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01-28-2015, 07:20 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Twisted PP Stinger
We bought a Propride a year ago for our 25' 1970 Airstream and have put about 3,000 miles on it. The stinger is slightly twisted to the right along the axis of that portion of it that inserts into the TV receiver. We noticed this after a 2,000 trip. I put the TV on a lift and the hitch looks fine. I emailed Sean who said that a twisted stinger is not normal, that I should be able to use it, but should "watch it." He asked if the head moved side-to-side by hand if if we ran our chains through the bars. Yes to both. Our TV is a 2014 ML350 and we don't over torque the jacks because the front wheel wells are 1/2" higher with the jacks raised than without the TT hitched up. Has anyone else experienced a twisted stinger or know what causes it?
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01-28-2015, 08:08 PM
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#2
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2 Rivet Member
2014 27' FB International
salem
, Oregon
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 84
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Can you post a photo?
Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums
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01-28-2015, 09:34 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1999 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Hillsboro
, Texas
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,406
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Twisted? Did the 'yoke' move?
__________________
Peace and Blessings..
Channing
WBCCI# 30676
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01-29-2015, 04:42 AM
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#4
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Retired.
Currently Looking...
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, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
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One of our customers had this occur. There were two theories about what happened. First, that the safety chains were run over the bars, instead of between them, and the second was the driver jacknifed the trailer while backing.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
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01-29-2015, 04:53 AM
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#5
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"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 20,000
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"watch it"?.....yeah, I think thats a good idea,
Bob
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01-29-2015, 05:19 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
2007 30' Classic
Oswego
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 13,658
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Do you leave it in the receiver while unhitched? Somebody hit it in a parking lot? Any witness marks pointing to a hit?
__________________
-Rich-
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green
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01-29-2015, 07:16 AM
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#7
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63
One of our customers had this occur. There were two theories about what happened. First, that the safety chains were run over the bars, instead of between them, and the second was the driver jacknifed the trailer while backing.
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Neither happened to us. Most of the paint has flaked off that portion of the stinger that is twisted. I wonder if that hints at the cause.
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01-29-2015, 07:19 AM
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#8
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cptfish
Can you post a photo?
Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums
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I don't think it would show much. I haven't measured it, but the twist is probably less than 10 degrees
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01-29-2015, 07:22 AM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g
Do you leave it in the receiver while unhitched? Somebody hit it in a parking lot? Any witness marks pointing to a hit?
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Good thought. We did leave it in the receiver while unhitched, but no witness marks.
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01-29-2015, 07:22 AM
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#10
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Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,156
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A picture of the hitch bar would really help in trying to determine a cause for the twisted hitch bar. This is important information as many Airforums Members are using the ProPride Hitch System.
Brian
__________________
SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
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01-30-2015, 07:33 AM
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#11
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosetags
A picture of the hitch bar would really help in trying to determine a cause for the twisted hitch bar. This is important information as many Airforums Members are using the ProPride Hitch System.
Brian
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I'll post a picture over the weekend.
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01-30-2015, 04:11 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,291
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Gee, interesting. A twisted 2" mild steel hitch bar. I wonder how much torque it would take to permanently deflect a 2" steel bar.
The Propride hitch rides under the ball coupler. It's a socket joint so we can traverse up inclines to buy fuel without putting stress on the A frame or tow vehicle receiver. I don't know what angle the rotation stops when the hitch hits the coupler, maybe 30 degrees? The hitch bar is pulled tight into the hitch with the over center clamps. it is constrained by the 2" receiver and hitch coupler. It seems it would be very difficult to apply much twist to the hitch bar when connected.
You engineers out there calculate the twisting force to permanently deform a 2" solid bar that's say 1 foot between the applied force and the attachment point. I know I don't have a wrench in my garage long enough to do it!
Tintini, put a level or some other straight edge on your stringer and take the photo. Then we can compare the angle of the straight edge to your rear bumper. That might magnify the twist you see.
It's a mystery to me. Finding the cause will be interesting.
David
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01-30-2015, 04:27 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
2012 27' Flying Cloud
W
, New England
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 7,402
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Twisted PP Stinger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tintini
...snip...
He asked if the head moved side-to-side by hand if if we ran our chains through the bars. Yes to both.
...snip...
