Hitching up at an angle with PP or Hensley?

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Please no bashing and please only owners or experienced replies. I really need to know answers because I need to make a decision today on one of these 2 hitches or if I am going to get a standard ball style. If they cannot do what I need then I need to get a regular ball style hitch. So my plan is to get a Hensley or PP with our new TT. After watching vids and reading posts it seems that you cannot hook or unhook these systems if the TV isn't straight left to right, with the TT? But nothing flat out tells me or shows me. If its true then that really sucks because my indoor storage requires me to hook up and unhook at around a 35-45 degree angle between the TV and TT. Please help guys!

[TWP723]

Can't you just yank it out and get her straight then hook up the sway system?

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Can't you just yank it out and get her straight then hook up the sway system?

I don't know, can you? I will have to hookup and unhook from the TT at this angle every time. Are you saying it is possible as long as you do not hook up the anti sway bars? I can't find a clear cut answer if this is possible. Oh wait, you aren't talking about a standard ball hitch are you? If so then, yes you can. My question is specifically about doing this with the Propride and Hensley hitches. Just making sure that's what your referring to.

[TWP723]

As long as you don't mess with the stabilizers and come out of it and go in the same way, there shouldn't be a problem. I always release my bars when I back into or come out at a sharper angle. I can't imagine the Hensley or the ProPride are any different. All CG's have different terrain and if they require a straight up connection, I'd look for a different hitch. My friend tows his trailer with a Hensley and he's never had a problem.

[bono]

Incorrect information. Once I needed to hitch up ProPride at 90 degree angle. ProPride is newer version of Hensley. If money is not a problem, take ProPride.

Originally Posted by Uh Oh Better Get Jayco

(...) After watching vids and reading posts it seems that you cannot hook or unhook these systems if the TV isn't straight left to right, with the TT?(...)

[TWP723]

I responded because I know how they work, being around them all day. No, I don't own one but I'm pretty clear on how they work.

[bill777x]

Hensley owner here, it is a pain but yes you can do it. If you have a back up camera on your pickup it is much easier. You can also leave the stinger in the hitch and back your truck receiver onto it instead of the normal way. With the stinger in the head you can rotate the hitch to the desired angle as well. For all the headache they can be for hitching up they pay for themselves in spades towing. Nothing else comes close, nothing.

[Little Can]

Yes you can hitch up at an angle. The easiest is to leave the head at the same angle as when you unhitched, but it moves easily to line it up as you back towards it, just get close & adjust the angle. Just think of it in the same way as lining up the ball under the “socket”, with the Propride (which I have), you are just lining up the “stinger” with the “square socket”, just on a horizontal plane rather than a vertical plane. It’s a little bit of a learning curve, but once you’ve done it a couple times, it’s really quite easy. I hitch and unhitch much faster now than when I had my Equal-I-zer hitch.
Hope this helps.

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Originally Posted by bill777x

Hensley owner here, it is a pain but yes you can do it. If you have a back up camera on your pickup it is much easier. You can also leave the stinger in the hitch and back your truck receiver onto it instead of the normal way. With the stinger in the head you can rotate the hitch to the desired angle as well. For all the headache they can be for hitching up they pay for themselves in spades towing. Nothing else comes close, nothing.

Originally Posted by Little Can

Yes you can hitch up at an angle. The easiest is to leave the head at the same angle as when you unhitched, but it moves easily to line it up as you back towards it, just get close & adjust the angle. Just think of it in the same way as lining up the ball under the “socket”, with the Propride (which I have), you are just lining up the “stinger” with the “square socket”, just on a horizontal plane rather than a vertical plane. It’s a little bit of a learning curve, but once you’ve done it a couple times, it’s really quite easy. I hitch and unhitch much faster now than when I had my Equal-I-zer hitch.
Hope this helps.

Man, thanks you guys. Very good replies and just what I needed. There is confidence for me in both. I also called Sean from Propride yesterday and got his input because I decided to go with a Propride 3P-1400. After researching, watching hours of vids, and reading hundreds of reviews, I don't think one is any better than the other. Both have amazing reviews and lifetime warranties. I actually ended up deciding off of color. The all black on the Propride looks so much better. The Hensley's, especially with a few years age on them look hideous. Our TT will always be indoor stored so its probably not as critical but I don't like that color. The adjustable stinger will be nice too. Sealing the deal with the dealer today hopefully with a buyers agreement. Thanks again to all helpers!!

