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 the hitch itself and full propane and I'll be a good bit over the 1400# rating. Of course reps from both companies say I'll be fine but I would to hear from 'actual owners' who are towing heavy with these. Something about spending that kind of coin and be over the ratings on day one doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.

NC, I don't think the weight of the hitch itself factors into it's own rating. The dry hitch weight of your rig is listed as 870 lbs by Jayco...you really added a lot of weight up front. Is there any way to re-distribute weight and pack some some stuff behind the axles of the TT? Maybe store some lighter stuff under the front bed and move some heavier items to the rear?I extended the frame of our TT and added a storage box for the Honda 2000 and some other stuff:The good news is that both of these hitches are indifferent to tongue weight...in other words a heavy tongue is not needed to manage sway, the hitch uses the 4-bar linkage to keep the TT from swaying. The hitch won't allow the TT to sway regardless of how light the tongue is.There have been a few reported issues of a busted Hensley...one was from member carringb who blew his up towing a very heavy toy hauler with his van. When I say blew it up, it broke in half IIRC....here's the thread here on the forum discussing this about a year ago.My HA is only rated for 1200 lbs, they didn't certify it for a higher weight and make 1400 lb bars available till a few years after I got mine (mine is a 2002). Last time I calculated my tongue weight it was about 1200 lbs and I'm running 1200 lb bars on mine.The HA is designed with a bronze bushing in the hitch head where the spring bars insert. This bushing wears over time, and the closer to the limit you run, the faster it wears. I'm on my 3rd one right now. When it wears, the spring bar holes elongate and you have to crank the bars up more to get the same level of weight distribution. The good news is that this sacrificial bushing is easy to change and prevents damage to the hitch itself. I'm not sure if the PP has the same (or maybe a better) design.Off the top of my head I don't think that you would have issues running either hitch at your current tongue weight...but since the heavy tongue is what's causing the ride issues in the truck, I would look for ways to lighten the tongue. As I said, either hitch does not allow the TT to sway regardless of how light the tongue is.On edit, I found the thread on the wear bushings.

CampingN.C. wrote:...snip.... Of course reps from both companies say I'll be fine but I would to hear from 'actual owners' who are towing heavy with these. ....snip........Those "reps" might be related to the ones who told me that a certain trailer was "half ton towable". Anything to make a sale. Why have ratings at all?

snip"The dry hitch weight of your rig is listed as 870 lbs by Jayco...you really added a lot of weight up front. "Funny, that's the same thing Sean at ProPride said too. Jayco isn't even in the ball park with the numbers they have online. The yellow shipping/unloaded sticker is 8200#. That's 1000# over UL weight online. Over on the Jayco forum people have posted seeing published tongue weights around 1100# years ago, and nothing has changed on the floor plan at all over the years. All I have up front is some decking boards, sewer/water gear etc, can't really see changing much. When I hit the scales I was a 8500#, that's only 300 over the shipping weight sticker, very little in camper. It's just that heavy.

I towed my previous RV with a Hensley hitch. I had a platform on the rear similar to what Burbman posted. I arranged my cargo to keep my TW in the 1250-1300# area.I used 1400# bars and never had any issues.After reading CarringB post I was careful to keep my TW in check.In your case your TW is awfully heavy. I would be concerned about the hitch.If you still have the OEM hitch receiver on the truck I would be concerned about it as well.GM trucks of that era had notoriously weak hitches.In the end I would verify the rating on the trucks hitch and if it is the OEM original I would get an aftermarket hitch.I would also keep the Hensley within its 1400# rating. I don't believe the sky will fall if you exceed 1400 pounds just a bit. But I would not ignore the 14000 rating altogether.

Good point from Lantley, I just re read your original post and the 1350 doesnt include propane so you really are close or over the 1400 lb rating.If I understand the issue you are having, heavy tongue weight causes the bad ride in the truck, and offloading tongue weight via the WD hitch then makes the TT want to sway. It sounds like you need to find a way to lighten hthe tongue, then use either the HA or PP to ensure that it doesnt sway. But using the HA or PP requires that you lighten the tongue anyway to stay within the ratings of the hitch. Kind of demonstartes what I said in that other thad about sway control, not every TT is designed with the best interests of weight and balance in mind. Ideally you could install a storage box or something at the rear of the TT to offload the tongue some.

Hensley/Propride over tongue weight ratings. | Good Sam Community

62 Replies

TomG2
Explorer
Jan 02, 2015
CampingN.C. wrote:
...snip....
Of course reps from both companies say I'll be fine but I would to hear from 'actual owners' who are towing heavy with these.
....snip........

Those "reps" might be related to the ones who told me that a certain trailer was "half ton towable". Anything to make a sale. Why have ratings at all?
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jan 02, 2015
NC, I don't think the weight of the hitch itself factors into it's own rating.

The dry hitch weight of your rig is listed as 870 lbs by Jayco...you really added a lot of weight up front. Is there any way to re-distribute weight and pack some some stuff behind the axles of the TT? Maybe store some lighter stuff under the front bed and move some heavier items to the rear?

I extended the frame of our TT and added a storage box for the Honda 2000 and some other stuff:

The good news is that both of these hitches are indifferent to tongue weight...in other words a heavy tongue is not needed to manage sway, the hitch uses the 4-bar linkage to keep the TT from swaying. The hitch won't allow the TT to sway regardless of how light the tongue is.

There have been a few reported issues of a busted Hensley...one was from member carringb who blew his up towing a very heavy toy hauler with his van. When I say blew it up, it broke in half IIRC....here's the thread here on the forum discussing this about a year ago.

My HA is only rated for 1200 lbs, they didn't certify it for a higher weight and make 1400 lb bars available till a few years after I got mine (mine is a 2002). Last time I calculated my tongue weight it was about 1200 lbs and I'm running 1200 lb bars on mine.

The HA is designed with a bronze bushing in the hitch head where the spring bars insert. This bushing wears over time, and the closer to the limit you run, the faster it wears. I'm on my 3rd one right now. When it wears, the spring bar holes elongate and you have to crank the bars up more to get the same level of weight distribution. The good news is that this sacrificial bushing is easy to change and prevents damage to the hitch itself. I'm not sure if the PP has the same (or maybe a better) design.

Off the top of my head I don't think that you would have issues running either hitch at your current tongue weight...but since the heavy tongue is what's causing the ride issues in the truck, I would look for ways to lighten the tongue. As I said, either hitch does not allow the TT to sway regardless of how light the tongue is.

On edit, I found the thread on the wear bushings.

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Hensley/Propride over tongue weight ratings.

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