Hensley? TT-TV-Sway control purchase work flow

[Go West]

I towed with a Hensley Arrow for six years (pictured below) and currently tow with a Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch. Here's my take: if you truck - trailer combo are well matched, a state-of-the-art WD hitch such as Equalizer, Reese or Blue Ox will do the job. A Hensley won't add a noticeable difference in these circumstances. However, if you are towing weight that is near your vehicle's maximum ratings, I'd recommend the Hensley Arrow. The Hensley works exactly as advertised. They are built like an anvil so find a used one if you can.

My current 1/2 ton Titan is rated to pull 9,250 lbs; my Cherokee trailer weighs 6,000 lbs on the road. With this truck-trailer combo, I am completely satisfied with the performance of the Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch.

[rlh1957]

I would get a WD/Sway setup for sure. Anything over 4000#.
I have 2017 F250 6.7 Diesel with tow package and pull 6000# with 600# tongue weight.
Makes the difference.
Everyone has opinions and recommendations... I have the Recurve R6 and have been very pleased with it. Bars are on top and not low on bottom. No chains to hook up.
They are in the $600 range.
Since you're new to towing, I would think getting it installed is easier than doing yourself and better piece of mind that the weight is being distributed appropriately to front and rear truck tires, that your hitch and trailer tongue are the right height.

[kcdelan]

Towed for a short time with friction type sway bars nervously trying to control sway even, with our smaller light TT's. Wife told me to order myself a Hensley, as my birthday gift from her???? Anyway, best investment we ever made. Sway became a thing of the past. We used it on a number of other TT's then stored it when we graduated to a 5th. Now we are back to using to using a TT and so glad that we kept our Hensley. Got to admit that this one does look like a bit of over-kill on our present 25 ft. TT but we don't care. The "Cub" version would probably suffice but this "biggie" has never let us down. Our 25 footer looks a little silly anyway behind our Dodge 3500 Longhorn!

Like some other's have said here, you invest all that money in a TT, and an adequate vehicle to pull it, why go cheap on the part that will give you peace-of mind and provide the safest tow!

Hooking and unhooking the Hensley takes a bit of practice and backing-up reaction is somewhat different, more like that of a 5th. We have found Hensley Mfg. an excellent company to deal with.

[kittlecat]

Myself, I just had installed an Equalizer hitch after several years of white knuckle towing with my TT. The Equalizer eliminated 99% of the sway I was experiencing. I visited the Hensley factory in Michigan by chance last year, knowing absolutely nothing about Hensley, and have determined that when I purchase my next TT, I will roll the cost of the Hensley hitch into the purchase of the TT as that is the only way I will be able to afford the Hensley system. I am 110% sold on the Hensley hitch and that was just from visiting the factory.

I've had enough white knuckle experiences to last me a lifetime and hope that my Equalizer will take care of most of that huge problem until such time that I can purchase a Hensley system. My thoughts are if you go with Hensley, you won't regret it. And their customer service is top notch if you have questions, problems, need parts, etc.

BTW, I am a single female who travels alone 95% of the time to/from campgrounds. If your other half ever has to drive the TV while pulling the TT, you may never know the stress you will save her by having the Hensley hitch. If cost is not an issue but safety concerns are an issue, go with the Hensley. I'm going to.

[deepseadan]

Originally Posted by kcdelan

Towed for a short time with friction type sway bars nervously trying to control sway even, with our smaller light TT's. Wife told me to order myself a Hensley, as my birthday gift from her???? Anyway, best investment we ever made. Sway became a thing of the past. We used it on a number of other TT's then stored it when we graduated to a 5th. Now we are back to using to using a TT and so glad that we kept our Hensley. Got to admit that this one does look like a bit of over-kill on our present 25 ft. TT but we don't care. The "Cub" version would probably suffice but this "biggie" has never let us down. Our 25 footer looks a little silly anyway behind our Dodge 3500 Longhorn!



Like some other's have said here, you invest all that money in a TT, and an adequate vehicle to pull it, why go cheap on the part that will give you peace-of mind and provide the safest tow!



Hooking and unhooking the Hensley takes a bit of practice and backing-up reaction is somewhat different, more like that of a 5th. We have found Hensley Mfg. an excellent company to deal with.

I know it’s hard to compare trailer to trailer, but how did your 5th wheel tow compared to your Hensley and TT? At least when it comes to sway?

[kcdelan]

Originally Posted by deepseadan

I know it’s hard to compare trailer to trailer, but how did your 5th wheel tow compared to your Hensley and TT? At least when it comes to sway?

