Hensley or....

[eipo]

With the purchase of our 35' (OAL) trailer, I am curious if a non top of the line hitch will prove satisfactory? It isn't abnormally tongue heavy for the truck, but will certainly benefit from sway elimination.

What are the top contenders below Hensley or ProPride?

[copsey]

eipo wrote:

copsey wrote:

I would get a tape measure out and make sure the distance from the center of the ball to the front of the frame brackets are even. They should be 25-1/2" if I remember correctly. That would be the only thing that could cause the issue you are having unless the strut bars are not close to being adjusted the same.

Yes, 25.5 inches. When the dealership installed the snap up brackets they didn't move the propane tank and just put the brackets as far forward as they could. This left the chains at around 20 degrees from being plumb. I called Hensley and asked about the angle on the chains and they said thats to much angle. They also said I could cheat the brackets forward to around 25" if I needed to so that's what I did. I removed the propane tray and moved the brackets forward and then remounted the propane tray.

But even before that the head was square to the tongue.

Are the strut bars adjusted to center the head before hook up?

[eipo]

copsey wrote:

I would get a tape measure out and make sure the distance from the center of the ball to the front of the frame brackets are even. They should be 25-1/2" if I remember correctly. That would be the only thing that could cause the issue you are having unless the strut bars are not close to being adjusted the same.

Yes, 25.5 inches. When the dealership installed the snap up brackets they didn't move the propane tank and just put the brackets as far forward as they could. This left the chains at around 20 degrees from being plumb. I called Hensley and asked about the angle on the chains and they said thats to much angle. They also said I could cheat the brackets forward to around 25" if I needed to so that's what I did. I removed the propane tray and moved the brackets forward and then remounted the propane tray.

But even before that the head was square to the tongue.

[copsey]

eipo wrote:

RinconVTR wrote:

camp-n-family wrote:


Two problems.

One is that your vehicle is not in line with the tt in the pic. The hitch head swivels when you turn, that's how it works, so if the tt and tv are not in a straight line the hitch head will be pivoted. When it is unhitched, put the stinger in the hitch head and move it side o side to see how it works. You can do it without the stinger installed but will need to hold the locking pin up.

As for it pivoting to the side when braking, you need to adjust your brake controller so the tt brakes engage slightly harder than the tv brakes. As it is now, the tt is not slowing as quick as the tv so it is pushing, causing the head to pivot. This is known as the "Hensley bump"

I guarantee when you are pulling down the road that all is in line and normal. Fix the above 2 problems and it will be straight when stopped too.

Campn's statements are spot on...

Did you see my reply to his comments?

I did hear back from Terry at Hensley and he told me that the hitch wont always self center which seems odd since pulling it down the road in the position its in will have some detrimental effects to tire wear and fuel mileage. He told me that if it doesn't center, and the only way to know if it isn't is to flip on the rear camera, to turn the TV in an opposing direction to bump the head over.

This weekend I'm going to get my weight distribution dialed in so Ill make certain to watch the hitch in the camera. Perhaps it just needs to be used a bit.

I would get a tape measure out and make sure the distance from the center of the ball to the front of the frame brackets are even. They should be 25-1/2" if I remember correctly. That would be the only thing that could cause the issue you are having unless the strut bars are not close to being adjusted the same.

[eipo]

RinconVTR wrote:

camp-n-family wrote:


Two problems.

One is that your vehicle is not in line with the tt in the pic. The hitch head swivels when you turn, that's how it works, so if the tt and tv are not in a straight line the hitch head will be pivoted. When it is unhitched, put the stinger in the hitch head and move it side o side to see how it works. You can do it without the stinger installed but will need to hold the locking pin up.

As for it pivoting to the side when braking, you need to adjust your brake controller so the tt brakes engage slightly harder than the tv brakes. As it is now, the tt is not slowing as quick as the tv so it is pushing, causing the head to pivot. This is known as the "Hensley bump"

I guarantee when you are pulling down the road that all is in line and normal. Fix the above 2 problems and it will be straight when stopped too.

Campn's statements are spot on...

Did you see my reply to his comments?

I did hear back from Terry at Hensley and he told me that the hitch wont always self center which seems odd since pulling it down the road in the position its in will have some detrimental effects to tire wear and fuel mileage. He told me that if it doesn't center, and the only way to know if it isn't is to flip on the rear camera, to turn the TV in an opposing direction to bump the head over.

This weekend I'm going to get my weight distribution dialed in so Ill make certain to watch the hitch in the camera. Perhaps it just needs to be used a bit.

[RinconVTR]

camp-n-family wrote:


Two problems.

One is that your vehicle is not in line with the tt in the pic. The hitch head swivels when you turn, that's how it works, so if the tt and tv are not in a straight line the hitch head will be pivoted. When it is unhitched, put the stinger in the hitch head and move it side o side to see how it works. You can do it without the stinger installed but will need to hold the locking pin up.

As for it pivoting to the side when braking, you need to adjust your brake controller so the tt brakes engage slightly harder than the tv brakes. As it is now, the tt is not slowing as quick as the tv so it is pushing, causing the head to pivot. This is known as the "Hensley bump"

I guarantee when you are pulling down the road that all is in line and normal. Fix the above 2 problems and it will be straight when stopped too.

Campn's statements are spot on...

