Thinking about Hensley Arrow hitch system

[KeithInSpace]

Not 100% "tractor" related, but still curious if anyone owns this sytem, or knows someone who does.

In addition to my utility trailer and tractor, I own a travel trailer. While my Expedition is an amazing tow vehicle, the instability (especially while passing semi trucks) is difficult to gloss over...it can be outright disconcerting. I have a Reese friction sway bar, but it can't overcome the "suck" of a large truck blowing by me at 65 MPH.

The most obvious solution is to graduate from a SUV to a P/U and get a 5th wheel camper. Unfortunately, 5th wheels don't offer some of the amenities we like most and have drawbacks we don't care for. Additionally, we very much enjoy having an SUV for everything OTHER than towing trailers.

The Hensley Arrow system makes a lot of sense to me in that it takes away the one thing I'm most terrified of: Something happening to me and my wife having to drive with trailer attached. She is a wonderful, strong, and spectacular person, but I tell you this...she would HIT me the first time she gets passed by a moving truck and the trailer tugs at the rear of my Expedition. She'd freak, plain and simple. I've towed for thousands of miles, and it can be a little white-knuckle at times. Not a bust on truck or trailer...simple matter of physics. My brother owns a DRW F350 club-cab long-bed and pulls a 24' enclosed trailer. He doesn't have the same issue. Of course, the rest of the time, when he isn't pulling a trailer, he drives a DRW F350 club-cab long-bed...which he honestly doesn't enjoy all that much.

Does anyone else own this system? It ain't cheap (a little over $3k), but it is loads cheaper than a P/U I don't need and a 5th wheel I don't want.

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.

Keith

 

[jwstewar]

I would love to have one, but can't afford one right now. With that being said, I've heard they can be a pain to hook up. The guy that originally designed the Hensley, Jim Hensley has designed a new one. It is called a ProPride. Supposedly is even better than the Hensley and hooks up easier. I'm on another forum that is run by Sean Woodruff - the guy that owns the Pro-Pride company. He used to work for Hensley and then he left and hooked up with Jim Hensley to start ProPride. Everyone on the other forum that has it, swears buy it. And no, not everyone on that site has it. For information on the ProPride Hitch, visit ProPride, Inc. Trailer Hitch - The Next Generation in Trailer Sway Elimination. BTW, I'm not assiciated with them in any way, just someone that would love to have one between my Silverado and Jayco.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I spoke to the Hensley guy for some 45 minutes...he alluded to a "one-man shop" that sold a competing hitch operating on similar principals. Without knowing for sure, I'd assume he was talking about this particular hitch.

Without a side-by-side comparison or someone telling me they had both and preferred one over the other, I'd still lean toward the Hensley as the "tried and true" rig...that said, if Pro-Pride was a better hitch, that's fine too.

I may find an RV forum to ask the same question at some point...this was just my first stop since I get so much other wonderful information from you guys.

Look forward to more input/thoughts...

 

[jwstewar]

Visit the one off the ProPride website. You will see lots of posts comparing the 2. There is some bad blood between these 2 companies since Sean used to work for Hensley but left because of their business practices.

You can also visit RV.NET Lots of posts there to look at.

 

[VitaBene]

I have heard great things about the Hensley and ProPride hitch systems- except for the cost. Consider upgrading your Reese to a Dual Cam model, you may be pleasantly surprised. I have towed 1000s of miles with mine pulling a 32' Car Hauler and it is very good at controlling semi push and pull.

Best of luck. BTW look on Craigs, you can often find used Hensleys that need little except paint for a serious discount.

 

[KeithInSpace]

The price bothers me less than you would think. I'd spend $2500/$3000 on a ProPride/Hensley before I spend $200 on a Dual Cam. Being an engineer, these two options represent a physical, geometric solution to the issue.

I was just looking to confirm that they actually DO work. It seems from yours and Mr. Jwstewar's comments, the general feeling is warm and fuzzy...it's just a matter of which system. Hensley has been around and is built like a battleship. I haven't compared it to the ProPride side-by-side, but I will before I purchase.

