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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor Dale G's Avatar
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    Propride hitch thump

    So I got the Propride Hitch set up where it has finally stopped my Imagine 2370MK from swaying, thanks to all of Sean’s help. But now I have a thump whenever I am maneuvering at slow speeds. It seems to be whenever I make a turn at slow speed then come to a stop, then when I take off it feels like it slides then reaches the end of its slop with a thump. In other words the truck starts moving first and not the trailer, then when trailer starts moving it has a very pronounced thump. Kind of the same effect as if you were towing something with a chain, when the slack comes out of the chain you get a thump as your load starts to move. I can’t seem to figure out what is causing it. I towed with the hitch numerous times and it never did this until the last two camping trips. If I was a betting man I would say the hitch gets out of alignment when you are maneuvering then when you take off the thump is when it slaps back in alignment behind the truck. But I don’t understand why it has just started.

    Anyone else have this experience with this hitch, and if so how did you get rid of it? Is it something to be concerned with or just leave it alone?

    Thanks,
    Dale
    Dale & Tammy
    Retired U. S Army and Retired Helicopter Pilot
    2021 Ford F-350, 6.7L Diesel, 4x4, Lariat Ultimate
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  2. #2
    King Pin
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    I understand this is a common occurrence with both the Hensley and ProPride hitches. From my understanding it's harmless.

    It actually has a name for the noise. It's called the "Hensley
    Bump". You can do an internet search for the term and find a lot of information about it.

    Jim

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor Jerryr's Avatar
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    You are going to love the difference with sway control with your ProPride.

    Try to increase your trailer brake controller gain a little.

    What is happening is that the truck brake engage more than the trailer and the hitch allows the trailer to move closer to the truck due to the unique linkage. Then when you start up there is some slack that gets taken up and you feel the bump. It’s normal.

    With a Ford OEM trailer brake controller you may not be able to eliminate the bump because of the way it works. Most recent Ford brake controllers will not engage trailer brakes unless you have reached above 10 mph. The reason for this is to make maneuvering when parking lots or in a campgrounds easier.
    Jerry & Linda
    Emma & Abby our Mini Golden Doodles & JR our Amazon Parrot
    2017 Reflection 337RLS, Build Date 01/2017, Titan Disk Brakes, Goodyear G614s 235/85/16 G Rated tires
    2022 F-450 King Ranch Ultimate, 4,868 lb Payload, Bedrug Bedliner, Andersen Ultimate II Aluminum 5th wheel hitch
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  4. #4
    Site Sponsor Dale G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TucsonJim View Post
    I understand this is a common occurrence with both the Hensley and ProPride hitches. From my understanding it's harmless.

    It actually has a name for the noise. It's called the "Hensley
    Bump". You can do an internet search for the term and find a lot of information about it.

    Jim
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerryr View Post
    You are going to love the difference with sway control with your ProPride.

    Try to increase your trailer brake controller gain a little.

    What is happening is that the truck brake engage more than the trailer and the hitch allows the trailer to move closer to the truck due to the unique linkage. Then when you start up there is some slack that gets taken up and you feel the bump. It’s normal.

    With a Ford OEM trailer brake controller you may not be able to eliminate the bump because of the way it works. Most recent Ford brake controllers will not engage trailer brakes unless you have reached above 10 mph. The reason for this is to make maneuvering when parking lots or in a campgrounds easier.
    Thanks for the information. I read a lot about the Hensley Bump but couldn’t find anything on the ProPride. I talked to Sean at ProPride and he said that their hitch did not due the bump. But it definitely feels like the trailer runs up on the truck creating slack and then when you start off again the slack comes out and gives a bump. It reminds me of pulling a car with a chain, when you reach the end of the slack in the chain you get a jolt as the car you are towing starts to move. It also does not do it if you stop straight, it is only when you stop at an angle.
    I have put my gain all the way to 10 and it still does it. I tend to agree it might be the design of the Ford brake controller. I have noticed that when you start to brake the controller is very aggressive and you can feel the trailer pull back on the truck. But right before you come to a complete stop you can feel the trailer brakes release making you brake more with the truck. It is probably to make for a smoother stop. I have a feeling it is allowing the trailer to push the hitch sideways when you are coming to a stop at an angle and making the hitch rotate forward and cause slop in the hitch. Then when you start back up the slack comes out and gives the jolt I am feeling.
    If my wife wasn’t afraid to drive the truck with the trailer attached I would go to a big parking lot and ride on the back and watch to see if this is what was actually happening.
    Dale
    Dale & Tammy
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  5. #5
    King Pin
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    That's interesting that Sean would disavow the bump. I had ordered a new ProPride hitch and while I was waiting on it I found out about the bump. I cancelled the order because of it. At the time, Sean acknowledged it can happen on his hitches too. In fact, the two hitches are nearly identical in design and function since they were both designed by Hensley.

