F250 owners using a HAHA

[millvalleyca]

Hi HAHA owners

I have an 08 27'FB trailer pulled by a 2008 F250 crew cab, short bed, diesel and a HAHA hitch.

I'm a little bit concerned with my current set up. (puzzled actually)
(where's 2air when you need him!!!)

In many threads...... Andy from Inland RV insists that Airstreams need a "softer ride".

When I asked what he thought of my set up this is the response I got:

Hi Dennis.

Two things.

Your truck is heavy duty and punishes the trailer.

Ditto for the HAHA

The best you can do is to install a load equalizing hitch that offers a softer ride for the trailer and you.

A Reese 600 dual cam would work great.

I love my truck!...my HAHA and the way my trailer performs.
Absolutely NO sway or movement at all when passed by HUGE trucks.
So far no popped rivets that I can see.

I had an 07 Yukon before we traded it in for the F250 because it lacked the power needed to climb the hills here in Northern CA.

What kind of damage am I doing to my trailer?

Comments?

Thanks for looking,
Dennis

[Dieselgrin]

I'm pulling with a 02 Chevy 2500 Silverado and HA. Andy's comments made sense to me and I changed to 600# bars. I take it out this weekend for it's first trip. Seems the HD suspension will cause the front of the trailer to jar the rivets loose. You don't need the same weight distribution hitch for a MAC truck as you do for a F-150.

[GStephens]

I tow a 1982 Limited 31' with the Hensley Arrow. This trailer has been pulled by a Hensly for around ten years with no problems from popped rivets, cracked end caps or any other damage. I respect Andy in most all of his analysis, but I respectfully disagree with him on this point. He seems to favor the Reese dual cam for whatever reason and the dual cam works in most situations, but not every time. My Hensley works 100% of the time. Last weekend, I had to avoid an accident when a truck and trailer passed me in a no passing zone while meeting oncoming traffic on a hill. With the Arrow, my only concern was to somehow avoid the rear of the trailer that was pulling back into the front of my truck in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision. I didn't have to concern myself with sway or whether the trailer would get out of control as I was forced off the road. You pull with a Hensley so you have experienced the same level of confidence the Hensley provides. I've pulled with other hitches none of which provided that level of confidence. As to damaging my trailer, I think I would know by now if the Hensley would damage my trailer after ten years. This trailer has twice won the blue ribbon at Texas Vintage rallies. It is not being torn apart.
GStephens

[moosetags]

I, too, have experienced excellent results from a 3/4 ton and HAHA combination. We have pulled our 2005 Safari 25FB (7200#) almost 45,000 miles with a 3/4 ton Chevrolet Suburban while spending 350+ nights in our Airstream.

We use the heavy bars on the Hensley. We run 80 psi in the rear tires and 70 psi on the front tires (Load Range E) on the Suburban. We also use Maxxis Load Range E tires on the Airstream at 70 psi. We tend to pull a little faster than some at 65+ on the interstate.

We have not experienced any "shaking apart" problems on our Safari as some posts describe. All of our rivets are still in place, all of our interior parts are still intact, and all of our systems are working very well. Nothing on our Airstream has fallen apart, including some interior nick nacks that I would have expected to experience bouncing problems with.

The only problem that we have experienced with out Airstream was with the OEM Goodyear Marathons. Three of these blew out on the highway with 10 to 12,000 miles on them. I now have 30,000+ miles on the 10 ply Maxxis. I have had tread separation on one tire. This tire lost pressure, but did not blow out. I replaced it with another 10 ply.

The bottom line is that our heavy duty truck, towing with a Hensley has provided us with a most excellent towing experience. My tolerance for sway is zero. We have never experinced the slightest incident of sway.

To each their own, but I believe that I will stick with the heavy duty rigging.