I'm not sure what my wife would think about used. In all things related to connecting a 6,000# missle (trailer) to the back of the 5,500# truck with our 2 small kids inside, she has been very conservative so far...I'd put my money on her insisting on new, wherever we go with the conversation.

 

[roamerr]

I'm sure you have looked over the RV.net forums and read the many reviews of the Hensley. The reviews are generally positive -- it seems to be a great hitch.

I looked at one mainly beacause I wanted to learn more about it. The one thing I learned is that they will bombard you with junk emails once you sign up at their website. At $3000 a hitch they work hard to sell them. If buying a Hensley I personally would look for a good used one -- they can be found for $1500 and less.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hensley-Arrow-complete-towing-hitch-system-no-more-sway_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem439d40dfa5QQitemZ290401083301QQptZMotorsQ5fRVQ5fTrailerQ5fCamperQ5fPartsQ5fAccessori

You did not list your travel trailer size. I personally tow a 30ft toyhauler (Cherokee Wolfpack 27DFWP) behind my 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 and have no issues. Loaded with ATV's and water I am at 9500 lbs. I tow the hills of WV and Tennessee and never have sway and only a slight movement when passing semi's. My hitch is just a standard Reese Weight Distribution with no sway control. I did add rear airbags to firm up the soft 1/2 ton suspension. I also run with approx 1200 lbs of hitch weight since hitch weight stops sway better than anything I have found.

If you have not tried it I would highly recommend adding weight to the front of your trailer (or remove from back) if sway is an issue. Hitch weight makes huge differences. I have a friend with a Dodge 3500 Dually that has a 24' Toyhauler that would whip his dually around. The sway was incredible. Basically his water tanks (90 gallons) are in the front -- once the water tanks are filled it tows like a dream. His 3500 is far more capable than my 1500 but even a large truck can not easily overcome a light hitched trailer.

 

[herd]

I went thru this same issue last year when I bought my TT. I researched hitches and would have preferred the Hensley but couldn't justify the cost. I settled on the Reese WD w/trunnion and dual cam anti-sway. I have been very satisfied with it and it was $800 for total setup (hitch bar, equalizer, anti-sway, ball). For that price range, I believe it's the best hitch in class.

That being said, the Hensley is the best and if money doesn't matter, go for it.

You find a wealth of info on rv'ing, towing, TT's, Fiver's, etc at rvforum.net

It's a great site with very knowledgeable and friendly folks.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I agree that the RVForum is very informative and speaks directly to my questions. I'm not registered there and, as I said, wanted to ask folks here first. Seem to get a good read on things from you guys.

As to my TT, it is a 20' long hybrid. In tow, loaded, with empty tanks, it is ~5,500#. We do plan on upgrading in the next couple/few years. Nothing more than 24' long. Maybe a hard-side hybrid or something.

I run a WD hitch system, although I honestly don't know the manufacturer. It has the square "clip in" trunnion bars, not the ones with a bend in them that you "slide in" from the bottom, if that makes any sense at all. The bars are the 1,000# variety and the setup feels very good. While the bars are slightly large for the TT, know that I also own a 10k# capacity utility trailer that I tow with the same setup. I also run a Reese friction-type anti-sway bar. I use a Tekonsha P3 controller.

I can't be sure, but I think my independent rear suspension (IRS) is hurting me in the crosswinds. P/U trucks just don't seem to have the same issue I do...not sure if it is the longer wheelbase, the more 'basic' suspension geometry (leaf/log), higher load rating in the tires, or what. As I've said many times before, my Expedition isn't a BAD tow vehicle...it is certainly capable...I just need to try a little harder to find the sweet spot on towing large trailers with it.

I'm upgrading my wheels/tires as we speak. From stock 265/70/R17 Michelin Whatevers to 275/55/R20 Nitto TerraGrapplers. Not only to the Michelin's have 45k+ miles on them, but I'm hoping that the higher load rating and lower sidewall profile of the Nitto's will help slightly. The TerraGrapplers are very highly rated tires and knowing folks using them, have only heard rave reviews. I didn't get the 20" rims with the direct hope of helping my towing...just giving the 75K mile old truck a "second wind"...but I wouldn't mind it to be a pleasent side-effect of the change.

