Henderson’s Line-Up (HLU) began in 1961 as the “local alignment shop” in Grants Pass, Oregon, and rapidly gained a reputation as the place to go to solve steering, handling and braking problems in an RV. This year, the company celebrates its 50th year in business.
Back in its early days, HLU offered alignment, steering and brake work for just about any vehicle that rolled into the shop—and quickly established itself as an innovator with the first on-the-car, high-speed wheel balancer in town. As America’s fascination with RVing grew in the 1970s, HLU gradually transitioned into an RV repair center, as customers came into the shop complaining about steering and suspension issues with their vehicles.
Because there were no existing products to solve the problems its customers were experiencing, HLU established its SuperSteer manufacturing division. “We began fabricating products that would be permanent solutions to our customers’ problems,” explained John Henderson, SuperSteer’s sales director. “Our first product was the SuperSteer bellcrank for the P30 and P32 chassis, which we introduced in 1991. That product was the beginning of the SuperSteer brand, which today is the parts division of Henderson’s Line-Up.”
SuperSteer’s RV chassis parts line now extends far beyond its original bellcrank and today includes trac bars, motion control units, trim units and more. Pickup owners can benefit as well, with trac bars and idler arms for some pickup applications. HLU’s business model is unique in that it also distributes products from other manufacturers, such as Koni, Roadmaster and Safe-T-Plus.
Robert Henderson, president of HLU, said, “The goal is to provide the best possible experience for our customers, so we continually evaluate RV suspension and steering products, and if we feel that they solve a specific problem, we want to make them available to our customers.”
As HLU continued to discover the many variables in motorhome wheelbase, length, rear overhang and weight distribution, HLU developed a trademarked process called the Road Performance Assessment, or RPA.
“We realized that a systematic approach to addressing RV handling and suspension issues is the best way to solve handling problems in an RV,” said Robert Henderson. “Our trademarked process of discovery, diagnosis and delivery are the key elements that make up the RPA. And now, we have the unique opportunity to train other businesses with the knowledge we’ve gained over the years through the Road Performance Assessment network.”
HLU customers can stay informed while on the road by utilizing online tools available at hendersonslineup.com. Tutorials, installation videos, product information, customer input and a blog for current RV industry news are some of the features.
“Though the business has changed and grown over the years, much remains the same,” says Henderson. “Our commitment to God, our staff, our customers—that’s all the same. We are grateful for every customer that God sends our way, and we love to provide quality solutions for the RV industry.”
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