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12-10-2017, 06:19 PM
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#1
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3 Rivet Member
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
Minnetrista
, MN
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 105
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Hitch my wife would like
Currently we have a Huskey WD hitch and I'm happy with it. My wife wants to be able to hook things up but the swing/tension bars are too heavy and awkward for her to manage. The Hensley and PridePro systems allow you to back into the hitch assuming you can tread the needle. Other than that, are these hitches easier to manage than the more traditional weight distribution systems?
In addition I know they have great reputations for towing and sway control.
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12-10-2017, 06:30 PM
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#2
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2 Rivet Member
Frederica
, Delaware
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 88
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Well my first thought is to use the tongue jack to pick up both tongue and truck at the same time to engage bars much easier. Yes threading the needle is an important part of the Hensley. But Hensley has two different setups standard lift and latch bars or the optional jack screws. The jack screws require operating wrench/ratchet, this can still be a bear. I have added cordless impact gun to ease things along. Cordless drills don't get it done.
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12-10-2017, 06:39 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2002 19' Bambi
Lafayette
, California
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,554
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Overloaded
The jack screws require operating wrench/ratchet, this can still be a bear.
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I have not found the Hensley jack screws difficult to use, but that might be because the tongue weight of our 19' Bambi is relatively low. If I were to find it difficult, I would simply use the tongue jack to raise the tongue and tow vehicle to make the process easy.
"Threading the needle" is greatly helped by the tow vehicle having a backup camera.
The stinger of a Hensley or Propride is understandably heavy and might still be difficult for your wife to place in the receiver of the tow vehicle.
Tim
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12-10-2017, 06:50 PM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
Frederica
, Delaware
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim A.
I have not found the Hensley jack screws difficult to use, but that might be because the tongue weight of our 19' Bambi is relatively low. If I were to find it difficult, I would simply use the tongue jack to raise the tongue and tow vehicle to make the process easy.
"Threading the needle" is greatly helped by the tow vehicle having a backup camera.
The stinger of a Hensley or Propride is understandably heavy and might still be difficult for your wife to place in the receiver of the tow vehicle.
Tim
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The screw jacks are hard for the wifey manually. She can handle the stinger OK. We do great with aligning the stinger without a camera. It just takes practice.
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12-10-2017, 07:07 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
2018 27' International
Southeastern MI
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,344
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Just raise the vehicle after engaging the stinger. Then use a cordless drill for the WD bars. They don't recommend an impact driver as it can wear the screw jacks.
I prefer lifting the stinger to wrestling with WD bars any day. I've even hitched and unhitched on our steep driveway.
__________________
2018 International Serenity 27' FB
Michelin 16” tires
Hensley Arrow hitch
Tow Vehicle: 2020 F-350 6.7L Diesel
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12-10-2017, 07:36 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1995 25' Excella
xxxxx
, xxxxxx
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 2,349
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Overloaded
Well my first thought is to use the tongue jack to pick up both tongue and truck at the same time to engage bars much easier.
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X2 and save a pile of cash by not buying a new hitch.
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12-10-2017, 08:02 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2010 25' FB Flying Cloud
Davenport
, Iowa
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,145
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Sorry to ask the personal question of your wife, but how big is she? You will be getting many answers from men that are probably bigger and stronger than your wife.
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12-10-2017, 08:17 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
2002 30' Classic S/O
Fleming Island
, Florida
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,667
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Overloaded
Well my first thought is to use the tongue jack to pick up both tongue and truck at the same time to engage bars much easier. Yes threading the needle is an important part of the Hensley. But Hensley has two different setups standard lift and latch bars or the optional jack screws. The jack screws require operating wrench/ratchet, this can still be a bear. I have added cordless impact gun to ease things along. Cordless drills don't get it done.
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With my Propride I use a Ryobi 18V cordless drill/driver in low gear and it works fine.
Al
__________________
“You cannot reason someone out of a position they have not been reasoned into"
Al, K5TAN and Missy, N4RGO WBCCI 1322
2002 Classic 30 Slideout -S/OS #004
2013 Dodge 2500 Laramie 4x4 Megacab Cummins
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12-10-2017, 08:30 PM
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#9
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Rivet Master
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vintage Kin Owner
Virginia Beach
, Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,801
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I recently changed to a Blue Ox hitch from.a Hensley. EVERYTHING about the Blue Ox is easier. This is a 69 year old female with bum shoulder and knees speaking.
The bars are light weight, easy to set up and remove, two simple grease zerks (not messy) and helped by a Barker jack with a very high rise, virtually NO stress to engage the chains to proper tension. I did throw out the tensioning tool provided by barker and use a breaker bar with a 1 inch socket instead. I was a bit afraid that the breaker bar might get away from me when I first tried to tension or release the bars... then I realized that I wasn't raising the jack anywhere close to its limit. Another 2 inches and a strong six year old could lock up or release the bars safely.
Feels solid and tracks flawlessly too... and I will tow over 55 Only if my life depends on it.
Paula
__________________
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.
