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Old 06-06-2018, 12:21 PM   #1
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Hensley Hitch vs a basic WDH with Sway Bar

The Hensley Hitch claims to be the only hitch on the market that completely eliminates trailer sway. Their Hensley Cub system that goes for around $2000 is designed for smaller trailers up to 25’ in length and up to 6000 lbs of trailer weight and up to 600 lbs of tongue weight. I have a E19 that I’ll be towing with a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. I was leaning towards just getting a standard WDH with a sway bar for around $500. So, I was wondering if the Hensley Hitch system is over-kill when it comes to towing the E19? I’m wondering if the “sway” issue using a standard WDH with a sway bar is nothing that I should be to concerned about in light of the price difference between these two systems? Also, is there anyone currently towing with a Hensley Hitch that can verify their claim that their hitch completely eliminates trailer sway? Regards, Jim
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Old 06-06-2018, 12:44 PM   #2
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Here is from the last discussion on the hitch
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...tml#post220403
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Old 06-06-2018, 12:47 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimHol58 View Post
The Hensley Hitch claims to be the only hitch on the market that completely eliminates trailer sway. Their Hensley Cub system that goes for around $2000 is designed for smaller trailers up to 25’ in length and up to 6000 lbs of trailer weight and up to 600 lbs of tongue weight. I have a E19 that I’ll be towing with a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. I was leaning towards just getting a standard WDH with a sway bar for around $500. So, I was wondering if the Hensley Hitch system is over-kill when it comes to towing the E19? I’m wondering if the “sway” issue using a standard WDH with a sway bar is nothing that I should be to concerned about in light of the price difference between these two systems? Also, is there anyone currently towing with a Hensley Hitch that can verify their claim that their hitch completely eliminates trailer sway? Regards, Jim
I can’t speak to the Hensley but I tow a 19’ with the Fastaway E2 WDH hitch and don’t have any sway issues. My tow is a 2016 Tacoma. You will find that escape trailers are well-balanced and very stable. If properly loaded many people tow them without any anti-sway Mitigation with no issues at all. If it was me, I would stick with a $500 WDH and save $1500.
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Old 06-06-2018, 12:49 PM   #4
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Jim, I’ve never detected even a hint of sway with our 17, or now with our 21. The E2 Escape sells and properly installs is a very high quality WDH with sway control. I’d save your money , go with the E2 and buy a Sherline tongue scale to make sure you always have a safe tongue weight,
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Old 06-06-2018, 01:03 PM   #5
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Thank you...I should have done a search before starting this new thread.
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Old 06-06-2018, 01:08 PM   #6
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Jim, I’ve never detected even a hint of sway with our 17, or now with our 21. The E2 Escape sells and properly installs is a very high quality WDH with sway control. I’d save your money , go with the E2 and buy a Sherline tongue scale to make sure you always have a safe tongue weight,



Or quickly order this as it is on sale for $24.99 until June 10th.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/deta...le/A-p8686024e
This is $2.00 more than I paid.
With shipping, conversion fee and exchange rate ours came to $35.48 U.S. shipped in less than 10 days to Florida.



Here is a link to a discussion on the scale.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f2...tml#post233445

I take it with us as it's light and easier to setup for a quick tongue weight check. A plus is it can be laid on its side. The Sherline does not like that. I'm going to haul the Sherline with me to a rally one day and sell it as I no longer use it.
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Old 06-06-2018, 03:06 PM   #7
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Unfortunately the shipping has gone up, it now cost $25 to ship to Wisconsin. This would be the same cost as the product on sale.
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Old 06-06-2018, 03:20 PM   #8
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Unfortunately the shipping has gone up, it now cost $25 to ship to Wisconsin. This would be the same cost as the product on sale.

I just faked an order to check.
On the actual order page not the estimate the shipping would be 21.48 to Florida.
21.48 + 24.99 = 46.47 in Canadian dollars.

At today's exchange rates I would pay 35.87 before the conversion fee. Which last time for Wells Fargo was $2.47. So this would run $38.34 or a little less than $3 more than I paid.

To me the ability to quickly check the hitch weight is useful.

