# Hensley...is It Worth The Money???



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

Hello All,

Now that we are locked in on our 28RSDS, I want to find out about your experiences with different hitches. I have been told that the Hensley is THE BEST hitch available. However, I see lots of people with the Reese & Equalizer hitches on here. I am buying a Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Hemi with a 4.10 gear ratio for the extra pulling power. Has anyone bought a Reese or Equalizer and then upgraded to a Hensley? I have never pulled a big trailer before and I don't like to be stressed on the road. I take my time driving, but don't want to spend an extra $2,500 bucks on a hitch that isn't that much better than the Reese or Equalizer.

So...chime away!

Thanks a bunch!!!
Bryan


----------



## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

With a 3/4 ton truck, you will most likely be fine with a reese dual cam or equal-i-zer. I have the equal-i-zer and am very happy with it, the dual cam is very good as well.

The hensley is about the best hitch there is as far as sway control, but with your stout truck and a properly set up hitch you should be just fine.

I would suggest trying it with the reese or the equal-i-zer and see how you like it. If once you get the hitch set up properly and you are not satisfied you can upgrade to the hensley.

Mike


----------



## stapless (Feb 20, 2005)

i think there is a couple ways to look at it. one could argue that you can't put a price on your family's safety, and therefore $3000 is worth it. I do know that those with a hensley have RAVED about how much better it is, and I believe they truely do have a more stable set up. the other argument is that MANY people are towing safely with a *properly set up* equilizer or WD hitch, and the addition of sway control is a must given the length of your trailer. How much safer is the hensley? I guess I can't answer that except for to say that I also drive carefully with my reece/sway control and feel confident in my set up, and if i ever have $3000 burning a hole in my pocket, i would upgrade.

scott


----------



## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

HI! 
I've got a Reese hitch with equalizer bars and sway control, and been very happy with it, towing my 27RSDS.......and believe me, I've towed it more than I've used it, due to some problems, but that's beside the point.
Further vote of confidence: I camped with my grandparents for years (they were avid campers from the time I was around 10, and I'm almost 50), my grandfather was a master mechanic, and they went through several towing vehicles and campers over the years. Always had a Reese hitch with same equipment.
Darlene action


----------



## Excursions R Us (Jan 25, 2006)

Just yesterday I backed up (for the first time)my new Outback into my Mother in Laws drive way to store overnight. The Hensley, I believe, is what allowed me to manipulate that trailer into that tight spot with one shot. Don't think I would have been able to do it with my old set up (even if the system was rated for the weight of my new trailer). Did have the Reese WD bars and friction anti sway bar with our old trailer 21' trail lite Bantam. When I was towing with the old Astro van on the multiilane highways I was constantly looking in my driver side mirror ffor the trucks coming up beside me so I could pull over as close to the shoulder as possible, which did wonders in cutting down the sway, along with those considerate truckers who went over to the left of their lane as much as possible. The Excursion's wheel base solved this problem with the Trial Lite, however now that I have a little bigger sail behind me I did not want to find my self in the same predicament (a five hour drive feeling like 10). To be perfectly honest I don't know how well the dual cam system works (my friend raves about his), however, I noticed that in some cases on EBAY a used Hensley does pretty well in retaining most of its value. Hensley gave me a 60 day trial from the day I first start towing, and if I am not satisfied they will reimburse me no questions asked and will pay the shipping ( a good thing because the three boxes are heavy) and I believe my wife said that Hensley will even buy back your hitch when you are finished with it ( or maybe I imagined her saying that). Will be hitting the highways very soon, and should be able to give you a sway or no sway report shortly ( a couuple weeks). IMO I consider this our cottage, and anything that is going to alleviate stress and keep my family safe during my holidays is worth it, even if it means I will be dining on Tube Steak rather than T- Bone for the next little while.
Hope I gave you food for thought ( and it tastes better than hot dogs!)
Good luck with your decision!

R


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

rob said:


