We now have over 4,000 miles on the ProPride Trailer Hitch. Operation has been flawless, and with continuing practice I can hook-up, or disconnect in a matter of seconds. Considering that most of our camping trips are about 100 miles round trip, that is a lot of hitching and unhitching. The trick is to try and keep the tow vehicle lined up with the trailer, so the hitch isn’t at an angle when parking the camper.
About every 500 miles I lube the unit via the two grease fittings.
The modifications I had to make (documented in our 1,000 mile update) have worked well.
One of the more popular articles here is the Fresh Water Transfer Methods; I posted over a year ago. These worked fine for our Starcraft and Fleetwood tent trailers, which had 20 and 26 gallon capacities (including the water heater).
Our Milan is a different animal. It has 100 gallons of fresh water capacity, plus the water heater. Not having to replenish the water has been a camping pleasure. We have gone up to two weeks without the need to add water.
But eventually on one of our long trips, we are going to run out of water. The small capacity solutions we have used in the past aren’t going to be convenient. So I went searching for a new solution.
I discussed the installation of our ProPride hitch in the post, How much trailer can you tow — part 3.
We have now towed our trailer over 1,000 miles with the ProPride hitch. This has included driving in sustained 30 MPH crosswinds, some freeway travel, and several trips, most of which are around 100 miles round trip. One trip was 450 miles. We also have been subjected to big rigs passing us at high speeds. With all of this in mind, I thought I would share my impressions.
December 19, 2025: I wrote this post twelve years ago. The subject matter pertains to lead-acid deep cycle batteries. Today Lithium (LiFePo4) deep cycle batteries have become very popular. If you have a LiFePo4 battery, this pos, Upgrading an RV Battery Bank with Lithium (LiFePo4) Batteries may be of interest to you as it contains may facts and specifications for this newer type of battery.
If you own a camper or other recreational vehicle, it probably has a battery or two or at least is set up for a battery.
If you want to utilize a battery in your RV, battery selection is paramount and probably more important is the proper charging settings.
Now if you only camp in campgrounds with umbilical cords to the power grid, you don’t need a battery bank. But I will suggest that you are missing a lot by “camping” in these virtual parking lots. Get thee out into the more wild areas where there is no electric grid. It is called camping, you know – not Parking.
Continue reading State of Charge: Your Camper/RV May Be Killing Your Battery Bank
