Hensley/Propride over tongue weight ratings.
I'm currently doing a LOT of homework on the Hensley and Propride and one question I've got is the tongue rating for both. My Jayco sits a 1350# on the tongue already (without LP when weighed). Add ...
Forum Discussion
Hi Camping NC,
Your camper model rang a bell. I looked it up. That double slide rear bunk camper has changed a bit over the years. I had a buddy have one, at least that model number, but it was only 34 feet long and did not yet have the outside kitchen. He was towing it with a 2005 Excursion and had to keep him self at 1,250# TW due the Excursion receiver issue. He did start with the DC, and in his case he tried it for a short while and went Hensley. The Excursion while a real good puller, it has it's only suspension needs to be upgraded and tweaked in right.
I'm not going to try and talk you out of the HA or PP, but can maybe help on the DC if that is what you want to do.
You stated your weight was 8,500# but do you have a scaled tongue weight to go with that?
Do you tow with fresh water? That camper is listed out as 86 gallons fresh water system. That is 713# of weight to keep track of where it is.
When you have a 35' 6" long camper at the weights you have, and you towing with a DC, or and Equal-I-zer etc, the entire rig has to be optimized.
Tires can make or break the rig even on a good 3/4 ton truck like you have. What brand and size tire and what air pressure front and rear do you tow with? Also what pressure do you run on the camper?
Camper towing stance, is it level, nose up or nose down and by how much?
Do you have any fender heights, truck loaded unhitched, and then hitched with WD engaged? When it rides good but trailer sways and then when trailer is better but ride bad what are those fender heights?
When I hear this,
This points to the camper maybe not balanced just right yet, truck tires being an issue and WD not set correct followed by possibly a nose high camper.
On the DC or Equal-I-zer for that matter, more load on the WD bars creates higher friction. That higher friction helps hold the trailer better but the truck WD needs to be right or the truck rides bad.
If you have them, or can get them, need to know the scaled weights with the truck loaded with camping gear with and without WD engaged and just the truck to help see where you are at.
When the truck rides bad, tell us what bad means? Is the bucking front to back or is the back of the truck rocking left to right?
I'm a DC guy as the HA or the PP are not heavy rated enough for my situation. The pullrite would be my only other option and I would have one if it did not derate the rest of the non WD towing so bad. That said, my TT is just under 10K GVW with a 1,600# TW and my truck tows it well. But I too had to finds it's sweat spot.
If you want to try and optimize what you have first and see if it gets you where you want you be, be glad to help. The DC will not fix all issues in a towing rig. The trailer and the truck have to do their part too.
Hope this helps
John
Your camper model rang a bell. I looked it up. That double slide rear bunk camper has changed a bit over the years. I had a buddy have one, at least that model number, but it was only 34 feet long and did not yet have the outside kitchen. He was towing it with a 2005 Excursion and had to keep him self at 1,250# TW due the Excursion receiver issue. He did start with the DC, and in his case he tried it for a short while and went Hensley. The Excursion while a real good puller, it has it's only suspension needs to be upgraded and tweaked in right.
I'm not going to try and talk you out of the HA or PP, but can maybe help on the DC if that is what you want to do.
You stated your weight was 8,500# but do you have a scaled tongue weight to go with that?
Do you tow with fresh water? That camper is listed out as 86 gallons fresh water system. That is 713# of weight to keep track of where it is.
When you have a 35' 6" long camper at the weights you have, and you towing with a DC, or and Equal-I-zer etc, the entire rig has to be optimized.
Tires can make or break the rig even on a good 3/4 ton truck like you have. What brand and size tire and what air pressure front and rear do you tow with? Also what pressure do you run on the camper?
Camper towing stance, is it level, nose up or nose down and by how much?
Do you have any fender heights, truck loaded unhitched, and then hitched with WD engaged? When it rides good but trailer sways and then when trailer is better but ride bad what are those fender heights?
When I hear this,
NC wrote:
Allowing more tongue weight (6 links) truck rides fine, but trailer sways. Semi's move me a LOT.
Transferring more to the front (5 links) truck rides horrible but trailer seems better.
Truck rides better with the weight.
6 links transferred only 200# at the scale.
It's like the DC needs more WD pressure than the truck does.
One link either way posses different issues. Neither are good.
This points to the camper maybe not balanced just right yet, truck tires being an issue and WD not set correct followed by possibly a nose high camper.
On the DC or Equal-I-zer for that matter, more load on the WD bars creates higher friction. That higher friction helps hold the trailer better but the truck WD needs to be right or the truck rides bad.
If you have them, or can get them, need to know the scaled weights with the truck loaded with camping gear with and without WD engaged and just the truck to help see where you are at.
When the truck rides bad, tell us what bad means? Is the bucking front to back or is the back of the truck rocking left to right?
I'm a DC guy as the HA or the PP are not heavy rated enough for my situation. The pullrite would be my only other option and I would have one if it did not derate the rest of the non WD towing so bad. That said, my TT is just under 10K GVW with a 1,600# TW and my truck tows it well. But I too had to finds it's sweat spot.
If you want to try and optimize what you have first and see if it gets you where you want you be, be glad to help. The DC will not fix all issues in a towing rig. The trailer and the truck have to do their part too.
Hope this helps
John
