Hensley Arrow hitch worth it?

[SSchoenfelder]

Is the Hensley Arrow worth the price. I plan to tow a 25-28' travel trailer with GVWR of 7,000-8,000 lbs. and a tongue weight of about 700 lbs. How does the performance compare to a Reese Dual Cam? Thanks for your help!

 

[Diesel Gunner]

I am going to throw in here even though I don't know anything about the dual cam system. For years I towed a small 16' trailer with my old ford. I was always exhausted when I arrived wherever I went. Then I bought a real machine to pull with and a new trailer. I figured that I had "invested" about 60G in these two items and that the $2500 for the Hensley wasn't really too much too ask if it could do what they claimed. Call me a gambler!



I will tell you this. Now, I am two years down the road with my rig and I will never be without The Hensley Arrow. My TT is heavier and has more tongue weight than what you are planning to pull, and it is a pleasure to drive. I will assume that you have already received the video from Hensley. It does everything that they claim. Hook ups are sweet, after you do a few and it is simpler to back up than hitch systems using sway bars. The hitch cuts faster while backing and can be jack knifed at greater angles. You also get the benefit of less cheating while making turns.



If you don't want to pay full price, look around for a used one. They can be found, but I dare say most people who stay with tongue trailers transfer them to their new unit. Hensley will also warranty them used, but it will cost about $500, I believe, to do so.



Can you tell how pleased with mine I am? I am in no way affiliated with Hensley. But I could go on and on about them. If you have anymore specific questions feel free to PM me and I would be glad to answer them for you.



Happy Trails!

 

[dpope]

Hitches

I pull a 25' Airstream Safari (about 6000 lbs - 600 lbs tg). I use the equalizer brand hitch. The hitch uses distributing bars instead of chains. The other nice thing is that sway control is built in. They will send you a free VHS demo tape if you are not sure.



Here is a link to their website: Equalizer



Find a dealer or look online to get the best price. The factory price IMO is too high...



If you have any other questions let me know and I take some pictures.



The price is about 1/5 that of the hensly.

 

[R-N-R]

I've used the Hensley for the past two years and I agree with everything Diesel Gunner has stated. I have had "interesting" times hooking up, especially when I first started using it. I find that using a tongue twister and a hook up mirror helps me quit a bit.



I researched for about 6 months before I purchased mine and do not recall ever reading about a Hensley owner that switched to another solution because they did not like their hitch.



If you are up for the reading, you can find a copy of the patent online.



This was my first TT (6500#) so I consider myself spoiled by not having towed without the hitch. I read quite a few horror stories about sway and I prefer to drive more relaxed if I have to choice to. I also wanted my wife to be able to drive (still waiting for that one... ). My decision to purchase a high quality sway control product was easy (wife, 2 kids, dog).



Diesel Gunner, do you have a hitch up secret you'd like to share???



SSchoenfelder, I'm glad that you also have recognized the value of safety, do the homework and you'll be satisfied that you purchased the right product for your situation. Good Luck!



Bill



No Affiliations.

 

[Diesel Gunner]

As far as hook up secrets? Well, I use someone to guide me ( usually my wife, but quite often Dad or one of my brothers in hunting and fishing camps ) and I have memorized several reference points between the truck and the trailer.



Normally, I only have to make two or three attempts to get hooked up. However there are many occasions when I hit it just right the first time. One of the things that I have found to be very helpful is to use a tape measure and measure the height from the ground to the top of the hitch bar when i unhook. Then when I hook back up I adjust the hitch to that height before my first shot.



The more you do it the easier it gets.

 

[HBarlow]

I've pulled travel trailers well in excess of 100,000 miles since 1971. For the first several years I used an Eaz-Lift and friction sleeve sway control because that's what the dealer sold. The system worked fine.



Later, with the purchase of a longer trailer, I bought a Reese hitch which I liked better. Several years later I discovered the Reese dual-cam hitches when I affiliated with Airstreamers and found many of them using the dual-cam hitch. I'm sold on the Reese dual-cam design. The Reese dual-cam hitch provides all the comfort, confidence, and ease of handling in all weather that I could ask for. I routinely pull at higher speeds than I probably should and have possibly become a little overconfident as I look back on some of the antics I have pulled but the Reese hitch assembly provides that type of comfort. High and quartering winds, no problem. Drop the trailer wheels off the edge of the pavement and pull them back on, no problem. Sway, non-existent. Passing or being passed by eighteen wheelers, no problem. Ease of hookup, no problem. Maneuvering into or out of tight spaces, no problem. Damage or wear out a part, they can be purchased almost anywhere. I've even bought several replacement parts used at low cost from dealers who removed them from traded-in trailers.



I've read some fanatical testimony from Hensley hitch owners so I have to assume they are good. I'm not writing to criticize them in any way. My point is for a lot less money you can have a perfectly satisfactory hitch setup. The Reese hitch is probably used on more rigs than any other hitch.



It's your money and you only have to please yourself.



Harvey

 

[SBoehmler]

I have been towing travel trailers for 40 years. Have always used an Eaz Lift and my first rig was a car with the Eaz Lift. Never had any trouble until I bought my 4WD Ram 2500 and started towing heavy trailers. My current trailer is 30 feet with a slide and weighs about 8400 lbs loaded. Despite having a sway control I had problems when 18 wheelers passed me or when I passed them.



Did a lot of research and decided to go with Hensley Arrow. It is worth every penny and more. I can relax when I drive now and and my wife is also very comfortable driving our rig. We share the driving about 50/50 so that is very important to both of us.



We have driven with the Hensley over 20,000 miles so far including 2 trips to Alaska. A couple of situations I have had may interest you: On one occasion we were driving with a 30-40 mph head wind that would hit us from the quarter side at times because of the winding of the highway. There were 3 5th wheels in front of us traveling together. They were being blown all over the highway due to the wind. We had no trouble at all and, when we finally got a chance, passed them and went our merry way.



The other situation was filling up with fuel at a station with poor exit access. We had very little room to pull ahead after leaving the pumps before we had to make a 90 degree right hand turn. There was a 5th wheel in front of me and when he pulled out he made as wide of a turn as he could but still had the wheels of his 5th wheel climb up the pump island to get out. I thought I was going to have the same problem but when I left, because of the way the Hensley cams work, I cleared the island without any problem at all.



This reminds me of one other real advantage of the Hensley. When you are traveling on curved roads, the cam action of the hitch will cause the trailer to track slightly inside the curve. This action causes the weight of the trailer to hold the rear of your truck into the turn. Believe it or not you can actually go around curves with more control towing than empty.



Hope this helps you with your decision and you go with the Hensley.