Looking at a Hensley Arrow....

Before my HA I had a Pullrite. You can hookup at a 90 degree angle with the right model.

I switched to HA for my next TV because the PR is such a pain to install. Once past the install though, it works at least as well as the HA.

My guess is with that TT your close to 8,000lbs loaded. 32'7" and 8,000lbs of TT is a lot for an F150 with just a 145" WB. If you don't have a WD hitch with built in sway then you'll never get a good tow. Also your TW will need to be on the upper end of the 10-15% recommended range which will get you near or past 1,000lbs. IMO it's too much TT for that truck. An HA or PP will fix the issue. Look for a used one. Might take awhile though to find one. Hate to say it but your really in 3/4 ton territory.

bigcitypopo wrote:
So i've read thru the archives and haven't really heard any complaints as of recent.

After taking out my new rig... Sway was apparent more so then with any other rig i have towed...

Are there any words of wisdom with this hitch and setup...

my current is a eazy-lift with 1k bars... the weight of my trailer isnt the issue... i think its the length.

Check your weights first. You don't mention whether you have any sway control with your eazy lift. If no friction sway bar is present, that is why it feels so unstable. In fact, your rig probably requires two of them.

I will say this - my Hensley was well worth it. But then again, it was a craigslist find so I have less in it than a convention hitch setup, believe it or not. It works amazingly well.

I experienced the same thing when we went from a 23' HTT to a 32' TT last fall. Went from towing being tolerable to near terror.

I purchased a ProPride hitch a few months ago and love it. I was concerned about the stories I heard about the Hensley or ProPride being difficult to hook up (I don't need to spend thousands of dollars to make my life more difficult!), but decided to give it a try.

I back my trailer up a very steep driveway and then angle off onto the lawn for loading/unloading. The lawn is not as steep as the driveway, but angles off in another direction.

Once I take the load off the hitch by raising the tongue jack, the ProPride unhitches easily. I haven't had any issues with hitching up from this position either.

As for towing, it's absolutely rock solid. On a recent 5,000 mile trip, I felt exactly one truck pass me (huge oversized load). No blowing around from passing traffic or gusty winds.

I highly recommend a mirror (like the Hitch Helper Mirror) or backup camera since you do have to be in better alignment than with a ball alone. I could be off an inch or so in any direction with a ball hitch and the trailer would "walk" itself on as I lowered the tongue jack. The ProPride is nowhere near as finicky as I've read.

Good luck with your new trailer!

bigcitypopo wrote:
my only concern is i can't back directly to my rig to hook up, I come in at a 45 deg-ish... i saw the latch that allows the head to pivot, as long as i can do that each time, i'll be good.

My first time out with the HA, I had to park the trailer that way because of the odd-shaped camping space. I had no trouble hooking it up again, despite the angle.

I have heard that the similar propride hitch is easier to connect to at an angle.

bigcitypopo wrote:


After taking out my new rig... Sway was apparent more so then with any other rig i have towed...

my current is a eazy-lift with 1k bars... the weight of my trailer isnt the issue... i think its the length.

I bet your problem is a lack of proper tongue weight. Get your trailer weighed and make sure the tongue is at least 12-15% of that weight. If it isn't adjust the loads in the trailer forward of the axles to put more weight on the tongue. If your fresh water tank is in front of the axles, you can use it to adjust the tongue weight.

Good luck

Ron

PS... had a HA on my TT for years; best $$ I ever spent on the trailer.

my only concern is i can't back directly to my rig to hook up, I come in at a 45 deg-ish... i saw the latch that allows the head to pivot, as long as i can do that each time, i'll be good.

The Hensley Arrow is an amazing hitch. Once you get the hang of hooking up and unhooking, since it is very different, you will find it actually as easy or even easier to hook up than conventional hitches. Customer service is outstanding, and I think you get a trial period that you can return and they pay return shipping. Almost without exception, the only people who post negatives about the hitch are the ones who do not own one and have never towed with one!

Your situation sounds so much like what I experienced a year ago. I went from a 25' trailer to a 34' trailer V-nose (very unstable design) and almost quit camping altogether, because of the sway.

I installed the Hensley on my own (as most people do)and have been extremely thrilled with it since. It's pretty straight-forward. The manual has pretty good step-by-step instructions. There are three different kinds of attachment brackets you'll be able to buy: The snap-up type, the hanging bracket, and the one which holds traditional tension adjusters. These three types are so the hitch can be used with a variety of trailers. The company will encourage you to get the adjustable type and I agree. I think they are easier to attach and you can make adjustments in how much tension is being put on the distribution bars. The other two types of brackets also work well.

You can get an online copy of the Hensley Arrow manual to look it over before you buy located here.:

Attaching the hitch (to the truck) takes a wee bit getting used to. I'm getting better at it. But there's a trick, and it's included in the back of the manual. Follow that and you won't go wrong.

The only concern I really had recently was when I dropped my trailer off at the RV dealership for service. I got with the forklift operator and showed him how it worked and how he was to move it. I watched him move the trailer into the back service yard with no problems, but when I went a week later to pick it up, a different operator had me drive back there to pick it up myself because he didn't want to fool with it.

They didn't damage it, thankfully, but I read them the pre-riot act of what would happen if they did. It is pretty sturdy and won't fall apart easily. I don't think it's any more delicate than the other hitches I have used. There's just more moving parts to it. :B

P.S.: From the looks of your new trailer (nice choice, I might add)it should be pretty easy to put the Hensley on it. Mine took a couple of days because of the faux diamond plate trim so near the tongue jack, but you shouldn't have that problem.