the ultimate haha users guide...

[GStephens]

At least one Airstream dealer, Roger Williams Airstream here in Texas, refuses to sell any Airstream no matter how small without a Hensley. Hensley has no dealer network. Roger Williams or any other dealer receives no commission on a Hensley. Roger Williams looses a number of sales by taking this position because every trailer they sell costs the customer the additional cost of the Hensley; however, they believe so strongly that as a dealer they have a responsibilty to the public to only sell a trailer with the safest equipment installed and that is a Hensely Arrow.

GStephens

[2airishuman]

hi pat

i've seen several bambis and small 2 axle units using the haha...

the owners i've talked to are very satisfied, for all of the usual reasons.

like gstephens notes, the weatherford texas folks put them on all lengths...

and the sales manager has one on his personal bambi...

it is my opinion that no airstream dealer should charge YOU for installing the hitch of your choice....

mine was installed at no charge and many enjoy that level of service...

of course IF your dealer has ZERO experience installing them, it might be better to diy.

i have also talked to a/s buyers who installed their haha IN the rv parking lot and as part of the first/overnight stay.

or if home is a short trip, use a ball hitch for the first trip, then do it at your leisure.

you can view and down load the owner/install manual at the home site...

http://www.hensleymfg.com/Documents/...nualmedres.pdf

this is an acrobat/pdf file and downloads pretty quickly.

i keep a copy on the hard drive for quick reference too. it is 42 pages to print...

most people report it takes 2-4 hours to install. my dealer had done a few and it took them 90 minutes or so.

had i helped them it would have taken twice as long

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

2air----I just bought a set of "hitchin rods"---------pieman

hi pieman...yep mine were 22$ or so (both sets) and i like 'em!

when used with a ball hitch the 'ball' rod tilts over/off at docking...

but this does NOT happen with our squared/flat haha stingers.

so one caution using them with the haha stinger...

IF you have perfect alignment and back COMPETELY into the box...

it is possible to crush the hitch'n rod base...

imagine how i came to learn this

cheers
2air'

[Tin Diesel]

I will have to drill out the rivets holding the propane line so I can slip the bracket cross piece between the line and the frame

Jim,
don't know if you've completed the installation or what you've done with your gas line.
As 2Air said, you can sort-of see my gas line. I didn't have to move the clips or drill out the rivet - just lucky I guess. I did have to bend the line down a bit to fit the brackets under it. Same with the 7-wire electrical on the other side.

I don't like drilling in the A-frame. If you look close at mine, you can see where I put a new hole in the black haha bracket and used the old hole in the A-frame. I don't know how much reserve strength is in that frame, but I don't want to find out!

[Tin Diesel]

We took the trailer from Houston to Dallas (and back) over the last week. Compared to my Blue Ox with the Reese friction anti-sway, the HAHA gave a sense of snug connection instead of a loose wobbly one. Sort of like having two connection points instead of one. Hard to describe.

Never felt anything when trucks passed the A/S... but they did push the TV (an F-250) a little bit.

Here's the kicker - my wife said she'd be willing to drive sometime because it feels much more solid.

[Jim Clark]

Hi everyone, I completed the install of the Hensley Saturday. I followed the manual but not the sequence. Installed the frame brackets first, I felt that I could get a better measurement with out the hitch in place. Installed the shear bolts last, I did not want to make a mistake in the hole location. I painted some of the components gray but ran out of paint. For those who couldn’t find the marks on the jack links the marks are on one side only and if you can’t find them rotate the link 180 degrees. I installed the hitch between Mardi Gras Parades and do plumbing work on my pool; I am converting the pool to salt water. I will echo the read the manual for comprehension and understand how the hitch works. The hitch is heavy and my back was hurting at the end of the day. In the attached picture I have the provided pins in place; most will be replaced with stainless steel cotter pins. The only tool I purchased was the 11/16 deep socket; I couldn’t find one in my tool box. I also bought a tube of grease. I will sew up a gray cover for the hitch this weekend, I did spray 4 coats of clear on the hitch. I did add the additional links but will send the electrical extension back. Not hard to do but it helps to have a little experience with tools. I have a large number of photos which I will upload and comment on it the near future.


I am off to Mardi Gras:



Thanks Jim

[hiker]

Hi,

As you may have read from my other thread, we have recently purchased a 25 FB International and are trying to decide between an Equal-I-Zer and Hensley. One of my concerns about the Hensley is whether some camp sites make it especially difficult/impossible to hitch/unhitch. Have any of you had to limit your choice of camp sites because hitching/unhitching would have been especially difficult?

