Hensley TS3 Opinions

C130 · 04-06-2015, 03:12 PM

I'm interested in buying a used TS3 hitch that might be available. Any words of advice, recommendations, reviews on the TS3? I know it's heavy and not the newer model that comes apart but I rarely, if ever, take my hitch out of my truck. I've been looking at the Trailair Tri-Glide but might have an opportunity to by the TS3.

Also, for anyone that has the TS3, any issues with it fitting underneath a bed cover? How's it affect the ride height and is it adjustable? I have the Retrax Pro on my F450.

C130 · 04-07-2015, 05:09 PM

Bought it today, got a great price I think and it's in excellent condition. I ordered the Ford factory 5th wheel adapter which was insanely expensive. If anyone has any suggestions on air pressure or experience towing with one let me know, thanks.

I didn't realize this at first but the hitch has the built in air compressor with a button on the side to adjust the pressure. You plug it in the the 7 way plug in the bed then it has a pigtail connector to another 7 way plug that the 5th wheel connector plugs in to. Does anyone know if Hensley makes a remote to run the air compressor? I know there's a switch and gauge available for inside the truck but thought I read somewhere Hensley makes a remote.

gtsum2 · 04-08-2015, 04:26 PM

contact aron at hensley and he will get you setup. Congrats on the hitch score!

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Cyncwby · 04-14-2015, 01:56 PM

A few days late but ......... I've got the Hensley TS3 in my '02 F-250, bought it on ebay from an older gent who had stopped towing. The hitch was only 4 yrs. old and hadn't been used much by the looks, I got it for $1200 + $325 shipping ..... best money I've spent next to the Pac Brake exhaust retarder. The 34' Mountaineer tows without any chucking or any kind of rough ride.

The only downside if there is one is the weight, the unit is built like a bank vault, luckily I have a nice engine hoist that I use to R&R the thing.

C130 · 04-14-2015, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyncwby

A few days late but ......... I've got the Hensley TS3 in my '02 F-250, bought it on ebay from an older gent who had stopped towing. The hitch was only 4 yrs. old and hadn't been used much by the looks, I got it for $1200 + $325 shipping ..... best money I've spent next to the Pac Brake exhaust retarder. The 34' Mountaineer tows without any chucking or any kind of rough ride.

The only downside if there is one is the weight, the unit is built like a bank vault, luckily I have a nice engine hoist that I use to R&R the thing.

Thanks, I got a great deal I think and bought it for $900. 3 years old, has the built in air compressor and also the Blue Ox bed saver. I did have to buy the Ford bed adapter as I have the Ford factory 5th wheel prep. The adapter was over $500. I got the adapter yesterday but the hitch has the 3 inch spacer and it's a little too high with the adapter and 3 inch spacer for my bed cover to close. I ordered the 2 inch spacer and the regular legs today so I can get it close to level as possible and be able to close my Retrax bed cover.

I'm looking forward to towing with it, have heard a lot of good reviews. Which pin box do you have? Guy I bought it from had a Mor/Ryde and said it was great but he traded for a motor home. I just have a standard pin box. I also went out and bought a 1 ton hoist, makes moving it around pretty easy. As you said it's built like a tank and very heavy.

Jeff and Rita · 04-14-2015, 05:49 PM

So I emailed Hensley about their fifthwheel hitches. No doubt they have a nice hitch and it looks to be like know other on the market.... However when I was quoted $ 2,,350 plus 110. shipping..... makes me a little fond of my B& W hitch that I own......

C130 · 04-15-2015, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff and Rita

So I emailed Hensley about their fifthwheel hitches. No doubt they have a nice hitch and it looks to be like know other on the market.... However when I was quoted $ 2,,350 plus 110. shipping..... makes me a little fond of my B& W hitch that I own......

Yes, they are definitely proud of their stuff. I was a little surprised at the cost of the Ford adapter plate. I was planning on changing my pin box but at $900 for the TS3 I couldn't pass it up. It is very well built though, very heavy at around 300 pounds.

Cyncwby · 04-17-2015, 07:09 PM

Yes you got a hell of a good deal on the hitch, too bad you had to spend so much on the plate. Mine didn't have a compressor but the Pacbrake system has a quick connect air fitting under the hood where I can air the hitch up if need be.

