Andersen Aluminum Ultimate Hitch Redesigned

LOL I think Andersen must be an oil or tire company as it gets plenty of attention.
What I have learned reading these 12 pages of stuff.

No reason the Andersen latch can't be locked, you just need to build or buy a lockable box for it. I'd say worrying about a zombie apocalypse is much higher on my list than me driving off with my hitch not latched, the awning still down, the poo pipe still attached, a wheel missing, the wife still in the rig.

If folks think the hitch is going to fold up on them when they hit the brakes they may consider putting brakes on the trailer. Those trailer brakes really take a lot of that pushing load off the hitch/truck. I don't have a 5th wheel, but my tow behind 31' Keystone has brakes on all 4 wheels. Really helps from my truck hitch getting torn off in a panic stop.

Hopefully BW, Reese, Curt, Hensley, Pullrite and all the others never upgrade their stuff. as that would imply they had failures.

Most important is we should never accept something which is adrift from the norm. We should never listen to satisfied customers using products they really like if said product is adrift from the norm.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
A little weight is a small price to pay for peace of mind, IMO. Besides, it's supposed to pull a 5th wheel. That's like complaining your semi tractor weighs too much.

EXACTLY!!!

That's why fifth wheel above bed rails never bothered me. I'm no going to load a bunch of drywall or more than a few boards Into the truck...

Appliances, several plywood sheets, heavy things like that go on the utility trailer with a ramp and much shorter height...easier to load too. Stuff that goes in the bed has an extra tie down location with the fifth wheel rails...

But I am digressing my own thread. Lol

Thanks!

Jeremiah

fj12ryder wrote:
A little weight is a small price to pay for peace of mind, IMO. Besides, it's supposed to pull a 5th wheel. That's like complaining your semi tractor weighs too much.

EXACTLY!!!

minnow wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Non issue to you but many do lock their hitches and yes several have reported people unlocking the handle.

Only 5 locks on this baby! Now you know at least one.

For your viewing pleasure.

One of the few but most common complaints about this hitch, is it's weight. Msybe the hitch itself is not as heavy as is reported if one removes the 75 pounds worth of locks.

HAAAAA

The hitch easily comes apart. The head is not too bad most anyone can handle it. The base is heavier for sure but how darn difficult is it to get some help on occasion if needed???

Everyone wants BIGGER but many don't want to step up to buy a product that will do the job.

NC Hauler had a stroke and his arm has limited use and he was able to get the job done.

Sorry but it seems a lot of people are always looking for the easy way out.

A little weight is a small price to pay for peace of mind, IMO. Besides, it's supposed to pull a 5th wheel. That's like complaining your semi tractor weighs too much.

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Non issue to you but many do lock their hitches and yes several have reported people unlocking the handle.

Only 5 locks on this baby! Now you know at least one.

For your viewing pleasure.

One of the few but most common complaints about this hitch, is it's weight. Msybe the hitch itself is not as heavy as is reported if one removes the 75 pounds worth of locks.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
There have been plenty of reports of hitch tampering resulting in dropped RV's. It would be very easy to do with the Andersen since the handle is typically mounted where it is easy to access.

I have read incidents of this happening too.

The good thing about the Andersen hitch is the release handle should be visible from the driver's seat and when approaching the vehicle. You don't have to look over the bed rail to see it. I think a good improvement Andersen could make would be to color the shaft below the handle fluorescent orange so it would really stand out when not engaged.

I don't have a trailer now, but when I was pulling I always did a walk-around checking the tires and hitch after every stop. If I saw something unlatched I'd correct it before getting behind the wheel. I wouldn't have enough confidence in a small padlock to not look at the hitch (and I did have a padlock on the hitch for multi-day trips to hopefully not lose the trailer in motel parking lots).

If I ever drop a trailer because someone unlatched it while I was doing something else then shame on me - lock, or no lock.

rhagfo wrote:
Just a thought that Andersen could redesign their hitch, to place less leverage on the attachment to the Gooseneck ball.
Currently they have about a 10" to 12" lever above the floor of the bed. I would suggest a couple of stringers alongside the GN attachment and supporting the upper ball with a diagonal brace to the front between the stringers that would hold the GN attaching coupler.

If our truck frames were tough enough you wouldn't need the pyramid at all. You would just have a post extending up from the bed with a ball mounted on top. (Similar to a typical gooseneck adapter but mounted to the truck instead of the pin box.

Of course that would transfer all that trailer-destroying torque to the pickup...

laknox wrote:

Me Again wrote:


With both the Andersen and Companion the hitch base is pulled down onto the bed floor. The Turnover Ball holds it down. The load is placed on the sheet metal and tophats on the bottom of the bed. Verses onto the frame in puck and rail systems.

Some on here is the pass have claimed that it can for held down by the Turnover Ball and held up at the same time!!!!!!! Chris

Yes, the TO Ball base holds the Companion (or Andersen) down, while pulling the frame UP, but it also supports the base and transfers that load directly to the frame. On my '02, the foot pads of the Companion are directly over the frame rails and act more to stabilize the Companion than to carry the load. If your supposition were correct, I certainly wouldn't need those heavy cross-members to support the Companion. Now, take out the Companion and hook up my GN trailer. Where is that =entire= pin load carried? Yep, right on the ball, meaning that the entire sub-frame is carrying the load, with =nothing= on the bed!

Lyle

If your hitch is full forward as mine was in my 11 Dually then sitting still the pin is directly above the post that the hitch attaches to. Now you push and pull the RV and the load transfers to the base. If you have the spacers then the road gets transferred to the bed rails and then to the frame.

Now if you have the hitch mounted towards the back then there is weight directly being placed from the base to the bed just sitting there.

IdaD wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

There have been plenty of reports of hitch tampering resulting in dropped RV's. It would be very easy to do with the Andersen since the handle is typically mounted where it is easy to access.

I've never heard of it happening, and I know literally nobody who locks their trailer to the hitch to try to prevent it. To me it's a complete non-issue.

Non issue to you but many do lock their hitches and yes several have reported people unlocking the handle.

Only 5 locks on this baby! Now you know at least one.

For your viewing pleasure.