To answer your question and be honest, we experienced more instability (not exactly sway) in severe crosswinds, towing the 5th Wheel than we ever have had towing a TT/Hensley combo, at least in similar conditions. To perhaps put it more succinct, I feel a lot more confident towing the TT with Hensley than towing a 5th Wheel. However, the instability of the 5th. in crosswinds may have been due to the fact that it was substantially higher and with a lot more side surface area than any of our TT's

[dwebster]

I would never leave the driveway without my Hensley hitch. I had s WD hitch and right from the dealer the trailer was squirrelly right from mile one. It scared my dw to even ride in the truck. I installed a Hensley and it was night and day difference. It was pricey, but how do you put a price tag on safety?

[Ejs4029]

Originally Posted by Go West

I towed with a Hensley Arrow for six years (pictured below) and currently tow with a Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch. Here's my take: if you truck - trailer combo are well matched, a state-of-the-art WD hitch such as Equalizer, Reese or Blue Ox will do the job. A Hensley won't add a noticeable difference in these circumstances. However, if you are towing weight that is near your vehicle's maximum ratings, I'd recommend the Hensley Arrow. The Hensley works exactly as advertised. They are built like an anvil so find a used one if you can.

My current 1/2 ton Titan is rated to pull 9,250 lbs; my Cherokee trailer weighs 6,000 lbs on the road. With this truck-trailer combo, I am completely satisfied with the performance of the Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch.

X2...I used a WDH with the friction sway bar for 12 years with my old trailer 6K and new trailer 8K travelling all over the west coast and cross country here to NC where I live now...I have always towed with 3/4 ton trucks and never had an issue with sway. I have also weight and dialed in each system for best performance.

I recently bought a new Husky Centerline TS 1k to 1.2K TW for $200 plus $15 shipping from Rvautoparts.com figured I would give it a try for that price geez even if for some reason I didn't like it I could sell it on CL for a minimal lose....It works great no sway I'm completed satisfied.

[thebrakeman]

I'm sure the Hensley or ProPride does everything it is advertised to do. But compared to a properly set up Equal-I-zer, Blue Ox, or Reese Dual-Cam, I do not believe the added benefit is worth that much added cost. And no, I do not need to try them all to make that statement. My statement is based on how well my Equal-I-zer has performed in many situations. I simply know that I do not need anything more.


As far as driving home without a WDH at all, it's the toy hauler that is the problem. Many normal TT will be less than 10% on the ball. We towed our camper home without WDH without an issue from Cleveland area to Detroit area, although I stayed off the expressways to avoid any sway issues.


Like someone said, a toy hauler will be designed "tongue-heavy" when empty, anticipating that you will be adding a lot of weight to the rear. For that reason, many people with large toy haulers do what most 5th wheel owners do...skip the 3/4-ton and go with a 1-ton. You need to consider the possibility of times that will want to go camping without the toys in the back. Most people find that a 3/4-ton does not have the payload capacity to handle 5th-wheel pin-weight. I would think those with toy-haulers need to consider the same thing, for times when they may need to run at 20% TW.


A 1-ton would probably get your empty TH home without a WDH, if you stay off the expressway. With a 3/4-ton, you might need to have that WDH in advance.

[Lins]

Originally Posted by Jamnut

Lin’s, Perhaps you should get to know at least one person who is using a Hensley or ProPride before you take issue with my comment. They are profoundly different from the other WDH/sway control systems. Yes, they are more expensive expensive, but they are significantly different; both in normal driving conditions and unbelievably better in emergency conditions.

My issue is not with the hitch, it's comments on this forum telling someone they need to dump all kinds of money to enjoy camping. Biggest truck possible, most expensive hitch. Many people get by, and thoroughly enjoy, with less expensive items. I have been in a few emergency situations avoiding animals while towing. Last year I had to come to a screeching halt for a very young deer that jumped onto the road in the middle of the night. That was even before we got our equalizer. A month ago we were behind my brother-in-law and he had to swerve to avoid a small car that didn't even look before it changed lanes on the Coquihalla. Speed limit is 120km/h and we were doing close to that. He just has a simple WDH setup with no sway control. In any of these situations there were no crazy sway events or jack knifing that everybody is led to believe these days.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by larryandamy

