RE: [A/S] hensley arrow ?

["Perry Joe Scudder" <perryjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dan,
You have touched on a raw nerve on this list, but I will give you my
personal views. I am sure others will also. You will find lots of people
that will give you all kinds of feedback about the Hensley Arrow, but you
will find that most of them have never towed a trailer one foot with a
Hensley Arrow.
I tow a 34' Limited with a Hensley Arrow. I have put roughly 70,000 miles on
the rig with the Hensley, so I think that gives me the right to have an
opinion. I would buy another Hensley tomorrow if mine died for some reason.
I think it is easier to hook up and unhook than a regular ball hitch, and
there is no sway or wiggle out of the trailer while on the road. The trailer
follows the truck much better in tight turns, and you can make much tighter
turns with a Hensley. I have put pictures on this list a couple of years ago
of my rig setting in my driveway at just about a 90 degree angle while
parked. I have hooked up and unhooked in just about any type of campsite you
could think of, and have never had a problem I could blame on the Hensley. I
towed trailers for 25 years with other types of hitches before getting my
first Hensley Arrow.

 The only negative I can add about the Hensley is the fact that it requires
you to have a very good break controller with no lag in applying the brakes
on the trailer as you start to slow down. The setup of movable pieces of the
Hensley will make the trailer feel like it is trying to pass you, if your
tow vehicle starts to slow before the breaks are applied to the trailer. The
trailer WILL NOT pass you, but you will feel a clunk when the slack is taken
out of the movable parts of the Hensley that makes it track better and go
around tighter corners. There are several good break controllers on the
market that will keep this from happening. Just try and find a
"proportional" type of controller that is tied to the breaking system on
your tow vehicle if possible. I have had a "Pull Right" non proportional -
should be outlawed from the highway, a "Jordan Ultima 2020" - an excellent
mechanical connection to the tow vehicle breaks through a small cable
attached to the break peddle arm, and a "Break Smart" - attached to the tow
vehicle break system by a small transducer inserted in the output of the
hydraulic master cylinder. I would go with the Jordan Ultima for the money,
and the excellent performance, if I was purchasing another break controller.

You will not go wrong with the Hensley Arrow!!

Joe Scudder
WBCCI 8624