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Yes to running the chains through the bars? That would be problematic and possibly the cause of the twist of the stinger. Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing. Please see my picture below. This is how the safety chains should be connected to your TV - they are NOT running through the bars. Did you run your chains a little backward first and then THROUGH the bars or did you run them under the bars as in the photo?
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01-30-2015, 04:57 PM
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#14
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4 Rivet Member
Livingston
, Texas
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 394
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tintini
We bought a Propride a year ago for our 25' 1970 Airstream and have put about 3,000 miles on it. The stinger is slightly twisted to the right along the axis of that portion of it that inserts into the TV receiver.---
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Is your stinger bent to the TV's right like the one shown in the photo below --
or is it twisted about its longitudinal axis as a drive shaft might be if too much torque was applied?
The thread in which this photo was posted is: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1377674
Ron
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01-30-2015, 05:31 PM
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#15
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Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,156
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I remember that thread. the bent hitch bar was the result of the safety chains being routed above the spring bar. I thought then, as I do now, that the chain would have broken prior to the hitch bar bending 45 degrees.
Brian
__________________
SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
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01-30-2015, 05:44 PM
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#16
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Rivet Master
2012 27' Flying Cloud
W
, New England
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 7,402
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosetags
I remember that thread. the bent hitch bar was the result of the safety chains being routed above the spring bar. I thought then, as I do now, that the chain would have broken prior to the hitch bar bending 45 degrees.
Brian
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Brian - not sure if these are the same chains but according to this article, http://www.etrailer.com/question-21549.html this pair of safety chains had a 17 ton break point. I'm guessing that kind of pressure (via chains over the WD bars) could twist a 2" stinger before breaking the chains.
Note: Like Bill Belichick - I wouldn't say I'm the Mona Lisa Vito of trailer chains... :-)
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01-30-2015, 07:26 PM
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#17
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Rivet Master
2012 25' Flying Cloud
Battle Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 7,714
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I don't know of a positive conclusion of what bent that earlier bar, but I think many of us believe it was from jackknifing the trailer when backing into a camp site.
As Ron questioned, is this one a twisted bar or a bent bar?
__________________
Doug and Cheryl
2012 FC RB, Michelin 16, ProPride 1400
2016 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4X4 Ecodiesel 3.92 axles
The Truth is More Important Than the Facts
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01-30-2015, 07:33 PM
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#18
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveSueMac
Yes to running the chains through the bars? That would be problematic and possibly the cause of the twist of the stinger. Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing. Please see my picture below. This is how the safety chains should be connected to your TV - they are NOT running through the bars. Did you run your chains a little backward first and then THROUGH the bars or did you run them under the bars as in the photo?
Attachment 231409
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We may be getting somewhere, but I'm confused about "through" and "under" the bars. I drop the chains between the bars to the ground, then run them under the bars to the TV. I think they look like your photo, but I'm not sure.
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01-30-2015, 07:37 PM
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#19
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2 Rivet Member
Vintage Kin Owner
Oakland
, California
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Gratz
Is your stinger bent to the TV's right like the one shown in the photo below --
or is it twisted about its longitudinal axis as a drive shaft might be if too much torque was applied?
The thread in which this photo was posted is: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ml#post1377674
Ron
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Ron:
The stinger is not bent as in your photo, but twisted along the longitudinal axis of that portion of the stinger that is inside the TV receiver.
Jeff
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01-30-2015, 08:14 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
2012 27' Flying Cloud
W
, New England
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 7,402
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tintini
We may be getting somewhere, but I'm confused about "through" and "under" the bars. I drop the chains between the bars to the ground, then run them under the bars to the TV. I think they look like your photo, but I'm not sure.
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Ok. Here's the difference between "under" and "through". If you go back to my picture - that shows chains UNDER the ProPride entirely. It's really critical for you to remember whether you had them in that position - or THROUGH the bars which, if you look at my picture would mean you brought the chains backwards (to the left side of the picture) to go under then over the weight distribution bars and forward (to the right of the picture) to the tow vehicle.
Can you remember exactly how the chains were connected to the tow vehicle? It takes an awful lot of force to twist a 2" (or in my case, a 2.5") steel "brick" like the ProPride stinger. If your safety chains were wired around the weight distribution bars, that would apply an enormous amount of pressure to the stinger it's not expected to see (with safety chains under the head as described in the user manual).
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