    Jim

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor Dale G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TucsonJim View Post
    That's interesting that Sean would disavow the bump. I had ordered a new ProPride hitch and while I was waiting on it I found out about the bump. I cancelled the order because of it. At the time, Sean acknowledged it can happen on his hitches too. In fact, the two hitches are nearly identical in design and function since they were both designed by Hensley.

    Jim
    If that is what it actually is I can live with it. I am just concerned that it didn’t do it at first, multiple trips out, and now the last two trips it has started. We were making changes to help stop the sway and it made me think it was one of those changes that caused it. So I put it back the way it was and it still did the bump. So I am hoping that this is the normal bump and it just took a few trips for it to strart.

    Dale
    Dale & Tammy
    Retired U. S Army and Retired Helicopter Pilot
    2021 Ford F-350, 6.7L Diesel, 4x4, Lariat Ultimate
    2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK (sold)
    2022 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS

  7. #7
    Setting Up Camp rfinley's Avatar
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    Set up a Prodigy P3 controller so the trailer brakes a little before the truck. My P3 is set to 4.5 and it eliminated the Propride
    bump. I have to say I'm lov'in this hitch !!

  8. #8
    Site Sponsor Dale G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rfinley View Post
    Set up a Prodigy P3 controller so the trailer brakes a little before the truck. My P3 is set to 4.5 and it eliminated the Propride
    bump. I have to say I'm lov'in this hitch !!
    My stock Ford controller applies the trailer brakes before the truck, that part is not the problem. It feels like the truck decreases the brakes on the trailer to where the truck is doing most of the stopping right before you come to a stop and I think that is what is setting it up to bump when I take back off. I am no brake engineer but it seems to make sense.

    Dale
    Dale & Tammy
    Retired U. S Army and Retired Helicopter Pilot
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    2022 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS

  9. #9
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Mine did what you noted, and it seemed to be primarily at low speed, at an angle - like negotiating campground roads. I found that it was my safety chains tightening up, and hitting the underside of the hitch in cases where the road was uneven - small changes where the truck was going up hill, while the trailer was going downhill, like a rut in the road or even speedbumps. I thought I had the clearance that PP noted in their manual, but adding another link in length cured the issue.

    I've never had the true "Hensley Bump" on mine.
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
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  10. #10
    Site Sponsor Dale G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sande005 View Post
    Mine did what you noted, and it seemed to be primarily at low speed, at an angle - like negotiating campground roads. I found that it was my safety chains tightening up, and hitting the underside of the hitch in cases where the road was uneven - small changes where the truck was going up hill, while the trailer was going downhill, like a rut in the road or even speedbumps. I thought I had the clearance that PP noted in their manual, but adding another link in length cured the issue.

    I've never had the true "Hensley Bump" on mine.
    That is a very good possibility. I will try adding another link on each side. This started when we added additional washers on the head angle pin which rotated the head down more and it tightened the chains. I had already lengthened the chains by one link, but maybe it needs another. It is worth trying since I never had this problem before adding the washers.
    Thanks,
    Dale
    Dale & Tammy
    Retired U. S Army and Retired Helicopter Pilot
    2021 Ford F-350, 6.7L Diesel, 4x4, Lariat Ultimate
    2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK (sold)
    2022 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS

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