seb503 wrote: If I understand it, ProPride is or has developed an adapter that will allow you to connect it to a ball style hitch temporarily. Would this not help if you end up in a position that would be difficult to unhook and rehook in a straight line. Couldn't you hook onto a ball pull it out until you are in a straight line, disconnect pull forward 3 or 4 feet, remove the adapter and put the stinger on. Then all you have to do is get the up and down right and your connected. Of course this would be several extra steps and maybe 10 minutes extra hooking up. I would say that would be a fair trade off.
This would require you to carry a seperate shank with a ball on it..
Thats a lot of weight to carry for that reason.
If you got the trailer in the spot using the the propride or hensley, you will be able to get it out..
Robert
06 Ram CTD 2500HD Megacab Flame Red
2005 298 BHS Jayco Eagle TT
Hensley Arrow , Prodigy
H & E wrote: I was parked next to a camper that was using a Hensley. He was having trouble hooking up....During our conversation he indicated that it sometimes took him about an hour to get hooked up...
Wow, something is wrong with that guy. Sounds like he needs another type of RV.
I can get the stinger in the Hensley receiver the first shot, every time. I can hitch faster with the Hensley than a traditional ball coupler.
Wow, you're good!
I can get it in the first time most of the time, but not every time.
As for being able to hitch up faster than a traditional ball coupler? Again, I'm pretty fast but then I'm also a bit faster with a conventional hitch.
As for the guy that needs an hour, I know a guy that needs an hour to back his 5ver into a simple spot, even with well practiced spotters. Some folks just don't get it and never will.
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
dodge guy wrote: I have a relevant question to this post. what happens if a strut rod breaks on the hitch? wouldn`t this give an uncontrollable rear steer condition?
While anything is possible, breaking a strut bar is very unlikely. OTOH, bending a strut bar is definitely possible by either jackknifing the trailer when maneuvering or if the trailer tries to compress the hitch during a panic stop & the strut bar brackets can't slide on the frame.
Jackknifing any trailer tends to bend or break something and bending a Hensley strut bar is a relatively inexpensive thing to bend. As for the panic braking, the best insurance is to leave lots of room so panic stops aren't necessary. Second best would be to have the trailer brakes adjusted properly and the brake controller set up properly so the trailer doesn't suddenly try to compress the hitch. I've made a number of intentional 'panic' stops during brake testing and never bend a strut bar.
But, if you do bend a strut bar, then the trailer won't trail correctly until it is replaced.
seb503 wrote: If I understand it, ProPride is or has developed an adapter that will allow you to connect it to a ball style hitch temporarily. Would this not help if you end up in a position that would be difficult to unhook and rehook in a straight line. Couldn't you hook onto a ball pull it out until you are in a straight line, disconnect pull forward 3 or 4 feet, remove the adapter and put the stinger on. Then all you have to do is get the up and down right and your connected. Of course this would be several extra steps and maybe 10 minutes extra hooking up. I would say that would be a fair trade off.
We regularly unhitch on our property with the truck and trailer at diverse angles on uneven terrain. Re-connecting is no more difficult then than on flat ground IF you follow the directions. We've also had 2 occasions where we arrived early at a rally and unhooked with the truck directly in front of the TT, but had to hook back up with the truck at about 45 degree angle. Not a problem. Even if I have a bad case of brain fade and fail to back off the W/D bars when unhooking, it only takes a minute or so to adjust them by eye so the hitch bar will fully engage the hitch. We won't mention how often I have brain fade.
seb503 wrote: If I understand it, ProPride is or has developed an adapter that will allow you to connect it to a ball style hitch temporarily. Would this not help if you end up in a position that would be difficult to unhook and rehook in a straight line. Couldn't you hook onto a ball pull it out until you are in a straight line, disconnect pull forward 3 or 4 feet, remove the adapter and put the stinger on. Then all you have to do is get the up and down right and your connected. Of course this would be several extra steps and maybe 10 minutes extra hooking up. I would say that would be a fair trade off.
This would require you to carry a seperate shank with a ball on it..
Thats a lot of weight to carry for that reason.
If you got the trailer in the spot using the the propride or hensley, you will be able to get it out..
