Andersen Hitches
Has anyone used both the Andersen Aluminum hitch and a more conventional style 5th wheel hitch. We are about to make the change from using a TT to a 5th wheel. I bought the truck, identified the camp...
Forum Discussion
I just switch from and Andersen Ultimate to a B&W puck mount. My experience is:
Installation of hitch slightly quicker and easier with B&W than Andersen, assuming lifting 140lbs into the bed of your truck by yourself is something you can do. Both are quite quick and easy. procedure's as follow:
B&W; remove plugs for pucks, lift base into bed of truck and position over pucks. Turn lock handles for pucks, install lock pins. Position head of hitch over hitch, install pins.
Andersen remove ball plug and two plugs for safety chain mounts. Drop in ball and chain mounts. Lift hitch over ball and insert pin (Very light) Install safety chain pucks. I attach the end of the chain to the pucks with the clevis mount and use the hooks to attach to the hitch adapter because the hooks don't fit on the puck mount. Some don't use chains. Once hitch is in place you put the weight of the trailer on the hitch and tighten 3 hitch bolts with a torque wrench.
Removal is slightly quicker and easier with the Andersen in my opinion, although you do need tools with it and no tools are required with the B&W.
Hitch height adjustment positions virtually identical on both hitches, but it's much quicker and easier with the Andersen where you pull a pin, raise or lower ball, re-insert pin. With the B&W you have 8 bolts you take out to raise or lower the vertical adjustment arms.
Hooking up and disconnecting is slightly easier with the B&W. Adjust trailer height, back up until hitch locks into place, insert safety pin (You can easily see if pin is correctly locked or not). With the Andersen you adjust trailer height, back under the hitch, lower the trailer onto the ball, lock hitch adapter, connect safety chains. Both hitch are easy to connect even with truck and trailer at significantly different angles from one another.
To disconnect, with B&W, run 5er landing gear down until weight is coming off hitch, pull safety pin and move lock lever forward, drive truck forward. With Andersen, remove safety chains, unlock pin, raise trailer until free of ball, drive forward.
For me neither hitch had any slop for the most part although I did sometimes have issues with the base of the hitch shifting slightly on the Andersen. Both are quiet, with no noise. B&W you can shift the hitch head forward and aft, Andersen is fixed hitch wise but you have some adjustability on effective length of pin arm. Both hitches articulate forward aft side to side and have no slop so neither will add to chucking issues. This isn't necessarily the case with all fifth wheel hitch designs from what I've heard, but I have no personal experience with other hitches. I do have a fair bit of experience with gooseneck hitches though, which I've never had issue with.
Hope that helped, feel free to ask specific questions.
Installation of hitch slightly quicker and easier with B&W than Andersen, assuming lifting 140lbs into the bed of your truck by yourself is something you can do. Both are quite quick and easy. procedure's as follow:
B&W; remove plugs for pucks, lift base into bed of truck and position over pucks. Turn lock handles for pucks, install lock pins. Position head of hitch over hitch, install pins.
Andersen remove ball plug and two plugs for safety chain mounts. Drop in ball and chain mounts. Lift hitch over ball and insert pin (Very light) Install safety chain pucks. I attach the end of the chain to the pucks with the clevis mount and use the hooks to attach to the hitch adapter because the hooks don't fit on the puck mount. Some don't use chains. Once hitch is in place you put the weight of the trailer on the hitch and tighten 3 hitch bolts with a torque wrench.
Removal is slightly quicker and easier with the Andersen in my opinion, although you do need tools with it and no tools are required with the B&W.
Hitch height adjustment positions virtually identical on both hitches, but it's much quicker and easier with the Andersen where you pull a pin, raise or lower ball, re-insert pin. With the B&W you have 8 bolts you take out to raise or lower the vertical adjustment arms.
Hooking up and disconnecting is slightly easier with the B&W. Adjust trailer height, back up until hitch locks into place, insert safety pin (You can easily see if pin is correctly locked or not). With the Andersen you adjust trailer height, back under the hitch, lower the trailer onto the ball, lock hitch adapter, connect safety chains. Both hitch are easy to connect even with truck and trailer at significantly different angles from one another.
To disconnect, with B&W, run 5er landing gear down until weight is coming off hitch, pull safety pin and move lock lever forward, drive truck forward. With Andersen, remove safety chains, unlock pin, raise trailer until free of ball, drive forward.
For me neither hitch had any slop for the most part although I did sometimes have issues with the base of the hitch shifting slightly on the Andersen. Both are quiet, with no noise. B&W you can shift the hitch head forward and aft, Andersen is fixed hitch wise but you have some adjustability on effective length of pin arm. Both hitches articulate forward aft side to side and have no slop so neither will add to chucking issues. This isn't necessarily the case with all fifth wheel hitch designs from what I've heard, but I have no personal experience with other hitches. I do have a fair bit of experience with gooseneck hitches though, which I've never had issue with.
Hope that helped, feel free to ask specific questions.
