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Old 10-20-2014, 11:51 AM   #1
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Anyone Used The Hensley SwiftArrow?

If you are a Hensley SwiftArrow owner, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences with the recently introduced SwiftArrow system.

How was the installation and setup as well as post-setup adjustability?

Hensley claims that the chain system makes it easier to hookup and unhook. Have you found it to be a significant improvement over the Original Hensley Arrow in that regard?

I'd be using it on a 2014 23D with a 6000lb GVWR towed behind a 2013 RAM 1500 2WD.

The photo shows it installed on a Cougar 32 SAB.
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Old 10-22-2014, 10:00 AM   #2
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I'm going to bump this thread, I'm curious also.
I'm wondering if the head is smaller. I'm ok with the weight distribution being with the chains.

I'm wondering if this system will work better with lighter single axle Airstreams to combat sway.

Weight distribution with the smaller lighter Airstreams is accomplished well with the chain and bar type of system, but with towing on the ball with the light, single axles, sway is always a problem for me.

So, I too would like some input on this subject.

Thanks for the thread.


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Old 10-22-2014, 10:55 AM   #3
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Checked out Hensley website and they have a couple of videos. Still have to back up the stinger which seems difficult on uneven campsites. The videos show a perfectly level hookup.

I wonder what the cost is for this hitch, the head weight etc.

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Old 10-22-2014, 11:13 AM   #4
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Terry Powell from Hensley sent this information last week.

Hensley Mfg. is pleased to announce the introduction of our latest design
the SwiftArrow. Our team of engineers is constantly working on new ideas
and innovations. The SwiftArrow is our latest innovation in sway free
towing. This new design uses chain links to lift the weight distribution
bars into position. This significant change makes hooking and unhooking
with a Hensley Hitch a lot quicker and easier. It is far more forgiving.
You will find it easy to hook and unhook even if the hitch head is not
positioned perfectly.

The Hensley Arrow and the SwiftArrow are both designed for any trailer up to
14,000 lbs. in trailer weight and 1,400 lbs. of tongue weight. The
SwiftArrow is listed for an introductory price of only $2650 which is $620
lower than the retail cost of a Hensley Arrow. To celebrate the
introduction of this new design we have the Original Hensley Arrow on sale
for only $2950, which is $320 off the normal retail for the Hensley Arrow.

The system may be too new for anyone here to give actual user feedback.
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Old 10-23-2014, 08:57 AM   #5
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We just bought ours from Terry. We have been pulling our 1967, 28 ft airstream Ambassador for two days now. We had a few hiccups in the beginning.
We were sent the wrong hitch initially. The ball size was wrong and Hensley overnighted us a new one right away. Installing the new one was pretty easy. We haven't drilled into the frame yet Bc the brackets aren't in the recommended location due to the positioning of our propane tanks. The front of your brackets should be sitting at 25.5 inches back from the center of the ball hitch. Our propane tanks only allow us to have it 27 inches back. This causes the chain to be at an angle instead of up and down. Hensley said we can leave it as is or we can cut our bracket to move it forward. Hensley over engineered the bracket so it can be cut. We are considering having our propane tanks moved and welded more forward toward our Denali to fix the problem.
The main problem we have now is they sent us a straight hitch instead of an offset hitch. This makes the hitch and bars 7 inches off the ground which is low. We are debating on switching out the receiver for a two inch offset that should raise everything up. I hope I'm using the right terms here..
The AS does tow great with the Hensley hitch and we haven't had any issues yet with it being 7 inches off the ground. I'll post a picture later when my husband can take a picture.


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Old 10-23-2014, 10:24 AM   #6
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The Swift Arrow uses a weight distribution system that has been around for at least 50 years. There is nothing innovative about it. Almost every brand available uses this method. Hensley and ProPride use it in place of the jacks for some v-nose trailer applications.

The problem with using the chains is in the hitching up. You will not be able to set the angle of the hitch box in order to easily hitch up when the trailer and tow vehicle are on different planes. Jim Hensley originally designed the jack system to set the angle of the hitch box while hitching. It CAN be done with the chain system but it isn't as easily accomplished as it is with the jack system.

