What's the best truck for towing a travel trailer?

It depends on several factors, like how and where you’re traveling. For instance, if you’ll be towing in mountainous terrain, you might need a vehicle with more torque and a lower rear-end gear ratio, even if you’re within the manufacturer’s tow rating. 

Maybe you already have a tow vehicle but wonder if it’s safe enough. You’ve checked the tow rating and payload capacity, but you’ve also heard horror stories about “the tail wagging the dog.” The last thing you want is a dangerous accident on the highway.

Why do trailer accidents happen?

They all come down to one thing: loss of control. You may have heard that getting a heavier, “proper” truck will prevent sway and instability. While a heavier vehicle might feel more stable, that’s often a false sense of security. When it comes to avoiding a real highway emergency, weight alone isn’t enough.

Trailer sway—a side-to-side movement on the hitch ball—can be prevented entirely. The further back the pivot point, the more unstable the trailer becomes. But what if that pivot point could move 55 inches forward to around the rear axle? This is why 5th wheel and gooseneck trailers are so stable; they pivot over the axle, preventing independent trailer movement.   

Read More - The hidden dangers of friction based hitches

Achieving Fifth-Wheel Stability for Travel Trailers

With the Hensley Arrow hitch, you can achieve fifth-wheel-like stability for a standard travel trailer. How?  The Hensley Arrow eliminates the ball as the pivot point. The unique 4 bar linkage, which is shaped like a trapezoid and moves on 4 sets of roller bearings can only be turned from the tow vehicle, employing the exact same principle that makes 5th wheel RV’s so stable.  This setup gives you the stability of a fifth wheel without changing your entire vehicle.

So instead of a bigger truck, get a better hitch. Learn how the Hensley Arrow is the safest way to pull a trailer.