HENSLEY HITCH HOOK-UP, REVIEW & INSTALL (KYD HOW TO SERIES)

▶︎ About the episode:

If you’ve ever experienced trailer sway before, you know the feeling of sheer terror. It’s an out of control feeling and for some RVers it’s hard to relax while driving again. Many people get rid of their travel trailers because it was “white knuckle” driving. There is no reason to drive nervous. If you’re experiencing sway, take the time to investigate your weight and balance, axle alignment, tow vehicle, the proper hitch or anything else that could be causing the issue.

If you're worried about sway to the point where RVing isn’t fun or your spouse doesn’t like to drive, it might be time for the Hensley Hitch. Being full-time combined with a 62-foot long rig, the Hensley was a simple choice for us. We also have the added benefit of better handling in case of a near accident.

We’ve been pleased with the performance of the Hensley, especially during strong crosswinds. As I said in the video, it does take some getting used to initially, the hook-up process can be frustrating. With some experience, it will become a breeze.

Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to mention in the video about the lifetime warranty. Unheard of in the RV industry, which is probably why I forgot!

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*This channel for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV or travel experts. We share our opinions and what works for us, but you should do your own research.

[jsigmon]

I started RVing in 1995. I have had several white knuckle experiences while using friction type sway control. In 2003 the white knuckle experience came to an abrupt end. No, I didn't buy a Hensley Hitch, I bought a Reese Dual Cam setup. This is an awesome sway ending device. If anyone is not familiar with the Dual Cam setup, it basically locks both vehicles together, eliminating sway totally. Due to mechanical advantage, the vehicle can unlock the cams when you make a turn, but the trailer can not unlock the cams, so trailer sway is eliminated. The Reese is also a weight distributing hitch and hooks up like a standard hitch, but allows you to back up without unhooking anything. The cost is also about 80% less than the Hensley. I used this setup on a 35' Sportsmen Travel Trailer grossing out at 10, 000 lbs. It made towing an enjoyable experience.

[PastorPaulLeBoutillier]

Nothing boring about the installation video. As a visual learner, I MUCH prefer watching a video to following written instructions. Thanks for the video.

[ken]

Glad to see the Hensley vid is up!  We love ours, and have been on two cross country trips with it.  I did paint it black because I was not a fan of orange.  We had a tough time too getting to learn how to hitch and unhitch. It took some time to get used to it, and we have had some moments if the truck is off kilter from the trailer...but not deal breaking.  The advantages are definitely worth it.  I am always surprised these hitches aren't more popular. As you note, the crosswinds in Texas and Oklahoma can be pretty intimidating. Our trailer is super lite so I equate it to flying a kite in those winds. This was where I was very happy to have it.

[clifc]

I love the Pivot Point Projection of Jim Hensley's Design. Our trailer follows us like a big shadow, even when Semi Trailers pass us. Nice Video.

[arc]

I put a Hensley Hitch on my RV travel trailer 10 years ago and had them remove it and put it on the next RV travel trailer I purchased 6 years later. Fantastic piece of gear. I bought it after I was pass by two 18 wheelers in crosswinds and almost lost everything. I don't get scared about much, but that scared the %$#^@& out of me. After some research I saw the Hensley and was sold on it. One of the best things I've ever bought in my life, and I've never looked back. Absolutely no sideway any more under any condition. Yes, it's expensive, but so is your RV and you can't put a price tag on your health and peace of mind. Don from Florida

[matthenshaw]

Going from a travel trailer to a 5th Wheel will change your life forever!
Love our 5th wheel. They just plain tow better all around and a simple hook up.
I have watched all your videos and see you guys moving into a 5th wheel toy Hauler or non toy but definitely a 5th wheel.
If you guys would have bought a Toy Hauler you wouldn’t have had to upgrade suspension. Plus comes with Generator and huge water capacity.
I know you guys know this by now but watching your adventures in Alaska I kept saying dang it why didn’t they get a Toy Hauler.
I can’t wait for season 6. Keep up the amazing vids. Thanks for all your tips and tricks...

[RonEstrada]

Well done! A couple of tips: You probably won't need the spray lube once you've used the hitch for a while. The fit gets better as things move around (I still clean the dirt off mine from sitting in the garage, though). When you unhook, just leave the jacks where they are. They'll be in the right position to hook back up. You really don't have to be dead on center when you hook up. There's enough play in the hitch that it will shift into position when you start backing in (you can also move the hitch head by hand if you're way off). That mistake with the strut bars is the #1 installation mistake. Remember, you're pushing the hitch away from the trailer with the strut bars, and it only has to be hand tight, no need to muscle it. We have three different weight distribution methods, as you said. I have the simple hanger brackets on mine. I find them to be the simplest, but some folks don't like jacking their trailer tongue up to loosen the tension. Oh, and you can hand tighten your jacks when the tongue jack is down. There's no tension at all so it's simple, though the drill does makes it faster. Great video! We have a few more tips when customers call about the hitch. That's why we remain a direct sales company, so we can talk to each customer individually. We've been doing it 25 years now and it's been a great ride.

[garyng]

Bro... I spent nearly 30 minutes trying to hook up my new trailer today... Which is why I'm here on YT watching every video I can.

