Our ProPride Experience

[out of sight]

So you swerve and hit a divider, then bounce off the divider and head the other way. And you call that sway? I call that bad driving.

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by Rgentum

...
Comment from my significant other opposite me in the front seat within a few miles of beginning our first trip with the ProPride: "This ride is a lot stiffer. I'm no longer able to read the paper or a book while we're driving. The words on the page jiggle too much."
...

If there are 50 combinations of hitches, there could easily be twice as may differing opinions on them. Such is human nature. I’m not intending to inject yet another opinion but only to share my long term experience with the AirSafe. I’ve had my AirSafe for about 12 years and wore out a very similar predecessor made by another company after about 20 years of service. We take extended road trips every year across all of the US and most of Canada including 2 trips to Alaska.

These type hitches were 1st developed for farm trailers to soften the ride for the horses and livestock. They were eventually adapted to other towables including travel trailers and 5th wheels in the RV market.

I was initially searching for something to reduce the harsh ride on concrete segment highways that set up a repetitive bounce that doesn’t change appreciably with speed or vehicles with longer or shorter wheelbases. While this hitch wasn’t a cure, it converted the jarring nature to a softer, more porpoising ride that was a noticeable improvement. One thing I noted was that I no longer felt the trailer axles when going over a grade crossing to the extent that I could without the AirSafe. I can only speculate on how much softer the ride must be inside the trailer but I know it has made the ride up front much better. On purchasing our Airstream about 10 years ago, the AirSafe was already in use and retained it’s place between the receiver and the coupler.

On the downside, the AirSafe adds about a foot to the overall rig length and in particular this extra rear axle to ball length may require additional anti sway components for large boxy trailers that are prone to sway. I find our 27FB to be pretty well mannered on it’s own with only a Reese Dual Cam.

On the plus side, moving the ball back this additional 12” has allowed me to make significantly tighter turns without jackknifing against the bumper. Obviously the safety chains and the breakaway brake cable need to be long enough to allow for these maneuvers without so much length as to drag the pavement.

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Swerve is not sway. Any vehicle can swerve.

Once again, read the drivers account, not the witness behind him. Tow vehicles swerve, trailers sway, which is precisely what occurred in this incident. A little less talking and a little more reading. Point is, you said Airstreams don't sway, but you are wrong, they do. Just sayin.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by out of sight

So you swerve and hit a divider, then bounce off the divider and head the other way. And you call that sway? I call that bad driving.

Let's call event 1 a swerve, whatever caused it. Could have been initiated by the trailer swaying, could have been initiated by a gust of wind, could have been the driver avoiding something in the road. Let's just say it took place.

Event 3 is a roll over in the centre of the highway, combined with a 180 degree spin.

Now you have to come up with what event 2 was, after event 1 and prior to event 3

Knowledgeable posters who understand sway, and may or may not have experienced it, suggest that event 2 was rapidly increasing oscillating sway of the trailer, until the trailer wheels started to lift on alternating sides, just prior to it rolling over. The spin was likely after that, as it was on its side, and would easily pass the tow vehicle.

Your suggestion that it hit the divider, bounced off, and rolled, means it would be laying on its right side. Look at the picture again and explain how it got into its left side without damaging the roof or the right side.

You are tying yourself in knots trying to defend an absurd notion. But it is entertaining. And you are providing a textbook lesson in why it is important to understand sway events, so thanks for that.

[out of sight]

You're looking at a single picture and trying to deduce from that exactly what happened. Obviously you knew what went wrong before you looked at it. Probably didn't have a wd hitch, right?

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by out of sight

You're looking at a single picture and trying to deduce from that exactly what happened. Obviously you knew what went wrong before you looked at it. Probably didn't have a wd hitch, right?

OMG!! Read the thread, post 8, the driver tells you exactly what happened, in great detail. And yes, he did have a WD hitch. You can read, yes?

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by thewarden

OMG!! Read the thread, post 8, the driver tells you exactly what happened, in great detail. And yes, he did have a WD hitch. You can read, yes?

So he did have a wd hitch. It didn't seem to help him very much. Something else went wrong.

Of course he wouldn't admit he screwed up. Blame it on the trailer.

[thewarden]

WD and anti sway are 2 different things. There are lots of WD hitches that do not have anti sway built in. In his case, he indicates that he also had sway control. Whether it was properly adjusted is another thing. Likely not. That is why it is important to have both and have them both properly set up. Again, the point is, Airstreams sway.

[out of sight]

OK. I did go and read post number 8. You have to be kidding me if you think this accident was caused by the Airstream suddenly starting to sway. He didn't even have brakes. Go read it again and tell me this was not a disaster waiting to happen. There's no hitch in the world that would have prevented this.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by out of sight

You're looking at a single picture and trying to deduce from that exactly what happened. Obviously you knew what went wrong before you looked at it. Probably didn't have a wd hitch, right?