> Just yesterday I backed up (for the first time)my new Outback into my Mother in Laws drive way to store overnight. The Hensley, I believe, is what allowed me to manipulate that trailer into that tight spot with one shot. Don't think I would have been able to do it with my old set up (even if the system was rated for the weight of my new trailer). Did have the Reese WD bars and friction anti sway bar with our old trailer 21' trail lite Bantam. When I was towing with the old Astro van on the multiilane highways I was constantly looking in my driver side mirror ffor the trucks coming up beside me so I could pull over as close to the shoulder as possible, which did wonders in cutting down the sway, along with those considerate truckers who went over to the left of their lane as much as possible. The Excursion's wheel base solved this problem with the Trial Lite, however now that I have a little bigger sail behind me I did not want to find my self in the same predicament (a five hour drive feeling like 10). To be perfectly honest I don't know how well the dual cam system works (my friend raves about his), however, I noticed that in some cases on EBAY a used Hensley does pretty well in retaining most of its value. Hensley gave me a 60 day trial from the day I first start towing, and if I am not satisfied they will reimburse me no questions asked and will pay the shipping ( a good thing because the three boxes are heavy) and I believe my wife said that Hensley will even buy back your hitch when you are finished with it ( or maybe I imagined her saying that). Will be hitting the highways very soon, and should be able to give you a sway or no sway report shortly ( a couuple weeks). IMO I consider this our cottage, and anything that is going to alleviate stress and keep my family safe during my holidays is worth it, even if it means I will be dining on Tube Steak rather than T- Bone for the next little while.
> Hope I gave you food for thought ( and it tastes better than hot dogs!)
> Good luck with your decision!
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input and enjoy your new setup. Have a good time camping. I can hardly wait until I get home from Iraq so I can do some serious camping this summer!


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

sgalady said:


> HI!
> I've got a Reese hitch with equalizer bars and sway control, and been very happy with it, towing my 27RSDS.......and believe me, I've towed it more than I've used it, due to some problems, but that's beside the point.
> Further vote of confidence: I camped with my grandparents for years (they were avid campers from the time I was around 10, and I'm almost 50), my grandfather was a master mechanic, and they went through several towing vehicles and campers over the years. Always had a Reese hitch with same equipment.
> Darlene action
> [snapback]87236[/snapback]​


Thanks Darlene!


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

stapless said:


> i think there is a couple ways to look at it. one could argue that you can't put a price on your family's safety, and therefore $3000 is worth it. I do know that those with a hensley have RAVED about how much better it is, and I believe they truely do have a more stable set up. the other argument is that MANY people are towing safely with a *properly set up* equilizer or WD hitch, and the addition of sway control is a must given the length of your trailer. How much safer is the hensley? I guess I can't answer that except for to say that I also drive carefully with my reece/sway control and feel confident in my set up, and if i ever have $3000 burning a hole in my pocket, i would upgrade.
> 
> scott
> [snapback]87226[/snapback]​


That is a good point Scott. There is no price to high to pay for the safety of my family!


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

camping479 said:


> With a 3/4 ton truck, you will most likely be fine with a reese dual cam or equal-i-zer. I have the equal-i-zer and am very happy with it, the dual cam is very good as well.
> 
> The hensley is about the best hitch there is as far as sway control, but with your stout truck and a properly set up hitch you should be just fine.
> 
> ...


We were going to finance the cost of the hitch into the overall cost of the camper. I am hoping to get it right the first time...lol. I appreciate the input! Happy Camping!!


----------



## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

Bryan,

I run with the Hensley becasue I did not want to purchase a second hitch and wanted the best I could get. I have towed many miles and had a couple of close calls - the Hensley worked perfectly. Would another hitch have worked? Maybe but I am not willing to take the chance. Given the track record - I have never heard of anyone sending the HA back, it was an easy choice. I can keep the HA and use it with whatever TT we have so I never plan on buying another hitch.

Jared


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

Not Yet said:


> Bryan,
> 
> I run with the Hensley becasue I did not want to purchase a second hitch and wanted the best I could get. I have towed many miles and had a couple of close calls - the Hensley worked perfectly. Would another hitch have worked? Maybe but I am not willing to take the chance. Given the track record - I have never heard of anyone sending the HA back, it was an easy choice. I can keep the HA and use it with whatever TT we have so I never plan on buying another hitch.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jared,

You have the same TT I have. Of course, I have never seen mine yet, but I sure do look forward to picking it up in my new Dodge Ram!!! I appreciate the feedback!

Bryan


----------



## kymont (Feb 3, 2006)

I'm new to this, having just bought a 28RSDS. I spent a lot of time reading through this forum about towing capabilities and the different hitches.

My TV is on the edge for the 28RSDS. Given this and my inexperience in towing, I opted to make the Hensley investment. I wanted the best and wanted to have any edge I could get on safety.

Doug


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

kymont said:


> I'm new to this, having just bought a 28RSDS. I spent a lot of time reading through this forum about towing capabilities and the different hitches.
> 
> My TV is on the edge for the 28RSDS. Given this and my inexperience in towing, I opted to make the Hensley investment. I wanted the best and wanted to have any edge I could get on safety.
> 
> ...


Thanks Doug and Welcome to the Outbackers Forum!!! This is a great site with lots of information. You will find varying opinions, but everyone is very polite to each other...even when they don't agree.