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12-10-2017, 09:26 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master
2010 25' FB Flying Cloud
Davenport
, Iowa
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,145
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I agree with Paula as far as ease of hook-up. I also went with the breaker bar. I don't want to get into the hitch argument' but I will say that I have also had the Equ- i- lizer and the Andersen and as far of light weight and ease of hook up, The Andersen is easiest and lightest. I now have the Blue Ox.
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12-10-2017, 10:15 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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Hitch my wife would like
I’m staying with ProPride with the jacks for WD. Hensley makes similar. Won’t get into the discussion about what is “superior”. I have zero issues hooking it up, and I’m old, fat, tired, and older than Paula[emoji3][emoji3][emoji30][emoji30]
Even the manual jacks require little force if you run the tongue jack up a bit to take the load off the jacks. The ProPride supplied ratchet wrench is about 8” Long and that’s more than enough leverage.
That said, I’m going to a powered set of WD jacks as soon as I can for other reasons. See the “Powered ProPride WD Jack” thread—or whatever the heck I called it.
I have the scars from the snap-type WD tensioner, and I agree, if you are not big, strong, or darn careful, those things can savage you. Besides, I can crank in whatever I want with a jack...not limited to links...
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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12-10-2017, 10:45 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1987 25' Sovereign
Fort Collins
, Colorado
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 582
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If you’re talking about the weight of the individual bars (as I think you are) and inserting them into the hitch head — Paula’s answer is best.
__________________
Alumacoot
“We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.”
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12-10-2017, 11:03 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
South East
, Michigan
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 546
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Agree that any of the 18 or 20 volt power drivers can handle the jacks. Especially if you adjust before raising the tongue jack. And the driver is great for manual stab jacks.
If your TV has a backup camera, "threading the needle" is a piece of cake.
If I recall, the ProPride stinger weighs in at about 50 pounds. Somewhat heavier than a hitch ball and . Though it can be left in the TV receiver - just watch your shins.
__________________
Al
2017 29' SOB, 2022 Platinum F-150 SCrew, ProPride
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12-11-2017, 10:57 AM
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#14
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Rivet Master
2013 30' Classic
Greenwood
, Mississippi
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,111
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With my Equal-i-zer, I never remove the heavy weight bars.
When I uncouple from the truck, I raise the truck and trailer with the tongue jack till I can pull the pins and slide the weight bars back till the other end goes under the front of the trailer and leave them sitting balanced in the L-brackets.
__________________
2013 Classic 30 Limited
2007 Silver Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited 5.7 iForce
2006 Vivid Black Harley-Davidson Road King Classic
1999 Black Nissan Pathfinder LE
TAC #MS-10
WBCCI #1811, Region 6, Unit 56
Airforums #70955
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12-11-2017, 11:13 AM
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#15
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2 Rivet Member
1975 Argosy 22
Eugene
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 86
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We used a Hensley for 13 years on 2 different trailers. We now have an Anderson WD hitch which used chains to apply the tension for Weight Distribution . As mentioned before, use the hitch jack to raise the TV and hitch and then attach the chains to the bottom of the receiver ball. No bars to attach, no stinger to align, no screw lifts to adjust. If adjustment is needed, there is a tension nut to tighten or loosen using the included socket wrench. I never adjust the tension after the initial setup, I use the raising of the TV and hitch for hitching up. Works well for me, additionally the Anderson is about $2000 less than the Hensley, added benefit!!
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12-11-2017, 11:54 AM
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#16
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2 Rivet Member
1999 25' Safari
Currently Looking...
Sparks
, Nevada
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
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For smaller AS - Try Anderson, good sway control, Very UN heavy, super easy on, off.
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12-11-2017, 01:50 PM
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#17
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2 Rivet Member
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Roseville
, California
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 35
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I agree with Vich; Andersen is really the only option for light and easy. I don't have one now due to the question about Atwood compatibility, but had it on my last trailer (similar size and tongue weight) and loved it!!
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12-11-2017, 02:19 PM
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#18
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Taos
, New Mexico
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 566
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For me the simple answer is a hitch is not something anyone makes friends with. For me my hitch is kind of like how the kid saw the furnace in their house in the movie A Christmas Story - I really think it dislikes me. There are often people around that are more than happy to help out including the people at the office where you may be camping. I'm betting that the introduction to the process of hitching up is a key factor to people choosing a motorhome over a trailer. But - that said - I agree that leaving some of the weight on the tongue jack when when you are cinching up the load bars make the job both easier to do and also safer.
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12-11-2017, 03:22 PM
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#19
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2 Rivet Member
2004 25' International CCD
Dubuque
, Iowa
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 57
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69 y solo female. Can handle my Equalizer with 1000lb bars all by myself. Do use electric jack to raise and lower to put bars on the bracket.
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12-11-2017, 04:35 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
2013 31' Classic
billings
, Montana
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,570
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With the Hensley your tow vehicle has to be on the same level as the trailer, side to side.we go to a lot of rustic areas and don’t need this, we like the Reese with cam for our 31’ Classic ,easy to hook up..use the tongue jack to lift and the cam works easy...
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