Hensley Arrow advanced towing system

[AH64ID]

So all trailer sales places should say, sorry we can not sell you that trailer with that tow vehicle you have, not! SNOKING

It's a shame we cannot hold people accountable for big boy decisions anymore in this country.

The under carriage is quite a bit aft of center, may be a contributing factor.
Tom

That is where it is supposed to be. The location of the axles should be placed so that the trailer has 10-15% of it's weight on the tongue when empty or loaded. To do that the axles need to be approx 60% towards the back bumper. The exact location is based on several factors that vary more with TT's and TH's than with a standard cargo trailer or flat bed.

 

[GCroyle]

Re: Just the video, found this comment on YouTube about the possible source and TV info.

"No credit to the original uploader? Not cool... Anyway, the video depicts a Polish pro drifter, Musk, losing control of his trailer on route to a show. He admitted his own fault in failing to ensure correct weight distribution. The E36 was too far back because of a pile of tires in front of it. Not enough downpressure on the tongue and the trailer pretty much took control of the whole rig as soon as they hit a downhill slope. A relatively small and light Volvo as a tow vehicle made the problem even more pronounced."

I'm getting a bag of popcorn and catch up on the previous posts.

 

[tommyturbo]

GAmes. Thanks for experienced advice. My windshield needed cleaning. It was very dirty.

 

[tommyturbo]

GAmes. Thanks for all your input and advice to the OP of this thread and others. My windshield needed cleaning. It was very dirty.

 

[GAmes]

Be sure to come back and let us know what, if anything, you discovered on your trailer.

 

[mfurrh55]

games, When you get passed by a semi there is a push and pull on your trailer and then after the fact it causes a SWAY, i know for a fact, been there,also i drove a semi for years and saw some of the results, also used a sway control and it did dampen the action of the semi,

 

[GAmes]

The definition and a video of sway has been posted. Lets discuss the mechanics of the push-pull. The front of semi tractors, large buses and motorhomes all push air off to the side when traveling down the highway. This air is commonly called a bow wave. Classic Petes, push more air than the aerodynamic Volvos. When the big vehicle approaches the rear of the trailer the bow wave pushes on the rear portion of the vehicle being passed, in this case a TT. Picture the passing vehicle in the left lane, the vehicle being passed is in the right lane. The rear of the trailer is pushed right, the pivot point is the axles and the front of the trailer goes left. This force on the ball to the left pushes the rear of the tow vehicle to the left requiring the driver to steer left to maintain a forward direction (sort of like driving in snow to correct a skid). Remember, the lever is a multi-thousand pound trailer. When the front of the passing vehicle gets to the forward section of the trailer the bow wave pushes the trailer and the rear of the tow vehicle to the right, while the rear of the trailer goes left, which necessitates the driver to correct to the right to keep going forward. With me so far? Good, now answer these questions for me. How exactly does the sway gimmick, with only a couple hundred pounds of resistance negate the leverage of a multi-thousand pound lever? Why, since my duelly is supposedly impervious to sway, is it not impervious to the push-pull?

So, set me straight. When driving a semi, you looked down at the hitch while passing a trailer and noted if it had some type of sway control gimmick device attached. The ones that had them did not push-pull or sway. The ones without would push-pull resulting in sway. Since we know what sway is, (the uncontrollable side to side motion of the trailer) how often did that happen? Every time? Once every five times? Once every 5-100 times? Once? I'm forecasting none of the above. Have you ever pulled your trailer without the sway gimmick installed to compare the push-pull affect, or is it the type that the WD and the sway apparatus are one? You see. I have pulled the same trailer with both types of hitches. Through a thunderstorm in Dallas, the desert wind of the southwest and about four thousand miles of freeway and 2 lane highways. Not one iota of difference, and I get passed by much faster semis and buses a lot since I tow at 57 mph.

 

[mfurrh55]

your starting to sound like Harvey Barlow

 

[AH64ID]

Difference here is Harvey rarely spoke with facts.

 

[mfurrh55]

You can beat a dead horse to death

 

[AH64ID]

As is typical with such commonly misunderstood issues. But fact are facts, and they don't change regardless of how much kook-aid one drinks.

This is one of those topics that's amazes me how many people don't actually know what is happening, yet think they do and refuse to get educated. Trailer sway is actually a very simple issue so why complicate it?

 

[GAmes]

your starting to sound like Harvey Barlow

Harvey not only didn't use a sway gimmick while transporting, he didn't use weight distribution. He once said I was the only transporter who used a WDH and that Horizon (the company he was leased to) didn't allow them. Both those statements were false.

Now that the red herring is out of the way, are you going to answer my questions? I have more but I'm trying to keep it simple.

 

[GCroyle]

So many things I'd like to quote back and yet so inconceviable, Harvey and facts in the same sentence, plus bonus for Kool Aid! My eyes hurt.

