Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Towing: New Andersen WD hitch

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Topic: New Andersen WD hitch

Posted By: mikedboyd on 02/14/13 07:25am

what is required to do to the Anderson hitch with each hookup? Just raising the front of the trailer up enough and slipping the bracket onto the bottom of the ball, or do you have to mess with the bushing tension adjustments? It looks in the vids like just raising the tongue to release tension, but I've read some about the need to adjust the tension at hook-up to be easy, but bothersome. What's the reality?

Mike & Tracy Boyd
2013 LaCrosse 318BHS Travel Trailer - Forest River - Prime Time
2006 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 Crewcab SB DMax/Allison

Graduated from 1999 Dodge Ram Extended 2wd 5.9L &
1996 Jayco 1208KB Popup
then from a 2005 Prowler Lynx Ultralite 29BHS

Posted By: goducks10 on 02/14/13 08:48am

So the coupler failures are from well used couplers that were worn out before installing the Andersen. Not sure if thats a fair slam on the Andersen. Yes the worn out couplers probably would've been fine on a conventional WD setup, but someone with a new TT shouldn't have a problem. IMO. And to what degree were those couplers worn? I read the Airstream link about the coupler problem and IIRC that guys coupler needed replaced before he installed the Andersen, but didn't know it till he installed the Andersen. I guess the question is, will the Andersen cause premature coupler wear?

Posted By: BarneyS on 02/14/13 08:53am

goducks10 wrote:

Snip... I guess the question is, will the Andersen cause premature coupler wear?

That question is what approximately 1/2 or more of this 45 page thread is about! It, and the question of ability to transfer weight, is what would prevent me from purchasing the hitch - at least until more time has passed and more users report their results.
Barney

2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine

Posted By: CHD Dad on 02/14/13 08:53am

mikedboyd wrote:

With the amount of compression you may need with your larger trailer, I would guess you will need to loosen the nuts. On mine I can raise the tongue up enough with the jack to drop the plate, but honestly its just as easy to loosen the nuts. Time wise its not as fast as I expected, but its no longer than a plain WD setup. I used to have a basic EZ Lift prior to the Andersen.

I think one owner actually just disconnects the chains using the clevis and leaves the plate on. Not sure why he does that but that would also be easy.

2012 FR Surveyor Sport 295
2015 Nissan NVP 3500 SL 5.6L
Tekonsha P3 / "New" Blue Ox Sway Pro

Posted By: BarneyS on 02/14/13 08:58am

CHD Dad wrote:

Snip...
I think one owner actually just disconnects the chains using the clevis and leaves the plate on. Not sure why he does that but that would also be easy.

I suspect that the reason is because of the chance that the whole ball/coupler may come out of the tapered socket that it sits in. If that were to happen after lifting it up then the truck would slam back down very quickly and could injure you.
Barney

Posted By: CHD Dad on 02/14/13 09:02am

BarneyS wrote:

CHD Dad wrote:

Snip...
I think one owner actually just disconnects the chains using the clevis and leaves the plate on. Not sure why he does that but that would also be easy.

I have thought of that happening but Andersen said you need a pretty stout press to get that ball out. It could definitely still happen, especially with a heavy TV. I normally just back off the nuts so never worry about it. I have a manual tongue jack so its just as fast and easier for me to spin the nut loose.

Posted By: gijoecam on 02/14/13 09:09am

goducks10 wrote:

I don't think anybody is 'slamming' Andersen per-se, I just think it's a valid question about the long-term wear-and-tear the Andersen setup puts on the coupler latch assembly as compared to a conventional setup. I think it's a valid concern, and from the responses I've seen from the manufacturer, I don't get the impression that they did any long-term testing or simulation on the product before releasing it for sale to the public. I get the impression that the early users are their alpha-testers when in the case of a coupler system like this, that type of testing should have been done on a test rig set up to apply the loads and simulate the movement of several years' worth of use under worst-case loading conditions with multiple coupler designs before turning it loose on the public.

Posted By: Ron Gratz on 02/14/13 09:16am

goducks10 wrote:

Depends on how stiff your rear suspension is as far as how much of the 1400lb Andersen tension is needed. If you have a really stiff suspension then you may only need 50-60% of the chain tension to return to stock height on the front.---

That is not correct.

Rear suspension stiffness does not change either the amount of load which is removed from the front axle via application of TW or the amount of load which is restored to the front axle via application of WD.

Ron

Posted By: goducks10 on 02/14/13 01:29pm

Ron Gratz wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

So your saying that a 1/2 ton with a 7200lb GVW that squats 2-1/2" with 900lbs on the hitch is the same as a 1 ton dually with a 14,000lb GVW that squats 1/2" with the same 900lb TW? I just don't see how you would need to put the same tension on the bars/chains to return to the same fender hiegth. If I only needed to bring the front down 1/4" as opposed to 1-1/4" your say it would be the same exact setup on both vehicles. Then why do guys use different settings with their trucks and TT's? Some guys need (Eaz-Lift for example) 4,5,6 washers, some are 1,2 or 3 links hanging.

I was always under the impression that unless the front of the TV is raised then no weight is being removed. The more the amount it raises the more is removed. Is that right or wrong? Curious.

I not an engineer just trying to look at it logicaly.

Posted By: BarneyS on 02/14/13 02:33pm

If the distance between the rear axle of the tow vehicle and the ball are the same it doesn't matter what kind of truck or vehicle, both will have the same amount of weight removed from the front axle given the same tongue weight. This does not mean that all trucks will react the same though.

Some, such as 1/2 ton, with soft suspension, will squat a lot in the rear and with less percentage of weight on the front because of possibly smaller engine, frame, tires, brakes, wheels, or whatever, the added weight to the rear will cause more handling/steering/braking problems and the front measurements may rise a lot.

A 1 ton, or possibly a dump truck or similar, will not squat as much or have much more percentage of weight in front of the rear axle compared to the 1/2 ton, so the effect on the truck will be different and may require less correction. You may very well not see any rise on the front bumper measurements on a 1 ton or dump truck although the same amount of weight has been removed and the effects might be nil. I think the key word is "percentage".

Both trucks, if weighed on a scale, will show the exact same amount of weight removed from the front axle though. It is just percentage and the effects of that weight that must be dealt with and the amount of correction may or may not be the same.

As far as number of links required, there are many variable to be considered. How strong are the bars? How stiff is the receiver? What size is the A frame of the trailer? How much tilt is on the hitch head, etc. etc. etc.

Hope this helps a bit. [emoticon]

Barney

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