AirSafe, ProPride & Reese Dual Cam

[out of sight]

One thing you can be sure of, you will never get a technical answer from a Hensley hitch owner about why they are better than towing on the ball.

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by out of sight

One thing you can be sure of, you will never get a technical answer from a Hensley hitch owner about why they are better than towing on the ball.

You certainly will from Pro Pride.

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I tow on the ball. It works. Not a hint of sway under any condition.

I’ve towed on the ball as well, a 30’ behind a F350 over Donner Pass surrounded by semis without a problem. But like the farmer said when his horse died, “never did that before!”
I use a Pro Pride at all times.

[out of sight]

See what I mean?

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Tim A.

Ephraim,

Unless you like endless exchanges, I suggest not replying further to out of sight. His/her posts on various threads consistently defend on-the-ball towing despite any and all factual, technical, or anecdotal discussions from others.

Agreed. Especially for newbies.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by out of sight

See what I mean?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2otJAgYiTo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyIjc1T3BdQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2otJAgYiTo

First two are from the 2 manufacturers. 3rd is by an "regular guy".

Take them for what they are worth, but if you don't understand the geometry, you'll never get it. Period.....until you tow with one properly set up (like any other hitch).

Bottom line....the trapezoidal design (or angles) can't allow a "collapse", until acted on by the tow vehicle by steering.

[dznf0g]

oops, here's the third one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDER3up7I_s

[out of sight]

We all get the way a Hensley works, but you can achieve the same result (zero sway) with a properly sized tow vehicle. For the price of the hitch you can upgrade from a half ton to a 3/4 ton, for example, and you'll have a much better and more stable rig towing on the ball than with the 1/2 ton and a PPP hitch.

[Ephraim]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Agreed. Especially for newbies.

You'd think I'd learn. I have trouble accepting that people can be "willfully ignorant". Bill Whittle did a great video on willful ignorance called "The Great Unlearning". It's a great watch (about 7 minutes) and while it doesn't deal directly with this subject, the principle still applies here.

Some people choose to ignore facts, physics, laws of nature, math and whatever else is in the way of whatever concept, theory or conspiracy they have chosen to believe in. They cannot be dissuaded from their position no matter how contradictory the position may be.

[out of sight]

Of course you have to load you trailer properly. Hitch salesmen will show you videos of back-end loaded trailers careening down the road to frighten you into buying their product. Very disingenuous.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Ephraim

You'd think I'd learn. I have trouble accepting that people can be "willfully ignorant". Bill Whittle did a great video on willful ignorance called "The Great Unlearning". It's a great watch (about 7 minutes) and while it doesn't deal directly with this subject, the principle still applies here.

Some people choose to ignore facts, physics, laws of nature, math and whatever else is in the way of whatever concept, theory or conspiracy they have chosen to believe in. They cannot be dissuaded from their position no matter how contradictory the position may be.

Wellll, either that, or.....he's a confirmed or habitual troll. If it is the second, we should "check out". For me, over and out.

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by Ephraim

You'd think I'd learn. I have trouble accepting that people can be "willfully ignorant". Bill Whittle did a great video on willful ignorance called "The Great Unlearning". It's a great watch (about 7 minutes) and while it doesn't deal directly with this subject, the principle still applies here.



Some people choose to ignore facts, physics, laws of nature, math and whatever else is in the way of whatever concept, theory or conspiracy they have chosen to believe in. They cannot be dissuaded from their position no matter how contradictory the position may be.

[emoji106]

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by out of sight

We all get the way a Hensley works, but you can achieve the same result (zero sway) with a properly sized tow vehicle.

Sorry, as much as I try, I can't help myself so here goes.

Uh, no you can't. It is the trailer that sways not the tow vehicle and no matter how big the tow vehicle, the trailer will sway, properly loaded or not, if sufficient turbulent forces occur to the side of the trailer.

This is the oldest argument you hear from the "tow on the ball only" crowd.
“You just need a big enough truck!”

Sure, a big truck with a big engine and heavy-duty transmission will allow you to pull more weight, but there is absolutely no way it can control trailer sway.

The point at which the trailer is connected to the truck does not change, regardless of vehicle size. It’s a coupler mounted onto a round ball that is mounted some distance behind the rear bumper and well behind the rear axle. The design is intentional to allow the trailer full freedom of motion. No matter what angle the tow-vehicle\trailer combo is on, the trailer remains attached.

