From a 1950s Idea to the ProPride 3P®

Every breakthrough in towing safety starts with a problem that refuses to be ignored.

For Jim Hensley, that problem was trailer sway, experienced firsthand long before modern RVs, sway bars, or weight distribution systems even existed. What followed was a decades-long journey of innovation that ultimately led to the most advanced trailer sway elimination hitch ever built: the ProPride 3P® Hitch.

This is the true story of how the Jim Hensley hitch evolved — and why the ProPride 3P® represents its final and most advanced form.

1955: Where the Idea Began

In 1955, Jim Hensley was serving in the U.S. Army and stationed in Colorado. Granted leave to return home for the birth of his first child, Jim planned to bring his wife and newborn son back with him.

To do that, he purchased a 30-foot house trailer — as travel trailers were known at the time.

Unable to afford a commercially available hitch, Jim built his own solution using a used trailer dolly with two caster wheels to carry tongue weight. When one of the dolly tires blew out just 40 miles into the trip, the family continued the 1,000-mile journey with the front of the car lifted, the rear end dragging, and the trailer fishtailing the entire way.

Amazingly, they made it.

Five months later, Jim was sent to Korea — and the family made the return trip the same way.

That experience planted a single thought that never left him:

“There has to be a better way to tow a trailer.”

Understanding the Real Problem: Trailer Sway

At the time, companies like Reese were addressing weight distribution using spring bars — but those systems did little to address sway.

Jim realized something critical:

• Weight distribution alone does not stop sway
• Trailer sway is a geometry problem, not just a weight problem

He explored early ideas similar to what would later become under-vehicle pivot systems, but rejected them due to complexity, frame modification, and concerns about mechanical failure.

The solution had to be:

• Simple
• Reliable
• Based on physics, not friction

1972: The First Generation — The Eliminator

In 1972, Jim built a small, simple prototype using what became known as a converging link design. The idea was revolutionary:

👉 Project the trailer’s pivot point forward, closer to the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

The prototype worked.

A patent search in 1976 confirmed the idea was completely original — nothing even remotely similar existed.

Despite personal hardships and a booming trailer business, Jim continued refining the concept. In the late 1980s, he committed fully to bringing the idea to market.

The Eliminator Towing System

• Manufactured by Central Innovative (CII)
• First sold in August 1992
• First hitch to truly eliminate trailer sway at its source

This was the first-generation Jim Hensley hitch.

Second Generation: The Hensley Arrow®

In 1993, Jim licensed his patent to Colin Connell. In early 1994, Hensley Mfg., Inc. was formed in Davison, Michigan, and the hitch was renamed the Hensley Arrow®.

CII continued manufacturing during the transition.

Innovations Introduced with the Hensley Arrow®

• Dual jack system for weight distribution
• Wider adoption of Pivot Point Projection™ principles

The Arrow proved one thing beyond doubt:

Trailer sway could be eliminated — not managed.

For the next 14 years, Jim received royalties while continuing to develop improvements — many of which were never implemented.

Why the ProPride 3P® Was Necessary

By the mid-2000s, limitations in the Arrow design were becoming clear through thousands of customer experiences:

• Control links bending under heavy load
• Hitch boxes warping over time
• Frame drilling required
• Limited adjustability between tow vehicles

At the same time, the relationship between Jim Hensley and Hensley Mfg. came to an end in 2007.

That same year, Sean Woodruff, Vice President of Hensley Mfg. for 10 years, also left the company.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

2007: The Birth of the ProPride 3P®

In October of 2007, Jim Hensley and Sean Woodruff joined forces to build what Jim had always envisioned:

The most advanced Hensley hitch design possible — without compromise.

Using decades of engineering knowledge and real-world towing data, they redesigned the hitch from the ground up.

Third Generation & Most Advanced: The ProPride 3P®

The ProPride 3P® Hitch is not an iteration — it is a full evolution.

Key Innovations Exclusive to the ProPride 3P®

• Adjustable Hitch Bar – One hitch fits virtually any tow vehicle
• Greater Hitch Box & Wedge Angle – Easier hitching and unhitching
• One-Piece Yoke – Eliminates pivoting on the ball entirely
• No Frame Drilling Required – No weakening of trailer frames
• Optimized Weight Distribution Jack Location – Increased leverage, no bent pins
• Bolt-In Spring Bars – Cannot fall out, reduced wear
• Powder Coating Pre-Treatment – Superior corrosion resistance
• Thicker Control Links – Prevent bending under extreme loads
• Thicker Hitch Box – Eliminates warping and loss of effectiveness

Every weakness of previous designs was engineered out.

From Reducing Sway to Eliminating It Completely

Earlier hitches reduced sway under certain conditions.

The ProPride 3P®:

• Eliminates sway in all conditions
• Uses geometry instead of friction
• Delivers fifth-wheel-like stability on a bumper-pull trailer

This is true trailer sway elimination, perfected.

A Legacy Built on Real Experience — Not Theory

The ProPride 3P® Hitch exists because:

• Jim Hensley lived the problem
• Thousands of customers validated the solution
• Decades of refinement were finally applied

It is the final evolution of the Jim Hensley hitch — designed by the inventor himself.

Final Thoughts: Designed, Refined, and Perfected

Trailer sway was never an unsolved problem.

It simply needed the right mind — and the patience to get it right.

The ProPride 3P® Hitch is the culmination of more than 50 years of experience, innovation, and real-world towing knowledge.

True trailer sway elimination wasn’t discovered.
It was engineered.