Trailer Sway Control or Sway Elimination?

A typical call at Hensley Mfg. goes something like this: “I’ve never had any problems towing. Been doing it for twenty years. But this weekend, I’m coming home with my family, and a strong gust of wind hits me just as a semi-truck is passing by. I thought I was gonna lose it for sure. We got home and my wife told me to sell the trailer.” While trailer sway is common, the violent fishtailing that often results in accidents may only happen to you once in a lifetime. But one time is too many. And most RVers will experience this type of trailer sway, even with a sway control hitch. That’s why a sway elimination hitch, like the Hensley Arrow or Cub, may be the best investment you ever make for your trailer. The Hensley Arrow or Cub don’t dampen sway like a typical sway control hitch. They actually block out any possibility of trailer sway. How? Read more  Read More →

Get a Safer & More Stable Ride With an Air Suspension Hitch

All of us with air suspension hitches appreciate their value. However, I still hear from people with solid mount rigid fifth wheel hitches who tell me they do not have any problems with how their trailer rides. Just because the TV stays in place does not necessarily mean they have a good ride. When discussing suspension systems, you hear words like inertia, mass, sine waves, kinetic energy, etc. We are taking a simple problem and making it complex. There is ONE word to describe why we need additional suspension for our 5th wheel. It’s BUMP! Read more  Read More →

No Sway Hitch for Any Size Trailer

If you call Hensley Mfg. and ask about a sway control hitch, you’ll be told that Hensley is not interested in controlling trailer sway. They are interested in eliminating trailer sway. And that’s precisely what they do. All other sway control devices on the market use friction to control, or dampen, trailer sway. The unique linkage design of the Hensley Arrow and Cub makes it impossible for the trailer to sway. Because there is no friction involved, the tow vehicle maintains complete control, while side forces like wind or passing trucks have no effect on the trailer. Read more  Read More →

Camping Journal: Lessons Learned

Many years ago, when I served in the Navy, we’d finish up a cruise and put together something called a “lessons learned” log. Mind you, we enlisted types didn’t really read it, we just showed enough interest to avoid any extra duty back in the home port. Oddly, something from that experience clung to the inner linings of my brain. If you look in my camping journal (what…you don’t have one?!?), you’ll see little notes at the end of each entry. I don’t call them “lessons learned.” I’ve called them many things, most of which cannot be repeated here, but they share a common goal: if I write down my mistakes, I won’t repeat them, or so the theory goes. Here are some of the lessons I have learned: Always check to make sure you electric cord and hose will reach the appropriate outlets before unhooking, lowering the stabilizer jacks, setting up the awning, and cracking open your first beverage. The temperature can drop 30 degrees between southern Michigan and northern Michigan during the three hour drive on Labor Day weekend. An unprepared family of four will spend about $113 at Wal-mart for warmer clothes. While a Dodge Durango 4×4 is a great vehicle in the mud, a Dodge Durango 4×4 with a 32′ Coachmen strapped to its bumper is almost useless in the mud. A Hensley Arrow is great for allowing you to tow a 32′ Coachmen with a Dodge Durango, but provides little assistance for getting un-stuck from... Read more

Towing Mirrors are NOT optional

I know how it goes. You’ve got your new trailer, you’ve signed on the dotted line (which is never dotted, by the way), and you can’t wait to get your new baby off the lot and to the nearest state park. “Just a couple more things,” says your salesman, a kindly, soft-spoken gentleman sporting just a hint of Old Spice. “You’ll need a brake controller, a hitch, and mirrors to be legal. Bobby over in parts can help you out.” Read more  Read More →

Shrinking Trailers, Shrinking Cars, Shrinking Hitches

It seems, my friends, that the sun blotting trailers of yesteryear are quickly giving way to the sub-compact micro-trailers. While I’m all in favor of increased fuel economy and parking in one zip code, I wonder how far this trend will go. While perusing the new units at the Hershey RV show last year, I asked a dealer why there were holes in the wall at the end of the bed. “Feet,” he replied. And so it goes. As I pondered the idea of waking up in the wee hours with an unknown creature of the wild licking my toes, I had to admit that some of these manufacturers were getting downright crafty in their designs. I saw outside kitchens, TVs that dropped from the ceiling, and a dinette that expanded into a dance floor, complete with the cheesy DJ. Okay I made that last one up. But you get my drift. I assume, the laws of physics being what they are, that we’ll eventually hit a minimum size trailer. Unless you work for Ringling Bros. and wear a red nose, you might demand enough room to inhale (insert Bill Clinton joke here). But why fight it? If you can get a 20′ trailer with all the modern luxuries and tow it with your Moped, rock on! We’re certainly not fighting it. For sixteen years Hensley Mfg. has built trailer hitches geared toward the mobile estate. And we’ve built them well. So well, they’ll work on any sized trailer. “But it looks so big on my trailer!” you cried. Fair enough. Aesthetics are everything. So we designed... Read more

