OK, I just got my Hensley Arrow info DVD in the mail today. I watched it. It did not sell the item very well. As expensive as the hitch is you would think they would maintain a little better and more up to date video. My biggest problem with the video was that is it mostly shows cars pulling big heavy TT's. Most likely exceeding the towing capacity of the cars.
I currently have an f250 with the Reese Dual Cam setup pulling a 34' Fleetwood Winderness Extreme. I feel that it has reduced the sway quite significantly over the standard fiction sway control. I honestly don't think you can ever get a perfect pull. Just look at two semi's passing at 70 + mph on the interstate. You can see a certain amount of sway in one or both rigs.
Don't get me wrong I would still love to have a Hensley. I can see where in certain situations it could be a benefit. If I was pulling it 20,000+ mile per year, it would probably give me a more comfortable ride. That said, I still think the more important componant is a good match between TV and TT and not trying to drive 70mph. With my F250 I already have stiff suspension, high load rated tires and it's heavy by itself.
Speaking of tires, my stock tires are rated up to 80psi. I had been keeping about 65-70 psi in them to soften the ride a bit. When I pulled my TT I did have slight sway with semis and wind. The last couple times I went ahead and bumped the PSI to 80 and ensured the TT tires were 65psi. Man what a difference. That 10-15psi increase made it rock solid. I was very please.
I know this discussion has been beat to death, but I just wanted to include my observations and thoughts.
I can tell you my experience with the Hensley. I, too, was unsure, but with their return policy, I thought what the heck. At the time about 1998, I had a 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 Cummins Diesel towing a 1986 Airstream 25' trailer. That set up was quite stable, with a conventional friction sway control bar. Actually, with no sway conttrol, it was stable, or so I thought. I installed the Hensley on a March week end, and was of course anxious to test it out. I could tell right away that the set up towed much differently, and seemed to tow much more true behind the truck without the trailer influencing the truck as much as without the Hensley. So, I get off the surface streets and head out onto the Interstate. I drove happily along, not even noticing the semis until they actually pass me. I thought this was a remarkable difference, but you know sometimes you just want it to be better, and it really isn't. So I drive about 45 miles to the Flying J truck stop where I could hardly get in because of all the semis parked there. Seemed stramge to me until I tried to open the truck door after parking. The winds were so severe that I had to work to get the door open. I have never seen winds that strong in my area before. Trucks got off the road because of those severe winds. Later learned that the sustained winds, per the TV weather, were 35 plus MPH with gusts to 50 mph!!! And I never felt those winds with the Hensley!!! That sold me! That Hensley made a remarkable difference in set up that was already inherently quite stable.
All I can say is order the Hensley and try it out. If you don't like it send it back. They will refund all of your money including shipping both ways. Nothing to loose and a lot to gain. I do not think their brake controller is worth the extra money, however.
Ok, when you say you had the typical friction sway control, are you talking about the one that you have to tighten and it acts as a friction brake.
I had that for one trip. I realized right then that was not going to work for me. I could not believe my dealer would even suggest that it would work for a 34' 8000lbs TT. As soon as I got home from that trip I got the dual cam set up. It made an amazing difference. Now I won't say it is perfect, but what a difference it made. And now that I have increase my tire pressure to the 80 psi on my truck it is even better. Now that said, I'm sure based on the design of the Hensley it would even be better than what I have now. I just don't know if it's worth the hassel to install it. If I was going cross country I think I would say yes, but the longest I travel is under 500 miles.
The one thing that can not be changed is the fact that there is a 34' trailer attached and it will not drive the same with it as if it wasn't there no matter how it is attached. You can't even put a 2000 lbs pallet of fertilizer in the bed of a pickup truck and expect it to drive "normal".
Welcome to the forums, Steve. To be honest, all Hensley owners recognize that the Hensley and Pullrite are the best hitches for towing and understand why. I pull a 6500# TT with a Dodge diesel and still use a Hensley.
George
"I was cut out to be rich, but I got sewed up wrong"
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC Laramie 4x4 SB CTD auto "Buck"
Flagstaff 26RLS
Hensley Arrow
Prodigy BC
I also think Hensley and Pullrite make a great hitch. We use the Equalizer and it works well for us but have not ruled out one day getting a Hensley.
I do have to say though that when I watched the DVD it did not sell me either - for the price of the hitch you'd think they'd update their video a little bit.
when the lady started to cry....I just went "Oh brother!" and turned it off. That did not sell me on the hitch.