You will get a bunch of answers ranging from "You don't need a hensley. Just get a bigger truck or a good WDH and anti-sway bar" to "Hensley will completely eliminate sway and white knuckle driving and I will never tow another TT without it"
The thing to notice is that the people telling you you don't need a Hensley have never driven a TT without and with a Hensley hitch. The ones telling you it is the only way to go have driven without and with a Hensley and 100% they will tell you they will never go back. I had a 27' Stealth Toy Hauler where I did everything suggested, WDH, tires, anti sway, TT weight distribution leveling.. everything and the sway got reduced, but never to where I did not still have a lot of white knuckled driving. I only got the Hensley because they give you a 60 day unconditional 100% refund guarantee if you don't like it. I don't think they have ever had one returned.
I am an engineer and i understand the Hensley technology which has a dual pivot point versus traditional single pivot point. The physics and force harmonics models tell it all. I can take the rig of any of these nay sayers with single pivot point and with 3 very poorly timed turns of the wheel, I can flip any of their rigs. Flipping is the number one cause of TT accidents. Put the Hensley on and it is impossible to flip the TT. The dual pivot point completely eliminate the harmonic forces that cause sway. And sway and a poor or distracted driver means trouble. Go to the Hensley website and watch the videos of them pulling a huge airstream through a slalom course. Or going off and on the road with a soft shoulder over and over again with no sway.
To me the new Hensley technology is so revolutionary it would have impact like seat belts did. If everyone had it there would be many lives saved and flip over accidents would virtually be eliminated. Some insurance companies actually give you a discount if you have a Hensley hitch.
AND... NO... I do not work for Hensley. I am just an engineer who appreciates genius engineering.

You are also somebody who obviously did not read this thread. Just a few posts up, somebody spoke of having the more expensive hitch (H or P, I forget), got tires of it, and went with the Equal-I-zer....and loves it.

Why don't you acknowledge that?

And again, I don't need to try the ProPride, to know that my many years of experience with the Equal-I-zer has show that I don't NEED to spend the money. If I needed it, I would have NO PROBLEM spending the money. But I don't need it. So why spend money on something I don't need. I could by a 1-ton truck to tow my 5200 lbs camper. Would it be safer? Yes! Would it be more stable? Yes! Do I need it? No! So why spend the extra money, on a truck (or hitch) that I don't need?

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by Go West

I towed with a Hensley Arrow for six years (pictured below) and currently tow with a Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch. Here's my take: if you truck - trailer combo are well matched, a state-of-the-art WD hitch such as Equalizer, Reese or Blue Ox will do the job. A Hensley won't add a noticeable difference in these circumstances. However, if you are towing weight that is near your vehicle's maximum ratings, I'd recommend the Hensley Arrow. The Hensley works exactly as advertised. They are built like an anvil so find a used one if you can.

My current 1/2 ton Titan is rated to pull 9,250 lbs; my Cherokee trailer weighs 6,000 lbs on the road. With this truck-trailer combo, I am completely satisfied with the performance of the Husky Centerline weight distribution hitch.

NOTE:
The Hensley/ProPride groupies will completely ignore this post!!

[dbledan]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

NOTE:
The Hensley/ProPride groupies will completely ignore this post!!

No need to put everyone in one box.

The OP asked for experience and many Hensley and ProPride owners tried multiple setups from what I have read. I recall at least 3 posts on the thread saying the exact same thing as this one so not everyone is a groupie as there are more than just 2 options here.

[thebrakeman]

I'm speaking to those who say that the only people who do not recommend a Propride are those who have never tried it. If that's not you, then I do not consider you a "ProPride groupie".

[larryandamy]

I don't know why this subject always has to get ugly. This Forum is great, but unfortunately it is still subject to human nature and gets the same anger and rudeness that all internet forums see today. The human nature is... "What I do is best... Do what I do..." or they advise on questions where they have no knowledge or experience... Just "Do what I do"
An example...
I belong to a Boondockers forum and there are often a lot of questions about going to Mexico. Without exception there is always many posts... "Don't go! You will be killed or kidnaped!" And when you ask them how many times they went to Mexico, then answer is almost always... Never been there"

