Hensley Arrow: How does it REALLY work?
There have been several discussions on this hitch that have become somewhat 'controversial'. I am NOT trying to stir this controversy/bashing back up. Instead, I'd like to see a good, intelligent di...
Forum Discussion
Great points, Claude, and thanks for including the hand-drawn illustrations. :)
Hmmm....Is it possible/fair to say, that the 'virtual pivot point' from the trailer's perspective might actually be an infinite distance forward from the ball, since the trailer cannot induce any swaying/lateral movement on the tow vehicle? Then, the 'apparent pivot point' would only be from the tow vehicle's perspective, and would be about 47" forward of the trailer ball (when in a straight line)? This would seem very consistent with the reality of how this hitch works.
On another note, I wanted to clarify one thing, about what Claude discussed:
Thats true - with a Hensley, the TV always has control of the TT, as long as the tow vehicle is 'pulling' the TT, and the opposite does not occur (TT 'pushing' the tow vehicle real hard).
However, if during a panic stop, the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle too hard, it actually IS possible, for a jackknife to occur with a Hensley. During a panic stop, if the brake controller is not set aggressive enough, and the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle hard enough, the Hensley will let the trailer shift off to one side, resulting in a push slightly off to one side. This 'push' affect of the Hensley has been discussed, and is well known among Hensley owners. It just means that with a Hensley (like any other combination/hitch), you must have your brake controller adjusted right, to prevent too much trailer 'push' from occuring during a panic stop.
I will tell you, I once did not have our brake controller set right, and felt this 'push'. I was braking REALLY hard when it happened, and the push was not anything to worry about. Only way I can see it would cause a problem, is if it was a case of a VERY light/small tow vehicle towing a huge trailer, that it should not be towing in the first place, Hensley or not (like some of the combinations CanAm RV puts together..LOL).
Kind of goes back to what you said, Claude - even though the Hensley is such a perfect design, it should not be used as a 'cure-all' for a bad setup. You still need to set everything else up correctly, especially your brake controller. And, you still need to match the tow vehicle to the trailer appropriately.
Will
Hmmm....Is it possible/fair to say, that the 'virtual pivot point' from the trailer's perspective might actually be an infinite distance forward from the ball, since the trailer cannot induce any swaying/lateral movement on the tow vehicle? Then, the 'apparent pivot point' would only be from the tow vehicle's perspective, and would be about 47" forward of the trailer ball (when in a straight line)? This would seem very consistent with the reality of how this hitch works.
On another note, I wanted to clarify one thing, about what Claude discussed:
Claude B wrote:
This is also why with the HA, the TV has always the control of the TT. With this hitch, a jacknife situation is totally impossible in panic stop whatever the speed.
Thats true - with a Hensley, the TV always has control of the TT, as long as the tow vehicle is 'pulling' the TT, and the opposite does not occur (TT 'pushing' the tow vehicle real hard).
However, if during a panic stop, the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle too hard, it actually IS possible, for a jackknife to occur with a Hensley. During a panic stop, if the brake controller is not set aggressive enough, and the trailer 'pushes' the tow vehicle hard enough, the Hensley will let the trailer shift off to one side, resulting in a push slightly off to one side. This 'push' affect of the Hensley has been discussed, and is well known among Hensley owners. It just means that with a Hensley (like any other combination/hitch), you must have your brake controller adjusted right, to prevent too much trailer 'push' from occuring during a panic stop.
I will tell you, I once did not have our brake controller set right, and felt this 'push'. I was braking REALLY hard when it happened, and the push was not anything to worry about. Only way I can see it would cause a problem, is if it was a case of a VERY light/small tow vehicle towing a huge trailer, that it should not be towing in the first place, Hensley or not (like some of the combinations CanAm RV puts together..LOL).
Kind of goes back to what you said, Claude - even though the Hensley is such a perfect design, it should not be used as a 'cure-all' for a bad setup. You still need to set everything else up correctly, especially your brake controller. And, you still need to match the tow vehicle to the trailer appropriately.
Will
