Newbie alert on trailer hitches

[2club]

I am getting ready to order my new 30ft international signature tomorrow. Thanks to all the great reading that I have gotten on this forum. I hate to start this again, but, I want to know if anyone has towed with both the Hensley and the ProPride? I have talked to both companies and watched all the videos. Hensley was very helpful and has sent me many emails and a DVD, the ProPride looks like a better product. When I talked to Sean at ProPride I was a little underwhelmed after all the recommendations on the forums. (He could have just had a bad day). All the AS dealers I contacted didn’t want me to get one of these hitches (no profit) but it sounds like the right thing to do for less stress driving. I will be using a 2013 Ford F250 diesel with a back up camera as my TV.

[ROBERT CROSS]

......I vote for.


Many who question the pivot point projection hitch's are towing deprived, having never used them.

Welcome Aboard....

Bob

[Aviator]

I have not towed with the Hensley, but I love my ProPride. Originally I had a Reese system, but didn't care for the push-pull feeling when passed by 18 wheelers. Once I changed over to the ProPride, towing became a "finger-tip" driving experience.

[slowmover]

The ProPride is superior by design, making the Arrow essentially obsolete. The patent-holder did his homework and re-engineered some basic irritations. The virtue of the latter is today finding one at an ultra-low price used. But one still has the frustrations of the thing (I have one). There is no competitor to either outside of the differently-designed PULLRITE.

2Airishuman owned both VPP hitches, and posted extensively. As this forum has also never anyone since who could post relevant threads as links as fast as he, I highly recommend you read all that he may include in his commentaries, direct & indirect, on hitches of this type . . even though it may call for multiple screens open at once (links on links). Quite the reader with great recall (and organization).

.

[AWCHIEF]

OP: Check out the Andersen WD/sway control system before making your decision. It might just surprise you in its effectiveness and benefits (cost, weight and ease of use, etc.) over all the others on the market. A plus is that the folks at Andersen are great to do business with and in my experience they rarely if ever have a bad day.

[ROBERT CROSS]

.... it's so distressing being obsolete.....by design.

And the winner is....?

Bob




"An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be."

[r carl]

Dont like how it distributes weight. The chains pull the ball into the coupler latch Very Hard, thats not good. The couplers on trailers were not designed for that.

[TWA640316]

Carl
Which one are you referring too??? Just started to look into hitches, never thought they would be so expensive ( Hensley-Propride)

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by r carl

Dont like how it distributes weight. The chains pull the ball into the coupler latch Very Hard, thats not good. The couplers on trailers were not designed for that.

Oh my...I guess the Anderson is now obsolete by design also.

Bob

[Crawdad]

There is no doubt in my mind that the VPP type of HITCHES are the best.... Namely the Hensley and the ProPride. As the advertisement says they do not reduce sway... they totally eliminate it. I presently own a Hensley hitch, but if I were buying new today I would purchase the PP. It has several features that the Hensley does not have and one of these is the adjustable stinger. From what I understand the PP is also easier to hitch up. These hitches are expensive, but in my opinion they are worth every penny.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Oh my...I guess the Anderson is now obsolete by design also.

Bob

Some of the folks using the Andersen hitch with larger Airstreams have been having some "issues" with the coupler. Seems it's coming unlatched on the road, assuming from the pressure, and could possibly cause an accident because they report the coupler will lift off of the ball. Andersen has yet to respond, to my knowledge.

These same users are currently converting their trailers to another type of coupler from the Atwood.

The Andersen continues to work well with the smaller trailers.

I've never been a big fan of the Atwood couplers as even when they are working correctly, and are virtually new, they have a lot of play on the ball.

[tintent]

How about the Blue-Ox

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by tintent

How about the Blue-Ox

Have no experience, but I have heard of some problems with their washer compression anti-sway system.

[Midnightmoon]

I'm not familiar with the Blue-Ox. What is it similar in design to?

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

I'm not familiar with the Blue-Ox. What is it similar in design to?

Blue Ox - Weight Distribution

It appears they have a new model I am not familiar with.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Blue Ox - Weight Distribution

Thanks

[AWCHIEF]

Steve, I don't believe that anyone has actually reported that their trailer came "unlatched" on the road while using an Andersen WD system. A couple of folks have reported noticeable play of the latch lever on trailers using Attwood couplers. I have a suspicion that this is due to wear of the latch and may have less to do with the Andersen than is suspected. I have a Marvel coupler on my trailer and the ball latches up tight with no slop or excess play. I have looked for reports of this issue on several other forums and no one else is reporting having experienced the same coupler problem. That said the coupler that some are moving too is the Quickbite. It appears to be an excellent coupler, very strong, easy to hook up and unhook and very secure in its operation.

[SteveH]

AWCHIEF,

This is directly from HowieE's post about the problem with his coupler:

"My latch lifted 1/2 in after I had moved the rig less than foot and when I reached my next camp the ball fell out of the coupling as I took the load off."

Sorry if I made an incorrect statement, but thought I stated it correctly when I said "could cause an accident", but maybe not.

Regards,
Steve

[AWCHIEF]

No problem, I agree that it could cause a problem also for folks with Attwood couplers.

Just a curiosity question, does anyone know when Airstream switched from Marvel to Attwood couplers? I drove over to the local Airsteam dealership this afternoon to do some window shopping and while there I took a close look at the couplers on the new models. My Marvel coupler is built very solid and appears to me to be much heavier duty construction then current Attwood couplers. I wonder if it was another cost cutting move by Airstream to start using Attwood couplers or if they are just currently the industry standard.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

No problem, I agree that it could cause a problem also for folks with Attwood couplers.

Just a curiosity question, does anyone know when Airstream switched from Marvel to Attwood couplers? I drove over to the local Airsteam dealership this afternoon to do some window shopping and while there I took a close look at the couplers on the new models. My Marvel coupler is built very solid and appears to me to be much heavier duty construction then current Attwood couplers. I wonder if it was another cost cutting move by Airstream to start using Attwood couplers or if they are just currently the industry standard.

I have no idea what other companies use, buy my 2010 enclosed cargo/vehicle trailer has an Atwood on it. It may be common in the industry at this point.