Everyone is different. Some people are wealthy, some are not. Some are risk takers, some play it super safe. So for someone asking a question about paying over $2000 for a hitch is it great to get answers from each perspective. BUT without calling people names like Hensley/Proride groupies".
If you are happy with your solution... great. Share your knowledge.
But don't disparage something you have zero experience of or you just feel the money is not worth the safety risk. Maybe your risk level is much higher than others.
For me... my tolerance for white knuckle driving is zero. So for me to pay +$2000 for peace of mind... to be super safe and never have to worry about sway accidents is a no brainer. I can have an emergency road hazard or a total brain fart and do the exact wrong steering and still be OK. I will not flip.
I don't promote my perspective unless some specifically asks about Hensley. I don't advise on ProRide because I have never had one. I am a retired engineer that understands the harmonics force dynamics that cause sway and so when i got the Hensley I was blown away at the genius of their solution. To me it is like LED lighting versus candles. So when i say that I can flip any single pivot TT rig by just making three consecutive very poorly timed turns and that I can't flip a rig with a Hensley hitch... I am not telling the people who advocate that their single pivot hitch are wrong or stupid... I am just saying that it is not as safe... Because it just isn't.... And you being a great driver with a properly sized rig set up well that is more tolerant of sway can make your own decisions on cost vs. safety level. More power to you.
But please be nice and speak from within your own knowledge base and experience and understand that some people are less skilled and less of a risk taker than you are. This is what makes this forum so good.

[jmichaelo]

I'm pulling my Outdoors RV 28.5' travel trailer with a GMC Yukon and it tows like a dream with the ProPride hitch. Cost was a lower concern and safety was much higher. I considered a good no worries insurance policy.

[smithmdsmith]

Originally Posted by Deanm

Hello all !
We are total newbs out of the gate with months of research already done and this may sound like a dumb question. I am considering budgeting for the sway control/WD hitch options.
...
As far as towing , what is the most cost effective work flow when purchasing from the ground up like we are?
Thanks for any help

You've definitely done your research! I own an Equalizer and a PP3. Both hitches are 1400/14K.

I bought the PP3 when I was towing a 9200 lb gross 35' ultralight behind a 9200 lb max Nissan Titan. I towed more than 20,000 miles with that setup in elevations ranging from 0' to 8500'. I could not have done it without the PP3 given that setup.

Then I bought a GMC 2500. I could tow that same trailer on a regular drop hitch fairly comfortably. So, I bought the Equalizer 1400/14K. Easy towing. Easy hook-up. Easy drop off for service at the dealer. So easy that my wife would drive.

I mention the drop off for service at the dealer because none of the dealers I took my trailer to would touch my trailer until I took the PP3 off of the trailer.

Now, I have a 36', 10900 lb gross weight trailer that is really tongue heavy. I pull with the same GMC 2500 and the same Equalizer hitch (properly set up), but the towing isn't as easy. I'm thinking about putting the PP3 on this trailer because my wife won't drive anymore.

A big advantage to the PP3 over the Equalizer is the ease of adjusting the weight distribution. With the toy hauler empty, you'll need a lot of weight distribution because you will be so tongue heavy. With the toys in the back of the toy hauler, you'll have a much lighter tongue.

FWIW, we manage to put 1000 lbs of stuff in our trailer just with all of the camping stuff. Pots and pans, camping chairs, water, food, gear for activities, bikes, clothes, linens, etc. That stuff adds up and multiplies!

Whatever hitch you get, read the book (multiple times), take measurements, and know how it works. I have never had a dealer set up a hitch correctly. I'm sure dealers can, but I haven't found one, yet.

[Seachaser186]

Originally Posted by jmichaelo

I'm pulling my Outdoors RV 28.5' travel trailer with a GMC Yukon and it tows like a dream with the ProPride hitch. Cost was a lower concern and safety was much higher. I considered a good no worries insurance policy.

Can't speak for Hensley or other TV's besides Ford. But with the Propride and Ford backup camera, hook up is actually easier than the conventional hitches. Just another thing to consider.

[Seachaser186]

Originally Posted by Seachaser186

Can't speak for Hensley or other TV's besides Ford. But with the Propride and Ford backup camera, hook up is actually easier than the conventional hitches. Just another thing to consider.

BTW..this is not a response to your post. My mistake.

[vmfa]

My experience towing my 7000 pound 35 foot training home from the dealer with an Equalizer hitch was the crosswinds were pretty stiff that day and it was jacking me sideways and the fastest I could safely go was 50 mph.

I purchased a Hensley hitch and I have no regrets.

Nothing bothers me towing it now. It is expensive but it does exactly what they claim it will do.

There is no comparison in the performance of the Hensley vs the Equalizer.

I'm a professional truck driver and I have seen 3 travel trailers flipped on their sides this summer and each time I think I'm sure glad I purchased the Hensley.

Granted it's very expensive but I can certainly justify spending the money on it for how it perform s.