[goducks]

I used a used HA for about 1 year. Hitching on an sideways angle was doable. Where I had real trouble was when the TT and the truck were in a deep V position. It took multiple tries to get the stinger in the receiver. I had to do it in small amounts. I constantly had to lift the HA up every 1-2" of insertion. PITA as it was what I had to do when parking in my driveway.
JMHO but I would never buy one again. Too much hassle and $$$$$. If I were to go back to a TT again I'd find one I like that had the axles more rearward to give a more natural straight line tow.
Don't get me wrong as I thing the PP and HA are the best of the best in WDH's, but with a properly designed and setup TT they're not necessary.

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Originally Posted by goducks

I used a used HA for about 1 year. Hitching on an sideways angle was doable. Where I had real trouble was when the TT and the truck were in a deep V position. It took multiple tries to get the stinger in the receiver. I had to do it in small amounts. I constantly had to lift the HA up every 1-2" of insertion. PITA as it was what I had to do when parking in my driveway.
JMHO but I would never buy one again. Too much hassle and $$$$$. If I were to go back to a TT again I'd find one I like that had the axles more rearward to give a more natural straight line tow.
Don't get me wrong as I thing the PP and HA are the best of the best in WDH's, but with a properly designed and setup TT they're not necessary.

Thanks for the input buddy! My biggest concern is cross winds and semi's sucking and blowing the trailer around. Even on the most properly balanced TT with a standard ball hitch with anti sway it will still move around to some degree on a TT, especially as long as the Whitehawk 29BH is(34' 7"). Some less than others and some probably even comfortably, but they will move. As long as you have a single pivot point, some sway will happen. I just don't wanna deal with it. Because those that do, say it is the most crappy thing ever. I look at it this way, I can get the PP cheaper by skipping the dealers $850 hitch that may sway and going straight to PP. I wanna relax and stay excited on my drives to vacation freedom. The way I figure it, an extra 30-45 minutes in possible hitching time is well worth it to not show up to the camp ground with a twitching eye and fatigued hands. I actually find a lot of people saying that once they were used a Hensley style, there hitching time went down. Guess I'll find out. I could care less though about hitching and unhitching time versus hours of possible white knuckle driving. Also, the way I'm thinking about this, is that my family is just as safe during hitching and unhitching whether we use a Hensley or Ball style hitch. But if there is even a tiny chance that they will be any safer AT ALL while driving with the Hensley style then I am gonna take that chance.

[bono]

I never timed myself, but hitching up PP takes definitely less then 10 mins, closer to 5 mins then to 10 mins (including taking the stinger from the storage, etc.). I always hitch up solo, with the back up camera.

If you need to adjust the head with the jacks, it would add what? 5 mins?

I have never towed my trailer with another hitch, but given the comfort I have towing 33 ft trailer with my inadequate tow vehicle, I believe PP is a must for peace of mind.

[goducks]

Even my worst hitch time was as posted above 10-15 mins. And yes the HA I used made a huge difference. That difference was needed because my F150 was maxed out and the TT had the axles too close to center.
Next time around I'll do things differently.

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Originally Posted by bono

I never timed myself, but hitching up PP takes definitely less then 10 mins, closer to 5 mins then to 10 mins (including taking the stinger from the storage, etc.). I always hitch up solo, with the back up camera.

If you need to adjust the head with the jacks, it would add what? 5 mins?

I have never towed my trailer with another hitch, but given the comfort I have towing 33 ft trailer with my inadequate tow vehicle, I believe PP is a must for peace of mind.

Awesome I’m excited

[bstannard]

No problem, just swing the receiver on the trailer to line up with the stinger on your TV then jack up the tension on the WT bars to what is normal for your rig. Had PP hitch on 29reks/Excursion and did this many times.

[bstannard]

Not necessary but really awesome on windy day. Traveled with a group and while others were fighting cross wind we felt hardly anything.

[scuba0331]

A back up camera makes hooking up a PP very easy! Does take some getting used. If I went back to a TT I would purchase another PP.

[Uh Oh Better Get Jayco]

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling so good and comfortable about this whole purchase now. The anxiety of the unknown (will I have white knuckle sway) on a purchase this big was killing me. I didn't want to spend that kind of money and have a terrible time on vacations because of poor towing. I knew we were within numbers for the truck but the sway worried me. So happy I found this forum and all the info on the net about these hitches. Can't wait. I'm going to install it myself. Saves me money and gives me the experience on all the workings of it. The dealer is gonna deliver the TT to my house along with the hitch. I'll give feedback on the install experience and the towing experience once it all happens.