the ultimate haha users guide...

[2airishuman]

hi slowolf

thanks for such a descriptive report.

and for using this thread!

have you taken any photos of the bent strut? where is the bend?

i would also inspect closely the retention pins at each end and consider replacement...

is that part of the shipment? if not these are readily available at hardware or farm supply stores.

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

someone sent me a note....

asking for clarification...

about how a hensley 'bends'

here is my simple understanding...

when the tv turns, the 4 bar connection collapses inward...

this can only happen with turns initiated from the front...

trying to 'move' the rear end of the trailer cannot initiate a bend at the hitch....without breaking something.

this is a big factor/feature in "no sway"

here are some pictures of the links in action....

at the oregon rally druppy took video of this, but i can't upload video here....

cheers
2air'

[Mike Lewis]

2air---as promised here is my haha experience. mine came in 3 boxes, 2 of which had tape that said the box weighed over 80 lbs. This was the only thing that gave me any trouble.{ the weight}
Pre-INSTALLATION---I'm a retired mechanic so keep that in mind when i describe the degree of difficulty. Also i had down loaded the instruction book from hensleys webb site and studyed it thoroughly before recieving my hitch. I recomend this.
INSTALLATION --- I followed the instructions to the letter except for one item, that being the drilling of the holes for the 2 bolts on each side that go throught the frame brackets. I waited untill I had the entire thing assembled before drilling, but before any weight was placed on it. I wanted to be sure they were in the correct location before drilling. The instructions give you measurements which I used but waited for the drilling until I was sure everything was mounted correctly. I recomend using a drill stop when drilling so the bit does not enter the frame. The road side frame rail has the wireing harness running through it. If the drill should hit the harness it would be a chore to make that repair. I also drilled a smaller pilot hole before using the drill bit they furnished.
HOOKING UP---After assembly and connected to the tow vehicle i loaded the bars and noted how much tension was needed on the bars to level the trailer. This was the first mark on the legs of the jacks on our 30' Classic. The instructions are clear on this matter. Next i unloaded the spring bars and disconnected and pulled away followed by backing into the hitch and reconnecting folowing the instructions. This was very easy as the level of both vehicles remained the same.
ROAD TEST--- Today I backed up to the trailer and with wifes help backed into the hitch connected and drove away. ---I drove about 50 miles mixing the road types , 2 lane, 4 lane, up and down hills, fast and slow. I only had one large truck pass during this test.
RESULTS---I am very pleased !!! to say the least. The one truck that passed made no effect on my vehicles. 0 sway or push from it. The first thing I noticed was the way the trailer followed through turns at road speed. Before it always felt like the trailer was pushing the rear of the truck sidways when entering a turn at speed. It actually fells like the trailer is steering in the direction of the turn now.
Summary---The trailer was empty, no water etc during the road test and it was only slightly breezy.
I only had the one truck passing to see how they effect it.
Hitching was done on mostly level ground.
I had to modify the Enkay Rock guards slightly to get tem to work, this was minor.
Over all the installation took less time than getting my tools together and removing the Reese Dual Cam system i had.
Unless I'm later surprised I don't think the hitching will be any more difficult that a conventional hitch except maybe on some uneven conditions.
I'll add more info as i use the system or if any problems should arise.
Pieman

[woodedareas]

Now that my Haha is ordered I received a call asking mr to measure the distance from the ground to the top of the inside of my hitch. I was impressed with the follow up so hopefully we will be receiving thr correct hitch components. I actually ordered the Haha from an As dealer who will install it under my supervision and all delt directly with hensely. I will report after it is installed at the end of the month.

[Brow324]

Thanks 2air: here are the two photos I took before we left for NC last week.
Typo White out markers added to the spring bar jack sleeves for quick reference on the road. I dialed it down to #2 after a few hundred miles which made for a smooth ride. That's an 8" drop on the hitch bar.
I'm also going to raise the rear strut links to the middle position for my upcoming trip to San Antonio.
The system worked perfectly though...2500 miles over the past 7 days without issue.

[2airishuman]

good report pieman on the install...

look forward to more road reports, as the miles are added.

and i'm glad woodedareas has worked out the drop bar issue.
it will be interesting to read how the install goes and more importantly...

how the 'towing experience' compares to your previous (unhappy) report with another hitch brand...

brow324...

good pictures! glad you figured out how to post'em.

the 'white marker' is a good idea.

8 inch drop? wow! that 4x4 is a hiboy...