Eventually we'll get one though 'cause I know they're the best hitch around!
I'll have to agree with you that the Hensley's marketing is substandard. Fortunately, the hitch itself is not.
We started out pulling a 1994 27' Holiday Rambler TT with an F350 4X4 crew cab PSD. The trailer's GVWR was only 8,000 and it was much lower to the ground than current TTs, so it was a piece of cake to tow with a single friction sway control.
Then we got a new 29' HR TT. It weighed 9,600-11,000# depending on the trip. The sway wasn't bad, but it definitely moved around and made it known that the tail could wag the dog if it wanted to. We upgraded to a Reese Dual-Cam. That cured the semi-induced sway IF the Reese was cranked up tight. But, it did nothing for the sway that comes with driving winding mountain roads. So we bought a Hensley. Sway was gone. Period. I could drive the truck as if it was empty and the trailer simply followed.
Then we moved up to a new HR 32FKD that grossed at over 12,000#. Naturally we moved the Hensley over to the new trailer. We drove that rig nearly 20,000 miles that year and never had an issue with sway even in nasty gusting winds in North Dakota and Saskatchewan.
So, when we decided to go back to TTs after our DP, the first thing we did was to order a new Hensley hitch. Even before we ordered the trailer. Two weeks ago we were driving along the Columbia River gulch. The weather was 'normal' which means the wind was blowing stink, the river was rolling white caps. We could feel the blasts of wind shake the rig when they hit, but it didn't move. I could sip my coffee, pet DW's dog, and watch the scenery while driving completely relaxed.
FYI, I sold our first Hensley on eBay for $2595 including shipping, so the net cost was $800. We paid $622 for the Reese Dual Cam & sold it for $461, net cost $161. So the actual net cost difference is only about $640. In other words, if you factor in the resale value of the Hensley, it is not as expensive as the initial price makes it seem like.
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
Well, certainly not against the Hensley hitch. Just looking at the design you can tell they put a lot of thought into it. I have had my TT for about 2 years now. I went from nothing to a 34' TT. The furtherest I've taken on one trip was just over 200 miles. I typically stay withing 100-150 miles from home. Not because I'm scared to go further. I'm just saving up vacation time so when I go further, I can stay gone and enjoy it. I do very little interstae driving right now. Next summer I am however planning a trip to the north GA/NC mountains. Thats why i am starting my research now.
I was hoping the dvd would have been one that after watching I said "Man I need one of those things" but it wasn't. I know I still want one. It's a gadget and I'm a man. Well gadget may be the wrong term. It's a piece of machinery. Thats better.
I will probably get one by next summer if not before.
Surprised they're not still sending VHS tapes....at least it's a DVD....
Seriously, other posters are right on the money about the Hensley. We don't get a lot of trips in per year, but we always have a couple of long ones...leaving for the midwest next week. The Hensley lets you relax and enjoy the drive just like you can when you're not towing a trailer.
The video is a joke at this point, but the hitch is not. There;s also a new hitch out called the ProPride. Jim Hensley invested the Hensley Arrow, and licensed the design years ago to a new company that wanted to manufacture and sall the hitch called Hensley Mfg. Well, Jim has come up with a new design, and he partered with Sean Woodruff, a former exec from Hensley Mfg, on this new venture. The new hitch works on the same principle of the Hensley, but has a couple of nuances that tweak the original design to make it a little better. ProPride just started shipping hitches this spring and is currently priced about $500 less than the Hensley.
Since you're doing research, you should add this one to your list.
I am another with the HA DVD. I knew I was upgrading TT and TV and thought I should have a look. Video was very entertaining! I'm also sitting on the fence on when to get one. My travels are close to home this year. I used to do the long hauls down to Florida with my old setup, and that's what got my attention about the HA. To many rigs, and rutted interstate hwy's...and a bad sway incident. The DC set-up I have now is doing great for me right now, maybe the prices will drop even more(propride too I hope!)
Any camping is good camping!
DH & DW , DD x 2
2008 Salem 27RB LTD
Yukon XL 1500 5.3SLT
Prodigy BC, DC Reese WD, Scan Gauge II
Days camped in 2008 -34-
I am so glad you provided me with the name of the new hitch. I think I actually like it better then the hensley. It appears to be using the same basic features, but appears to provide a little more flexibilty. The adjustable hitch bar is a great improvement from what I've seen on the hensley. I guess it would work on the hensley also. This hitch is about $600.00 cheaper also... That is a big plus...
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