The method of weight distribution used has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the sway control with a Pivot Point Projection hitch.
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Old 10-23-2014, 10:36 AM   #7
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Sean, is the "chain based" weight distribution version any better/worse at transferring weight across your vehicle?
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Old 10-23-2014, 10:46 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
Sean, is the "chain based" weight distribution version any better/worse at transferring weight across your vehicle?
There's no difference. The vertical difference between the tail of the weight distribution bar and the top of the ball is the determining factor. That can be set through chains or solid connections.
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Old 10-23-2014, 11:29 AM   #9
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Anyone Used The Hensley SwiftArrow?

How would you generalize the ability of the Hensley (either version) or Propride to distribute weight into the TV compared to "traditional" WD systems? As effective, more effective, not quite as effective? It seems that the length of the entire mechanism (between WD insertion point and hitch receiver) would make it more difficult to distribute the weight forward. My existing receiver only has 6" between the outside of the hitch to WD bar inserts....it looks like the Hensley/PP would be three times that distance or at least significantly longer.

Thanks for your information.
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Old 10-23-2014, 11:37 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
How would you generalize the ability of the Hensley (either version) or Propride to distribute weight into the TV compared to "traditional" WD systems? As effective, more effective, not quite as effective?
If the bars are properly sized I think all weight distribution systems work to reload the front axle properly.
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Old 10-23-2014, 01:56 PM   #11
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Hensley Cub may work for you for less $$

We have the Hensley Cub on our 1960 Avion T20 2850# dry/empty & probably 3000-3500# wet/loaded (still need to weigh it as loaded) - so we're well within the Cub's 6000# max.

Your 6000 GVWR AS may be well under that loaded/wet too, so call or email Terry Powell at Hensley in his posted reply in this topic.

Chains or Jacks?? .... depends on your age, physical strength/limitations & desire to lift lever bars on those chains for how long!?

I'm 62 & not getting any younger, plus bad shoulders, back, etc. from 26 years of Rugby & other full contact sports as a kid!

I got the jacks on our Cub for the ease & if I recall - it was about $1700-1800 & without jacks & using chains it would've been $1300-1400 IIRC. IMHO the way to save for a top tier WD/Anti-sway system is to properly match your Hensley to the trailer & not over-buy.

Call the Hensley 800 # - they're very helpful!

Good Luck!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by interstateflyer View Post
If you are a Hensley SwiftArrow owner, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences with the recently introduced SwiftArrow system.

How was the installation and setup as well as post-setup adjustability?

Hensley claims that the chain system makes it easier to hookup and unhook. Have you found it to be a significant improvement over the Original Hensley Arrow in that regard?

I'd be using it on a 2014 23D with a 6000lb GVWR towed behind a 2013 RAM 1500 2WD.

The photo shows it installed on a Cougar 32 SAB.
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Old 10-23-2014, 02:03 PM   #12
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The Cub will not work. It has a 600# tongue weight limit. There are very few travel trailers with less than 600# of tongue weight. Two full 30# propane tanks and the hitch add 250# plus to the tongue weight.

The 23D has a 760# tongue weight without options and cargo.
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Old 10-23-2014, 02:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
How would you generalize the ability of the Hensley (either version) or Propride to distribute weight into the TV compared to "traditional" WD systems? As effective, more effective, not quite as effective? It seems that the length of the entire mechanism (between WD insertion point and hitch receiver) would make it more difficult to distribute the weight forward. My existing receiver only has 6" between the outside of the hitch to WD bar inserts....it looks like the Hensley/PP would be three times that distance or at least significantly longer.

Thanks for your information.
Cory - the lever action from the torsion bars shouldn't be affected negatively by the larger head - which houses the anti-sway mechanisms, which are the HUGE plus with these hitches - zero sway!

The EZ & other lesser WDs with the greasy removable bars & head & lift chains are a PITA!

And I am a return newbie to towing since the late 1960's with Dad's boat/trailer, and I have had little problem lining up the stinger & into the Hensley head - even on tougher uneven sites. It's no more so than getting the std. tow bar/ball under the coupler head, although you may need to adjust the head's angle if a sloped site, but Hensley recco's leaving it as unhitched position to ease re-inserting.

On my driveway it's been pretty much in 1st time when the rented TV had a backup camera, & maybe 2x or so using the yellow balls - & our drive has an 8% slope up front where the TV front wheels sit on a longer truck.

Cheers!
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Old 10-23-2014, 02:35 PM   #14
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Anyone Used The Hensley SwiftArrow?

Quote:
Originally Posted by janabanana48 View Post
Cory - the lever action from the torsion bars shouldn't be affected negatively by the larger head - which houses the anti-sway mechanisms, which are the HUGE plus with these hitches - zero sway!

