Round trip from mid-Georgia to Greenville SC for a nice long weekend.About a month ago, I decided to switch from my Superglide auto slider to the Andersen Ultimate hitch. Not that I didn't like the superglide, I do, but I wanted the lighter hitch so it would be easier to remove from the bed between trips. Im not getting any younger, and I am using my truck a lot more as a truck, now that I have 7 acres of land to tend to.So, install was a snap. Nothing really to adjust. I bought the gooseneck version, with the Andersen shaft, no slip pad and chains. Installed, torqued everything down, and all good.Driving experience was not so great. Rough roads were REALLY rough with the hitch. I had recently driven over the same roads with my Superglide and it was not anywhere near as rough. Concrete interstate with any sort of roughness was really bad. Like a bucking bronco a couple of times. I don't think there's anything "adjustment" wise, because it's all install and torque down.. no adjustments to be made. I have a RVing friend who has the same setup. We were camping together this weekend. He has a dually, I have a SRW. He says he does not get the bucking and rough riding I experienced. On way back, overall not as bad, and the road close to home on southbound side is not as bad as the northbound side was heading out. Unless there's some way to smooth this thing out, I suspect I will go back to the Superglide. Seems like the extra 200lbs the Superglide weighs really made the ride much smoother. Wondering if others notice the same thing? Anything I can do maybe to the truck, or the pinbox to smooth things out? I like the hitch overall, like the weight savings, and like the ease of removal.I don't have air-ride on the truck, and have what I consider a standard pin box. Nothing fancy, not a Trail Air or nothing like that.I won't buy a dually just to get a smoother ride.Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Lets just try to NOT make this an AUH bash session.Mike

My first thought is since you have a Superglide you must also have a short box. How does the Anderson work compared to the Superglide when you are backing up. With the Anderson can you hit the cab corner? I doubt that a dually is a smoother ride than you SRW truck is. Your friend is just use to towing with his Anderson hitch.I would find a way to help you lift the Superglide out of your truck.

I have the steel Andersen. The instructions that came with the hitch stated to re-torque the top bolt after placing the full tongue weight on the ball. So, after lowering the rv onto the ball, I loosen the two locking bolts, and re-torque the center bolt, then re-torque the locking bolts. Makes a big difference in the towing experience. I only do this once, when installing the hitch. Then, for subsequent hitching and towing, I don't adjust it. If I remove and re-install the hitch, I perform the procedure again. Andersen address this in the FAQ here: https://help.andersenhitches.com/faq/what-should-be-the-torque-of-the-top-bolt-on-the-ultimate-fifth-wheel-connection-hitch

I have no experience with anything other than with the Andersen, but I am very happy with mine. I agree that the ride seems to be a bit on the rough side, but it doesn't seem to be excessive in my opinion. Smoother would be nice, though. I love the fact that it weighs only 35lbs, and is a piece of cake to re/re when I have to. Takes me just a couple of minutes to get a clean bed back, and it stores nicely in the front storage of my 5er.I guess there are pros and cons like everything else.

Jackathan wrote:I have the steel Andersen. The instructions that came with the hitch stated to re-torque the top bolt after placing the full tongue weight on the ball. So, after lowering the rv onto the ball, I loosen the two locking bolts, and re-torque the center bolt, then re-torque the locking bolts. Makes a big difference in the towing experience. I only do this once, when installing the hitch. Then, for subsequent hitching and towing, I don't adjust it. If I remove and re-install the hitch, I perform the procedure again. Andersen address this in the FAQ here: https://help.andersenhitches.com/faq/what-should-be-the-torque-of-the-top-bolt-on-the-ultimate-fifth-wheel-connection-hitchThanks Jack - I don't recall seeing that in the instructions. Just looked through them again, and no reference to the procedure at the link.Yes corvettekent, it is a short bed. I haven't had to turn 90 yet with it, but it worked fine on this trip. Pulling out of drive way and making a tight turn, with wife standing outside and watching, she said no concerns getting close to cab.Mike

My steel Andersen hitch has instructions on a label on the actual hitch, but it does not say anything about re-torqueing it. I am positive I read that on the paperwork instructions included with the hitch. I see there is no mention of it in the current online instruction manual, which covers all of the hitches, including the steel one I have that has been discontinued. Next time I am at the camper, I'll locate the paperwork. Makes sense to me though, after dropping the camper on the hitch, the bed deflection causes the bolt to no longer be torqued properly, allowing some fore and aft movement. I can get more than one turn of the bolt to obtain the proper torque. Current truck is a 2012 Ram 3500 Dually. I do wish I had a more secure connection with the modern puck system, but this truck is paid for now, so I'll stick with it.

