willald
NC
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Joined: 07/15/2002
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Quote:The PP hitch replaces the struts with a "yolk" assembly. The yolk assembly is just a different means of preventing the coupler from rotating relatively to the ball. The PP modification does nothing to prevent the TT from pushing against the linkage. So, I see no reason to believe that the PP hitch and the HA would have any significant difference in their "bump" characteristics.
..I'm not going to get into a 20 page discussion with you about the physics involved, of a hitch that hasnt even been built yet. Just suffice it to say, YES, it is an improvement to the bump issue, but just how much remains to be seen.
Quote:The HA's shear bolts and frame brackets are designed to shear and slip in order to protect the linkage from damage due to overload. The yolk assembly of the PP hitch also has a "breakaway" feature which is described in Post #86:
QUOTE
---The weak point is in the frame bracket that accepts the yoke tail. One of the down down tubes, on the side of the yoke tail, is only welded on ONE side and the yoke will pry that space apart if the hitch stop is reached.---
UNQUOTE
..Actually if you read further in there, you will read where Sean says he is thinking about taking another approach, as to how to design in a better 'failure' point for that yoke, that will be easier to repair if you accidentally push a turn too far and break it.
Quote:Perhaps we'll get more information later which explains how his "yolk" design is an improvement over the HA struts.
Well, one of the improvements the yoke provides, is the fact that you no longer have to worry about U bolts slipping and letting the hitch pivot where it should not. Such was known to happen with the old design.
Also, Sean kind of hinted at how its an improvement with respect to the bump, when he said how they have not been able to reproduce the 'bump', now that the yoke holds things in place from inside the A frame, not along the outside edges of the A frame as the struts do presently. Now, whether or not that makes a significant difference, here again, we'll have to wait and see.
Will
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BarneyS
S.E. Lower Michigan
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Joined: 10/16/2000
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Willald wrote:Also, Sean kind of hinted at how its an improvement with respect to the bump, when he said how they have not been able to reproduce the 'bump', now that the yoke holds things in place from inside the A frame, not along the outside edges of the A frame as the struts do presently. Now, whether or not that makes a significant difference, here again, we'll have to wait and see.
Yes, we will have to wait and see. Personally, I cannot see how the strut vs yoke can have any bearing whatsoever on whether the bump occurs or not.
Barney
2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch
2002 Ford F250 Super Duty, 7.3L PSD
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carringb
Corvallis, OR
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Joined: 07/28/2003
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USAntigoon wrote:
You mind to share your GVWR of the Weekend Warrior FSW 3400 (41' actual length)..
Okay... I'll admit. It's a heavy trailer. 14,000 loaded but without toys. More important is tongue weight. 2100 totally empty except fresh water. Probably about 2600 when I left home on the trip the Hensley broke. When I left the first campground with all full tanks (incl. wast since no hookups/dump) it was probably about 3200 pounds.
Bryan
2000 Ford E350 DRW Wagon (14-pass all captains chairs)
V10 w/ Banks PowerPack, Diablo Predator, 4.56 LS, 300,000+ miles
Had: Weekend Warrior 41' FSW
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USAntigoon
USA
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Joined: 11/24/2007
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May be Hensley Mfg. and ProPride Inc should use your set up as a "field test" resource..If nothing breaks, bent or cracks then one knows how far to push the limits.. Reading the Hensley Mfg. website they recommend 1,400 lbs max tongue weight..????
USAntigoon
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wayne_tw
South Dakota/Georgia
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trop-a-cal wrote:Just looked at it on your link. First thought is it is levering your tongue weight as it is to far back from the which receiver. It looks like it is built for something that was not designed right on the trailer. The sway bars look to inboard. What are the testing results,if any were done?
I can't understand what this post means???????????????
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wayne_tw
South Dakota/Georgia
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carringb wrote:USAntigoon wrote:
You mind to share your GVWR of the Weekend Warrior FSW 3400 (41' actual length)..
Okay... I'll admit. It's a heavy trailer. 14,000 loaded but without toys. More important is tongue weight. 2100 totally empty except fresh water. Probably about 2600 when I left home on the trip the Hensley broke. When I left the first campground with all full tanks (incl. wast since no hookups/dump) it was probably about 3200 pounds.
No wonder the Hensley broke. Its maximum hitch rating is 1400 lbs. You loaded it at over 2 times its rated capacity. Very hard to blame the Hensley for that! Very easy to blame the operator for that! Very commendable of Hensley to honor their warranty under these conditions.
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carringb
Corvallis, OR
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This was covered a long time ago... Qhick Rehash: Hensley gave me the green light for my setup when I tried to to return the hitch. I got the hitch before the trailer. When the trailer came in, I weighed it first thing (WW had not built one like this before, so no idea on the weight). SInce it was overweight, i tried to return the hitch, but was assured by Hensley that it would work and the only reason for the 1400/14000 rating was because that's all most receivers are rated for.
I'm now using a Reese hitch now with no issues on the 2nd one (The first Reese did break but had a defect. I have nearly 5,000 miles on the 2nd Reese).
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Ron Gratz
full time RVer
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Joined: 12/27/2003
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willald wrote:..I'm not going to get into a 20 page discussion with you about the physics involved, of a hitch that hasnt even been built yet. Just suffice it to say, YES, it is an improvement to the bump issue, but just how much remains to be seen.
Will, I'm afraid this post might also be misleading. Why are you saying that the ProPride hitch hasn't even been built yet? If it hasn't been built yet, how can you know there will be an improvement to the "bump issue"?
Photos of the new hitch have been posted. Orders are being taken, so I assume at least a prototype has been built and tested.
In fairness to ProPride, can you clarify what you mean when you refer to, "a hitch that hasnt even been built yet"?
Ron
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willald
NC
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Joined: 07/15/2002
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Ron Gratz wrote:willald wrote:..I'm not going to get into a 20 page discussion with you about the physics involved, of a hitch that hasnt even been built yet. Just suffice it to say, YES, it is an improvement to the bump issue, but just how much remains to be seen.
Will, I'm afraid this post might also be misleading. Why are you saying that the ProPride hitch hasn't even been built yet? If it hasn't been built yet, how can you know there will be an improvement to the "bump issue"?
Photos of the new hitch have been posted. Orders are being taken, so I assume at least a prototype has been built and tested.
In fairness to ProPride, can you clarify what you mean when you refer to, "a hitch that hasnt even been built yet"?
Ron
Well, first off, my words so far are probably some of the only ones that have been 'In fairness to ProPride'. 
Anyway, yes, you're right, its very clear that there are some prototypes out there. Didnt mean to suggest otherwise.
I meant by 'hasnt been built yet', the fact that none are being shipped yet, and nobody actually has one yet (except for maybe a select few testing prototypes that they have built). And, the fact that Sean is *still* discussing changing some things about its design, all really goes to show that its way, way too early to be drawing conclusions about this hitch.
As I've said several times in this thread, lets refrain from drawing the major conclusions about what this hitch will or won't do, until the hitch starts shipping, and we have some words of experience from people actually towing with it. 
Will
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ronandkelly
Michigan
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Joined: 12/18/2007
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Sean Woodruff was never president of Hensley...he was Vice President of Marketing, this is a big difference. He never had control of anything else at the company.
* This post was
edited 12/18/07 04:44pm by an administrator/moderator *
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