Hitch advice

[wyldelee]

Hi all,
Looking for opinions about hitch setups with my 1997 Excella 25’ Airstream and 2014 Dodge Ram 1500.

I was looking at Andersen, Equalizer,
Hensley or ProPride.

Thank you in advance for your wisdom and experience.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by wyldelee

Hi all,
Looking for opinions about hitch setups with my 1997 Excella 25’ Airstream and 2014 Dodge Ram 1500.

I was looking at Andersen, Equalizer,
Hensley or ProPride.

Thank you in advance for your wisdom and experience.

Propride or Hensley recommended. Aside from electronic stability and anti-lock braking with disk brake upgrade, there is no better.

Do not use Andersen. Poor design, limited sway control, limited weight distribution, potential to damage coupler, and poor mfg reputation for protecting public land.

Equalizer is too stiff for an Airstream. It is easy to hookup after original install/setup, but more difficult to tune if your load changes. It does provide ground clearance.

Use the blue box at upper right to search for threads that discuss these hitches. Whatever you decide, use weight distribution and sway control.

Pat

[GCinSC2]

Wyldelee,

Welcome to airforums.

There are several hotly debated topics here. Tires, tow vehicles and hitches. And not in that order.

You can find more opinions about the different hitches and even alternative facts but almost no unbiased side by side testing reports.

Multiple hitch discussions debates and such.

Possibly attend a local rally and kick tires with folks.

One thing that I think most will agree on is getting a hitch setup correctly. It might take adjustments after initial install to tune the rig.

Your safety and comfort while towing is a priority.

Gary

[ROBERT CROSS]

Of the two brands I've used with the Airstream,(3totl), I chose the Hensley Arrow 10yrs ago.

Bob
🇺🇸

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Let's see, the forum has been around for > 10 years. Hitches come up (and get loudly debated) maybe once a week. I suspect there are at least 500 threads on the topic. In each of them it's pretty predictable: Whatever I have myself is a fine solution and works great .... no reason to get anything else. If I don't own it, it's going to create all sorts of issues and no sane person would ever have one .....

Bob

[moosetags]

As opposed to making a hitch suggestion, I will simply tell you what has worked very well for us in the long run. By the long run I mean 1,948 nights of Airstream camping and 170,000 miles of Airstream towing in twelve plus years.

We use a Hensley Arrow that we have had since 2005. It has been on three different Airstreams. It has worked well all these years. We have never had any sway issue, not even once.

Brian

[CBWELL]

I use the Husky CentreLine and have found it very effictive in preventing sway. Much less money than a ProPride or Hensley. Everyone on the forum has their own opinion, some are more vocal about a certain brand, and some are less vocal. Regardles of the hitch you purchase and use, there will be critics. Go with what you feel most comfortable with after hearing all the opinions. JMHO

[GCinSC2]

CBWELL,

A clarification please on which model.

Centerline with compression cylinders or

Centerline TS

Maybe more for my own interest. Looking for Centerline compression cylinders owners reports.

Gary

[CBWELL]

It is the Husky CentreLine with the compression cylinders. Have had for 3 years, and the only SMALL complaint that has come up once, is that you must be almost straight to unhitch or hitch. Not a big problem if you know that going into a site, your TV will be at an angle, then you simply take off the hitch bars BEFORE backing in. Hitching up is the oposite, just pull out to a straight stretch and hook up the bars. Only had the problem once!! Very happy with the performance of the hitch and customer support from Husky. Chris

[GCinSC2]

Chris,

Thanks for the clarification. Many times a Centerline hitch is mentioned but IMO Husky should have used different names for two very different hitch systems.

I wish a Husky Centerline compression cylinder owner would start a thread about them. something about that system makes sense to me. I've been interested in them for several years.

Thanks.

Gary

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by CBWELL

It is the Husky CentreLine with the compression cylinders. Have had for 3 years, and the only SMALL complaint that has come up once, is that you must be almost straight to unhitch or hitch. Not a big problem if you know that going into a site, your TV will be at an angle, then you simply take off the hitch bars BEFORE backing in. Hitching up is the oposite, just pull out to a straight stretch and hook up the bars. Only had the problem once!! Very happy with the performance of the hitch and customer support from Husky. Chris

How heavy is just the head? Do you think it could be lifted and installed with this?: https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...03-HG-712.html

[SEC dude]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Of the two brands I've used with the Airstream,(3totl), I chose the Hensley Arrow 10yrs ago.

Bob
🇺🇸

WoW!! That hitch looks like the front end of a locomotive.

[Daquenzer]

I have a Propride (very expensive) and love it. My Blue Ox worked fine, but when driving in traffic (I go through Milwaukee and Chicago going east) I would have more bow affect which made driving more difficult. propride made it much easier. But the Blue Ox worked just fine in most situations. I still have it and will keep it as a back up.

The PRopride and Hensley work on the same principles. Just different designs.

Actually with your RAM 1500 you might consider upgrading tires and shocks. That may help with stability as well.

Good article to read below.

https://rvlifemag.com/towing-half-to...e-quarter-ton/