I have the standard pin box and can't see any reason to have anything else, the rig rides so nice, other than the weight you don't feel the trailer back there at all. If you've towed without the TS3 you're really going to be amazed at how well it work's.

Another plus is the air ride taking the stress out of the pin box structure, we've all heard how many Lippert failures there have been. It's like running the Sailun S637's ......... peace of mind. Enjoy it!!

C130 · 04-18-2015, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyncwby

Yes you got a hell of a good deal on the hitch, too bad you had to spend so much on the plate. Mine didn't have a compressor but the Pacbrake system has a quick connect air fitting under the hood where I can air the hitch up if need be.

I have the standard pin box and can't see any reason to have anything else, the rig rides so nice, other than the weight you don't feel the trailer back there at all. If you've towed without the TS3 you're really going to be amazed at how well it work's.

Another plus is the air ride taking the stress out of the pin box structure, we've all heard how many Lippert failures there have been. It's like running the Sailun S637's ......... peace of mind. Enjoy it!!

Thanks for the information. The Ford adapter plate is ridiculously expensive but it's made very well like all their stuff. Still way overpriced for what it is. I'm going to finish installing the hitch today. The 2" spacer arrived yesterday so will put those on and hopefully my bed cover will close. If not, I had them send me the regular legs also so I've got everything I need to get the right hitch height. My trailer sat level before with top of hitch just below the bed cover so think the 2" spacer will be about right. I'm sure glad I bought a hoist, it's a must have if you ever plan on moving this hitch around by yourself. It's a pain even with two people, especially for the person picking up the heavier side of the hitch.

So, anyone near Houston that might need the 3" spacer kit for the TS3 I'll probably have them for sale soon. I think I gave about $130 for the spacer kit. One thing I learned is the legs are specific to the size spacer kit you get. You can't just take the spacer out and use the legs to lower it to no rise at all. You have the regular legs (no rise), 2 " spacer kit, and the 3" spacer kit. All the parts are different except for the bolts.

C130 · 04-19-2015, 04:40 PM

I finished installing the hitch yesterday and went to hook it up to my 5th wheel today. The 2" spacer appears to be just about the right height but I didn't get a chance to take it out of the storage unit and tow it around. Severe storms were headed my way so I left which was a good thing as it hailed pretty hard about an hour after I got home.

Any suggestion or hints on hitching and unhitching? I have the Blue Ox bedsaver so I learned I need to unhitch, pull slightly forward, then raise the 5th wheel to clear the bedsaver. I had read this on another forum but forgot until the bedsaver caught the pin but I was pulling out very slowly so caught it before moving the 5th wheel. Unhitching seems fairly straight forward now but would like to know the best suggestions for hitching up. I had let the air out per the instructions but realized I need to push the head completely down because the 5th wheel just pushed the head down when I backed up. Guess my concern is doing this and high hitching. Do you want the TS3 head as far down as it'll go before hooking up? I can definitely see this is going to take me a few times to get the sequence down and different than my other hitches.

C130 · 06-03-2015, 06:24 PM

Update on the Hensey, I towed with it for the first time today. I went a few weeks back to try it out but then the weather looked really bad so I rushed back home and within 30 minutes we had a hail storm. I only towed the 5th wheel today about 17 miles but it really does improve the towing experience. I had heard from numerous people how great it is but I was actually a little surprised how much of an improvement it makes in the ride quality. About 8 miles of the road was pretty rough, several concrete bridges with the joints that can cause some chucking, and it was very smooth. So smooth at times it was to the point where I actually couldn't tell the trailer was back there and smoother than not having the trailer hitched at all. About 6 miles of the highway was all concrete and has an area with lots of ripples and it soaked them up extremely well. It's pretty amazing watching the trailer move around quite a bit in the mirror and not feel a thing.

I'll also add the fact that I'd have a hard time paying well over $3500 new for my setup unless I traveled a lot or money was no issue. But, it really is a huge improvement and if you could find a good used one at a decent price I'd highly recommend it. I've seen a couple listed since I bought mine and they sold immediately also and were priced very fairly. While they are very expensive I'd say they might be well worth it. I'll definitely get a much better experienced opinion after our upcoming trip where I'll be towing over 2000 miles on lots of different road conditions and hills.

I'd really like to know the comparison of an air ride hitch vs. an air ride pin box since the pin boxes are much cheaper. Anyone towed useing both but not at the same time?

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