Andersen Hitch Failure

I think I am going to have the last say on this one. We have had 14 pages of comments, some off topic and some quite flaming and this could continue for the next century. Thank you all for your participation but his thread is now closed.
Barney

Common sense to me says that the trailer, while on the way over, caused the top part of the hitch to bend the mounting tower enough to let the top part of the hitch go. If it had not, then the truck would have turned over with it. It did not. That, to me, is common sense - no matter what the article said (yes, I did read it).
Barney

Cummins12V98 wrote:
"So...
How does one know that the hithch separated "as" the trailer was rolling over instead of "before" the trailer started to roll? "

Common Sense degree says the force of the RV going over separated the hitch, very easy to tell by just looking with my Common Sense EYE.

Well, common sense, and the fact that it was mentioned no less than four (4) times in the article that the trailer rolled over and then the hitch separated. Not the other way 'round.

Denny & Jami wrote:


No hitch should fail when brake away is activated by accident, if the hitch is that poorly designed to allow the front corner to lift it's nothing I would want in my truck period.

Denny

Well it sure appears that this one did! The wide frame is held down in the center so extreme forces will occur at the frame base. A minor rearending of another vehicle would most likely have it collapse forward in a similar fashion. If Andersen replaces it under warranty it might not be that big of a deal, and may in fact protect the trailer from additional damage. Sort a like a crumple zone.

Chris

Me Again wrote:

Denny & Jami wrote:

Me Again wrote:
Back to the break away cable. It appears to be routed to the drivers front corner of the bed and it appears that the driver was turning to the right. I still think it was pulled out and locked the brakes and the hitch collapsed. Thus the tug the driver reported.

Chris

If that's what happened the hitch should still be able to take that force without failure of any kind, I check my disk brakes all the time by applying the brakes manually and what about a panic stop when the trailer brakes lock.

Denny

So what is your theory? Hitch appears shiny new! Hitch was not torqued down correctly, allowing the front drivers side to raise up putting pressure on the passenger rear corner when the trailer brakes dynamited when the emergence pin pulled out. Chris

No hitch should fail when brake away is activated by accident, if the hitch is that poorly designed to allow the front corner to lift it's nothing I would want in my truck period.

Denny

Learjet wrote:
at least we know the weak link on both hitches...now are we through? ...LOL

There is a weak link in two models of the Andersen hitch?

I do not believe that B&W thinks that the head separating is a weak link. My RVK3270 manual slide does not have the pins that pass through below the pivot points/uprights, just little latches that would let the head pop off easily in a roll over.

This is one of the few times I would wanted the two to stay together ! Chris

at least we know the weak link on both hitches...now are we through? ...LOL

When these things happen the manufactures get's involved QUICKLY and you will hear no more from the person with the issue. Same was true with the B&W mentioned earlier.

minnow wrote:

IBcarguy wrote:
I'm assuming that the guy that posted this isn't the guy that had the damaged hitch. I've searched everywhere and have not seen or heard anything about this mishap. I'd love to hear from the owner...I have a Andersen hitch like this and would like all the details so I can avoid a similar incident.

I copied the pictures from the Grand Design Facebook page where these pictures were first posted. It is not my hitch.

The owner of this hitch stated she was pulling off the highway into a parking lot. The parking lot was on an incline so the truck was at an angle to the RV. That was the last of her posts on this issue although she had several other posts on several other things she was having problems with on her RV. Definitely an RV newbie. So it does make me question if she had the hitch torqued correctly. Obviously we weren’t there and she’s dropped off FB so will never know.

MeAgain - yes it was a new hitch. I believe it was her 2nd day out.

Still is a chapter in the Andersen history that will go down as a questionable strength issue. I looked at the older aluminum model and at the difference on the second version. I see a third version coming with four lower plates verse the two on the current model. Chris

IBcarguy wrote:
I'm assuming that the guy that posted this isn't the guy that had the damaged hitch. I've searched everywhere and have not seen or heard anything about this mishap. I'd love to hear from the owner...I have a Andersen hitch like this and would like all the details so I can avoid a similar incident.

I copied the pictures from the Grand Design Facebook page where these pictures were first posted. It is not my hitch.

The owner of this hitch stated she was pulling off the highway into a parking lot. The parking lot was on an incline so the truck was at an angle to the RV. That was the last of her posts on this issue although she had several other posts on several other things she was having problems with on her RV. Definitely an RV newbie. So it does make me question if she had the hitch torqued correctly. Obviously we weren’t there and she’s dropped off FB so will never know.

MeAgain - yes it was a new hitch. I believe it was her 2nd day out.