the ultimate haha users guide...

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:29 PM

it is often reported that hitching up with a haha takes practice.

i agree.

some (new or non owners) suggest a limitation of the haha is difficult camping slots.

i disagree.

recently i had the opportunity to camp in a location that was very remote and the sites, while long were very uneven.

in many the drive way had a twisting slope with a small break between tv and trailer.

i used this opportunity to take some shots of using the neon hitchin rods to help while hooking up.

i tow solo and usually hook up solo...

unless neighbors get in the way!

first here are some shots of the spot...

nose of trailer slopes downward and rear of truck does too....

the twisted driveway is also seen...

cheers
2air'

click on ANY picture in this series for a larger view...

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:37 PM

looking at the hitchin' rods in the rear view mirror,

it is pretty clear the truck and trailer are sloping opposite directions...

you can just see the neon rods in the mirror right?

the 2nd pic is taken with camera LEVEL to the tail gate....

pretty obvious the 2 vehicles slop away from each other yes?

the truck positon is represented by the rightmost rod,

while the trailer is the left most rod....

click on the mirror pic to see more clearly....

cheers
2air'

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:42 PM

from the side view here is the position of truck 2 trailer...

again the rods make seeing the angled position much clearer....

IF one were to back the stinger into the box with this orientation....

problems would appear....

nerves would fray...

hitching not happenin'

cheers
2air'

AZstreamin · 10-16-2006, 09:47 PM

2air I don't have a HA HA but your pics have given me some useful hitch tips... the protective noodle knee knocker, and the hitch up poles... good stuff. Great looking pics of your rig also.. man even though your AS is only 4 feet longer I don't know why, but a 34 footer just looks huge.

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:47 PM

if the rods were not used in the last photo,

the stinger and haha look pretty well oriented...

go back and look again don't they really look pretty level?

but they are not!

now, in this photo the screw jacks that control the w/d bars have been adjusted.

by rotating the jacks, which raise or lower the w/d bars...

the hitch box repositions....

following 30-60 seconds of adjustment....

the rods look more parallel...

note the power drill on top of the jack, used to make this swiftly happen.

cheers
2air'

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:51 PM

now looking at the orientation from the front....

pretty good!

again note the position of the trailer

this pic is taken LEVEL relative to the truck again...

so it is obvious just how much the site twists!

cheers
2air'

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 09:56 PM

ok,

so now i'm ready to dock!

the stinger goes into the hitch box....

the two are well oriented and the insertion is easy....

as the stinger slides in the neon hitchin rod will move subtly...

so from the rear view mirror that's the clue....to success!

ok,

that is it..

any questions?

cheers
2air'

2airishuman · 10-16-2006, 10:15 PM

hi AZ'

yea i'm stubborn and a slow learner...

so i busted both shins 5-6 times,

and lost a pint o'blood...

b4 realizing i could not remember to step over or around that knob...

and that the stinger was hard....real hard.

the 34s look longer primarily because of the triple axles....wheels everywhere!

from bambi to brutus...they are all the same size in the rear view mirror.

sort of...

cheers
2air'

vajeep · 10-17-2006, 08:45 AM

2 Air.

I have two nasty scars on my shins that might match yours...

Because I am also a slow learner I never leave the "stinger" in the Burb. I also have the Enkay mud flaps, so as soon as I get the wheels chocked, I lock the stinger with attached Enkays to the Hensley. I use a the 2 part master lock set to secure the ball latch and the draw bar.

Thanks for the Hensley thread!

Abe

hookedonclassic · 10-17-2006, 11:37 AM

2Air. Good posts. Thanks. Practice has made a world of difference for me too. I no longer have to think twice about unhooking. Have you modified your TV suspension yet? I'm still thinking about it. See you next spring at Midwest Rally, I hope.

rebfa · 10-17-2006, 01:24 PM

I'm happy to see this thread took off finally. For awhile there, I thought 2airishuman created a thread so he could have a conversation with himself!

10-18-2006, 05:11 PM

I had the dealer install a Hensley on my 2007 25' Classic that I picked up last Thursday.We've had one day of heavy rain and this thing is showing rust everywhere. When the tech was showing me how to adjust the jacks the paint was just chipping off the jacks as he tightened them. This may be the greatest hitch since the invention, but for 3 grand the paint job STINKS big time. As the paint continues to chip off you can tell that it wasn't primed. I guess quality only goes so far.Maybe they should offer a paint job that would hold up to the elements as an optional upgrade then they could charge a few hundred more. They now offer a cover for $80.00. This will help keep the moisture in so the rust can really do it's job.

2airishuman · 10-18-2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craftsman

the paint job STINKS big time.

agree completely.
mine had large flakes of paint come off early on. it has settled down now.
i don't like the color either.

and don't call them for help with the paint...they don't care about it..

allis chalmers orange from the hardward store is supposed to be a match,
but they could at least advise folks to put a couple of coats of clear coat on, day 1;
that would help.

rich luhr? i think, had his painted to match the a/s underbelly.

i have purchased rust stopper primer and silver/grey and clear coat,
but need a week of dry warm weather...so it will await for now.

cheers
2air'

Leipper · 10-18-2006, 06:08 PM

How it works? By moving the pivot point forward so that the sideways push of the trailer at the ball tends to push the tow vehicle sideways rather than rotate it. This tends to remove the stimulus for innapropriate understeer corrections that occurs with the usual trailer hitches.

Weight? 80 lb - a bit heavier than most

It also adds nearly a foot to length at the hitch which can be useful in some vehicles to help prevent binding in tight turns.

It is a bit more complex that most load leveling sway control hitches with relatively small moving parts

The ruckus about hitching is mostly a matter of technique although many use the sideways adjustable jack stands to help with final adjustments. The ha does require a different attitude, geometric paradigm, and skill set for easy hitching.

Flame wars? These usually revolve around the binary safety debate involving catastrophic sway, jacknifing, or similar unpredictable loss of control scenarios. Some folks think a mechanical fix is all that is needed to prevent them.

The HA is an ideal hitch if you have a suboptimal towing vehicle. Can Am RV uses it with other adaptations to configure interesting tow combinations.

For a lot of folks the HA can improve handling as one factor in many. Whether it is worth the 5x or so expense over other options is (or should be IMHO) a matter of personal preference. The Pullrite will achieve near equivalent handling improvement for less than half the cost. The Equal-i-zer or Reese Dual Cam are the next step down at less than a quarter the cost of an HA. The most common solution, a friction bar is half that again.

One thing I didn't get around to doing at the I'Rally was taking a survey of hitch types. That would generate some interesting numbers.