Do I need a Sway Control hitch?
That’s a question we hear often, especially from the first time trailer owner. When you’re at the RV dealership, your eyes boggling at the beautiful little house on wheels before you, trailer sway is not on your mind. No, you’re thinking about family vacations, lazy summer afternoons under the awning, and campfires that will create a lifetime of memories (some sticky memories…but that’s part of the adventure).
When you pick up your new trailer, though, reality kicks in. It is now you realize that you’ll be hooking that big less-than-aerodynamic box to your truck or car and pulling it hundreds of miles across the state, maybe even across the country. That’s when your dealer will step in and tell you that you have nothing to fear, that he’s provided you with a sway control hitch at no extra cost.
Friends, when any salesman includes an accessory like a sway control hitch at no extra cost, rest assured that you are not getting the best sway control hitch on the market.
Aren’t all Trailer Sway control hitches the same?
If you take a casual glance at the two or three sway control hitches your dealer offers, you’ll probably come to that conclusion. They all look similar. Every other sway control hitch on the market uses one primary force to control trailer sway: friction. By using a couple of friction pads or cam devices, the sway control hitch makes it more difficult for the trailer tongue to rotate on the hitch ball. Sounds like a great idea, right? Except that once the trailer does begin to sway, the friction also hinders you from regaining control. And your trailer will begin to sway, because no amount of friction that will still allow you to turn corners is enough to keep an 8,000 lb. trailer from swaying.
Once again I can drive on the highway at 70 MPH with little more than a finger on the steering wheel. The hitch performance simply can’t be beat. – Joe Cote (read Joe’s full testimonial here).
You cannot stop trailer sway with friction. Therefore, a trailer sway control hitch cannot stop trailer sway.
So what is the option?
The alternative is the Hensley Hitch.
In 1993, Hensley Mfg. introduced a concept that changed the way we think about towing a trailer. By using a simple physics concept, Hensley Mfg. projected the pivot point of the trailer forward and over the rear axle of the vehicle, which is exactly what a 5th wheel does. By projecting the pivot point forward and using the power of the trapezoidal linkage system, Hensley Mfg. created a system that makes it virtually impossible for a trailer to sway. That’s right…virtually impossible.
The Hensley Arrow uses a converging linkage system, which only allows the trailer to turn by forces applied by the tow vehicle and never by forces applied to the side of the trailer, such as wind or uneven roads. It works as a uni-directional tool.
Forces applied to the trailer must move the tow-vehicle and trailer together, making the vehicle and trailer perform like one solid unit. The tow vehicle, however, still maintains the ability to turn and control the trailer. It’s simple geometry, but it’s amazing what it does to completely eliminate trailer sway. For our free report: Learn How to Eliminate Trailer Sway, click on the button below.
How does the Hensley Hitch work?
Is there a new Hensley design?
Yes. In fact, the Hensley has gone through many re-designs in its 20 year history. Truth is, we’ve rejected more “improvements” to the Hensley Arrow than we’ve incorporated. Even ideas that added a small bit of convenience, like adjustable hitch bars, were discarded because they degraded the overall safety of the hitch. And that’s what we’re offering–Safety. The Hensley Hitch is your lifetime insurance policy against accidents resulting from trailer sway, the #1 cause of trailer accidents each and every year. So what you have with Hensley Mfg. is the latest technology in a pivot point projection hitch along with a perfect 20 year safety record. And with a full staff of sales and tech support, you’re covered 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
Where can I get more information on the Hensley Arrow Sway Elimination Hitch?
Click here to get our DVD and information package to be mailed directly to your home. Or here for white paper download.
We bought a 31′ travel trailer in 2009. I felt that I never had control of it, and every time out was a white knuckle ride. I saw the ad in Trailer Life magazine. After viewing all the downloads, I was ready to make the commitment. It’s hard to go wrong with a 60-day guarantee. I’m 100% sold on the Hensley Arrow. – Tom Corum
It’s all about towing safely
We don’t sell beautiful interiors or comfy folding chairs here at Hensley Mfg. What we offer is safety and peace of mind. If you aren’t comfortable towing your trailer, you’ll stop using it. That would be a tragedy. You have many good years and countless enjoyable moments ahead of you with your new travel trailer. Our goal is to make sure you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-410-6580.
It just flat out works! It’s not minimizing sway it eliminates it completely (period). We tow a 33 foot full height travel trailer with a short wheelbase SUV. I can safely say I would not think of towing this combination without the four bar linkage, pivot point projection, sway elimination that the Hensley Arrow provides.
The tag on our trailer says NoSway, for good reason. The Hensley does everything the company and more.
What other hitch allows you to go down the road on 3 wheels? I don’t think any. One Labor Day weekend we lost a wheel and need a flat need to get us off the highway. The towing service we had at the time could not help us. We had recently attended a Hensley rally and remembered we could reverse or jacks which allowed us to go down the road on 3 wheels. Reversing the jacks allowed us to lift the back end of the trailer