Andersen Ultimate Hitch - my observations | Good Sam Community

corvettekent
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
My first thought is since you have a Superglide you must also have a short box. How does the Anderson work compared to the Superglide when you are backing up. With the Anderson can you hit the cab corner?

I doubt that a dually is a smoother ride than you SRW truck is. Your friend is just use to towing with his Anderson hitch.

I would find a way to help you lift the Superglide out of your truck.
Jackathan
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
I have the steel Andersen. The instructions that came with the hitch stated to re-torque the top bolt after placing the full tongue weight on the ball. So, after lowering the rv onto the ball, I loosen the two locking bolts, and re-torque the center bolt, then re-torque the locking bolts. Makes a big difference in the towing experience. I only do this once, when installing the hitch. Then, for subsequent hitching and towing, I don't adjust it. If I remove and re-install the hitch, I perform the procedure again. Andersen address this in the FAQ here: https://help.andersenhitches.com/faq/what-should-be-the-torque-of-the-top-bolt-on-the-ultimate-fifth-wheel-connection-hitch
ssthrd
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
I have no experience with anything other than with the Andersen, but I am very happy with mine. I agree that the ride seems to be a bit on the rough side, but it doesn't seem to be excessive in my opinion. Smoother would be nice, though.

I love the fact that it weighs only 35lbs, and is a piece of cake to re/re when I have to. Takes me just a couple of minutes to get a clean bed back, and it stores nicely in the front storage of my 5er.

I guess there are pros and cons like everything else.
Walaby
Explorer II
Oct 14, 2021
Jackathan wrote:
I have the steel Andersen. The instructions that came with the hitch stated to re-torque the top bolt after placing the full tongue weight on the ball. So, after lowering the rv onto the ball, I loosen the two locking bolts, and re-torque the center bolt, then re-torque the locking bolts. Makes a big difference in the towing experience. I only do this once, when installing the hitch. Then, for subsequent hitching and towing, I don't adjust it. If I remove and re-install the hitch, I perform the procedure again. Andersen address this in the FAQ here: https://help.andersenhitches.com/faq/what-should-be-the-torque-of-the-top-bolt-on-the-ultimate-fifth-wheel-connection-hitch

Thanks Jack - I don't recall seeing that in the instructions. Just looked through them again, and no reference to the procedure at the link.

Yes corvettekent, it is a short bed. I haven't had to turn 90 yet with it, but it worked fine on this trip. Pulling out of drive way and making a tight turn, with wife standing outside and watching, she said no concerns getting close to cab.

Mike
Jackathan
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
My steel Andersen hitch has instructions on a label on the actual hitch, but it does not say anything about re-torqueing it. I am positive I read that on the paperwork instructions included with the hitch. I see there is no mention of it in the current online instruction manual, which covers all of the hitches, including the steel one I have that has been discontinued. Next time I am at the camper, I'll locate the paperwork. Makes sense to me though, after dropping the camper on the hitch, the bed deflection causes the bolt to no longer be torqued properly, allowing some fore and aft movement. I can get more than one turn of the bolt to obtain the proper torque. Current truck is a 2012 Ram 3500 Dually. I do wish I had a more secure connection with the modern puck system, but this truck is paid for now, so I'll stick with it.
eHoefler
Explorer II
Oct 14, 2021
Turn the hitch around, all the Andersons I have seen, places the load rear of axle. This alone will cause bucking and front end bounce.
laknox
Nomad
Oct 14, 2021
Walaby wrote:
Round trip from mid-Georgia to Greenville SC for a nice long weekend.

About a month ago, I decided to switch from my Superglide auto slider to the Andersen Ultimate hitch. Not that I didn't like the superglide, I do, but I wanted the lighter hitch so it would be easier to remove from the bed between trips. Im not getting any younger, and I am using my truck a lot more as a truck, now that I have 7 acres of land to tend to.

So, install was a snap. Nothing really to adjust. I bought the gooseneck version, with the Andersen shaft, no slip pad and chains. Installed, torqued everything down, and all good.

Driving experience was not so great. Rough roads were REALLY rough with the hitch. I had recently driven over the same roads with my Superglide and it was not anywhere near as rough. Concrete interstate with any sort of roughness was really bad. Like a bucking bronco a couple of times.

I don't think there's anything "adjustment" wise, because it's all install and torque down.. no adjustments to be made. I have a RVing friend who has the same setup. We were camping together this weekend. He has a dually, I have a SRW. He says he does not get the bucking and rough riding I experienced.