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by hiker

Hi,

As you may have read from my other thread, we have recently purchased a 25 FB International and are trying to decide between an Equal-I-Zer and Hensley. One of my concerns about the Hensley is whether some camp sites make it especially difficult/impossible to hitch/unhitch. Have any of you had to limit your choice of camp sites because hitching/unhitching would have been especially difficult?

Hiker, I have just installed my Hensley and will post pictures of the work in the near future. I haven’t towed with the Hensley yet so have not hooked or unhooked at a campsite. I also had the same concerns as you and did read the entire thread and I did not feel the hooking and unhooking to be a problem. Many tips and tricks are offered including using alignment rods. I really feel that the hooking and unhooking is not an issue. I know of one woman who travels alone and has no problems with her hitch and I am sure that others do the same. This thread convinced me to go with the Hensley, I had no sway problems with my old hitch, I changed because I was convinced that it added another degree of safety. I was fortunate enough to purchase a recondition unit from Hensley, I truly can’t tell that it was ever in service.

Good luck with your decesion

Jim

[2airishuman]

hi hiker

roll back to post 29...

the pictures convey my basic approach to any site but this one was uneven...

it took me 4-6 trips to get comfortable with the process and understand how to orient best.

this was over 4-5 weeks time, if making 1-2 trips a year this could take awhile.

any site where the trailer can be leveled works...

i've rejected 1-2 sites because the tongue/nose was too low even jacked up...

hitching involves lining up to squares, the stinger and box opening...

right to left, high to low, rotationally and level...that's more than just dropping the cup on a ball....

certainly folks who frustrate easily or refuse to understand how the jacks help, will have trouble.

for me alignment to hitch back up BEGINS when un hitching....

after backing into a site, chocking the wheels and disconneting the chains, 7pin and breakaway...

i then reduce tension on the spring bars evenly...

IF the truck is parked on a twisted orientation, relative to the trailer,

tightening one jack or over loosening the other may be needed.

then i raise/lower the tongue jack until i see the hensley ball "relax" tension.

this is obvious once you've seen it. the airstream cup and the haha ball relax....

then and only then do i move the truck forward....

IF the separation is smooth and the traielr doesn't drag or the truck skip....

I KNOW re hitching will be very easy....

as for really tight or awkward campsites,

i once, somehow, backed into a site, so that any fore/aft movement would have dented something (awning roll, awning arms, window on the opposite side and belly pan)

it was dark and the picnic table canopy was fixed encroaching on the front. big rocks and trees at the rear on the other side....

anyway because the haha allows for nearly a right angle connection,

i unhitched and moved the truck to a 'right angle' relative to the tongue...

then i rehitch and pushed the trailer, pivoting/rotating it without moving fore/aft...

got me out of a big jam....

wish i had photos

cheers
2air'

as for really really tight spots, porky pig posted the best one....

i'll find it.

[2airishuman]

porky pigs tight spot...

ok here is his post with picture...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/165236-post1.html

yes he uses a haha...

that whole thread is funny.

cheers
2air'

[Jim Clark]

Here is a link to my cheap hitch alignment tool in the under a $100 mod thread.

Thanks Jim


Link:
http://www.airforums.com/forum...24-post89.html

[DPeakMD]

I don't know for sure, but it seems HA may have changed their shear bolts. My hitch came with 5/16" self-tapping shear bolts originally (2001). The spare parts kit I just ordered came with 3/8" coarse thread bolts. I'd like to retain the capability to use the 5/16" bolts. Does anyone know what grade these are supposed to be?

Fortunately I've never sheared one off. The brackets moved a little the first time out, but just the distance between the oversized hole in the bracket and the shear bolt which was centered in the hole.

Edit: Actually it's called an "Emergency Kit" by HA...

[bobkelly]

Hi Pat---We have a HA on our 22 FT AS. Like it for all the reasons stated here by others. The old saying that if you must error on a safety item, error on the side of spending to much rather than too little sure applies here.

[2airishuman]

hi dallas

thanks for joining us and adding a photo...

the 'emergency kit' is handy, i picked up 2!

don't have the bolts to look at but as i recall, they've got 3 marks on the top.

that makes 'em grade 5 i think.

here is a link to sae bolt shear strenghts for each size...

SAE Bolt Strength Specs

surely an engineer type will help us out.

cheers
2air'