Looking at a Hensley Arrow....

I have the ProPride, which works exactly like the Hensley. I wouldn't trade it. I never had sway before (35' tt) except in gusty cross winds. Where I go is mostly out west with LOTS of those winds. Doesn't matter how you load the trailer in those conditions...you are going to be affected one way or another. The PP, as well as the Hensley, eliminates that. I don't want to have to weigh every cup and shirt I put in the trailer for a two week trip, and have to fight it all over I-70. Might as well stay home! Best dollars I ever spent!

See my post here. :)
Barney

HA owners have been getting flamed on this forum since I joined. "Overpriced", "band-aid", "only masks the problem", "don't need one with a real truck", "my hitch is just as good", and on and on and on......

You will find that NONE of the naysayers have ever owned a HA or towed with one. Still a good idea to weigh your rig so you know what's what, but you are correct that the HA is a great defense against the side wind load on a longer TT.

Sometimes you have no choice about "the way you load it" when the TT mfr puts big storage areas and the fresh water tank behind the axles.

Our 34' Sunnybrook had an 8'x6' pass through storage area that was accessible from both sides and the back of the TT...plus the water tank was behind the axles too...I towed that trailer home from the dealer with no WD, nose down like the transport guys do, and it was all over the road if I tried to go faster than 45 mph. I'm not really sure how they delivered it....

Bottom line, it's your money, spend it how you like...all I can attest to is how well the hitch works at completely eliminating sway under all conditions. I no longer worry about wind gusts, passing semis, uneven pavement, etc.

goducks10 wrote:

bigcitypopo wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
A proper sized TV and TT won't require an HA or PP.

Of course it's not required, but its a wise purchase....


It's also not required that you need a monster truck to pull a vw beetle out of the mud.

Look at all the 'hot shoters' that pull TT's from manufactures to dealers. Very rarely do you see them using any kind of WD, let alone an HA or PP. Those TT's are running empty as well. Do you think your TT was swaying all over the road when delivered? Maybe it's the way you load it? Not saying you need a 1 to dually, but jumping from a friction plate sway control to an HA or PP without trying one of the WD's with built in sway control is over reacting IMO. You need to get your setup weighed. Get some measurements from the wheel wells and really see where you're at. I won't argue that the HA and PP aren't the top of the line WD hitches out there.
Just remember if you don't like it you may have to pay shipping to return it.

Just curious why the 'ride rites' air bags?

Hey ducks... Back to the scales tomorrow...

I got the ride rites due to hauling wood back and forth.. Helps smooth out some of the travel on bumpy dirt roads and level the rig for the short hauls... It also keeps some of porpoising from happening when you have a trailer with no WD... CA roads are horrible... Especially when you are pulling... Really eh are high tech jounce stops... Lol

I would prolly get a swat with the ban hammer... Lol. I was on rant..

I got my Hensley years ago when I tried to tow a lightweight 25' trailer with a Tahoe. The Tahoe is a horrible tow vehicle when trailer size gets longer. If I had a longer Tow Vehicle, a more appropriate one, I would not have needed the Hensley.
I moved the Hensley to my current 31' trailer with dual slides. I tow with a diesel HD 3/4 ton. I love the Hensley. After the first season of use I learned that I could back my truck with Hensley stinger into the little square hole with no help and no problem. It's all in lining up the truck and stopping to get out to check before the final 6 inches.

My biggest complaint about the Hensley is that RV service places hate having to deal with Hensleys. They prefer to use their own simple service lot solution such as a fork lift with a ball on one fork. I have to take off the Hensley to bring the trailer in for service. For that reason alone I am considering selling the Hensley since my truck is up to the task with a more garden variety weight distribution hitch with some kind of sway control. Hensley may not always be needed if the tow vehicle is beefy enough.

However, off topic, since my family size is down to just my wife and myself with the 2 kids off to college, we are considering downsizing to an A-Frame trailer such as the Chalet or Aliner that we can store in the garage. But I would keep the truck.

bigcitypopo wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
A proper sized TV and TT won't require an HA or PP.

Of course it's not required, but its a wise purchase....


It's also not required that you need a monster truck to pull a vw beetle out of the mud.

Look at all the 'hot shoters' that pull TT's from manufactures to dealers. Very rarely do you see them using any kind of WD, let alone an HA or PP. Those TT's are running empty as well. Do you think your TT was swaying all over the road when delivered? Maybe it's the way you load it? Not saying you need a 1 to dually, but jumping from a friction plate sway control to an HA or PP without trying one of the WD's with built in sway control is over reacting IMO. You need to get your setup weighed. Get some measurements from the wheel wells and really see where you're at. I won't argue that the HA and PP aren't the top of the line WD hitches out there.
Just remember if you don't like it you may have to pay shipping to return it.

Just curious why the 'ride rites' air bags?

bigcitypopo wrote:

lanerd wrote:
Let's see... 6790 dry. Add, say 1000 lbs for all your stuff (including DW's and kid's), food, pots & pans, dishes, silverware, cups, glasses, etc. So, now you're up to 7790 and with an approximate tongue weight of say, 12% to 15% of that...will be about 935 to 1170 lbs. So that leaves you with about 275 to 475 lbs for you, dw, and kids in the F150...plus everything else you put in the truck's bed....tools, equipment, bikes, firewood...etc.

yeah, your good there...

Ron

Ron... great thing you chimed in with your 2cents to just make a point... If you can't contribute something useful, please don't respond. I deal with enough sarcasm and the like from the crappy public.. I don't need or solicit it here...

Pointing out that you are either at the max or most likely exceeding your payload is helpful IMO. Now you are adding even more weight with the HA. Your passenger car tires are also probably contributing to your uneasy feeling. You really didn't describe your situation in enough detail to determine if 'sway' was occurring or you are just getting pushed around more than you are used to. My guess is the later.

Some brand of hitch may help, but I went back to the Original Post which included, "After taking out my new rig... Sway was apparent more so then with any other rig i have towed..."

A trailer should not sway. The only time that I have encountered much sway was when the tow vehicle was inadequate or the weights were not as they should be.

The Hensley is a good investment that you won't regret. We got ours when we got our 34' TT in 2002 and have never looked back. I can tow anywhere, any road, any weather, and have 100% confidence that I have full control over the TT at all times. The HA is the only hitch to use geometry to prevent sway, not a friction device to dampen it. The ProPride uses the same design and is just as effective, but has different features like the adjustable stinger.

As APT suggests, I would weigh the trailer when its loaded and ready to camp so you get an idea of your actual tongue weight and what size WD bars to order. The HA is not sensitive to the weight and balance of the trailer...it will not allow any sway even if the tongue weight is too light for a normal WD hitch (under 10%).

One caveat on both the HA and the PP...be sure to get a good brake controller like the Prodigy that has a setting that enables the TT brakes to "lead" the truck brakes. In other words, when you step on the brake and the brake lights turn on the power to the trailer brakes, you want them to activate and engage before the truck brakes do. If the trailer brakes lag the truck brakes by too much, the hitch design allows the trailer to come forward on the cams and "bump" the truck (search "Hensley Bump" here...), but the bump is offset so it will want to push the back of the truck left or right. If you have the integrated Ford controller you will be fine, just be sure it's adjusted correctly. Feel free to PM if you have any questions about the install or anything else.