Re: [A/S] Hensley Hitch

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hunter,
  You're right, the Hensley wasn't mentioned in any of the accidents, 
that's probably because it wasn't involved.

What WAS mentioned is that a too-short wheelbase on the puller and/or a 
too-light puller can lead to problems. (tail wagging the dog) This is 
especially true with longer trailers being pulled by SUVs. I'm frankly 
afraid for some friends of ours who wanted more room, so they traded 
their 22' unit for a 30' trailer. ("It weighs only 700# more than the 
old one", he says) Their tow vehicle is a Chevy 4WD AstroVan, the 
trailers were/are SOBs of some sort. It's beside the point that many 
folks get away with such an outfit; it's plain Not a Good Idea.

Applying the trailer brakes independantly of the tow vehicle is a common 
tactic to straighten out a sway situation. *Usually*, it'll pull things 
back into line, while slowing the entire rig. Swaying is most often 
brought on/excaberated by a too-light tongue in relation to the total 
trailer weight. The only way to know for certain that you're in the 
ballpark is to actually WEIGH both the trailer and the tongue. Again, 
being a gadget freak, I bought a Sherline tongue scale from Camping 
World; see http://www.sherline.com for details. It's not necessary to 
use the Sherline, you can use a system of levers and a bathroom scale, 
or even a motor truck scale if you are allowed to spend the time. One 
method of doing the latter is to pull the your truck JUST off the 
platform and get a reading. Then, lower your tongue jack until you see 
"slack" in the ball/hitch assy. Get the scale reading again. The 
difference is the tongue weight; spring bars have to be removed in both 
cases, of course.

My personal procedure is to weigh the tongue in the driveway, go to the 
quarry, remove the spring bars, then drive onto the Loooonnnnggg scale 
platform. There's a readout at the exit end, and I make a note as I 
coast towards the end. Let the truck coast off the platform, then go 
inside and pay my $2.00 for the 'official' reading. Naturally, that 
doesn't include the tongue weight, but that's OK. If it's the 'official' 
reading that I'm going to take to the SOS for plates, I might be in a 
lower (read: cheaper) weight class. If I don't need an 'official' 
reading, they sometimes don't even charge me.

By doing the above, I know for certain: what my truck, trailer, and 
combined weights are. Those numbers can then be compared to the ratings; 
the only thing I'm missing is the front & rear truck axles individually. 
Frankly, with a 3/4-ton truck, I don't think I'm anywhere near 
overloading either axle anyway. In fact, my front axle weighs about the 
same with or without the trailer, which is fine with this heavy outfit. 
With a 1/2-ton truck, I'd want to transfer a bit more weight (tighter 
settings on the spring bars) to the front.

If anyone attends a rally where A-Weigh-We-Go is set up, take the time 
to use their services. They charge only $30.00 and weigh every wheel on 
your rig, including the doing truck w/o the trailer. You'll get a 
computerized printout and other material, including a tire 
inflation/load chart. You'll also know for sure if you're OK 
side-to-side, something that's NOT a given.

Some of those accidents were definitely brought on by inexperience, but 
an ill-handling or mismatched rig can excaberate the situation.

                                     <<Jim>>