I'd add that you can often get a trailer into a tighter spot with a ProPride or Hensley because they turn tighter before the point of jackknife is reached.
seb503 wrote: If I understand it, ProPride is or has developed an adapter that will allow you to connect it to a ball style hitch temporarily. Would this not help if you end up in a position that would be difficult to unhook and rehook in a straight line. Couldn't you hook onto a ball pull it out until you are in a straight line, disconnect pull forward 3 or 4 feet, remove the adapter and put the stinger on. Then all you have to do is get the up and down right and your connected. Of course this would be several extra steps and maybe 10 minutes extra hooking up. I would say that would be a fair trade off.
This would require you to carry a seperate shank with a ball on it..
Thats a lot of weight to carry for that reason.
If you got the trailer in the spot using the the propride or hensley, you will be able to get it out..
I had asked Sean the Hooking and unhooking at angles. He told me sometime back that it would be no problem. I was refering to an extreme case. Also to carry a shank and ball would not be a problem for me. I carry one in my tool box all the time. It's one of the three in ones. It would be more than adiquate to move the trailer 5 or 6 feet. Even after I get a Propride I will keep that with me. Gotta have some way to pul the Blue Boy down to the dump stations
I can get it in the first time most of the time, but not every time....
You can do it to if you use a mirror like I do.
Here's the one I made years ago and it's still going strong. Made it from parts on hand and a mirror from PEP Boys:
Or you can buy one of these Quick Align Mirrors for around $20. But with this one you have to take it off and on every time. I kep one in the camper when I'm hitching at an angle.
dodge guy wrote: I have a relevant question to this post. what happens if a strut rod breaks on the hitch? wouldn`t this give an uncontrollable rear steer condition?
I don't believe any 'panic-stop' situation or any other situation when you are towing forward would ever be enough to break a strut, if everything was installed properly. It just won't happen.
Only scenario I can see where you could break one, would be when backing, if you jack-knifed the trailer completely and kept pushing backward on the trailer. Same situation where you could break hardware on some conventional hitches as well (or bend the whole TT A frame for that matter)
Yes, if that happened when backing, at that point, the Hensley would be un-usable with a bent or broken strut. You'd have to quickly get on the phone with Hensley and get a new strut. FYI, if that ever happened, they would send you a new strut free of charge, and you'd have it within a day or two (had that conversation with Hensley more than once).
I will tell you that I have backed our trailer in very tight spots over the years, pushed it to some really tight angles. Never broke a strut yet. Them things are tough, and very solid!
On another note: The ProPride hitch does not even use struts to hold the unit in place. It use a yoke, that because of its design, simply will not break. The point where the yoke connects to the A frame might break if you back the trailer in too tight of an angle. As I understand it, Sean designed this connection point as a 'intended break point', so that it can be repaired fairly easily if you break it when backing. This way, it prevents damage to other more expensive hardware (like the A frame itself!)
Fine the bar is hard to break or bend!
What about the bolts that mount the strut bar?
Whether or not it could actually happen who knows, it just seems dangerous that if something did break it could cause a catostophic failure!
Wife kim
Son brandon 7yrs
Daughter marissa 6yrs
Dog shadow
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller,
Air lift air bags.
Better to have a bad day of
camping than a good day at work!
I can get it in the first time most of the time, but not every time....
You can do it to if you use a mirror like I do.
Here's the one I made years ago and it's still going strong. Made it from parts on hand and a mirror from PEP Boys:...
..Problem with mirrors is, they are worthless when the back of the truck is loaded up with bikes like ours is when I'm hitching up, haha.
Sooo, I installed the VR-3 backup camera on our Excursion. Cheap (costs 'bout $90 at Walmart), works like a charm, and lets me hitch up without help very easily even when truck is loaded with bikes in the back. I can put the stinger in usually on the 1st attempt, even after dark.
Just yesterday, we were hitching up, getting ready to leave from the big Ford Truck rally/get-together in Gatlinburg (was a GREAT trip, BTW, but thats another story). Had a few folks standing around watching, wanted to see a Hensley hitch up. Even with an 'audience' watching (that usually makes me nervous and mess up easier), I backed it straight in on the 1st attempt.
Will & Angela
2 wonderful children that love camping, Stephen & Allison
2003 Ford Excursion V10 4x4
2003 Thor Citation 33M, Hensley Arrow hitch, Brakesmart Brake Control
(wanna see? Here is a picture of it )
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