever it is parked rather than fiddle around trying to get their yard guy to move it. Depending on the shop they may have to switch to a pickup truck rather than a skid loader.

[woodfox45]

The Pro Pride has an adjustable hitch bar for height Hensley does not , The PP has a cradle that attaches to your A frame the Hensley has strut bars that you need to keep tight . No holes to drill with PP the Hensley needs 2 holes drilled into A frame for the jack brackets on each side .Hensley sells factory reconditioned hitches at a reduced price and they look like a new hitch .