One thing I did to my stinger that I say helped my rig was making full length SS shims on 3 sides, one a 90 Deg combo shim. It just keeps that stinger from flopping around and my 2" receiver is still a nice fit I think because it ain't taking a beating from being sloppy.

YMMV

Now what about those ST tires? I'll go get my marshmallow sticks.

JK

 

[GAmes]

Now what about those ST tires?

OK. I removed the 15" Goodyear Marathons from our brand new Northwood Fox Mountain and replaced them with the 16" Michelin LTX/MS tires that once were on the rear of my truck. Now I have 12 tires of the same size when I venture out to the wilderness.

 

[GCroyle]

I put 16" Michelins on my AS too with a Dill TPMS. :-laf

 

[AH64ID]

Double post...

 

[AH64ID]

I switched my 15" Marathons (which did fine at speed, but they punctured easily on back roads) with 225/75R16 LRE Bridgestone R500 HD's and am quite pleased.

 

[crispyboy]

The definition and a video of sway has been posted. Lets discuss the mechanics of the push-pull. The front of semi tractors, large buses and motorhomes all push air off to the side when traveling down the highway. This air is commonly called a bow wave. Classic Petes, push more air than the aerodynamic Volvos. When the big vehicle approaches the rear of the trailer the bow wave pushes on the rear portion of the vehicle being passed, in this case a TT. Picture the passing vehicle in the left lane, the vehicle being passed is in the right lane. The rear of the trailer is pushed right, the pivot point is the axles and the front of the trailer goes left. This force on the ball to the left pushes the rear of the tow vehicle to the left requiring the driver to steer left to maintain a forward direction (sort of like driving in snow to correct a skid). Remember, the lever is a multi-thousand pound trailer. When the front of the passing vehicle gets to the forward section of the trailer the bow wave pushes the trailer and the rear of the tow vehicle to the right, while the rear of the trailer goes left, which necessitates the driver to correct to the right to keep going forward. With me so far? Good, now answer these questions for me. How exactly does the sway gimmick, with only a couple hundred pounds of resistance negate the leverage of a multi-thousand pound lever? Why, since my duelly is supposedly impervious to sway, is it not impervious to the push-pull?

So, set me straight. When driving a semi, you looked down at the hitch while passing a trailer and noted if it had some type of sway control gimmick device attached. The ones that had them did not push-pull or sway. The ones without would push-pull resulting in sway. Since we know what sway is, (the uncontrollable side to side motion of the trailer) how often did that happen? Every time? Once every five times? Once every 5-100 times? Once? I'm forecasting none of the above. Have you ever pulled your trailer without the sway gimmick installed to compare the push-pull affect, or is it the type that the WD and the sway apparatus are one? You see. I have pulled the same trailer with both types of hitches. Through a thunderstorm in Dallas, the desert wind of the southwest and about four thousand miles of freeway and 2 lane highways. Not one iota of difference, and I get passed by much faster semis and buses a lot since I tow at 57 mph.

Well Mr. Games if you ever used a good sway prevention hitch like the Hensley or Propride you wouldn't even know what "push-pull" is all about - BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN" The pivot point projection hitch doesn't allow the "leverage" to get a hold of the tow vehicle - plain and simple - it works under similar principles as a 5th wheel hitch as the pivot point is near the rear axle. The other sway prevention hitches make a more rigid connection so the trailer doesn't fall out of line with the tow vehicle. Apparently your experience is all your own because all the folks I have talked hitches with are much happier towing their trailer safely down the road because they feel like they have some control over whats going on in the rear view mirror. If you study the physics it's really not that tough to understand.
BTW - I have towed with other hitches and with only a ball and there's no way in hell I would go long distances without being properly hitched. There's too many things that can go wrong. A trailer really behaves when properly hitched.

 

[GAmes]

Well Mr. crispyboy, if you had any experience you would know the bow wave affects trailers with 5th wheel pins and gooseneck balls too. It just isn't as pronounced in the steering wheel.

" If you study the physics it's really not that tough to understand." OK just exactly which law of physics do I need to study? We have already ruled out LEVERAGE!

"[the folks I have talked hitches with are much happier towing their trailer safely down the road because they feel like they have some control over whats going on in the rear view mirror. ][/I]" Happier than what??? Happy they were duped by kool aid drinkers? I have plenty of control of what is going on in my rearview mirror. Could the feeling be the placebo affect? They spent more money, it must be better? How about providing ANY evidence your hitch or any other sway gimmick hitch is safer. Not empty anecdotes, not the BS advertising from the manufacturers, something from a safety oriented institution. BTW, I know I won't hear from you again.

 

[mfurrh55]

I saw a u-haul take its tow vehicle to the ditch because of swaying after a semi passed him and he couldn't get it under control, we can argue this till doomsday, but who cares, i've lost interest, your not gonna change my mind and i'm not gonna change yours, Good luck and God Bless, Monte