Is a Hensley overkill for a 22' trailer?

[Charcigar]

I currently pull our '67 Safari(22 footer)with a Yukon Denali and a basic sort of hitch set-up(no anti-sway bar though).

So far,knock on wood,no troubles.Have felt the wind gusts from the odd Semi going by,but nothing overly scary yet.Key word?...."YET".I am wondering if I should invest in a Hensley..I have viewed the Hensley video and am convinced it is as good as they say.I have spoken to several Airstreamers who swear by their Hensleys,but they were all towing longer,newer units which weigh a lot more than mine does.

That said,the cost of the Hensley is making me think twice.They cost a pretty penny.However,you can't put a price on safety.

Just wondering if any of you use one to pull a shorter,relatively lighter unit such as I have?Any feedback would be appreciated as it will really help in making my decision.

[thenewkid64]

I would recommend spending the money on the anti sway dampener and save the money you would spend on the Hensley for another project. If you feel the semi's a little bit the anti sway will make it all but go away. The anti sway should not just be something used for more comfortable towing, but as a safety device as well. If you talk to folks who have rolled a trailer, many had not been towing with an anti sway dampener. Think of it as a seatbelt for your trailer. It has a benefit every day, but could save you from having a really bad experience. Just my $.02 worth.

[Pahaska]

I would suggext a sway control bar, though.

I pull my 22' International, which is almost the same as your trailer , with a Chevy 1500 extended-cab pickup. I have an equalizing hitch and a Reese sway bar. Even in a hard crosswind, I feel almost no effect from a passing semi.

I have never felt the least tendency to sway, with or without the sway bar. I think the Hensley is total overkill for a trailer this size. The penalty is not only the rediculous cost, but also a lot more trouble hooking up.

[83Excella]

I think adding sway control would be adding an extra margin of safety for yourself & your trailer, it would'nt hurt to have it. If you put a friction sway bar on it would cost a little over $100 vs. about $3,000.00 for the Hensley. If you decide on a weight distributing hitch with sway control I recently got an Equal-i-zer hitch (www.equalizerhitch.com) for my 27' after looking at several makes including the hensley and am very happy with it and I saved about $2400 over the hensley.

John

[uwe]

I tow my 71 25ft Trade Wind with a load equalizer by eaz-lift, and it works great. On the advice of members of this forum, I will buy a sway control this week, even though I have not had any serious sway problems whatsoever. But why wait? If I had your setup, then I would get an equalizer hitch and a simple sway control and call it a day. Never mind the big $$ Hensley for your light rig.

[jcanavera]

Hitch components can move from trailer to trailer so if you decide to go with the Hensley, you can move it to your next Airstream .

I'm using a Reese dual cam sway control hitch and while I have made some changes over the years, the adjustable hitch component is still the same one that I bought in 1982 when I bought my first travel trailer. Due to larger and heavier trailers I needed to replace the ball, spring bars, and added the dual cam sway control.

I would strongly urge you to add a sway control component to your hitch. You didn't give much information regarding what is a "basic hitch" setup. Do you have an equalizing hitch or do you just drop your Safari on the hitch ball move on?

Jack

[Charcigar]

Yes,I am currently using an equalizing hitch,but no sway control.

I keep wavering back and forth on the Hensley.Did some research on the "Equal-izer"brand hitch though,and that one looks quite good for the price.

Decisions,decisions!

[jcanavera]

I got the video tape and they make a pretty convincing sales job. I probably will seriously consider a Hensley at retirement and with the expectation of a lot more travel. Right now the Reese dual cam works great and with one weekend trip a month (April-October) and one or two longer trips (1-2 weeks) a year we really aren't on the road that much to justify that kind of investment.

You might also watch ebay. Once in a while you will find a posting of someone selling one.

Jack

[dscluchfc]

I have the Reese Dual Cam Sway control hitch for pulling an 1984-31 ft Excella with a 2 door Yukon 4x4.
I have never felt any sway from a passing semi, or a 50 mph gust front from a Texas thunderstorm despite towing a 31 footer with a short wheelbase Yukon.
The Reese is well worth the money and about $2300 less expensive than a Hensley.
They are a little trouble to initially set up and adjust so that you have the cams sitting exactly on the saddles...but after that..towing is a breeze.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[davidz71]

The Hensley Arrow was one of the subjects discussed on RV Today on OLN. They had a trailer hooked up to a newer Cadillac and Jeri Sager drove it. She reported that it was smooth. I've watched the show and they seem to push a number of Camping World products. From every other report I have read, they were right on when it came to the Hensley. It sure looks easy to hook up since most of the unit stays coupled to the trailer coupling. The older gentlemen who owned the Cadillac, trailer and Hensley said that was something he liked.

[markjoandall]

Having just returned from a 6,000 mile trip over three a three week period, I can say, without reservation, the Hensley works flawlessly. And having used a conventional hitch, and a pullrite in the past, the Hensley is much easier to hitch up.

The hitch really cames into it's own when crossing eastern Colorado on two lane highways that have no gravel burms on the right and we had a strong crosswind from the left side. The trailer never waged, its as if our tow vehicle and trailer were one solid, continous unit.

I believe Airstream should follow the lead from Sunnybrook and offer the Hensley as an option on the purchase of a new trailer.

Good luck in your decision.

[uwe]

I guess it's a question of finances. I hear nothing but good things about the Hensley Hitch System. Only drawback is the very high price.
I believe tha the Equal-i-zer or other comparable hitches with sway controls work very well, ( tried a friend's), at substantially less cost.
If money was abundant, I'd get the Hensley. Otherwise, get a good sway control for your existing hitch. Especially since you have a relatively light trailer and a good and heavy tow vehicle.