New ('09) LX, New Trailer, New ProPride ... Help! (1 Viewer)

[bmccall]

Hi All,

First post here. TONS of great helpful information on the site. I've learned so very much!

We are converting a new cargo trailer (8.5x16 Interstate Loadrunner) into a travel trailer. We did not have a vehicle capable of towing said trailer, so we purchased a 2009 LX 570 (with only 47k miles!!) after doing a multi-state search and having the truck shipped to us from North Carolina. Since I get super car sick, we wanted zero sway, so we went back and forth between Hensley and ProPride. Both have long shipping times right now (and we have a trip planned in early October), so we ended up finding a used ProPride several hours away (with 1,400 bars which are total overkill for us). Trailer was about 2,500 lbs delivered (250 lb tongue).

We're new the car, new to the trailer, and new to the hitch. I didn't see too many ProPride posts (I did search), so I'm hoping one or more of the experts can help (we're also new to towing anything larger than a 5x8 trailer).

When reading the LX manual, it says when towing over 4k pounds, you have to do that in low (with the AHC turned off). Is that how you all do it? (this is not PP specific)

For the ProPride specifically, how do you determine the height to set the adjustment bolts on the hitch extension? Do you do that in N or L? Do you move the car to N or L and turn off the AHC and do the measurements and the calculations with the car at that height? We're pretty confused about how to do the configuration as the numbers assume your car doesn't adjust up and down by itself.

Also, for the ProPride -- we have the 1,400 bars (as that was the only used one for sale). Right now our trailer has about 400 lbs tongue weight (we are still in the early stages of converting things). Brent at ProPride said not to worry about it, they would still work, just don't crank them very much. Does that sound okay?

Thanks so very much for the help!

Also, we ordered the Redarc v3 brake controller from Australia and installed it in the cigarette holder. I think it turned out well.

It was a little scary (for me) ripping the car apart to get to the wires and to remove the console:

 

[CharlieS]

Welcome and congratulations. Nice job on the stealth Redarc install.

I've towed thousands (car on trailer) using my 200 series without anything other than a regular hitch. The Propride bars sound like overkill.

 

[TeCKis300]

Excellent job on that brake controller install. I like it! I look forward to what you're doing to convert the cargo trailer as well.

To answer your questions - let AHC do its thing. There's no position to select, turn-off, or configure other than to throw the trailer on and let it work it's magic. Other than to use it to your advantage and lower and raise as necessary to hitch up. As it self levels, it will be harder to setup WD tension by static measurement. You could do it via commercial scales. My trailer is 28' and just over 1200 lbs tongue. Plus we load in another 600-800lbs worth of people and gear, so it is easily up to task for your application even if not setup exactly.

You already know this but the PPP type hitch and 1400 bars is way way overkill for the application. The LX570 is inherently a stable towing platform. Trailer length is the significant variable to sway and your cargo trailer is well within reasonable length. That said, it can work. You'll just generally dial in less WD tension.

First thing to do is to get the trailer setup and let everything level. As the LX suspension will not sag, make sure the trailer sits level at normal AHC height.

Set WD by driving feel. You'll again generally want to dial in less WD tension on account of the light trailer and 1400 bars. Use the jacks to put some tension and visible bend in the WD bars. Probably ~1" deflection. Further dial in by feel. If your steering feels loose or you want more sway resistance, it's easy on the Propride to dial in more. You'll feel a point of diminishing returns and back it off further from there. Again, your trailer is much lighter and bars are way stiffer that you probably won't need much WD applied.

Note that AHC lowers itself about 1" at 65mph. This is helpful as it has the effect of dynamically increasing WD tension at higher speeds, just when it's needed. So one can leave static WD tension a bit less for more articulation at lower speeds and uneven pavement.

Enjoy!

