seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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And to add to the ProPride, I sent them a question and within 10 minutes I got a reply from the president, Sean T. Woodruff. EVEN ON A HOLIDAY!!
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StevenBigBear
Palm Springs California
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Joined: 01/02/2006
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It's just silly to try to belittle the best hicth ever made!
Ford Excursion 4WD - V-10
Hensley Arrow - Prodigy - Landyot Radius-Rod - Helwig Rear Antisway Bar - Bilstein Shocks - AirBags
2008 Jayco Eagle 320 RLDS
320 RLDS JAYCO EAGLE
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Mike Schriber
San Diego, CA
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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So, you're telling us is that it was so windy that tractor trailers wanted to get off the highway but with your new Hensley hitch you didn't even notice?
Are you kidding me?
Mike
wayne_tw wrote:I can tell you my experience with the Hensley. I, too, was unsure, but with their return policy, I thought what the heck. At the time about 1998, I had a 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 Cummins Diesel towing a 1986 Airstream 25' trailer. That set up was quite stable, with a conventional friction sway control bar. Actually, with no sway conttrol, it was stable, or so I thought. I installed the Hensley on a March week end, and was of course anxious to test it out. I could tell right away that the set up towed much differently, and seemed to tow much more true behind the truck without the trailer influencing the truck as much as without the Hensley. So, I get off the surface streets and head out onto the Interstate. I drove happily along, not even noticing the semis until they actually pass me. I thought this was a remarkable difference, but you know sometimes you just want it to be better, and it really isn't. So I drive about 45 miles to the Flying J truck stop where I could hardly get in because of all the semis parked there. Seemed stramge to me until I tried to open the truck door after parking. The winds were so severe that I had to work to get the door open. I have never seen winds that strong in my area before. Trucks got off the road because of those severe winds. Later learned that the sustained winds, per the TV weather, were 35 plus MPH with gusts to 50 mph!!! And I never felt those winds with the Hensley!!! That sold me! That Hensley made a remarkable difference in set up that was already inherently quite stable.
All I can say is order the Hensley and try it out. If you don't like it send it back. They will refund all of your money including shipping both ways. Nothing to loose and a lot to gain. I do not think their brake controller is worth the extra money, however.
2006 Damon Daybreak 3276 37' bunkhouse
2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited
SoCal Family Campers
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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StevenBigBear,
I am certainly not belittleing the Hensley or ProPride. I have no dought that they will improve the pulling of a TT. I still say it has a lot to do with the TV and the TT. I will most likely be getting one of these two hitches and it will probably be the ProPride.
I do however question some of the claims I have heard. I guess when I get one I will know the truth.
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wayne_tw
South Dakota/Georgia
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Joined: 07/21/2007
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Mike Schriber wrote:So, you're telling us is that it was so windy that tractor trailers wanted to get off the highway but with your new Hensley hitch you didn't even notice?
Are you kidding me?
Mike
wayne_tw wrote:I can tell you my experience with the Hensley. I, too, was unsure, but with their return policy, I thought what the heck. At the time about 1998, I had a 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 Cummins Diesel towing a 1986 Airstream 25' trailer. That set up was quite stable, with a conventional friction sway control bar. Actually, with no sway conttrol, it was stable, or so I thought. I installed the Hensley on a March week end, and was of course anxious to test it out. I could tell right away that the set up towed much differently, and seemed to tow much more true behind the truck without the trailer influencing the truck as much as without the Hensley. So, I get off the surface streets and head out onto the Interstate. I drove happily along, not even noticing the semis until they actually pass me. I thought this was a remarkable difference, but you know sometimes you just want it to be better, and it really isn't. So I drive about 45 miles to the Flying J truck stop where I could hardly get in because of all the semis parked there. Seemed stramge to me until I tried to open the truck door after parking. The winds were so severe that I had to work to get the door open. I have never seen winds that strong in my area before. Trucks got off the road because of those severe winds. Later learned that the sustained winds, per the TV weather, were 35 plus MPH with gusts to 50 mph!!! And I never felt those winds with the Hensley!!! That sold me! That Hensley made a remarkable difference in set up that was already inherently quite stable.
All I can say is order the Hensley and try it out. If you don't like it send it back. They will refund all of your money including shipping both ways. Nothing to loose and a lot to gain. I do not think their brake controller is worth the extra money, however.
No Mike, I felt the winds, but they blew the truck and trailer as one, a straight truck if you will, but not anything like i would have experienced with any conventional hitch design. All I can say is the difference between a cenventional hitch and the Hensley with the small Airstream and the big Dodge was amazing, I can only imagine what it would be with a different trailer and truck.
I know, most don't believe it, and all I can say is why don't you try it. Don't like it, send it back shipping paid both ways. Absolutely nothing to loose.
And to the OP, you really will find the ifference anmazing especially with your ong trailer.
