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Brow324 · 01-11-2007, 03:30 PM

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.

silverfox1 · 01-16-2007, 10:51 AM

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.

woodedareas · 01-16-2007, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brow324

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

Mike Lewis · 01-16-2007, 07:28 PM

Sears has them as well as many auto parts stores---pieman

GStephens · 01-16-2007, 07:31 PM

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

woodedareas · 01-16-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

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.

rickdesign · 01-30-2007, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

Im with JStanley,

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.

Brow324 · 02-02-2007, 10:53 AM

I got the socket at Auto Zone.

Irv Stern · 02-02-2007, 11:25 AM

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?

davidz71 · 02-02-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irv Stern

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.

Airstreamer67 · 02-02-2007, 01:26 PM

Woodedareas, regarding the torque wrench, if you are talking about an extension that fits between the socket and the wrench, then the torque is not affected. On the other hand, if you are talking about an extension that fits on the handle of the wrench, ie creating a "cheaer bar" type device, then the torque is affected and has to be adjusted downward depending upon how long the handle extension is.

warbler5 · 08-18-2007, 05:13 PM

Since you guys decided to dig this thread out of basement, I will give you an update on our Hensley, which we have had now for just shy of two years. I wouldn't trade it for anything! With that said, I have encountered a couple of times where re-connecting was a "challenge." One of those times, I ended up chewing up my nextdoor neighbor's lawn....when they got home, they had apology card with a promise to fix it and a bottle of wine awaiting them! ;-) Needless to say,we have gotten better about lining things up BEFORE disconnecting....and knowing the hitch better.

For those of you towing less than a 30' trailer, I am not surprised that you are happy with your hitches and cannot see what the big deal is about the Hensley. I doubt I would tow a 19' Bambi with a Hensley, but I would definitely consider it with anything over 25'. It turned my towing experince from "white knuckle time" way too often to a pleasurable experience!

Tim A. · 08-18-2007, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warbler5

I doubt I would tow a 19' Bambi with a Hensley, but I would definitely consider it with anything over 25'. It turned my towing experince from "white knuckle time" way too often to a pleasurable experience!

We have used a Hensley on our 19' Bambi for about 5 years and couldn't be happier. Our two towing vehicles to date had (has) a relatively short wheelbase and the Hensley has contributed greatly to our sense of well-being. My point? A good setup is not just dependent on trailer length, but on the whole package.

warbler5 · 08-18-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim A.

We have used a Hensley on our 19' Bambi for about 5 years and couldn't be happier. Our two towing vehicles to date had (has) a relatively short wheelbase and the Hensley has contributed greatly to our sense of well-being. My point? A good setup is not just dependent on trailer length, but on the whole package.

A good point, Tim! Actually, after making that statement about the 19' Bambi, I remembered that Tall Zack tows his 19' Bambi with a Nissan Titan....using a Hensley.

And, I believe that the wheelbase on our Yukon XL, in combination with the length and weight of our 30' Classic, contributed to our problems.

Cheers

ROBERT CROSS · 09-17-2007, 09:10 PM

Well I finally did it!!!
Ordered our new Arrow to-day. This thread was the final straw. Plan to install it my-self just to flatten the learning curve.

Got a nice big vacant parking lot to practice what I gather is the biggest difference between it and the old ball, the HITCH-up. One of my concerns though is the fact that the AS parking pad is slightly lower than the Burb when hitching up, probably about 8 to 10 inches. How much of a problem do you think this will be??

How do you secure this investment to the Stream, is there a heavy duty lock that will cover that vulnerable roll pin in the factory hitch release??
The customer assistance (Rick Sisk) has been sooper, they realize that our Stream'n season is allmost over here in the Northeast and agreed that my 60 day guarantee wont start til next Spring.

P.S. Any other recommendations are more than welcome!

Remember...It's hard to make a comeback, if you haven't been anywhere!!!

Tim A. · 09-19-2007, 11:11 AM

We use two combination padlocks (the type with great big numbers so I don't need to use my reading glasses to open them), one in place of the safety pin on one side of the roll clamp, the other through a drilled out hitch pin in the stinger. If you are really concerned about the removable nature of the roll clamp, you could use another lock on that side. We have set the combinations of our two locks to be the same.

Lufletch · 09-19-2007, 01:47 PM

Well worth it. Keeps the trailer trailing stright - even with the brakes locked up and in a sideways slide - I know from personal experience. No sway when 18 wheelers pass. best hitch I've ever used.

fred bartlet · 09-19-2007, 05:36 PM

For me, after a ditching with a standard hitch, a hensley was not an option. My previous light weight 26' to a 30'AS, I considered the investment of time and money well spent. Ater towing for three years, I'd never go back to the grind of fighting a TT without one.

Yes, the connection is a bit trying but after a while, it's just like anything else your wife makes you do and like it. A few extra minutes to connect but the ease of towing without the constant fighting is immeasurable. Just set it and forget it!!!

If you think that a $3K hitch isn't worth it, just look at the invesment one puts into a kid without knowing what the payback will be.

Get wise and get a great hitch.

PS If your going to install, know the configuration of you hitch & the receiver height. My dealer didn't realize that my AS had an undermount hitch and it required another kit to make it work right.