Referring to the photo, we have no info on whether he had a WD hitch, or sway control. We don’t know how fast he was going. We don’t know what his tongue weight was. We don’t know how windy it was. We know he had the trailer for two weeks. But you have said that it is only about loading, so most of that shouldn’t matter to you. How can you be so sure that it could only be caused by improper loading, since you’re asking questions?

I can tell that it didn’t roll on the right side of the trailer, that is pretty obvious. Working crash recovery and extraction with a wrecker, the first thing was to determine how the vehicle went in, it usually caused a lot more damage to take it out a different way. This one rolled onto its left side, suggesting that an impact with the centre divider wasn’t the primary cause of the rollover.

By the way, the photo is not the same crash as the Facebook post in comment 8 in the linked thread. I can’t see more details on that one, some of us won’t go anywhere near Facebook.

I can say that the lack of trailer brakes in the Facebook post was not the cause of his sway event. It eliminated an option to bring the sway under control, but it didn’t cause the sway IMO.

[out of sight]

Ever since I got my new tow vehicle my trailer started swaying out of control. Could someone please recommend a suitable sway control hitch?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Ah, the master of useless platitudes has spoken. I bow to thee and thy useless wisdom.

At least it is useless platitudes I'm master of, it appears you are uselessly master of all things. 👍

Bob
🇺🇸

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Ever since I got my new tow vehicle my trailer started swaying out of control. Could someone please recommend a suitable sway control hitch?

.
Am curious... are you new to towing & Airstreaming or are you just an innate expert in everything? Just wondering why, after just two months on the forums, you insist on being so antagonistic and argumentative with folks who obviously are much better informed and experienced...

Perhaps you're just trying to hit 200 posts today and enjoy stirring the pot?

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

.
Am curious... are you new to towing & Airstreaming or are you just an innate expert in everything? Just wondering why, after just two months on the forums, you insist on being so antagonistic and argumentative with folks who obviously are much better informed and experienced...

Perhaps you're just trying to hit 200 posts today and enjoy stirring the pot?

I only get this way in the hitch chatroom. Hitch people are so antagonistic.

[JohnSn]

I didnt read this entire thread -it’s a bit untamed let’s say- but my data point might be useful to others.
I have a 4x4 trd pro tundra. That implies long travel suspension for off roading. Most would consider it a wimpy tow vehicle.
A 25 fc fb.
And an anderson hitch- which I think most would say is pretty wimpy.

Works great! Mountain pass, winding mountain roads, no problem. Feels in control and rides smooth, takes panic stops in stride.

For me, I have no motivation to up my hitch game. And I dont have solid insights why others struggle. It did take the shop about a half day to tune the rig. Perhaps there’s a key expertise delta in the installers?

[majorairhead]

It's been entertaining to say the least. I'd like to mention, for me personally, knowing what I know, which ain't much mind you.....anyway, I'd never tow an airstream, or a travel trailer of any substance, with a nissan frontier, or a toyota tacoma, no matter what the manufacturer publishes as it's towing capacity.

That's just me. I'm old school. Maybe the right setup, pro pride, whatever, might make it safe for y'all, but not this old boy. I like my tow vehicle BIG and HEAVY.

Sometimes I think we should call them 'stop vehicles' rather than 'tow vehicles'. Maybe that'd cause some to pause and think. Gettin goin' ain't really the issue, most of the time. Bringin' her to a stop can be exciting some days.

On the farm, we used big tractors to do big work, and little tractors to do little stuff. I'll never forget the first time a grain wagon pushed me past a stop sign and through the intersection, down the road on the other side a hundred feet or more. Greenie is what I was. Never happened again after that.

I digress. My gut says a combination of things is needed for safety, and a big azz truck is a good starting point.

I know, I know, right setup, suv can tow 'em, yes, I'm not arguing that point, not at all. But most folk new to buyin' and towin' don't have a clue, and surely don't know the fine and capable contact in Canada for doing so.

Not to mention driving ability. You take a newbie, put behind the wheel towing a trailer, and let 'em drive like they've driven all their lives in their cars, making no adjustments to starting, stopping, lane changing, speed, etc. and wheeeeeeee, that can be an exciting adventure in and of itself.

Some day I'd like to get a propride, I'm a believer, even though I don't have one. For now, big azz truck, equalizer hitch, and common sense has worked fine.

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

It's been entertaining to say the least. I'd like to mention, for me personally, knowing what I know, which ain't much mind you.....anyway, I'd never tow an airstream, or a travel trailer of any substance, with a nissan frontier, or a toyota tacoma, no matter what the manufacturer publishes as it's towing capacity.

That's just me. I'm old school. Maybe the right setup, pro pride, whatever, might make it safe for y'all, but not this old boy. I like my tow vehicle BIG and HEAVY.

Sometimes I think we should call them 'stop vehicles' rather than 'tow vehicles'. Maybe that'd cause some to pause and think. Gettin goin' ain't really the issue, most of the time. Bringin' her to a stop can be exciting some days.