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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What do you do when you have to drop it off at the service center for repairs. They can't just hook to it like they would any other TT. Do you leave them with the entire hitch assembly? Or is it easy enough to remove it before you leave it? I guess once the brackets are in place on the tongue it should be pretty easy to remove and put back....
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havedreamwilltravel
Southern California
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Joined: 08/15/2006
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Quote:I felt the winds, but they blew the truck and trailer as one, a straight truck if you will, but not anything like i would have experienced with any conventional hitch design.
Out here going through Mojave and up the 395 we get wind gusts and winds on a regular basis - they often close the road because of the winds and make you go around or sit and wait till they die down. We've pulled our TT and TV combo through some pretty good wind gusts and felt them "push" the truck and trailer as one - just like you describe.
In fact, coming home from the same trip we did not even know the wind was blowing until we stopped at our overnight camp spot and we opened the door and the wind almost pulled it off the truck (or so it seemed). Didn't even feel it when towing.
We use the Equalizer.
I am a huge advocate that set up is 9/10's of most issues regardless of the hitch you use. You can spend $3000.00 on a hensley or $400.00 on an Equalizer but if it's not set up properly then it doesn't really matter what hitch you use.
I'm not saying the Hensley is a bad hitch. It's not. However, the OP was making a comment about the video itself - which I also found hilarious and it did nothing to push me to their product - it actually did the opposite - I found it cheesy and in bad need of updating. In fact, when I saw the DVD for the first time, I also started a thread saying how cheesy and bad the dvd was and that with a $3000.00 hitch they should update it.
2007 GMC Yukon Denali - 6.2L 380hp/417ft-lbs,0-60 in 6.2 seconds
2007 Jayco Jayflight 27BH
Equalizer Hitch, Prodigy Brake Control
Our Truck and Trailer
Easy Trailer Mods-NEW pics added 4/10/08
Visited a lot of states, haven't camped in many...yet. 
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dodge guy
Bartlett IL
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Joined: 03/23/2004
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I`ve towed in high winds with my properly setup Reese Dual Cam and my setup is rock solid.
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 10yrs
Daughter Marissa 9yrs
Dog Shadow 
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear Hellwig sway bar
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller.
A bad day of camping is
better than a good day at work!
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Mike Schriber
San Diego, CA
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You're already backing away from your claims. You said...
wayne_tw wrote:And I never felt those winds with the Hensley!!! That sold me!
There were no caveats in that statement that I recall reading. My Suburban alone gets blown around in winds like that let alone when towing my trailer. Wind induced sway is usually the result of not enough tongue weight or an incorrectly setup weight distributing hitch.
I've had a Hensley. I sold it and went back to my Equal-i-zer. The Hensley was too expensive and too much hassle for no real benefit.
I've towed through strong winds more times than I can remember (it's SOP out west) and I've never had an ounce of trouble. Sure I get moved around a bit, every vehicle, RV and truck does. A Hensley equipped rig is not immune to the laws of physics.
The OP has a good tow vehicle well matched to his trailer and a good hitch. He's unlikely to realize any benefit from changing to a Hensley Arrow (or ProPride) unless you think having a lighter wallet to haul around is a bonus.
That's what always gets my attention in these Hensley threads. There's always someone preaching the miracle gospel of the Hensley Arrow... it'll find you lost car keys, turn Coke into Pepsi, let you tow through a hurricane and solve all the problems you have towing your Airstream with that Volvo wagon (or Dodge Intrepid if you believe the Hensley DVD).
Reality is another matter.
Mike
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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So the Hensley debate rages on  ... Look guys - here's the bottom line... The Reese Daul Cam, Equal-i-zer, Drawtite and a ton of other w/d hitches with friction sway bars ALL rely on friction for sway control - PERIOD!!!
Think what you want, but that's the factual truth... The Hensley and Propride with their 4 bar linkage move the pivot point forward and the camming action of the hitch prevent trailer movement until a turn is initiated and approximately 15 degree arc is seen... The Pullrite functions as a 5th wheel hitch UNDER the tow vehicle with the pivot point just behind the rear axle... Neither the Hensley, ProPride, or Pullrite are dependant upon friction to control sway - - the Reese, Equal-i-zer, and standard w/d hitches with friction sway bars are!!! If you can't see this, then you don't understand how these hitches work...
All perform well for the task at hand, BUT, which do you think are REALLY the better hitches for controlling sway 
That is the real REALITY of the matter!!!
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
w/ 6.8L (415 C.I.) V-10/3:73LS/4R100
Banks Power Pack w/Trans Command & OttoMind
2006 Nomad 3150 Double Slide (Bunkhouse)
Hensley Arrow
Jordan Ultima 2020
HUNTER THERMOSTAT INSTALL
HOME MADE WHEEL CHOCKS
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