Hensley Mfg posted this thought I would share !!

[jlgail4309]

https://hensleymfg.com/proper-trailer-loading/

If you’ve been alive long enough, you’ve heard your share of “accepted truths,” especially when it comes to towing a trailer. Eventually, if you’re like me, you start to question many of these facts of life. One of my favorites is that you can solve the problem of trailer sway by properly loading your trailer.

Sounds legit, right? Heavy stuff in the front. Got it.

But if you really stop to think about it, what choice do you have? Most trailers have storage compartments, closets, and water tanks that are not portable. The big outside compartment is where the manufacturer put it. Your option is to put stuff in it or not. Sure, we can elect to keep the water tanks empty or full until we reach our destination, but for those of us who’ve experienced bad campground water or an “out of order” sign on the campground water nozzle, we prefer to fill those puppies at home with water we know and trust.

Even then, the options are few. You fill (or not) your tanks. Put food in the fridge. Clothes in the closet. Usually you can expect to load a trailer with about 1500 pounds of stuff. And it goes in whatever spot the manufacturer made available.

So how do you “properly load” a trailer? Show of hands, how many of you really put much thought into it? Unless you’re on the pro-bowler circuit or collect rocks as you go, it really doesn’t make much of a difference. Fishing poles only fit in so many places.

Manufacturers know this, of course. That’s why they place the axles according to the trailer design and expected load. If you have a front kitchen, the axles are closer to the front. Rear kitchen, closer to the rear. You get no say in the matter. And manufacturers always seem to err toward a heavier tongue. Despite this, trailer sway is still the most common problem among lovers of travel trailers. Still the #1 cause of accidents. Still the hottest topic in any towing forum.

If you listen to all the free advice floating around out there, you’ll go crazy trying to apply it all and get a sway-free experience. You’ll never get there.

Unless, of course, you simply make trailer sway impossible. That’s where Hensley comes in. The Hensley Arrow and Cub don’t use friction like all the other hitches out there. We use physics. Our unique converging linkage system only allows the tow vehicle to initiate the pivot at the hitch. No force applied to the side of the trailer can initiate the pivot. Think of it like any tool that only works in one direction. Wind, semi-trucks, uneven roads, and other side forces cannot cause a trailer to sway if it is equipped with a Hensley Hitch. “Proper loading” won’t help.

Give us a call at 1-800-410-6580 and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

[johnbryanpeters]

Nice spam.

[glsimms]

No doubt they are the "mack daddy" of hitches!

Just wish they were more affordable

[jlgail4309]

Yea high dollar !! But he'll a lot of people have over 100000 in the rig and trailer. What's a couple more big one's.

[larryscsi]

My opinion is that the Propride is a much better version of the projection hitches.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by jlgail4309

Yea high dollar !! But he'll a lot of people have over 100000 in the rig and trailer. What's a couple more big one's.

Ummm.... I don't have any where near that in my combo. But hey, if that floats your boat, go for it.
Some are not as blessed to have unlimited cash to spend on their hobby(ies). If Hensley made them more affordable, stands to reason they would have more sales, if that's what they're after.

[M&K Hoffman]

Here is what the link is going to now:

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The page you are looking for no longer exists. Perhaps you can return back to the site's homepage and see if you can find what you are looking for. Or, you can try finding it by using the search form below.

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by M&K Hoffman

Here is what the link is going to now:

Not found, error 404

The page you are looking for no longer exists. Perhaps you can return back to the site's homepage and see if you can find what you are looking for. Or, you can try finding it by using the search form below.

There's an extra '.com' at the end of the provided link, if you manually delete it, the link works. Though it seems to have the same text on the destination page as what the OP entered.

X2 on the ProPride. Opted to hold off buying other stuff to afford it.

[B and B]

Next we are going to Sedans towing 35 ft TT with a custom hitch and no engineering behind its fabrication or application.