On the farm, we used big tractors to do big work, and little tractors to do little stuff. I'll never forget the first time a grain wagon pushed me past a stop sign and through the intersection, down the road on the other side a hundred feet or more. Greenie is what I was. Never happened again after that.

I digress. My gut says a combination of things is needed for safety, and a big azz truck is a good starting point.

I know, I know, right setup, suv can tow 'em, yes, I'm not arguing that point, not at all. But most folk new to buyin' and towin' don't have a clue, and surely don't know the fine and capable contact in Canada for doing so.

Not to mention driving ability. You take a newbie, put behind the wheel towing a trailer, and let 'em drive like they've driven all their lives in their cars, making no adjustments to starting, stopping, lane changing, speed, etc. and wheeeeeeee, that can be an exciting adventure in and of itself.

Some day I'd like to get a propride, I'm a believer, even though I don't have one. For now, big azz truck, equalizer hitch, and common sense has worked fine.

I like that approach. When in doubt, make it stout. One of the great corollaries of good engineering. Second in importance only to Murphy's law.

[KK4YZ]

While I don’t have a PPP hitch, I would certainly consider that route if I was having trouble with sway. I investigated the design and have to say it’s a very smart way of ‘projecting’ the pivot point over the TV rear axle. That indeed will help with sway.

There are other factors in stability like weight distribution. If you think Airstreams cannot sway, try backloading one or over hitching it. You’ll find out. There’s nothing magic about airstreams wrt sway.

Fortunately for me the dealer (Colonial) seems to know what they’re doing. They set me up with an Equalizer hitch and the entire setup is rock solid. Just got back from Region 3 going down some 7% inclines on curvy US 64 using engine braking. No white knuckles. But I wouldn’t diss the Hensley or PP design. It looks pretty smart to me.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I only get this way in the hitch chatroom. Hitch people are so antagonistic.

Got it. Going for the posts...
.

[mikapen]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

It's been entertaining to say the least. I'd like to mention, for me personally, knowing what I know, which ain't much mind you.....anyway, I'd never tow an airstream, or a travel trailer of any substance, with a nissan frontier, or a toyota tacoma, no matter what the manufacturer publishes as it's towing capacity.

That's just me. I'm old school. Maybe the right setup, pro pride, whatever, might make it safe for y'all, but not this old boy. I like my tow vehicle BIG and HEAVY.

Sometimes I think we should call them 'stop vehicles' rather than 'tow vehicles'. Maybe that'd cause some to pause and think. Gettin goin' ain't really the issue, most of the time. Bringin' her to a stop can be exciting some days.

On the farm, we used big tractors to do big work, and little tractors to do little stuff. I'll never forget the first time a grain wagon pushed me past a stop sign and through the intersection, down the road on the other side a hundred feet or more. Greenie is what I was. Never happened again after that.

I digress. My gut says a combination of things is needed for safety, and a big azz truck is a good starting point.

I know, I know, right setup, suv can tow 'em, yes, I'm not arguing that point, not at all. But most folk new to buyin' and towin' don't have a clue, and surely don't know the fine and capable contact in Canada for doing so.

Not to mention driving ability. You take a newbie, put behind the wheel towing a trailer, and let 'em drive like they've driven all their lives in their cars, making no adjustments to starting, stopping, lane changing, speed, etc. and wheeeeeeee, that can be an exciting adventure in and of itself.

Some day I'd like to get a propride, I'm a believer, even though I don't have one. For now, big azz truck, equalizer hitch, and common sense has worked fine.

You may feel confident with a bigger-than-mine tow vehicle, but how can you explain how a sway experience threw my 26,000 lb tow vehicle into the ditch, towing a 6,000 lb trailer?
Size is not the answer.

And if it's stopping power you need (we all do), get a stout German SUV with real brakes.
If it's a substantial chassis that is important, get a stout unibody (like used on 747's) - which would send you back to a German SUV.
If it's the ability to avoid a surprise obstacle on the road - ditch the WW1 chassis and get a tow vehicle with a modern suspension.

And just to follow on a theme - can you explain why a recent trip in very windy conditions in Windy Kansas, ALL the tow vehicles blown over on their sides were 3/4 and 1 Ton pickups?

My takeaway - it's setup and loading that are MUCH more important than "which hitch" or "which TV," as long as you respect capacities.

To go a bit further, the more you weigh, the more the contact patch makes a difference. I like the patch-to-weight ratio of (you guessed it) a stout Euro SUV.

Too many folks think size is the answer, but it can give a false sense of security. (A van is a big improvement over the same sized pickup because the body gives the floppy ladder frame a modicum of strength.)

However, if you carry a bunch of "stuff," then you are stuck with a big TV - just be aware of its very real deficiencies.

And back to the Hitch question - perhaps the Propride can somewhat offset the long rear overhangs that are inherent in pickups, but I'd rather pull with something physics says will give me a leg up in the stability department. A Euro SUV.