I recently purchased a used Hensley Arrow and while trying to insert the stinger into the hitch head it sometimes will not fully engage for the latch mechanism to work. What am I doing wrong? I paid attention to the alignment both vertically and horizontally.
Make sure everything is level and that your tow vehicle is on a flat plane when backing up if the front end of the TV come up or down when backing up it will change the angle of the bar. What I do is put the bar in the TV and back up with in 2 or 3 inches for the TT and eye ball it to make sure it level.
I rarely get my stinger too “fully” engage. It always stops short about a half inch or more. But I can always pull it up tight using the swivel lugs with a little force on the latch tool.
I used to make sure it was sprayed with a dry lube to ensure it would slide easily. I sprayed into the Hensley and the bar itself. I also used to back the truck up to within 1/2 foot of the trailer hitch. I would then unhook the bar from the truck and slide it rearward into the hitch to check the angle of entry. If I needed to adjust the hitch up or down, tilt it right of left, it was much easier to do without the truck, but by hand. Once I was pretty sure I was lined up, I would re-secure the bar to the truck hitch, and slowly back into the Hensley. It was a learning process and after a while I rarely needed to do this. But in the beginning it was what made it easy for me. If I ever return to a travel trailer, it will have either a Hensley or a Pro-Pride.
Stacey Frank
'04 Mobile Suites 36 TK3 #1341
'99 Int'l 4700 Lo Pro MDT
'04 PT Turbo
'Direcway satellite
Make sure you unhitch it right then the angles will be set when you hook up again. Use Dry Lube and you should be good to go. I never have a problem getting it all the way in. As long as you unhitch it right. The Instruction manual has very good instructions. I have a tape line in the latch toll that tells me how high I have to lift it before loosining the WD bar jacks untill loose.
1993 GMC Suburban K2500 4X4, 454, 4:10 gears
Hensley Arrow
Jordan Ultima 2020 Controller
Montana Mountaineer Edition 32 PRD
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