towing with my new Hensley arrow...

BarneyS wrote:

boondockdad wrote:
I've never had to silicone the stinger.. once there's slack between the stinger and receiver box, a shove with my foot always 'unlocks' it.

I put up a 46 month review of my Hensley on my blog, if you're interested.

I just read your blog about the Arrow. Curious why you claim you cannot hook up the hitch when the TV/trailer are at an angle. I have never had a single problem doing that and have done it many times.

Here is what you wrote. If I have misinterpreted what you said I apologize.
"Also, don’t ever unhitch when your TV is at an angle to the TT; The reason being: you can’t hitch the Arrow at an angle. The receiver box needs to be centered and straight forward under the orange head in order to hitch up."
Barney

page 24, Hensley Arrow User Manual: "IMPORTANT:
Be sure the tow vehicle wheels are straight ahead when backing the hitch bar into the hitch box and when pulling out of the hitch box with the tow vehicle."

Barney, I think my description might be ambiguous. I'm talking about 'yaw' not 'pitch' or 'roll' angle.

Boondockdad,
I understood that you were talking about yaw and so was I. That quote from the owners manual means to make sure the TV front wheels are in a straight ahead position when disconnecting or connecting with the Hensley. That is 100% correct but it does not mean that you cannot hitch up at an angle and is not talking about a yaw angle. You do not want to be turning when sliding that stinger in or out but you certainly can slide it in when the truck and trailer are at an angle. If the truck front wheels are turned, even when straight on, you will have problems connecting or disconnecting.

I am sure you know all this but am posting this for others who are not familiar with the Hensley hitch and get the impression that the truck and trailer must be lined up in a straight line in order to hitch or unhitch. That simply is not the case. The black "receiver box" does not need to be "centered and straight forward under the orange head" in order to hitch or unhitch. :)

Might be a good idea to edit your blog to change that statement that I quoted earlier. It really does not state what you intended in my opinion and may mislead an interested reader - especially since you referred to it in your post.
Barney

BarneyS wrote:
Boondockdad,
I understood that you were talking about yaw and so was I. That quote from the owners manual means to make sure the TV front wheels are in a straight ahead position when disconnecting or connecting with the Hensley. That is 100% correct but it does not mean that you cannot hitch up at an angle and is not talking about a yaw angle. You do not want to be turning when sliding that stinger in or out but you certainly can slide it in when the truck and trailer are at an angle. If the truck front wheels are turned, even when straight on, you will have problems connecting or disconnecting.

I am sure you know all this but am posting this for others who are not familiar with the Hensley hitch and get the impression that the truck and trailer must be lined up in a straight line in order to hitch or unhitch. That simply is not the case. The black "receiver box" does not need to be "centered and straight forward under the orange head" in order to hitch or unhitch. :)

Might be a good idea to edit your blog to change that statement that I quoted earlier. It really does not state what you intended in my opinion and may mislead an interested reader - especially since you referred to it in your post.
Barney

Perhaps I should say it's not recommended. The receiver box will pivot away from the stinger (this is what the pivot bar inside the box does... keeps it stationary until the stinger is seated), and depending on how perfectly aligned the stinger/box is, you'll have to drag the hitch box fully home by leveraging it with the OCL's and wrench-- which is how I bent my OCL adjustable screw

Sorry, but that has not been my experience. I have never had a single problem unhooking or hooking back up at an angle and have done it many times.
Barney

Don't know if it's been mentioned here, but when hooking up straight I saw somewhere that when backing up to the hitch look in your outside rear view mirrors. If you can see either side of the trailer you are backing up crooked. This has helped me more than anything.

The above is of no use when hooking up at an angle.

There is a definite learning period with the Hensley, but since I have done it a few times I can do it much quicker than my old DC hookup.

I still blow it on occasion, but am too lazy to use hookup aids, line up balls, sticks, mirror or wife to guide. No further comment on the last option.

I use one of these and can hit it first time, every time, whether straight or at an angle. Just have to get out once to check the height just before the stinger enters the hitch. Also use the truck mirrors to get close and then use the tailgate mirror.
Barney

BarneyS wrote:
I use one of these and can hit it first time, every time, whether straight or at an angle. Just have to get out once to check the height just before the stinger enters the hitch. Also use the truck mirrors to get close and then use the tailgate mirror.
Barney

Wouldn't mind toting around a little one like that. What kind and where?

Thanks

Edit Never mind easy find.

Agree with Barney on this...it's certainly easier to line up the stinger when backing into the hitch straight on, but I have hitched up at almost every possible angle. I installed a small wireless camera on the license plate frame for backing up and can see the stinger and hitch pretty clearly. Backing at an angle is just like backing straight, you still need to be sure that the stinger is aligned with the hitch box or it will cock partway in and not seat.

I have also twisted the nut clean off of the OCL trying to draw a poorly seated stinger into the hitch. Lesson learned was that if the stinger didn't seat when you backed it in, you won't get the hitch to come together using the OCL either. This is true regardless if you are hitching straight on or at an angle.

We camped on the beach in NY for many years, and towed the TT in very soft sand with 15 psi in the tires. The nature of the sand is such that it shifts in large degrees, and you are 100% guaranteed that you will NOT be able to duplicate the angle, yaw, pitch or any other measurement you took when you unhitched. I not only lined up the stinger side-to-side, but had to predict the vertical angle that the stinger would take as it went into the hitch based on the slope of the sand and use the screw jacks to adjust the pitch of the hitch accordingly.

Sounds complicated but when do it a few times and learn where to look and what to look for it is very easy. Granted not as easy as backing a ball under a coupler, but not rocket science either.



Old photo, but note how soft the sand is.

BarneyS wrote:
Sorry, but that has not been my experience. I have never had a single problem unhooking or hooking back up at an angle and have done it many times.
Barney

x2

Hi all,

So yesterday was "hook up, to unhook the trailer day" I hooked up in the morning, drove around town... parked in a few cherry picked spots and did the unhook.

not too bad, It is just gonna take some time to be able to eye ball it. I love the hitch. Period. Money well spent