TrailerSaver Air-Ride 5th Wheel Hitch – An Old Doe Hunter’s Tale

The President of the Old Doe Hunters Association, Inc. informed me that he was considering a new 5th wheel to begin his westerly expedition upon retirement. As Treasurer and Chair of the Entertainment & Firewood Committee, I informed him that we had exactly $6.83 in the ODHA treasury. Hizzoner scratched the graying stubble on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment, then offered his one word solution: “Financin’.” Mind you, I’m not one to suggest a man entering his seventh decade leverage himself into a twenty year RV loan, but I could see he had his mind made up, his decision rendered final by the popping open of a Bud Light (this is not a shameless product plug, those are coming later). So I set about offering my vast array of knowledge to ensure that Hizzoner didn’t wind up DIW (that’s Dead in the Water for those of you outside Navy circles) on Interstate 75 halfway between the great white north and the land of sunshine. I informed him first that he would need to upgrade his tow vehicle. The ½ ton pickup will generally not work well with fivers worthy of a full-timer. Though some of the smaller varieties have pin weights low enough to work in the standard duty truck. Once I had the President convinced he needed to buy a new truck with heated seats and XM Radio so he could listen to Dr. Phil, he had to determine whether he preferred the long or short box. Most of us like the short because it’s easier to park and it fits in my garage (but that’s just... Read more

Product Highlight – McKesh Towing Mirrors, Still #1

Towing mirrors aren’t just a good idea, they’re the law. In fact, if you check the laws in 50 different states, you’ll find that they all have little variations. Be sure to check your own state laws before buying your trailer or next set of mirrors. There are websites with the regs for all 50 states listed, but it’s best to check directly with your own department of motor vehicles. Often, the “one stop” information on the web is outdated. A good rule of thumb is: If you can see a car that’s 125′ (about 7 car lengths) directly behind your trailer, you’re in good shape. But also make sure your mirrors are stable, meaning they don’t vibrate at highway speeds. McKesh Portable Towing Mirrors are designed to accommodate all state and Canadian province regulations. Extending out to 20″, with large 6″ x 9″ mirrors, McKesh mirrors offer more visibility than any towing mirror on the market. Add the optional convex mirrors and increase your range of vision even more, especially in those toll booth lines where the guy in the Accord is trying to squeeze by on your passenger side. McKesh mirrors are made of rugged steel and virtually vibration free. They strap onto your vehicle’s door in just a few seconds. Thick padding prevents marring the vehicle finish. The mirrors are removed with one push of the small catch next to the strap knob. On and off in a few seconds. McKesh mirrors are available direct from the... Read more

Hensley TrailerSaver 5th Wheel Hitch Line-up

When TrailerSaver introduced the TS3 nine years ago, a new standard for 5th Wheel hitches was set. When Hensley Mfg. bought TrailerSaver three years ago, they raised the bar even higher, and the improvements just keep coming. Today, Hensley Mfg. offers a 5th Wheel hitch for any sized truck/trailer combination, with or without air-ride. For the medium duty trucks, Hensley offers the 2H Air-Ride hitch, a 32k adjustable hitch, and a 32k low profile hitch. All are bolt down models. For the light duty pick-ups with standard rails, Hensley offers the TS3 Air-Ride hitch, a 26k adjustable hitch, and a 19k adjustable hitch. Read more  Read More →

Hensley Manufacturing Lightens Up

Hensley Mfg. announces its first new travel trailer hitch since introducing the Hensley Arrow, the industry’s first anti-sway hitch, 15 years ago. The Hensley Cub is a scaled-down version of the Hensley Arrow, the only hitch that truly eliminates trailer sway. The Cub works on the same principle as the Arrow, using the geometry of its linkage system to prevent trailer sway while allowing the tow vehicle full control over the trailer. No friction is involved, unlike a traditional sway control hitch. The Cub is designed for light trailers. While the Arrow is a “one size fits all” design, the folks at Hensley took some weight out of the new design to fit the trend toward smaller, lighter trailers. Why hasn’t Hensley made any changes prior to this one? “We decided before we sold our first hitch,” says Colin Connell, President of Hensley Mfg., “that safety would always be our primary consideration. We’ve tried different designs…everything from adjustable hitch bars to a yoke system (a Y or T shaped bracket to hold the hitch head in place). They all seemed like good ideas and we probably could have made a few extra dollars with a ‘New & Improved’ design, but they all had inherent flaws that decreased their reliability and safety.” Of course, safety is still the primary concern of Hensley Mfg. The Cub may be a new product, but the engineering concepts are identical to the Arrow. After 15 years and thousands of Arrows on the road, Hensley has a proven... Read more