AS frame damage???

[travelczar]

Wife and I are on verge of purchasing an International 30ft. Pulling with a GMC 2500HD (diesel).

Fellas at AS showroom are pushing Equalizer anti-sway hitch, which they say will entirely eliminate sway.

They went on to say that using a P3 or Hensley will damage the AS frame.

Hard to believe, but I thought I'd ask y'all.

Will Equalizer do the job??

C&N

[dznf0g]

Bunk! Some folks like the Eq. I didn't care for it at all.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by travelczar

Wife and I are on verge of purchasing an International 30ft. Pulling with a GMC 2500HD (diesel).

Fellas at AS showroom are pushing Equalizer anti-sway hitch, which they say will entirely eliminate sway.

They went on to say that using a P3 or Hensley will damage the AS frame.

Hard to believe, but I thought I'd ask y'all.

Will Equalizer do the job??

C&N

The Equalizer will do the job, though not as well as some other brands. I have never heard of a Hensley or Propride damaging a frame. I would ask for some verifiable proof of the damage before believing that claim.

[HiJoeSilver]

Don't know why P3 or Hensley would damage frame. Many folks on here use them.
Equalizer will do the job. Dealer was pushing on me too.
I prefer my Blue Ox Sway Pro though

[switz]

Used a Hensley Arrow attached to my 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI V6 diesel on the 2013 256FB International Serenity and moved it to the 2015 23D International Serenity. Put a ProPride on the 2014 31' Classic behind a 2012 Ram 2500HD Cummins. No issues on the trailer "A" frames from either the Hensley or the ProPride.

I have no experience with any other weight distribution hitches but do know I have no sway issues with either the Hensley or ProPride when setup properly.

[mojo]

What you need is what I sell!

[dkottum]

The Hensley/ProPride won't damage your frame but the very rigid w.d. bars of the Equal-I-Zer might bend the A-frame on a steep driveway approach, according to Andrew Thomson, second generation Airstream dealership owner.

Trailer sway is usually meant to describe sway oscillations which tend to increase in amplitude quickly and take the rig off the road. Most weight distributing hitches can prevent that if properly set up, but they still allow the trailer to be pushed out of alignment with the tow vehicle by side winds, semi bow wave, and uneven road surfaces. Only the Hensley/ProPride design will eliminate both.

We've have Equal-I-Zer and then ProPride on our Airstream, the difference is night and day. Only those who have used the Hensley/ProPride designs will know how good the towing experience is.

[dwightdi]

Reese dual cam self centering hitches come with an assortment of WD bars, so you can match the bars with the tongue weight and get the proper sway control, while still retaining the necessary flexibility to not damage the A frame of the trailer. It is not a Propride, but gets the job done at a lower cost. Hitching up is also easier. I have used Reese for 23 years.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by travelczar

Wife and I are on verge of purchasing an International 30ft. Pulling with a GMC 2500HD (diesel).



Fellas at AS showroom are pushing Equalizer anti-sway hitch, which they say will entirely eliminate sway.



They went on to say that using a P3 or Hensley will damage the AS frame.



Hard to believe, but I thought I'd ask y'all.



Will Equalizer do the job??



C&N

Lies.

Equalizer is second tier. And not tops there. Dual Cam is better.

HA and PP are so much better they're not the same animal.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

[tjdonahoe]

I had a Hensley on my 04 classic 30', it was fine , new 31' went with a duel cam and I like it better as you can hitch up easier, even from an angle, also I do the work with a 3/4 ton ram....

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by mojo

What you need is what I sell!

....and if you don't buy what I sell, it "could" affect your AS warranty.

Buy what people are giving you feedback on real world testaments on and don't be swayed by dealer fear mongering.

Goodluck and cheers
Tony

[rmkrum]

The bottom line is do your research, buy what YOU want, and ignore the dealers attempt to line his pockets with your money. There is no way a ProPride, a Hensley, or any other hitch system will bend the A-frame unless you jackknife the rig. It's a silly statement on the dealer's part.