But I do sometimes add bicycles to the rear and may or may not carry fresh water or other items so my weights vary.
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Old 06-06-2018, 04:43 PM   #9
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Sway is reportedly the most common cause of accidents. I had a Hensley on my Casita and would not have anything else for a hitch. I had to make an emergency stop from 50mph once and had ZERO bucking. expensive initial cost but saves funeral expenses
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Old 06-06-2018, 04:45 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by JimHol58 View Post
The Hensley Hitch claims to be the only hitch on the market that completely eliminates trailer sway. Their Hensley Cub system that goes for around $2000 is designed for smaller trailers up to 25’ in length and up to 6000 lbs of trailer weight and up to 600 lbs of tongue weight. I have a E19 that I’ll be towing with a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. I was leaning towards just getting a standard WDH with a sway bar for around $500. So, I was wondering if the Hensley Hitch system is over-kill when it comes to towing the E19? I’m wondering if the “sway” issue using a standard WDH with a sway bar is nothing that I should be to concerned about in light of the price difference between these two systems? Also, is there anyone currently towing with a Hensley Hitch that can verify their claim that their hitch completely eliminates trailer sway? Regards, Jim
In my opinion, the Hensley hitch is not required for towing an Escape 19' with a Toyota FJ Cruiser. My own experience with my FJ and the Escape supplied WDH is that the trailer tows very well without a hint of sway under a wide range of conditions (head winds, cross-winds, fully loaded, empty, passing big trucks, etc). Here is my ETI supplied hitch.
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Old 06-06-2018, 04:52 PM   #11
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I ordered a hitch scale from Princess Auto a few days ago and paid $47.53 CDN which included shipping, and I paid by credit card. My bank BECU used almost exactly the same exchange rate that was posted on the Bank of Canada website (about .7756) so I ended up paying $36.89 USD. BECU does not charge a conversion fee. BECU is not limited to Boeing employees only, anyone can open an account there. Just sayin'. :-)
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Old 06-06-2018, 04:58 PM   #12
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I've been towing my 17B with my RAV4 for almost ten years. I use the Pro Series weight distribution hitch with no sway bars ( cost $350 ).
I have never had an issue with sway.

If you want to spend money on a Hensley, go ahead.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:39 PM   #13
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I wish someone would show me how to introduce sway when I tow. Doesn't sway no matter what.

More than anything, sway is a product of low tongue weight. As long as your tongue weight is in the 10 to 15 percent range of your trailer weight, sway won't be an issue with an Escape.

If you want to use a ridiculously expensive, bulky and unnecessary hitch system to tow a lightweight fiberglass trailer vs a regular WDH, go ahead, but I'd spend that extra $1500+ elsewhere.
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Old 06-06-2018, 06:19 PM   #14
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Hi Dave, Did you install air bags inside your rear suspension springs on your FJ or is that not necessary with the FJ towing the 19? Jim
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Old 06-06-2018, 06:27 PM   #15
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Hi Dave, I'm curious as to where you connect the break-away switch chain to your FJ? Jim
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Old 06-06-2018, 06:29 PM   #16
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My FJ squatted pretty much with my 19 . I eventually bought the Andersen and it helped to remove some of the squat, but I never did try the 21 because it was even heavier.
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Old 06-06-2018, 08:50 PM   #17
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I had a Hensley on my Casita and would not have anything else for a hitch. I had to make an emergency stop from 50mph once and had ZERO bucking.
I've braked hard from that speed and higher, made evasive maneouvers, and passed the dreaded big trucks on the highway with a crosswind, and never had sway either. I've also never used a WD system, sway damping device, or four-bar-linkage hitch system (such as the Hensley Arrow or ProPride P3). The fancy hitch system doesn't hurt, and probably helps, but isn't necessary with a properly designed and loaded trailer.
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:40 PM   #18
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The fancy hitch system doesn't hurt, and probably helps, but isn't necessary with a properly designed and loaded trailer.
This brings up some good points. Part of it is how you load the trailer, and another part is how it's designed. When towing an Escape, I think the Hensley is a solution in search of a problem.
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Old 06-07-2018, 08:31 AM   #19
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Hi Dave, Did you install air bags inside your rear suspension springs on your FJ or is that not necessary with the FJ towing the 19? Jim
Have not installed airbags. When towing using the WDH, my FJ rides very close to the same front-back height distribution as when not towing. I now have over 160,000 km on the FJ and it is still going strong. Will eventually switch to another tow vehicle, but will probably not consider air bags in the meantime.

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Hi Dave, I'm curious as to where you connect the break-away switch chain to your FJ? Jim
I have always connected the breakaway wire and clip to one of the rings that the safety chains attach to on the hitch. I guess that would not be a great place if the entire hitch decided to fall off when towing, but that is where Dennis suggested we attach it when he set up the trailer hitch at the time of pickup from ETI.
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Old 06-07-2018, 12:02 PM   #20
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I totally agree with Brian BP and Rbryan4, a properly loaded trailer should be fine. I personally went with the $350 Pro series WDH that Escape sells. My Tacoma dropped approximately five eights of an inch in the rear and raised three eights of an inch in the front without the WDH and had no change with it. I have never experienced any sway at all. You don’t have to break the bank to be safe.
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