Thanks again for the input!
Bryan


----------



## Pee Wee (May 31, 2005)

Bryan,

I have an Nissan Titan and a 28rsds and after one summer of towing this is my take on the hensley. The first time I ever heard f the HA was here one day looking around. So I went to there web site and I literally laughed out loud and told the wife "come here and look at this hitch, who would pay 3 grand for a hitch!" Well, like I said after one summer with the hitch that came with the camper,( Reese with 1,000# bars and friction sway) I can say that I can feel the tail wagging the dog effect going on. The camper does push the truck around in the corners some if, cought off gard. NOT A GOOD FEELING! Also, with just the slightest bit of steering wheel movement when going down the hy-way makes the camper wag more than I care for. I kept thinking if I had to make an emergency move for some thing unexpected I might be in for a ride! So now you know who would spend that kind of money on a hensley...... ME!! Now, I bought a recondtioned unit with #1400 bars for $2545.00 I haven't had time to put it on yet but it looks like an awsome design! I'm a tool and die maker and machanic so I know how much work goes into making this hitch. I know this is alot of money but after seeing one TT totaled and another swaying so bad I thought he was going to lose it at any time. I had to buy the HA and give it a try, with the 60 day trial all you have to lose is some time putting it on, an hour or two at the most. I will be trying my new set-up as soon as I get time to do it, but expect nothing but the best!









Good luck,
Pee wee


----------



## rallsfam (Feb 26, 2006)

Thanks for the input! Let me know how it works for you once you get it out on the road.

Bryan


----------



## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Yes, it is worth the money, and I think it's very important if you have a mediocre tow vehicle like we do. Sounds like you have a truck built to pull stuff, so it may well be overkill for you.
Kevin P.


----------



## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

We tow a 27RSDS with a F-250 crew cab 4X4, using Reese WD and Dual Cam sway control. With our TV/TT combo, we have never felt any sway. And we have towed in heavy winds with 18 wheeler convoys blowing by going 80 mph. In such situations, the Outback has always behaved. Therefore, we have no plans to use different towing equipment.

But since our F250 is not near its rated limit, having reserve towing capability (GAWR, GVW and GCWR) no doubt improves things. I'm not saying that having less reserve capacity demands a Hensley, but at some point a Hensley would presumably make sense.

Bill


----------



## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Bryon,

This is always one of the most energetic and fun debates we have around here!
I am pulling my 28RS-DS with an Equal-i-zer hitch, and have no issues whatsoever. Is the Hensley better? For the price, it better be!









I look at it like this...

On a scale of 1-100, with 100 being perfect sway control, and 1 being none, the Hensley may be a 99. Heck, I'll be generous and give it 100. I have not used one, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt. Sounds like a no brainer, right?

Well, yeah, except I have used an Equal-i-zer, and I would rate it a 95. In other words, it is still one heck of a good sway control device. Nearly - if not - perfect in its own right.

So, is it worth an extra $2,500 to get that last 4-5%? That is a question only you can answer of course, but I will throw another log into the fire, and say the the whole notion of 'anything to make my family safer' is - while an honorable sentiment - not a practical perspective. We all make choices everyday that do not put our safety first and foremost. Everything we do in life, has an inherent risk, and we are constantly weighing those risks and making choices that sometimes are not the ultimate when it comes to our (or our families) safety.

Do you drive the absolute safest vehicle on road? If you don't you are compromising your families safety. Do you ever drive 55, when 50 would be a little bit safer? If you do, you have made a choice counter to your families ultimate safety.

My point is, if the Equal-i-zer and/or Reese DualCam came in around 50-60% on that sway control scale, the extra $2,500 might really be a no brainer. But for that last little bit of safety?... over a couple of already outstanding options?....









Happy Trails,
Doug


----------



## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

> I have towed many miles and had a couple of close calls - the Hensley worked perfectly.


We also had a couple of close calls last summer on our way out west. Our equal-i-zer held things straight very nicely. The hensley,s probably better, but like Doug says, there are other good options.

I'm with Doug, if the equal-i-zer was a mediocre hitch system, I'd switch in a minute. It's not the money, I would spend it if I felt it was that much of an upgrade.



> We were going to finance the cost of the hitch into the overall cost of the camper. I am hoping to get it right the first time...lol. I appreciate the input! Happy Camping!!


You're still going to wind up spending 3k plus once it's all paid off. If you had a marginal tv then it would probably be a good idea but I think you're truck is enough to handle that outback.

Mike


----------



## Mtn.Mike (May 3, 2005)

I agree with Doug. With my Equal-i-zer hitch and 3/4 ton pickup I've never felt any sway either on the 4 lanes or the 2 lanes. My hitch was $399 and with the extra $2601 a person could buy a lot of extras.
If I felt the least bit unsafe I would upgrade but I don't think with your 3/4 ton you will have any problems with either a Reese or a Equal-i-zer hitch.

Mike


----------