 

[Dan Higgins]

I agree with everything @TeCKis300 said. That said, we have a 2016 LC rather than an LX. Our ProPride has 1,000lbs bars but we are towing a 5700#, 24’ trailerw/ 700# of tongue weight (and even then they may be a bit of overkill. There is a lot of good information on the internet about using the ProPride but most of it is in the Airstream trailer forums from a few years back. One thing that I found very useful is a backup camera that I can place on the PP3 “stinger” that is therefore centered. It’s probably just me but I could never get used to lining up the stinger and the main hitch unit with the off-center position of the rear view camera on our LC. I set up this temporary backup camera only when backing up. Then I take one of those long, yellow rods used for aligning your trailer and vehicle when lining up that has a magnet on one end. Using the magnet I connect it to the “lower lip” of the opening on the PP3 main unit so that I can easily see if I am lined up. (My backup camera looks down on the stinger and I can see if the stinger is aligned with the yellow rod and how close the stinger is to the opening.)

 

[Bomar]

I towed my Kimberley Karavan 3k miles or so less than a few weeks of buying our 200. Loaded it is 5k+ and had zero issues.

Hooked up and rolled out.....I am sure drove faster than I should but the 200 is rock solid.

I used the s*** out of radar cruise while towing also....didn't know you could go to regular cruise until I got back.

Don't sweat it AHC is awesome....very awesome. Loved it in our 470 as well.

 

[bmccall]

Thanks so much for the helpful and supportive comments! I will say that up until our trip, my husband was REALLY cranky about the propride hitch. It was quite a large PITA to install (in some cases because we bought used). However, after 24 hours of towing (in the rain, with 45mph wind gusts, with semis zipping by, on narrow winding steep roads), he agreed that it was the right call to purchase. We had an *extremely* smooth towing experience. We could barely feel the trailer in most cases. I have to say that I had no issues driving, even in less than ideal circumstances (and I was pretty apprehensive about it). Even hitching up on uneven ground was pretty straightforward by using the WD bars to raise and lower the pitch of the head of the receiver.

The one issue we had (which hopefully somebody can address), is that near the end of our trip a semi zoomed by really close and our drivers side mirror (with the towing extension) flipped *forward* towards the hood. We pulled over and corrected it, but another semi went by while we were still on the side of the freeway and it flipped again. We ended up having to remove the towing mirror ... luckily we were almost home. It seems like the mirror shouldn't flip forward. Is something broken inside?

Here we are on our property in VT where we camped for a week in our stealth travel trailer:

 

[Dan Higgins]

It looks like you are using the same mirror extensions that we do. BUT, we have the support rod mounted to the top of the Land Cruiser mirror. With it mounted at the top, the weight of the mirror itself is hanging down and therefore less sensitive to wind blowing it around. Did that make sense?

 

[TeCKis300]

I likewise have mine clamped from the upper side of the mirror.

I had similar issues on a really windy day. Perhaps another adjustment is to bring the mirrors about 1" closer in via the extension rods to reduce wind leverage. That seems to have completely fixed my issue and I haven't had the mirror pop out of place in a couple years. A trick while in motion it to use the automatic folding function to reset its position.

 

[Ratchey]

The one issue we had (which hopefully somebody can address), is that near the end of our trip a semi zoomed by really close and our drivers side mirror (with the towing extension) flipped *forward* towards the hood. We pulled over and corrected it, but another semi went by while we were still on the side of the freeway and it flipped again. We ended up having to remove the towing mirror ... luckily we were almost home. It seems like the mirror shouldn't flip forward. Is something broken inside?

This thread might help address your mirror issue if this hasn't been fixed previously

Need help with right mirror

Got the screw set and new plastic cover for both sides and installed per the TSB. Both my side mirrors were "twitching" which seemed more like an electrical problem. Dealership suggested to replace both side mirror assemblies at significant expense. So far so good but time will tell. Dave...

forum.ih8mud.com

As far as what you read in the manual about towing in low, I think what it states is when hooking up, you set it in low, then when you are hitched up you set it to N to complete the setup. Then when unhitching, you set the trailer stand down, then set it to low to lower the vehicle from the hitch so you can pull forward. Towing itself is done in N.