[aceinspp]

Don't need it as I have what I need and it works for a lot less. Later RJD

[Seachaser186]

Retiring in March which means more towing. I will be investing in a Hensley or Propride and swapping out my P tires for LT's. My last time out on the Interstate was a lot more white knuckle than I ever care to do again.

[jlgail4309]

Originally Posted by Seachaser186

Retiring in March which means more towing. I will be investing in a Hensley or Propride and swapping out my P tires for LT's. My last time out on the Interstate was a lot more white knuckle than I ever care to do again.

I also think the Propride is a better hitch. I bought the Cub because it fit my need with my small trailer. They do take the white knuckles out of the driving in high winds or passing trucks. I believe you can buy rebuild Hensley for less money from Hensley, If they have any in stock. They get them on trade in when people step up to the 5th wheel hitches.

[Seachaser186]

There is a new thread on this forum selling a used Propride for 1700 OBO.

[larryandamy]

I was surprised to see this post that is very close to being an ad for Hensley product on this forum.

But I thought I would share my own experience with the Hensley hitch solution.
I towed a 27 foot Forest River Stealth Toy Hauler SS22-17 with a 2008 Toyota 4x4 Sequoia. The trailer loaded was max of 7000lbs and the Sequoia is rated to tow 9600lbs. I did all of the tuning and adjustments and load leveling suggested and I was not happy with towing due to trailer sway. I was ready to sell the rig and go back to motorhome or go to a truck with slide in camper.
But I researched and found the Hensley hitch solution. I spent a few months deciding whether to spend over $2000 for a hitch and it wasn't until I talked to Hensley several times and was assured of their 60 day unconditional 100% refund policy that i decided to take the leap. I figured if I did not like it i would return it for full refund.
Well i got it and installed it in about 3 hours myself and I could not believe the difference. Total sway elimination... I wouldn't even know I had a trailer hooked up except for acceleration and deceleration times. With the Hensley hitch I could go through a slalom course and take the rig off and on the road shoulder with no issues. Instant and solid tracking no matter what kind of evasive maneuvering I had to do.
I took an 11,000 trip from San Diego to Alaska last summer and it was awesome.
I have driven other peoples rigs where they say they have no sway issues and from my perspective of before and after the Hensley hitch, and they did have trailer sway. The rigs had to be driven skillfully to be safe and there was still that "white knuckled" driving needed to be safe and not over sway.
I let one of them drive my rig and he went out and bought the Hensley hitch right away.

What i am trying to say here is that unless you are able to compare the rigs with and without the Hensley hitch, you do not have the perspective needed to make the judgments and recommendations I see debated over and over in this forum.

So everyone is different and has different skill levels and different rigs and different tolerances for what is exceptable trailer sway.
My input to this is that once you have experienced towing with the Hensley hitch you will not consider towing without it. I am an engineer that understands mechanical forces and harmonics. The Hensley design is pure genius as it removes the solid pivot point that causes sway.

I see posts with advice about trading in your 150 or 250 and getting a 350 or dually and go diesel and bigger/better tires and tire pressure and load distribution and leveling... And yes the bigger the towing vehicle and they better tuned the better. But those solutions cost thousands and even ten's of thousands of dollars and still do not eliminate sway and can still end badly if you have to take evasive maneuvers or just made a mistake driving during a brain fart moment.

This is my testimony and i have zero incentive except to help people have fun and be safe. When insurance companies start giving discounts for having a Hensley hitch you know there has to be something improving safety going on here.

BUT.. here is an update on my rig decisions...
Since the Alaska trip I decided that pulling a trailer is not the best solution for me. I have since sold the Sequoia and the Toy Hauler and bought an F350 dually diesel truck with a slide in camper. I did this not because of issues towing the Toy Hauler with the Sequoia... but because I decided that i needed more mobility. I want to be able to go down any road without worrying about being able to turn around or busting leaf springs and bending axles. I want to be able to park anywhere without having to find huge open areas (Walmart) or have to plan my entrance and exits before deciding if i can stop there.
I just took my first mountain/desert trip this weekend with my truck/camper rig and I loved everything about it... Except of coarse I miss the larger living area the trailer/motorhome has over the camper once to get to your destination. But to me, the trade off is more than worth it. I drove mountain roads at speed and we went where we wanted to with impunity...