On way back, overall not as bad, and the road close to home on southbound side is not as bad as the northbound side was heading out.

Unless there's some way to smooth this thing out, I suspect I will go back to the Superglide. Seems like the extra 200lbs the Superglide weighs really made the ride much smoother.

Wondering if others notice the same thing? Anything I can do maybe to the truck, or the pinbox to smooth things out? I like the hitch overall, like the weight savings, and like the ease of removal.I don't have air-ride on the truck, and have what I consider a standard pin box. Nothing fancy, not a Trail Air or nothing like that.

I won't buy a dually just to get a smoother ride.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Lets just try to NOT make this an AUH bash session.

Mike

I will tell you that some states, like AZ, do consider the AUH a gooseneck hitch and will require safety chains. Not that you're likely to get checked, but if anything happens, you're SOL; especially liability-wise. Also, because AZ considers this a "ball hitch", it is technically illegal to tow doubles behind one.

Lyle
cummins2014
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
Walaby wrote:
Round trip from mid-Georgia to Greenville SC for a nice long weekend.

About a month ago, I decided to switch from my Superglide auto slider to the Andersen Ultimate hitch. Not that I didn't like the superglide, I do, but I wanted the lighter hitch so it would be easier to remove from the bed between trips. Im not getting any younger, and I am using my truck a lot more as a truck, now that I have 7 acres of land to tend to.

So, install was a snap. Nothing really to adjust. I bought the gooseneck version, with the Andersen shaft, no slip pad and chains. Installed, torqued everything down, and all good.

Driving experience was not so great. Rough roads were REALLY rough with the hitch. I had recently driven over the same roads with my Superglide and it was not anywhere near as rough. Concrete interstate with any sort of roughness was really bad. Like a bucking bronco a couple of times.

I don't think there's anything "adjustment" wise, because it's all install and torque down.. no adjustments to be made. I have a RVing friend who has the same setup. We were camping together this weekend. He has a dually, I have a SRW. He says he does not get the bucking and rough riding I experienced.

On way back, overall not as bad, and the road close to home on southbound side is not as bad as the northbound side was heading out.

Unless there's some way to smooth this thing out, I suspect I will go back to the Superglide. Seems like the extra 200lbs the Superglide weighs really made the ride much smoother.

Wondering if others notice the same thing? Anything I can do maybe to the truck, or the pinbox to smooth things out? I like the hitch overall, like the weight savings, and like the ease of removal.I don't have air-ride on the truck, and have what I consider a standard pin box. Nothing fancy, not a Trail Air or nothing like that.

I won't buy a dually just to get a smoother ride.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Lets just try to NOT make this an AUH bash session.

Mike

Don't really have any solution or help for you .Although my experience switching to the Andersen is totally different. But I have the rail mount steel Andersen . I went from a Resse 18K manual slider to the Andersen , I tow with both, just depending on the trip. Lately its just been with the Andersen. Both hitches are very smooth ,no chucking or rough ride at all. I can't tell the difference .

The two hitches have been used with two different fifth wheels , one with the MoRyde pin box ,and the. present one without . Here again no change in towing with either hitch. I was skeptical with the new fifth wheel without the MorRyde ,had towed nearly 12 years with the previous fifth wheel with the MorRyde , but this one is just as smooth .

I can't imagine what would cause a change in the ride, as with all Andersen hitches they can be run in 4 different positions . Two different positions with the adapter ,and two with the hitch . I have run mine with the adapter ,and the hitch putting the fifth wheel further from the cab. My truck is a short bed . That puts the weight slightly rear of axle center, as said no change in the towing. After a couple trips ,I realized watching the distance between cab ,and fifth wheel I could be a bit closer to the cab, so I turned the adapter around putting the truck ,and fifth wheel closer together ,no change in towing, and no clearance problems with the cab of the truck. With this configuration I am actually sitting on the axle in the same place as I was with the Reese manual slider in the tow position.

I think its been mentioned you may try adapter or hitch position change. Of course it all depends on cab clearance ,with my new fifth wheel the front cap corners are a lot more rounded then the previous fifth wheel letting me be a bit closer to the cab ,but as said mine tows very well regardless of what position the hitch is in .
cummins2014
Explorer
Oct 14, 2021
eHoefler wrote:
Turn the hitch around, all the Andersons I have seen, places the load rear of axle. This alone will cause bucking and front end bounce.

I certainly can't disagree, but it sure doesn't apply to ALL towing with the Andersen, and it isn't a issue with me . Could it be the Op's problem, yes !!!
Second_Chance
Explorer II
Oct 14, 2021
See my comment on your other post...

Rob