Thanks Tom. I'm not referring to the head size necessarily but rather the extended distance from the receiver that the torsion bar force is exerted.

My understanding is that the further from your receiver/bumper that this force is exerted the less effective it is at distributing weight forward.
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Old 10-23-2014, 03:40 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
Thanks Tom. I'm not referring to the head size necessarily but rather the extended distance from the receiver that the torsion bar force is exerted.

My understanding is that the further from your receiver/bumper that this force is exerted the less effective it is at distributing weight forward.
The "extended distance" and the added weight both cause additional load to be removed from the TV's front axle.
OTOH, the extended distance makes the WDH slightly more effective at restoring load to the front axle.

For a typical TV/TT combination and a given TV tongue weight, the added length of the 4-bar linkage hitch (assumed to be 12") might cause the load removed from the TV's front axle to be about 20% greater than with a conventional hitch.

The added receiver load due to the extra weight of the 4-bar hitch (assumed to be 120#) might cause an additional front axle load decrease of about 10%.

The combined effect of extended distance and added hitch weight is to increase the amount of load removed from the TV's front axle by about 32% (for a given TT tongue weight).

On the plus side -- the extended distance would make your TV/TT/WDH about 4% more "efficient" at restoring load to the front axle.

Therefore, with a typical TV/TT combination, to achieve 100% front axle load restoration when using a 4-bar hitch would require a WD bar load increase of approximately 27% relative to using a hitch without the added length of 12".

Ron
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Old 10-23-2014, 04:17 PM   #16
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Thanks Ron, that makes sense. So, if I was currently using traditional 1000lbs bars, with a HA/PP would I need to move to 1400lbs bars at a slightly "looser" setting? Wouldn't the step up in WD bars put an increase of stress on the TV hitch receiver?
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Old 10-23-2014, 05:32 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
Thanks Tom. I'm not referring to the head size necessarily but rather the extended distance from the receiver that the torsion bar force is exerted.

My understanding is that the further from your receiver/bumper that this force is exerted the less effective it is at distributing weight forward.
unless I am misunderstanding what you are saying, that is the opposite of what is true.

Any given force will have more effect the further from the fulcrum (in this case the rear axle of the TV). It is a linear function. (i.e. 10 pounds of upward force at 5 feet from the fulcrum will produce half as much downward force on the front axle as it would if it were 10 feet behind the rear axle.

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Old 10-23-2014, 07:48 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cory_can View Post
Thanks Ron, that makes sense. So, if I was currently using traditional 1000lbs bars, with a HA/PP would I need to move to 1400lbs bars at a slightly "looser" setting? Wouldn't the step up in WD bars put an increase of stress on the TV hitch receiver?
Depending on how much load transfer you're trying to achieve, it might or might not be necessary to move to the 1400# bars.

However, if you want to achieve the same percentage of front axle load restoration after switching to a HA/PP, you would need to apply more load to the WD bars, and that would increase the stress on the hitch receiver -- whether using 1000# or 1400# bars.

Ron
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Old 10-23-2014, 09:22 PM   #19
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It looks like they are only substituting snap up chains in place of the weight distribution screw jacks. A less expensive option. I sure like the jacks on our ProPride for adjusting each trailer or truck bed load easily and quite perfectly. The hitch head vertical angle is easy to adjust or tilt with the jacks as well.
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Old 02-12-2015, 08:17 AM   #20
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Need to bring this thread back to life.
I see no conclusion defining are folks happy with the Hensley Swift Cub hitch or not.

I'm just purchased a 2015 Toyota Tundra 1794 and tomorrow pick up from the original owner a 2012 Airstream Intl. 19. Unfortunately, he has no hitch to go with it so I'll tow it home with the default on my Tundra, which is a class IV but of course no hitch sway control for the home coming trip from Virginia to Chapel Hill on I95/85. (Hope truckers on taking Friday off.)

We had a 22 Airstream back in 2006 and put the Hensley Arrow, big brother to the Cub, on it and were very pleased. However, the Arrow or the ProPrice seem like major over kill for the 19; 3823# and 550# tongue.

Now updating myself on hitch improvements since we last pondered it and it seems like the Cub is a good solution for a small Airstream like the 19 Intl.

What has been the "happiness factor" for those folks that went with the Cub is what I'm seeking.
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