# Propride 3p Hitch Mini-review



## Sayonara

I have been trying to limit my time on the computer at night. Consequently, I have not updated those who have been curious and have asked about my recent upgrade from the Equil-i-zer 1400 (now for sale







) to the ProPride 3P.

Here it goes - Ill try to make this a brief as possible.

First, ill start by saying, Sean at ProPride was great to work with!! You hear it from everyone who has purchased a ProPride 3P but it is certainly worth mentioning....after making a purchase such as this, knowing he provides his cell number, answers immediately, and is there if you need anything is a great benefit! Plus, he's just a great guy to talk to. I live 30 miles away so I visited him at the shop to pick my hitch up.

After contemplating whether this hitch would really be worth the money I finally decided to give it a try. I had our Equil-i-zer dialed in (after MANY adjustments) the best i could I was really looking for more in the way of stopping the seperate motions of the TV and TT during windy / passing vehicle situations. I never felt unsafe or excessive sway with the EQ i just wanted something better.

First Impression:
I setup/installed the hitch and went for a 50 mile drive. it worked. the TT was hooked up and being pulled behind me just as it should be.....great. the wind conditions, however, were calm and light traffic. I did notice that I didnt really "feel" the TT. Its hard to explain but at this point it almost felt as if there was a shock absorber between the TV and TT. Something i did not expect but thought was nice.

Second trip:
I drove to work with the rig all set up and after went up to Seans shop for him to check things out and give me more "seat time" with it before our 2800 mile trip to FL that was coming up in a few days. Leaving work I got on the freeway and quickly noticed how windy it was outside. I have always kept an eye on flags and tree tops to help gage the wind for trailering or boating so when I saw the large American Flag along the freeway standing straight out i knew i would get some good "feedback" on how the hitch would perform vs the last time I passed that flag with the EQ hitch. There is no question, you still feel the wind. That I was expecting. Physics would prove true and I would feel the push of the wind. It did and I slowly realized....I wasnt having to constantly counter the forces of the wind, stability felt much better as everything felt locked together and comfortable. slight adjustments of the wheel to keep the rig in line was all that was needed.
Remember, i now have used all types of hitches. I could claim that i only needed slight adjustments with the EQ hitch as well but this was definately different - no question.

2800 mile trip to FL and back:
This was the first time the DW was in the truck with the ProPride 3P hitch. at 4:00am we left the house and shortly after we got out of the subdivision she commented on the same thing i noticed in the beginning. She said, it doesnt feel like the TT is back there (this is coming from Mrs. Critical too







). The bumps and vibrations seem dampened in the hitch "head" design. We travelled 16 hours that day and i couldnt have been happier with how the hitch performed. it was a relatively smooth drive but was definately more comfortable than some shorter drives with the old hitch. On the way home, 8 days later we encountered windier conditions. The rig was definately pushed by the wind but there was no need to costantly "fight" the motion of the truck and trailer seperatley. it moved togehter as one unit and was comfortably managed with one hand if needed. No white knuckle driving like I had encountered occasionally before.

Couple things I am still dialing in though is the Weight Distribution and hitch/unhitching. I noticed that the TV squats more than I remember with the EQ when dialed in properly. I got to a point where I was getting too much weight on the front axle and the ride became harsh....but the back end was still squatting more than I remember. Now, we really were loaded up with stuff and a full water tank. Also, with the EQ, I loaded the front of the camper more to get as much weight on the EQ bars to help with sway control. I might need to redistribute that differently as the ProPride does not rely on WD to help with the sway control. This will also help reduce my really high TW. The unhitching process will take a little more practice. its not unmanageable by any means, its just a little different.

All-in-all im really happy. Your results, expectations, beliefs, opinions, comments, etc may vary but for me, it was money well spent.

I have now towed with all types of hitches, no WD or SC, friction bar SC, 4 pt SC, and now the Hensley/ProPride. I have had good experiences with all of them and they all have their place. For my current combination and experience over that last couple years, upgrading to the ProPride 3P really worked out for me.

Please let me know if you have any questions.


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## folsom_five

Great review DT. 
Like you, I went from the EQ to the Propride. I am still trying to get mine dialed in just right, and I figure by the end of the 1st week out on the road during our road trip I will get it "just right".
I also had very windy conditions during my 1st run out, and these weren't just small winds, but 30+ mph sustained and 45+ gusts. We were pushed around, but felt pretty much in control the whole time.
It took me a few times to get the hitching/unhitching process more manageable and I'm still working on it. I found that by lowering the jacks all the way down gives more freedom for the hitch head to move around while hitching back up, which makes things seem easier to me.
You will figure out what works best for you... it just takes time.

Oh yeah, Sean is the best when it comes to customer service!

--Greg


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## Nathan

Very nice review. Glad to hear it is working well for you!


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## clarkely

Nice Thorough review!!

I agree with Folsom five................I know the instructions say you do not need to lower all of the way...............but I have found that if I drop all of the way i am in and out quickly when hooking up.

I am experimenting with tilting the stinger back/down and adjusting the yolk tilted up in the front, to match the stinger, to see what affect pre-loading the bars a bit more will have on the ride............

Maybe Sean will chime in on whether that has been tried or if he has heard any feedback from doing that.......

Again....great review!!


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## Sayonara

clarkely said:


> I am experimenting with tilting the stinger back/down and adjusting the yolk tilted up in the front, to match the stinger, to see what affect pre-loading the bars a bit more will have on the ride............
> 
> Maybe Sean will chime in on whether that has been tried or if he has heard any feedback from doing that.......
> 
> Again....great review!!


I was thinking of tilting the stinger more as well. If i get the chance tonight, ill add a washer and see how it changes things before leaving tomorrow.


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## clarkely

Sayonara said:


> I am experimenting with tilting the stinger back/down and adjusting the yolk tilted up in the front, to match the stinger, to see what affect pre-loading the bars a bit more will have on the ride............
> 
> Maybe Sean will chime in on whether that has been tried or if he has heard any feedback from doing that.......
> 
> Again....great review!!


I was thinking of tilting the stinger more as well. If i get the chance tonight, ill add a washer and see how it changes things before leaving tomorrow.
[/quote]

I believe if you adjust the stinger you will need to adjust the "yolk" as well.....front up on it a bit as it is "married"once the singer joins and its hooked up...............so that when hitching and unhitching you are at the same angle..........


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## Sayonara

clarkely said:


> I am experimenting with tilting the stinger back/down and adjusting the yolk tilted up in the front, to match the stinger, to see what affect pre-loading the bars a bit more will have on the ride............
> 
> Maybe Sean will chime in on whether that has been tried or if he has heard any feedback from doing that.......
> 
> Again....great review!!


I was thinking of tilting the stinger more as well. If i get the chance tonight, ill add a washer and see how it changes things before leaving tomorrow.
[/quote]

I believe if you adjust the stinger you will need to adjust the "yolk" as well.....front up on it a bit as it is "married"once the singer joins and its hooked up...............so that when hitching and unhitching you are at the same angle..........
[/quote]

Yes, I agree...


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