It may be me but I have had days where hitching goes without a single problem and others where it is a bear with me uttering a few choice words of discouragement.
Our big difficulty is that we have quite a hieght difference to deal with so no matter what the tow bar doesn't lighn up completely with the receiver on the HA. I compensate for this by adjusting the WD bars to angle the HA to be parallel with the tow bar. But sometimes you can't adjust enough to just slip right on in so you have to fight it a little. This is really only a problem on uneven ground. Well, that and how much you drank the night before if you know what I mean....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lewis
I just installed my new HA day before yesterday on our 30'Classic. Today is road test day!!! As to installation it took about as long to get my tools out remove my Reese Dual Cam as it did to install the HA. I had down loaded the installation manual from their Webb site and read through it multiple times before recieving the hitch. I recommend doing this. Our Reese seemed adiquit 90% of the time but the other 10% was enough to make me look for some improvement. As to hitching problems some have discribed,unless I'm badly mistaken it doesn't look like all that much more difficult than a standard hitch. I'll post test drive results here this eve or ttomorrow.---pieman
Do the 2 Ha wrenches come from Hensely? How do you desrcibe them so I can order or did they come with the hitch?Also could you elaborate on the size and type of other torque wrench that I will need?
Thanks
Wooded: You should see a nice improvement. I also thought the added safety and amount invested in TV and AS made it worthwhile. I'd never go back even though I've had good experience with the Dual Cam in the past. Watch for a Midwest Rally in June that is really fun.
Please keep me advised about the midwest rally. I will look forward to it. I grew up in Wisconsin and attended the the U. of Wis. in Madison many years ago. Look forward to meeting you.
Allen
Got to say that I'm getting a lot better a hooking up. I've had to do it on concrete, grass, dirt, unlevel ground, and even once in a bad stuck in the mud where we had to unhitch to get the truck unstuck, then rehitch at a different angle. It just takes doing it and getting to know the system.
Using those adjusters like wheel barrow handles ( as the manual says ) is the
magic trick to making it easy.
January 16 2006
We have a 2007 classic 30 towing it with a 2500 Chev Avalanche. We installed the hensley hitch ourselves, took about two and one half hours. We previously towed a 25' CCD with a drawtight hitch with the same tow vehicle. We will not be sending the hensley hitch back, although the price was high there is no comparison on the trailer performance with semi trucks on each side of you on I95. We were able to purchase the hitch as a reconditioned one with new warranty and at a considerable discount from new price.
Well fellow Streamers...it's a year later ( since I posted the first note in this thread ) and we spent the past year looking at AS's and other trailers. We finally decided to purchase the 27'FB and are thrilled with it. Our first trip in the new Safari was a 1200 miler from DFW to NC to visit family for Thanksgiving. I ended up selling the old hitch with the old trailer and added a new Hensley to the package, along with a new Prodigy brake controller. I bought the HA about 3 weeks ago ( yes they still offered the nice discount ) along with some McKesh Mirrors. Installation took about 2.5 hours, was very easy, mostly reading instructions, but mechanically a breeze. I definately recommend installing yourself for the "get to know it" aspect of owning the HA. The trip here was a 10 on the "ease of towing" meter, even thru the Black Mountain area of I-40 from Knoxville to Ashville. The McKesh mirrors also proved to be a nice addition to the setup. No issues along the way with adjustments or shear bolt problems, just smooth sailing. I can only expect that the 1200 mile trek home will be the same. Only a few new tools had to be added to my normal bag of road tools....a torque wrench with an 11/16 deep socket for checking frame bracket bolts along the way, the 2 HA wrenches...one for adjusting strut bolts and the hook up wrench, plus a grease gun for greasing the zerks under the spring bars. So far I find it to be a great product...yes a bit on the pricy side, but so was the AS compared to fiberglass trailers so it's all relative I guess. All in all we are happy campers. Departing tomorrow morning for Nashville, the first half of the trip home.
Where did you locate a 11/16 deep well socket? I am having a problem locating this type of socket.
Thanks
I got the necessary 1/2 " drive deep well sockets that I needed for the Hensley U-bolts & jacks and for my wheel nuts at my local mom and pop auto supply store.
GStephens
Sears has them as well as many auto parts stores---pieman
Thanks
Between the wheels and the Hensely I have had to expand my mechanical skills which were at a very low level. I have been concerned about tourking the lug nuts to the 110# specified in the manual. Inorder to reach the lug nut I have had to use a 6" exstention.When extensions are used there is a formula that needs to be applied that usually results in setting the wrench to a lower level. Foer example insted od 110# the wrench will be set at about 85# (only for illustrative purposes). Today I contacted Aistream Technical Staff and they advised me that when they say 110#, it means set the wrench to that number regardless of the 6" extension.This seems to be contrary to everthing that I have read about using extentions for torque wrenches.It would seem to me that this method will cause over torquing.
I have a Reese on my F150 and 1968 Trade Wind, it pulls like a dream with no sway at all. Its hard for me to imagine a better hitch, so please, more specifics on what makes the Hensley so much more desireable. Thanks.
If you're towing a trailer with an F150 with a Reese hitch and a Tractor Trailer goes by, your trailer is swaying. Believe it. It may not be enough to upset you, but it is an inescapable effect using a hitch with a simple ball connection. You can use anti-sway devices to stiffen the bend, but bend it will, or you couldn't turn your rig!
Here is the specific: With the mechanical connection that the Hensley uses, the dog can wag the tail, but the tail cannot wag the dog. If wind blows against the side of your trailer, the trailer cannot turn on the connection of the hitch without input from the truck. It's as simple as that. You can turn the trailer with the truck, but not the other way around. This, along with an adequate tow vehicle and good trailer brakes, makes the rig as safe as you can make it. Get it? As safe as you can be. This is worth extra money to me. If it isn't to you, tow away. But slow down, 'cause you're not as safe as you think you are, and there might be a mountain curve out there with your name on it.
__________________
-----------------------
Rick Rorie
rick@rickdesign.com
WBCCI 7231
I am absolutely in love with my Hensley. 50 mph straight line winds from the side did not bother me at all, but a friend in a Class A was fighting all the way. BTW, has anyone heard of a recall on the Dominic Water Heater? Or is it the Refrigerator that may have a fire problem?
I am absolutely in love with my Hensley. 50 mph straight line winds from the side did not bother me at all, but a friend in a Class A was fighting all the way. BTW, has anyone heard of a recall on the Dominic Water Heater? Or is it the Refrigerator that may have a fire problem?
Refrigerator I believe.
__________________ Craig
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