Hitch shopping, recommendations?

[JaycoRickJoan]

Yes, I know this is an age old question, and of course the hitch you have is the best, but I will still ask...
I have a 2005 GMC Sierra 2500hd pulling a 2005 Jayco FKS322 32' bumper pull. I could not tell you what brand of hitch I currently have, it's the hitch the dealer installed for this combo, but it is nothing special, chain bar weight distro, friction sway control. It does ok but I know there is better and after pulling this rig for 10 years, I am looking for something that provides safer smoother pulling. My confidence level on a 10 year old hitch is not high, and I am ready to upgrade. We are not intending on getting a new truck or trailer in the near future. A few years back I considered Hensley but didn't pull the trigger. Have not seen much about Hensley on any forums recently so I'm not sure if that fad has come and gone. We are not full time RV'ers, just recreational 2x a year long trips and maybe 1x a month local campers.
Bottom line, I want smooth, safe pulling.
Let's hear your recommendations. Ready..... Go.

[texasAUtiger]

JaycoRickJoan wrote:
Well,took the leap and ordered a Pro Pride 3P hitch. It will be here tomorrow. A little anxious on the install but I will download the manual and take my time. Don't think I'll have it installed and adjusted in time for our cross country trip in a couple weeks. Only one weekend open between now and departure.

I am considering taking the same plunge so insure would appreciate your keeping us posted both on the installation and the results thereafter.

[JaycoRickJoan]

Well,took the leap and ordered a Pro Pride 3P hitch. It will be here tomorrow. A little anxious on the install but I will download the manual and take my time. Don't think I'll have it installed and adjusted in time for our cross country trip in a couple weeks. Only one weekend open between now and departure.

[chracatoa]

One more vote for ProPride. I would never go back. I'm all thumbs so it took me 2 days by myself but taking long breaks (I wasn't in a hurry).

[RinconVTR]

JaycoRickJoan wrote:
Leaning towards ProPride. For those who have them, they sell direct and are installed by end user. How difficult of an install was it?

I did a recent write up on the two, which has sort of been done before, just not exactly how I laid it all out. And there are many...many...many forum discussions on these two.

Hensley vs Propride

I state the a clear winner isn't obvious, but if I were to do it all over again, I would buy a Propride. Not Hensley.

[badercubed]

I have a 9500lbs +/- TT that I pull with a 3/4 ton truck. I use a BlueOx SwayPro and so far, so good. Install was easy as well.

[Bedlam]

I used a Curt bottom end WDH with friction bar on my F250 and 11.5k lb toy hauler with no stability issues towing that combo for 80k+ miles. I sold the toy hauler and switched to a 10k lb enclosed trailer and truck camper. The trailer tracks so well, I do not sway control connected. Eventually the hitch head wore where the spring bars attached and had to be replaced (about 90k miles on the WDH). I now have about 25k miles on a Harbor Freight WDH towing the enclosed trailer with the last 5k miles towed by my 5500.

If you have the hitch set up properly and the tow combination properly proportioned, you do not have spend a lot money or effort on stability. My toy hauler sat higher and had taller side walls which caught more air when passed by large vehicles. This was the only reason for the friction slide, otherwise it towed true with just the WDH.

[elidodge]

I went from the Reese dual cam straeghtline to the ProPride,best move I ever made

[itguy08]

My vote would be for the Equalizer. Lets us pull our 35' Open Range LT272RLS with a Max Tow F150 with confidence.

Once dialed in the setup to go is a snap. Even have the wife doing it now!

[bikendan]

APT wrote:
I see the WDH market in 3 tiers. Basic WDH with optional friction sway control ~$300. WDH with integrated sway control for about $500 (Equal-i-zer 4pt, Reese Strait Line, BlueOx Swaypro, Annderson), and the tier at $2000-3000 (PullRite, Propride, Hensley). Anyone report from a person who has used an example from more than one tier has said the next higher tier is noticeably improved in terms of towing stability.

I recommend at least the middle tier for TT owners.

x2!
IMHO, the top tier ones are only worth the extra money if you are towing with a short wheelbase vehicle or a less than capable tow vehicle.

The OP has a capable tow vehicle so APT's recommendation is spot on.

[gtsum]

If I had bumper pull I would use Hensley or propride without a doubt

[RobWNY]

The install isn't difficult but it does take a few hours with a helper, longer without one. A couple of the bolts need to be torqued down to 250 Ft/Lbs so you will need a torque wrench that will torque that high. I bought the TEKTON 24340 1/2-Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 25-250-Foot/Pound from Amazon. It was $59
Like I said earlier, it was the best decision I made and since then, I have been in 40mph crosswinds and severe thunderstorms in the middle of construction where the road was one lane and not very wide. I never felt like I was in danger of being out of control.

[CampingN_C_]

Do you know what the tongue weight of your camper is? I would guess it's in the 1500lb plus range with the front slide and kitchen. I myself was seriously considering the ProPride and Hensley and didn't feel comfortable going over their max tongue weight rating, I even spoke to Sean about it. I just couldn't see spending that money knowing I'd be over the rating day one. My camper is around 1450-1500 on the tongue, betting yours is more.
I went with the Reese DC with 1500lb bars. Also, you may need to look at replacing your truck receiver, if you haven't already done so. I got a B&W from etrailer for around $150, we have the same truck.

[icanon]

If and when you do order one email Sean before ordering tell him what TT and TV you have and he'll advise you which model to order. I'm glad I did cause I would have ordered the wrong WD bars.

One other thing to think about are the safety chains, break away brake cable and harness may need extending, in my case it was just the safety chains. You would need approximately 6-9in longer.

[icanon]

JaycoRickJoan wrote:
Leaning towards ProPride. For those who have them, they sell direct and are installed by end user. How difficult of an install was it?

I installed by myself, had to modify my propane tank seating plate. So, in all it took me about 8 hrs, I took my time. I down loaded the manual prior to receiving my Propride and read it to get familiar. It wasn't that hard but two people would have made things a little easier.
I did have to call Sean at Propride once and just to confirm something in manual that I wasn't quite sure of.

Some people say it is expensive but when you look at it we don't hesitate on spending tens of thousands dollars on our TV and TT so why not buy something that I consider an investment in the safety of my family and the safety of others on the the road.