And besides, the only hitch design that totally eliminates sway is, IMHO a Hensley design setup from Hensley manufacturing or ProPride. I happen to be totally happy with a ProPride. YMMV.

Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[SeeMore]

If you consider the Hensley or ProPride choice, be aware of the price match policy:

https://www.propridehitch.com/hensle...d-price-match/

Where to get the Hensley reconditioned pricing:
http://info.hensleymfg.com/used-hensley-hitch

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . I have the Equalizer set up and had NO problems on our 12.6k trip to Alaska and back with a 28 footer. . . just sayin'. . . Craig

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Lies.

Equalizer is second tier. And not tops there. Dual Cam is better.

HA and PP are so much better they're not the same animal.


1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins

I beg to differ, equalizer is FAR better than dual cam. I have had both.
No opinion on PP or HA as I have never used them.


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

I beg to differ, equalizer is FAR better than dual cam. I have had both.
No opinion on PP or HA as I have never used them.


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

I've had all three....among others, over the years.

Order of preference AND performance, IME&O.

1) Hensley (presently using)

2) Reese Dual Cam (kept as my backup system)

3) Equilizer (couldn't sell fast enough)

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

I beg to differ, equalizer is FAR better than dual cam. I have had both.
No opinion on PP or HA as I have never used them.


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

The first but long step down from a VPP is a Dual Cam. Harder to set up.

[Wingeezer]

It's always what the other guy sells that will cause you problems, not what
he sells - funny how that works.

I bought a Hensley 8 years ago and have travelled maybe 40,000 miles with it - certainly n damage that I am aware of to the frame of our trailer, not have I heard of any instances of it happening.

It tows like a dream, but I will say my experience is can be a little more fiddly at times to hook up compared to a conventional hitch - there is a bit more of a learning curve to it, but I think well worth it for the advantage.

Brian.

[switz]

I read the Forums a great deal when I got the bug to acquire an Airstream in the fall of 2012. I do not remember seeing any conversation about the Pro-Pride hitch.

So in October of 2012, I started my Airstream experience with the Hensley Arrow as recommended by many here. It was attached to the 2013 25FB International Serenity and the 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI V6 diesel. We had no sway issues or any damage to the rig. We upgraded to a 2012 Ram 2500HD Cummins as the Mercedes was straining when the trailer was fully loaded for camping. It is important to have a grease gun along for the zerk grease fittings as it will squeak when it wants more lubrication.

I elected to keep the Hensley hitch in storage when the 25FB was traded in on the 2014 31' Classic.

By January of 2014, the ProPride was out and I went with that hitch for the Classic. Sean did make a pair of wedges to make a tighter fit on the Classic frame. No issues to date and it likes grease as well.

In July of 2015, the Hensley was then brought out of storage and installed on the 2015 23D International Serenity behind the Mercedes. I had upgraded the stock 14" tires and wheels on the dealer lot to 15" SenDel T03-56545T wheels and 15" Michelin LTX (P) 235/75R15 XL tires (the same tire brand, model and size I had installed on the 25FB) so the elevation of the 23D frame was the same as the 25FB and all the previous settings worked. I did drop by CanAm on the way home and Andy tweaked the installation and swapped out the screw jacks and tack welded the Hensley frame plates to the 23D frame. When connected, this rig drives like it is on steel rails.

Both tow vehicles have backup cameras that were factory installed and that helps a great deal when getting hitched. Proper alignment of the stinger to the hitch head is a must, so sometimes that requires several passes to get it correct.

Like the trailers, the hitch heads need maintenance and the stingers need to be checked for any issues and the bolts kept tight. I did put a 1" piece of white tape in the middle of the top side of the hitch head receiver lip as an aiming point that shows up on the backup cameras.

[slowmover]

PP came out a few months after I bought my HA in mid-2007. Would rather have had the PP, but no announcements of forthcoming products found me.