Gosh, how time flies. We’ve had our ProPride Hitch for 11 years and it is the best investment we have made for towing. The best being defined as safety and convenience. 

On our last camping trip we past the 25,000 mile mark with our ProPride trailer hitch. 

For a detailed explanation of how this hitch works, see my ProPride 20,000 Mile Update post back in 2021.

You might observe that in three years we have only towed 5,000 miles. It doesn’t seem like much, but most of our trips are around 300 miles round trip. Given that we camp a minimum of 2 weeks, and usually camp for a month at a time, we are averaging 3 months of camping per year since we retired. 

Advantages of the ProPride

I have written several posts about this hitch, so I’ll just list the advantages:

• Connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle is much quicker than a conventional ball hitch
• Incredibly easy to adjust the Weight Distribution using the WD Jacks
• Eliminates trailer sway (probably the most important advantage)

Disadvantages of the ProPride

• The drawbar (or stinger) sticks out much further than a conventional unit when the trailer is disconnected and it is better (and safer) to remove it when not towing 
• The drawbar weighs around 50 pounds

Maintenance Tips

You’ll need to assemble a few things. If you tow more than 1,000 miles on a trip, it is a good idea to store them in your trailer.

• Multi-purpose grease and grease gun (14oz. or 3 oz.)
• Silicone spray
• 3-IN-ONE oil (only if you have the Version 1 WD Jacks)

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14 oz. Cartridge Grease Gun

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Valvoline Crimson #2 Heavy Duty (HD) Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

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(or ) 3 oz. Cartridge Grease Gun

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Lubrication Spray and Oil

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3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil, 3 OZ

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Staying Clean

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Lube the Spring Bar Outer Bushings

The only maintenance item identified in my ProPride manual was the spring bar outer bushings. The manual states they should be greased every 1,000 miles or if any noises come from the hitch during turns.

Grease fittings (two) are pre-installed on the hitch. You want to use a multi-purpose grease for this. I typically lube mine around every 500-600 miles, which is about the length of two average camping trips (roundtrip) for us. When we return home, lubing the bushing is part of my normal routine. For longer trips, I lube them while traveling. It just takes a few minutes to do.

Just attach the grease gun to the fitting and start pumping until a little grease starts to seep out of the bottom of the spring bar bushing housing. You’ll want to wear disposal gloves and use some heavy-duty paper towels to clean the excess grease that will seep out.

At home I use a standard size manual grease gun that is also used for things other than our ProPride Hitch. When traveling I bring a mini 3 ounce cartridge grease gun, that takes up much less space.

Lubricate Moving Parts

Just about any multi-purpose spray lubricant should work. At home I have many kinds of different spray lubricants that are stored together in a cabinet. This helps keep the removable nozzles in one place. On the road I like to use WD-40 products with a folding built-in spray nozzle. 

I don’t lubricate the moving parts often, usually about once a year. Areas to lube include:

• Hitch opening for the drawbar
• Hitch drawbar
• Main hitch assembly pivot points
• Yoke tail
• Over center hitch latches (all moving parts)

Hitch Opening and Drawbar

Main Hitch Head

I find that over time the Main Hitch Head gets “sticky.” The hitch head (when disconnected from the tow vehicle) should easily move from side to side. Easily moving the hitch head facilitates lining the hitch to the drawbar when connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle. If the head doesn’t move easily it is time to lubricate the pivot points.

Yoke Tail

The very back of the Yoke Tail slides as needed when towing. This moving point should be lubricated also.

Over Center Hitch Tabs

The Over Center Hitch Tabs secure the ProPride Hitch to the the drawbar. This is an ingenious design to quickly secure the hitch to the tow vehicle. The pivot arm on each side of the Main Hitch Head needs to be lubricated.

The tabs at the end of each arm also need lubrication. This includes the pivot points and also the threaded tabs. Be careful not to change the the position of the threaded tabs or else you will need to re-adjust them.

Lubricate Weight Distribution Jacks (version 1 only)

Our hitch has the Version 1 WD Jacks. There is a small hole at the top of each jack for lubrication. For these I use 3-IN-ONE oil. Just a few drops into the hole is needed. The oil will flow through a channel down to the bottom of the jack, where you will be able to see it seep out. Normally just 5 drops of oil are sufficient.

If you have the Version 2 WD Jacks, no lubrication is needed.

Touch Up Paint

This is something I need to do, but haven’t. This post now serves as a reminder to add to my To Do List!