Regarding carrying full tanks as Mr. Roamerr suggests: My black and grey tanks are in the back and my ~30 gallon water tank is in the front. Of course, I carry no black/grey water home. I used to carry my water tank full, but with all the other 400# gear I stow in the nose and the handful of things I put inside the truck, it actually started to feel heavy on the tongue, even with the WD hitch. Perhaps the IRS biting me again. The last few trips of last year, I started running the water tank ~1/3 full and it felt much better.

Honestly, if I could pass a semi (or have a semi pass me) and not have to compensate with steering input, I'd be the happiest person on earth. As I said, I really want my wife to feel comfortable driving. And she hates seeing me "white knuckle" it whenever a large truck nears. It isn't QUITE as bad as I make it sound, but I'm very, very, very, very cautious with everything I care about in this life riding in the car with me.

I'll start looking into used hitches and see what the deal is with those. Perhaps that is a good way to go. I'll keep digging.

Thanks for taking the time to offer input!!!

 

[dodge man]

Will the tire swap help you? The reason I ask I switched from 20's on my 2007 Dodge Ram to 18's. The reason being I wanted I little more offroad tire and there weren't many choices in 20's available. It seems like your thinking that a lower profile tire might help with sidewall flexing, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in. I don't know if the higher or lower profile is better for towing. If the 20's are an E load rating that might help also. If you get a little sway going does it help to reach down and tap the brakes on the trailer through your brake controller?

 

[KeithInSpace]

Those Nitto's are mean tires, as much "off-road" as I need to go onto my job sites. And they come in a great variety of rim sizes and section widths.

To clarify: I never get "sway" as I define it..."sway" (in my simple mind) being a back-and-forth movement that is self-sustaining or self-amplifying. The trailer doesn't sway. I don't know what to call it...what I DO get is a genuine 'tug' at the back of the truck when a large vehicle passes me. Once the vehicle passes, the trailer goes back in line and my corrective steering action ceases.

To digress: As the air is compressed between the other vehicle and my (any) trailer, the velocity increases. By physical law, the pressure decreases, sucking my (any) trailer closer to the other vehicle, be it a moving van, cube truck, or semi trailer. Forever and always, this will be the case.

The difference here is how the tow vehicle reacts. On a 5th wheel, it makes nary a difference. The trailer still gets sucked to the side, you just don't feel it or need to correct for it. In a bumperpull, it will always happen, but pickups just seem to "deal" with it better than my SUV. As I said before, perhaps it's a wheelbase thing, an IRS thing, a tire thing, whatever. Just trying to isolate and eradicate it is the issue at hand.

As I said, I'm not changing to 20" tires to fix this problem, but my thinking is that it won't hurt. And they are E load rated.

I generally don't 'correct' the trailer by pulling the lever on the controller at speed. Not exactly the time I want to take a hand off the wheel, if you know what I mean.

Hope that clarifies...

 

[Renze]

My previous job was at a builder of professional small trailers, e.g. 2000 to 3500kg bumper pull, and 5th wheel air brakes up to 12 ton. ( i say "professional" small trailers, as the bumper pulls of major brands were half the price of what we built, but ours would outlast them by a factor 4 so we only had customers that needed a quality trailer for everyday commercial use)

Once we had an Iveco truck which didnt have the towing specifications: The rear axle torsion bar was only 22mm, where a Merc usually had a 45mm when ordered with towing package. When they went to the roadworthiness approval to tag it, a truck passing by would suck the entire combination allmost two foot aside.
We had a lot of trouble with that customer, as the Iveco dealer said it was our fault because the axle placement of the trailer was wrong. We invited them over and put that trailer behind a Merc 518. It was a world of difference.

You can do all kinds of funny things to your hitch, but when moving the horizontal hinge point another foot and a half back with this hitch, you're loosing half so you must gain double, to get any better of it.