[ZmanCT]

I finally installed my Hensley hitch this weekend. Oh wow...I cannot truly describe how amazing the ride is with this hitch. It completely smoothed out the ride with my F-350. I knew it was going to eliminate the sway but I had no idea it would help balance the TV and trailer. Its amazing how foolish this makes regular WD hitches look and feel! I can't thank you enough for introducing this system to me!

[PatrickWagz]

You are so right about NOT putting anything on the back of your truck/car that you are not willing to lose forever....
(We are still looking for that cordless phone from about 1998 that we put on the trunk lid of our car and proceeded to drive about 10 miles!)

[FatStrat]

We towed our 32.5' TT for a year with no sway control. No sway but for minor push from crosswinds or passing trucks. Not scary at all but could get annoying in heavy truck traffic. I scored a barely used Equalizer 4 point on ebay. It took all of the little but of sway we had out. I like simple. Interesting video on the Hensley. Safe travels!

[scottleggejr]

I love this channel because of two main reasons 1) you make things simple and concise. No rambling on talking in circles. 2) you seem honest in your reviews.


That being said, I don't think I'd ever own this hitch regardless of circumstances or means. Reasons being, it seems like no matter what, it's a pain in the ass to hook/unhook every time. I currently have an equal-i-zer and it's got parts, but it's never a pain to put on or take off. I'd say it's one extra step above not having a sway/wds hitch. The stinger thing just looks like a pain. Greasing, aligning, adjusting, it looks like a lot of effort. Peace and admiration. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, safe holiday season in beautiful Arizona!

[tacoma_jon]

I don’t have a Hensley. I don’t even have an RV but I love the technical stuff so here I am 😁

[IH-nrdx]

Great video Mark. You made a very important point in this video - understand what is causing the sway in the first place. Very few people understand the physics of sway and the monumental forces at play with some of these heavy rigs. Robert Pepper from Australia makes some of this very easy to understand, even if you are not a physics major, with a series of videos.
For full-timers who don't go too far off the beaten path, this type of hitch should be part of the package along with a heavy enough tow vehicle. For the vast majority, this will be pricey and hard to justify, if you travel just a few times per season. For these folks, understanding sway, and how to load the trailer and tow vehicle properly so as to reduce it, is a must. Then proper use of a more traditional WDH with built in sway control should keep them safe. How many trailers do we see with massive loads hanging off the rear in an attempt to lessen the tongue weight to justify too light of a tow vehicle.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for the occasional user is having a capable tow vehicle. Many buy a trailer based on the max tow capacity of a vehicle they already own rather than one that is safe. Often they consider the weight of the trailer empty, thinking we won't put much in it. Big mistake - payload adds up fast. There are many in this situation making videos about their ongoing issues with sway, and some have had serious accidents. This should convince people to buy smaller trailers if you can't afford a bigger truck.

[corneliakurtz]

I installed a Hensley 4 years ago. I had an equalizer hitch prior to that. I had some trips with side wind and had to really slow down as the back of the trailer swayed A LOT!!! I had the same experience as you when you describe the cross winds. The Hensley solved ALL of that problem. It did eliminate the problems! I do have one tip that you could try and share, and that is if you are backed in so you are not quite seated on the bevels, just use the cam locks and it will move the trailer enough to seat it, rather than try to back in the inch or two. Thanks.

[brianshaw]

Thanks Mark, I think your efforts will help many enjoy towing. I installed my Hensley Hitch myself prior to a cross country journey knowing it was totally essential. A long day of white knuckle driving on the road can really ruin your trip. I have a half ton PU and a small single axle trailer so, for those that say, "Oh you wont need weight distribution or sway control for a small rig", then that all depends on how relaxed you want to feel towing at highway speed. And as far as wind and poor road conditions? yeah you can count on all that in every trip. When you call Hensley you will find the staff extremely friendly and totally helpful. They know what they are doing and will set you up right.
Only downside.... Expensive. Please don't consider the price a deterrent. After my first thousand miles on the road in horrific wind and rain and crazy drivers I realized it was probably my best after market purchase for my RV adventure. $$$ WELL SPENT!!

[brianbristo]

We are considering a Hensley. It's great to have a friend review it for me. KYD followers will understand why I put it that way.

[JasonS_IN]

We had a Hensley for 7 years and loved it. We had the chain version, not the Jack version. It works well too but you have to use little spring bar "keepers" to keep them in place when you unhook so they don't swing out and disconnect. They're a pain. We traded our trailer last year and went to the Recurve R6. I was sad to see it go but also happy to see it go. The R6 is so easy to use and weighs so much less. Also, if you take your trailer with Hensley in for service, dealers hate the Hensley because it's a pain for them to maneuver your trailer using their forklifts or tractors. We've had a bent strut and missing hardware that way. If it's any testament to how substantial a Hensley hitch is, they will buy it back from you when you're done with it and refurbish it for someone else. It is an extremely heavy hitch so you need to factor that weight into your tongue weight.

[eastmedic]

Every once in a while the stinger just won't line up and a little force is needed while backing up or pulling forward. Pro Tip: Plug in your trailer's conector and hold your trailer brake ON. Then slowly move your tow vehicle while manually holding the trailer brake. The stinger should slide in or out and the trailer should stay put. And wa-lah!

[russellroberts]

Everything you said is correct. I love mine. One hand driving.