Brian

[Silvertwinkie]

I would agree that a 2500 Suburban is a good truck, but I would have to point out that a Suburban behaves a bit differently than a pickup for the following reasons:

Frame is not as tall (a bit more flex)
More weight in back due to station wagon type enclosure in back
Third row seat
HVAC equipment
More glass
More trim

I would say that with these items alone (and there could be a few more smaller items) add weight that is more than a simple pickup bed. To that end I would guess that the Burb, is not as harsh of a ride as a pickup and might be because the springs are getting a bit more compression due to the additional weights. To that end, I'm not sure I could compare a 2500 Burb to a 2500 pickup, particularly an HD pickup.

Regardless, on my list for this season are Centramatics and an Airsafe hitch.

I am not having any rivet loss issues right now, but I am gravely concerned about this:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ion-35237.html

I can attest to dropping down bar sizes. I got 1200s with my Impala SS when I towed a 19' Bambi. I got the 3/4 ton burb and had no flex with the 1200lb bars and poor performance in terms of sway, etc. Same when I first got the 25er. I then bought off eBay 800lbs bars, then 600lb bars based on Andy's info of being overhitched. The 800s worked far better than the 1200s and the 600s even better than the 800s. I had a similar thing happen to me as GStephans and was impressed how well the trailer stayed in line with the Burb using the Dual Cam system. That is not to say the HA would not do the same, clearly it should, particular for the price. I would however strongly consider downgrading bars if possible with the HA and perhaps getting an Airsafe hitch. I figure I plunked down about $40k for this trailer, what's $1800 more (for the Centramatics and Airsafe hitch), particularly to a customer that has already spent an additional $1400 or more on a HA hitch? All that said, it doesn't get any more soft that that.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Qhen the rigging is completed and your ready to hiy the road, there us an easy quick test you can make that answers the "over hitching" question.

Stand on the coupler, and jump up and down.

The coupler should move vertically, 2 to 3 inches.

If it does, you have a good setup.

If it does not, then very simply, your over rigged, by either the torsion bar rating, or the tow vehicle rating, or both.

A soft ride for the Airstream is the game, along with a sway control that has a brain, which means it knows when your rig is not in a straight line.

Andy

[millvalleyca]

Thanks guys for the quick response.
Jump on the trailer coupler and hopefully it will move up and down?
I'll try it the next time we hook up. Thanks Andy.
Dennis

[slowmover]

I towed my 8,000# GVWR 34' trailer with an H/A. I read over the appropriate threads several times, and was still in the period of exploration vis-a-vis load distribution by the hitch rigging. I was willing to experiment with changing the rear spring pack (removal of oem overload spring; and the use of TIMBREN overload spring -- easily removable -- when not towing my travel trailer), and experimenting with different W/D bars to get:

1] proper load distribution
2] supple movement

I hoped these would not be exclusive.

2Air's F250 had the springs wear down on him with his heavy tongue load, but, keep in mind that few of us cover the miles he does. Plus, Ford and GM springs tend to be softer than the Dodge I drive (I can't make the tail of the truck move, ever, under any load of any type by jumping on the bumper or hitch rigging. The new owner of my trailer, well, that GM moved plenty with the standard CURT hitch I gave him. The bars seemed to be lighter in weight than those with my H/A).

It would be quite informative if someone was able to show both supple suspension movement (my own term) and scale readings that support proper load distribution by the hitch rigging.

[ScottW]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Stand on the coupler, and jump up and down.

The coupler should move vertically, 2 to 3 inches.

If it does, you have a good setup.

If it does not, then very simply, your over rigged, by either the torsion bar rating, or the tow vehicle rating, or both.

Andy

I tow my 30' Classic with a 2007, F350, crew cab, long bed, 4wd, diesel. I always jump on the coupler as Andy suggests. It always gives several inches vertically. Everything appears to be doing well. FWIW.

[nilesrob]

Dennis,

We have exactly the same setup as you, so this thread is very interesting. We have towed with the HA for years (very successfully, I might add) with no known damage, although before the 250 we towed with an Excursion. I have never seen any damage, but I don't discount Andy's comments.

The next time I hook up I'll try the "jumping" test, and I'll continue to watch this thread.