Thanks

[rlschurman]

I've had a Hensley towing a 34 ft jammer and I never worry about getting blown all over the highway. You can't beat their service. They'll talk to you and solve your problem/question anytime you call,,,has been my experience

[dwebster]

Several years ago my DW and I bought a new travel trailer. The ride home from the dealer was a nightmare. I had been towing trailers for over thirty years and this was the first one to have a Tail Wag problem. Back to the dealership. We tried every adjustment with no effect on our weight distribution hitch. Nothing seemed to work. We would lose a lane when ever a truck passed us. DW was afraid to even ride when I was towing. We were to the point of getting out of trailering.
In desperation we turned to Hensley. We made several trips to The Rockys and Alaska over the years with not one bit of sway. Never again did we have any issues while towing. It was very expensive, but worth every penny. I highly recommend The Hensley Arrow.

[thebrakeman]

There is nothing wrong with 90% of the article. The points made are right. There is little you can do as far as where you load your stuff, and the design of the rig itself. And you can't be sure that you will always load the same way, especially if you have several very large water tanks.
But issues I laugh at:
1. 1500 lbs of stuff loaded into a camper. Yeah, right! Even if you include fulltimers in 5ers and MH, that's not a good average.
2. You have to spend thousands on a Hennesley (or ProPride) to have a rig that won't sway.


Who cares whether you are preventing it, or controlling it? There are too many people out camping with systems costing hundreds, that have no issues. I cringe when I hear people say that went straight to these expensive systems, without first trying an Equal-I-zer, Dual-Cam, Blue Ox, etc.

[Restcure]

We started camping in 2006 with a Dodge Caravan and a pop up trailer. After towing for one season with a weight carrying hitch, I upgraded to a weight distribution model, which made a world of difference. in 2008 the Caravan was replaced with a 2005 Toyota Sequoia that fall we sold the pop up and bought a travel trailer and an Equal-i-zer.

I was never comfortable towing with the Equal-i-zer, even after several attempts to dial it in... and my wife wanted to sell the trailer. A camping buddy had a similar combo and was towing it with a Hensley, and he told me about ProPride. I bought one in 2009 and installed it myself.

The experiences were night and day. From white knuckles on the highway with the Equal-i-zer to sway-free towing with the Pro-Pride.

So I've been on both sides. In my experience there's a world of difference between sway control and sway elimination. And I don't think it's fair dump on the Hensley or ProPride (or their owners) without having experienced one for yourself.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

1. 1500 lbs of stuff loaded into a camper. Yeah, right! Even if you include fulltimers in 5ers and MH, that's not a good average.

Do you consider 1,500 low or high? I've heard 1,500 spouted quite often.

[jlgail4309]

[QUOTE=thebrakeman;1406835]There is nothing wrong with 90% of the article. The points made are right. There is little you can do as far as where you load your stuff, and the design of the rig itself. And you can't be sure that you will always load the same way, especially if you have several very large water tanks.
But issues I laugh at:
1. 1500 lbs of stuff loaded into a camper. Yeah, right! Even if you include fulltimers in 5ers and MH, that's not a good average.
2. You have to spend thousands on a Hennesley (or ProPride) to have a rig that won't sway.


Who cares whether you are preventing it, or controlling it? There are too many people out camping with systems costing hundreds, that have no issues. I cringe when I hear people say that went straight to these expensive systems, without first trying an Equal-I-zer, Dual-Cam, Blue Ox, etc.[/QUOTE


I believe your right about trying cheaper hitches. With the shorter TV. I think the high priced hitches work real well. After pulling with the Hensley. I would like to try a 5th wheel hitch and a 3/4 ton. When we move up to a bigger trailer.