[Mickey_D]

I bought a new in box but 7 year old Hensley this week from a local guy who never installed it on his trailer. Did the maiden voyage with it Friday and it is a world of difference from my old Pro Series dual friction bar setup. I have a LaCrosse 329 that is 10K pounds lightly loaded and 38 feet stem to stern and it has been a handful at times even for my 2014 Ram 2500. I suspect that I need more drop on my stinger (trailer is a couple of inches nose high) but it still pulls so much better. Side winds and interstate traffic were not even noticeable, and the slight continuous trailer wag (a constant couple of inches back and forth at the tail) is gone. Another plus is that I can open my tailgate without baching it into the jack. Even a used Hensley is not cheap, but they really do work well.

[eipo]

Ill have to play with it some more.

As I was dialing in the strut bar length I found that if I made them to long it locked the head in a downward position and would not allow me to lift or roll it by hand. I imagine once the stinger is locked into the head and the weight of the tongue put on the hitch it locks the strut bars in compression. The pins on either end of the strut bars don't look like they will allow any rolling movement either.

I'm sure it works... I just cant wrap my mind around it.

Thanks for your help. And posting the picture.

[camp-n-family]

The strut bars lock the hitch head to be in line with the tt but other than that the head can still pivot on the ball as a normal tt does. If you unclip the jack screws, or screw them up or down, you'll see the whole hitch head move freely in roll and pitch, just not left and right in the horizontal plane because of the strut bars.

[eipo]

I am wondering something..

Since the head is basically locked onto the trailer and the insert wont allow the head to rotate on a ball, how does the hitch allow rolling movements side to side between the TT and TV and what sort of stress is placed on the hitch say when the TV is pointed up (or down) and the TT is flat?

[eipo]

camp-n-family wrote:
Two problems.

One is that your vehicle is not in line with the tt in the pic. The hitch head swivels when you turn, that's how it works, so if the tt and tv are not in a straight line the hitch head will be pivoted. When it is unhitched, put the stinger in the hitch head and move it side o side to see how it works. You can do it without the stinger installed but will need to hold the locking pin up.

You're right, the TT and TV are not lined up. At the hitch. Picture was taken after going straight down my driveway about 40'. THAT is the problem. I can turn on the rear view camera and pull forward and the hitch stays in that position, it doesn't straighten out.

I can not see anything binding so perhaps it just needs to be used a bit? It was their showroom unit that they have been using for demonstrations for a couple years.

camp-n-family wrote:

As for it pivoting to the side when braking, you need to adjust your brake controller so the tt brakes engage slightly harder than the tv brakes. As it is now, the tt is not slowing as quick as the tv so it is pushing, causing the head to pivot. This is known as the "Hensley bump"

Its not a braking issue. The head never fully straightens out. I even bumped the gain on the brake controller to 10 and manually applied the brakes on the trailer and it still didn't straighten out.

I do have a message into Terry at Hensley. Probably wont hear anything until Monday.

[camp-n-family]

Two problems.

One is that your vehicle is not in line with the tt in the pic. The hitch head swivels when you turn, that's how it works, so if the tt and tv are not in a straight line the hitch head will be pivoted. When it is unhitched, put the stinger in the hitch head and move it side o side to see how it works. You can do it without the stinger installed but will need to hold the locking pin up.

As for it pivoting to the side when braking, you need to adjust your brake controller so the tt brakes engage slightly harder than the tv brakes. As it is now, the tt is not slowing as quick as the tv so it is pushing, causing the head to pivot. This is known as the "Hensley bump"

I guarantee when you are pulling down the road that all is in line and normal. Fix the above 2 problems and it will be straight when stopped too.

[eipo]

OK, we just picked up the TT. They installed the Hensley and during the drive home I could tell it needed some fine tuning. I got everything squared up and adjusted.....

But...

The hitch will not self center when going forward and when I step on the brakes it slides to one side or the other and moves forward.

This is after pulling forward...

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/opie0074/20160326_173630_zps1drowrd7.jpg

Prior to leaving the dealership I pulled around their yard to let everything settle in and I noticed then that the hitch was not centered but assumed it would straighten itself out on the journey home only to discover after parking in the driveway it was in the exact same position.

[dodge_guy]

I`m running a Reese Dual Cam with my 9200lb, 35ft OAL TT. I have no problems towing it with my Excursion. no sway issues and very stable.

[Lspangler]

I have the propride. I switch trucks every 2 years so adjustable stinger is important. The finish on the propride holds up much better also

Linc

[RinconVTR]

Lantley wrote:

RinconVTR wrote:
The only thing the Propride has going for it is the adjustable stinger.

I won't get into Sean's character I have never dealt with him.
However on the stinger. I prefer the HA non adjustable stinger. Simply because it's not as heavy. Maybe if you needed to adjust the stinger regularly, I could see it as an advantage.
However once the stinger is set you never have to mess with it again.
The smaller non adjustable fixed HA stinger was heavy/cumbersome enough. I would not want anything larger/heavier.

Depending on the drop, the difference in weight is 0-10lbs max.

The height AND angle is adjustable, which is nice. But I feel the fully welded Hensley has a slight advantage.

The wedge on the Propride is manufactured at a steeper angle, reducing sticking. But that is easily prevented with dry lube or very light film of grease on the wedge.