2 observations...
-i don't see any grease oozing from the spring bar heads
- the hitch pins (hair, spring, cotter) on the strut bars and jacks...
i usually put 'em on the inside and push ALL the way into the 'loop' away from curious fingers, like your front pin....
some folks replace them with a more permanent pin but at least push them on farther...

glad to read your towing is pleasant...

the manual is pretty vague about hole position for the struts, mine are in the 3rd hole too...

anyone else have an opinion?

cheers all
2air'

[Brow324]

When I was on the phone with Hensley they said they thought I needed a 6" drop, based on the measurement of the top of my reciever tube from the concrete, but they sent me the 8" drop. I asked Jarrod once I had the install done and after more measurements he said the 8" should be right for my truck. All I can say is..it works. It's a 2500HD (2wd) with 1 ton suspension & oversized wheels/tires so it sits pretty high. My only concern was cranking those spring bars so tight...it's a big difference in spring bar tension over my old hitch, which I never really tensioned very tightly. But this setup sure makes a difference out on the road.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Brow324

It's a 2500HD (2wd) with 1 ton suspension & oversized wheels/tires so it sits pretty high.

ah, that's why...

interesting about the drop measurement...
initially they sent me a 6 inch bar and i wasn't able to level the trailer...ever.

finally got a 4 inch one which was much better....

they don't offer ONE inch increments and really should at this price point.

keep us updated on your towing and travels...

cheers
2air'

[Mike Lewis]

2air---I didn't mention that I had to change te strut bars to the middle hole also. Started in the lower hole like 324's picture shows. For it to work as designed it must be parallel to the ground with the trailer loaded and level. If is not the tention will not be constant as the trailer pivots up and down on the ball. I found it best to stand away from the trailer to "eyeball" this angle.
pieman

[2airishuman]

woodedareas.......

has a question about wrenches for the haha....

first the 'over center latch' wrench comes with the hitch...

or an adjustable 'crescent' style wrench can be used....

a racheting wrench for raising and lower the jacks also comes with the haha...

it's manual, so i use a cordless drill with a bit and proper sized socket...

7/8s as i recall...

the cordless is MUCH quicker for adjusting the w/d bars and hitch position at hookup...

for installing the hitch and applying proper torque to the u bracket bolts...

a common long or short 10-150 ft/lbs torque wrench is used...

this is not supplied with the haha...

the haha owners manual is online at the hitch web site...

there is picture with all of the parts shipped with the haha....on page 7

page 7 also lists all the tools required for installation....

i've also linked a pdf version here earlier in this thread, see post 7 for the link...

that's why this IS the ultimate haha users guide...

cheers
2air'

[woodedareas]

What would I do without you folks.My masters degree didn't prepare me for a Ha ha.
Thanks so much, I think you should publish all of this valuable data

[GStephens]

Sent off my check for a Hensley Arrow today.
GStephens

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by woodedareas

What would I do without you folks.My masters degree didn't prepare me for a Ha ha.
Thanks so much, I think you should publish all of this valuable data

Woodedareas--- I highly recomend you go to the Hensley webb site and down load their owner-installation manual. Read through it several times. By the time you recieve your haha you'll recognize the componets and it will begin to make since. ----pieman

[woodedareas]

There was a mention in this thread about a need for a grease gun. I also read the owners manual and since I will have my hitch by the end of the month I thought I would buy a grease gun. Is there any particular fitting that I should be concerned about and is there any particular grease product that is recommended? I assume it comes in a cartridege.
Thanks for this great thread.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by woodedareas

There was a mention in this thread about a need for a grease gun. I also read the owners manual and since I will have my hitch by the end of the month I thought I would buy a grease gun. Is there any particular fitting that I should be concerned about and is there any particular grease product that is recommended? I assume it comes in a cartridege.
Thanks for this great thread.

Woodedareas---No --it's just a standard automotive grease zerk and a universal chasis lub. Most any auto parts store or farm implement supply store should have what you're looking for. There are 2 types of grease guns--- the cartridege type which uses tubes of grease that you refill the gun with and--- 2nd the bulk filled type where the gun itself holds the grease and must be filled from a bulk container. The cart. type is easier to use and less messy. The other would be best and less expensive but only where large quanitys are used. Another option is to drop the spring bars out and lub them by hand. All thats needed for this is a small container of grease and a hand full of rags.
It's messier but the cheapest way. Personally I prefer this as it gives me a chance to inspect the bar ends for wear.{and I'm cheap} --- pieman

[2airishuman]

hi woodedareas...

i see you asked about the grease issue...

like mike noted there are options...