I would try to find some air bellows that fit inside the coil springs of your SUV (or if its leaf springs: just an Air ride kit from Firestone)
Stiffness of the rear suspension makes more difference than anything else. The cool thing about air is that it doesnt make an empty vehicle stiff. In fact we sold it as a means to make a Tundra (one of the few scarce imports into Holland) ride more comfy when not loaded: install the bags, inflate them untill they lift the suspension just a bit, and it will be smooth when not loaded, and will get stiff when its compressed under load.

 

[KeithInSpace]

...when moving the horizontal hinge point another foot and a half back with this hitch, you're loosing half so you must gain double, to get any better of it.

That was one of the questions I asked Hensley originally. On my truck, for some reason, I actually end up having to modify every draw-bar I've purchased. Because of the spare tire placement, this involves drilling a new retaining-pin hole further up on the hitch and lopping off as much as 6 inches off the truck-side of the draw-bar (otherwise, the un-used portion would run into the under-hung spare tire). Without doing this modification, the stupid ball would be sticking over a foot out from the bumper.

That said, the Hensley system sticks out a bit further, but IN THEORY it moves the rotation point 50 inches forward...far more than double.

I don't mind the idea of "bagging" my truck if I KNEW that would fix the issue. Sounds weird, but I don't mind throwing $3,000 at a Hensley if I KNEW it would fix the problem and would do that before I threw $500 at putting air bags in my rear suspension if I only THOUGHT that would fix the problem.

I certainly appreciate the thoughts...perhaps I'll ask the question in the RV forum. Bunches of those folks run Expeditions...perhaps they know something I don't.

 

[Sean Woodruff]

Hello, my name is Sean Woodruff. I am the former vice president of Hensley Mfg. that the company likes to lie about. I now make the ProPride 3P hitch; which is Jim Hensley's latest design.

I know the OP has talked to Hensley so I thought I'd chime in here.

Projecting the pivot point does make a huge difference in the stability of the trailer. I built the Hensley company to what it WAS and now have sold close to 1800 of my ProPride hitches and you will hear nothing but praise for Jim Hensley's hitches.

If you have any specific product questions, on either hitch, I'd be happy to answer them here for you.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I appreciate it, Sean. I hadn't gotten into direct comparison of the two hitches yet (the "old" and "new" Hensley, as it were), but I'm all about keeping it real. My kids are very excited about the upcoming camping season and I want to make it as safe as possible for all.

I look forward to calling you in the near future and learning more about your hitch. I probably won't pull the trigger for a few months at least, but I like having my research done so I don't make any rash decisions.

Hope all is well.

 

[burnetma]

I completely understand your concerns. I have towed well over 100,000 miles and sway can really un-nerve even the most experienced driver.

It sounds like you have an Equilizer style hitch.

I checked out the Hensley product and liked it alot, but could not justify the cost or the fact that it is one hitch for one trailer as I have 3 trailers. I purchased a Reese Strait Line with the Dual Cam sway control. It works perfectly for all of my applications. My tilt bed equipment trailer was absolutely unruly without the hitch dual cam sway control. I had it take off (swaying side to side across two lanes) with 125 bales of hay doing 65 mph on the interstate towing with my F250. That was way too exciting. I added the dual cam and now I honestly forget the trailer is behind me.

To answer your questions about your current set-up:
1. Yes, both the short wheelbase and the IRS is hurting the stability.
2. Yes, higher load rated tires will help stability.
3. Yes, too much tongue weight will also hurt stability especially with a light IRS suspension. Too little tongue weight is equally dangerous.

I am very confident that the Hensley will work well and you will be very pleased. I am also confident that you would be happy with the Strait Line set-up.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I very much appreciate the response. Good info.

 

[Renze]

Projecting the pivot point does make a huge difference in the stability of the trailer.

The idea of pivot point projection to increase towing stability isnt new: the standardised tractor 3pt system was invented by Harry Ferguson in the 30s and
had the same background idea.. However this is a totally different application of the concept..