Buttercup - Good luck with the installation! Mine went on pretty smoothly, but we did end up breaking a couple of the shear bolts. Fortunately, the Hensley customer service folks were very good and got us replacements within a couple days. I called their customer service line a handful of times during the installation and they were always quick and helpful. If I had to leave a message for a callback, they always responded within a few minutes.
Slow down ... your Goodyear Marathon tires have a speed rating of 65 MPH.
ALL ST radials have a speed rating of 65, LT's (like the ones on most of our tow vehicles) are supposed to have a speed rating of 75.
Slow down, and get there safely. Remember, getting there is half the fun!
And as to customer service, I went to the factory last week just to have them inspect my hookup. They were incredibly helpful, nice, etc. (Granted, I drove 300+ miles to do this). Even the head of the company happened to be there and was a real peach and helpful too.
I wouldn't tow this trailer with anything else...
Tom
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Tom and Frank
Evanston, Illinois
2004 Safari 28 ft Slideout "Lucy" 4 HI CAMP
2004 Ford Excursion 6.0 PSD PWRSTRK,
and Brittany, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
I towed a 30' Holiday Rambler for six years with a Hensley. I've now towed with an Equal-I-Zer brand hitch for about a year and a half. I find the Equal-I-Zer much more accurate to back into tight places due to there being no slop in the coupler to hitch ball connection. Hitching / unhitching is much easier also.
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Stephen & Miriam
2005 Bambi Safari 19 LS with Sofa
2006 Harley-Davidson Road King Custom
2005 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD QuadCab SRW Long Bed
Sir Wooferman Wellington, Cock-a-poo Watch Pup
...no one wants you to find out if the Hensley keeps you from swaying if a tire blows out.
I have it from first hand experience that unless you are looking in your rear veiw mirrors when your tire blows, you will never feel it or know that it happened. The hensley eliminates any prospect of sway.
What a grand piece of equipment.
Mark
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-Life is a journey, not a destination.
Aerosmith
I have it from first hand experience that unless you are looking in your rear veiw mirrors when your tire blows, you will never feel it or know that it happened.* The hensley eliminates any prospect of sway.
What a grand piece of equipment.
Mark
(*emphasis added)
Somehow I am not convinced that is something to be happy or proud about.
If that is the rule, then after spending 3000 dollars for a hitch, shouldn't one add another 400-1000 dollars for a blowout sensoring system.
After all a flailing tire can do about 4000 dollars damage to your airstream undies, which will of course give you a perfect opportunity to see how kind your insurance policy is which will lead to an eventual rate increase. And the beat goes on.
Please consider the following for safety's sake in braking and emergency handling. A new 25' Airstream weighs enough to put the numbers into the trouble zone regardless of the hitch.
Look in your manual for Vehicle Load Weight Capacity (it's page 9-20 in my 2004 manual). Find your vehicle. This is the maximum load you can put on or in your truck.* This includes passengers, tongue weight, gasoline, tonneau cover, camp chairs, etc. (You also can open your driver door and look low on the frame just above the running board). My GVWR is 6499#, my front axle maxes at 3500# and my rear axle maxes at 3800#. Crank up those weight distribution bars and get thee to a CAT Scale. Hold those dear to you and seek the best solution.
*Forget the advertised 9000# tow weight or the GCWR. Why? Because tongue weight is going to trend to the higher end of 10-15% of your tow weight.
Thanks for the heads up on the tongue/rear axle weight when towing with your Titan. I pull my 2004 28ft International with a Nissan Armada (Big Tow package) and a Hensley hitch. On a recent long-haul to the mountains in TN, I stopped at a weigh station to weigh the rig. Gross weight of both trailer and truck were 12,800 pounds with 4,200 pounds on the back axle of the truck. We drove 3,200 miles round trip without any difficulty. The truck was loaded up with gear (generator, fuel, other stuff) and the water tank in the trailer was full.
I have been cranking to the same setting on the weight distributing bars since I purchased the hitch 8 months ago. I find that if I crank them too much, the ride in the truck becomes too stiff and I worry about over-stressing the A-frame on the trailer.
By the way, I love the Hensley! Had a regular old hitch before and had lots of white nuckle scares when big trucks would pass. Now it's smooth sailing. No trouble backing up either.
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