i use the cartridge style grease gun with a 1 foot flexible hose and standard grease fitting...

about 20$ from napa...a tube of grease last several months; perhaps a year.

yes the bars can be dropped out for greasing, but that is messy and more work...

also hensley recommends lubing the bars every 500miles...

i hit mine with enough to ooze out the old stuff every couple of days while on the road...

this may be overkill but according to them 'you cannot grease too often'

with the grease gun it takes less time than checking tire pressures....

as an aside the screw/stabilizer jacks on the airstream also need greasing occasionally.

the jacks have the same size zerk fittings...so the gun does double duty.

in the pics of the 'spring bar swap' you can see the fresh red grease just squirted...

cheers
2air'

[GStephens]

I just completed installation of the Hensley a few days ago and tried my hand at hooking up for the first time yesterday. I had read the manual several more times worried that hooking up would be a hassel, at least the first few times. Well, I was wrong. At least I was wrong to worry about hooking up the first time. All by myself, I backed to within about a foot of the trailer which had the stinger in the Hensley hitch head. I looked things over, took the stinger out and inserted it into the receiver hitch assembly on the truck, put the pin in and stood back to look everything over once again. Everything looked straight. All that seemed to be needed was to lower the trailer a bit. That acomplished, I scotched the trailer wheels a little better, got in the truck and backed up. Viola! Success! First time!

I'm sure there will be a learning curve and everything may not always go this well, but I don't forsee that the Hensley is going to be all that difficult to hitch and unhitch. Based upon this first experience, its the easiest trailer hitch I've ever hooked up and I pull some sort of trailer most every day ranging from goosenecks to bumper pulls.
GStephens

[2airishuman]

thanks for the report gstephens...

so the installation went well too?

and just wait till you tow with it some...

that's when the real pleasure hits...

not every hook up will be as easy,

but so what.

keep us updated on your user experience.

cheers
2air'

[GStephens]

I have two questions 2Air.

First question, when installing the struts I carefully measured the distance from the ball to the leading edge of each bracket. They are installed as directed at precisely 25 1/2". Then I hand tightened the struts and measured the length of each strut from pin to pin on the theory that if these measurements are identical, the hitch would be centered. I am aware that the instructions tend to discount that the struts have to be identical in length, but that is what I did. When initially measured, the struts were not quite identical in length. I carefully adjusted or tightened each strut until they are now equal. I don't think I overly torqued either strut nut, but they ARE tight. Is there a problem in having these strut nuts tight or should the user somehow achieve equalization by hand tightening the nuts. The installation manual does suggest that the struts should feel like a solid bar once installation is achieved and they do. My hitch head now also appears to be perfectly straight with the midline of the trailer.

Second, my installation guide refers to marks on the lower ends of the jacks that one uses to make certain that each jack is adjusted the same in order that the load bars are equally tensioned. I can neither see nor feel these marks. I had a younger friend look at and feel for the marks. He couldn't find them either. We checked both the inside and outside surfaces thinking that I might have mounted the jacks incorrectly. Nothing. Short of the existance of any marks, I counted the number of complete turns in each jack's adjustment apparatus. There are 50 complete 360 degree turns on each jack. Given that, about how many turns do you typically tighten your jacks. I am just curious. I realize that I'll need to measure the distance from the top of my tires to the wheel wells on each axel of my F-250 to properly judge when I've achieved weight transfer to the front axle of the truck, but I was curious as to where that might be in terms of tightening the jacks.

Thanks in advance,
Gayland Stephens

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by GStephens

Second, my installation guide refers to marks on the lower ends of the jacks that one uses to make certain that each jack is adjusted the same in order that the load bars are equally tensioned. I can neither see nor feel these marks. I had a younger friend look at and feel for the marks. He couldn't find them either. We checked both the inside and outside surfaces thinking that I might have mounted the jacks incorrectly. Nothing. Short of the existance of any marks, I counted the number of complete turns in each jack's adjustment apparatus. There are 50 complete 360 degree turns on each jack. Given that, about how many turns do you typically tighten your jacks. I am just curious. I realize that I'll need to measure the distance from the top of my tires to the wheel wells on each axel of my F-250 to properly judge when I've achieved weight transfer to the front axle of the truck, but I was curious as to where that might be in terms of tightening the jacks.

gstephens----if you would like I can go out to my ha and measure from the bottom of the jacks up and give you the 3 distances so you can paint these reference marks on the tubes. I'm sure counting the turns would be accurate, maybe even more than the marks. The only thing about counting is remembering how many turns etc. send me a pm if you need the measurements---pieman