The downside of that set-up is that the trailer is free to move as much as the tow-vehicle. If the trailer gets hit with a strong wind or the turbulence of a passing truck, it has to pivot on the ball. It must sway. It has no choice.

Now to my point. The only variable in your rig that matters is the connection point between the tow-vehicle and trailer. If it’s a round ball, the trailer will sway. If it’s a round-ball with one of the many friction sway-control hitches on the market, it will sway a little less, but it will still sway.

And adding more weight to the front side of that connection (hitch weight) accomplishes nothing. Maybe the driver will be blissfully ignorant of the swaying trailer behind him, but that trailer is still swaying. It has to. Physics is physics.

Saying that a big truck will prevent trailer sway is like saying that a bigger tree will keep my tire swing from swinging in the breeze.

Now you can say all you like about bigger trucks and a properly loaded, (heavy TW) trailer, but the fact remains, trailer sway is trailer sway, not truck sway. And it can not be prevented simply by having a bigger tow vehicle and, as you have also recommended over and over, having all the tires inflated to the max.

Disclaimer: I tow with a Reese Strait Line dual cam, which is a form of friction sway control along with WD.

[out of sight]

My trailer doesn't sway towing on the ball, so your analysis is obviously lacking. Yours sways because your tow vehicle is too small. There's not enough inertia in your tow vehicle to keep the inertia of the trailer in check. You need a sway control hitch to keep it under control, but the hitch is just hiding the problem, not solving it. Size matters.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by out of sight

My trailer doesn't sway towing on the ball, so your analysis is obviously lacking. Yours sways because your tow vehicle is too small. There's not enough inertia in your tow vehicle to keep the inertia of the trailer in check. You need a sway control hitch to keep it under control, but the hitch is just hiding the problem, not solving it. Size matters.

The only reason you say it isn’t swaying is because you may not feel it. Example: I am driving behind a big diesel truck with 2 trailers. The rear trailer is swaying all over the place. I’ll bet a good 6 inches to a foot. I’ll bet the driver doesn’t feel it. Why? He’s got a big truck. BUT put a bigger side wind on that rear trailer and he will feel it.

You analysis that a bigger truck stops sway is just not reality. And when I saw that truck with 2 trailers swaying it proves the point. The size of the truck has nothing to do with trailer sway or the lack of it.

[out of sight]

If my trailer was swaying I'd be able to see it in the rear view mirror, even if I couldn't feel it. Seriously, it does not sway.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by out of sight

If my trailer was swaying I'd be able to see it in the rear view mirror, even if I couldn't feel it. Seriously, it does not sway.

You aren’t going to be able to see sway by looking out your back window. For one thing your perspective is very very limited from your rear view mirror. The only way you can tell if it is swaying is to ride behind your truck and trailer and observe it while towing.

Second it may not be swaying at particular times. But with the right forces it can. And I’ll bet if I drove behind your pickup and trailer when a big semi goes by you there would be movement. Maybe not a big movement. Maybe not enough for you to notice. But the bow affect is a reality.

http://www.timberman.com/rig/sway.htm

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Size matters.

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

And there you go. That’s all this argument is about...oh man....[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by out of sight

My trailer doesn't sway towing on the ball, so your analysis is obviously lacking. Yours sways because your tow vehicle is too small. There's not enough inertia in your tow vehicle to keep the inertia of the trailer in check. You need a sway control hitch to keep it under control, but the hitch is just hiding the problem, not solving it. Size matters.

I tow with a late model, American,1 ton truck. The only difference between it and the Cayenne, which I also tow with, is I do not feel the sway as much with the 1 ton, but it still sways.

[sheriff1]

I’ll jump in with my opinion. I have a crew cab F350 , towing a 2014 30’. 1200 lb tongue weight (surline scale) and have tried ezlift, equalizer, reese dual cam and Pro Pride. Under certain conditions I have felt sway or push from semis with all but the Pro Pride. Equalizer is next best then reese with ez lift last. Currently using same truck with an Eddie Bauer 27FB and wouldn’t use anything but Pro Pride.
A larger truck does make sway “less” dangerous and noticeable but it doesn’t eliminate it.