Help deciding on hitch

N-Trouble wrote:

Cdash wrote:


Keep in mind that the further back your pin goes (referring to the Anderson adjustment), the more the weight increases in the trucks back axle and unloads the front axle. It's all physics and you can't get away from it. Less of a concern when you're within the limits, but should be more of a concern when you're going well beyond limits.

Not going to judge, but encourage you to consider the impacts. The Anderson seems to be the hot new thing that does all of these great things, but for every great thing, there is a not so great thing. Old school fifth wheel hitches put the load slightly ahead of the rear axle, but people seem to throw that idea out the window with the Anderson and don't care where the load is front to back.

Hogwash... Only the attach/pivot point is moved back. The hitch itself (which is what the weight is being distributed through) is still centered over the axle or slightly in front just like any other traditional 5er hitch. Its all physics as you say...

With my Pullrite, I have two lateral bars that hook into the frame brackets. Once in front of the axle at the front edge of the hitch and one aft of the axle at the rear edge of the hitch. The Pullrite head, in it's normal (not slid) position is right up at the front edge of the hitch. This would keep most of the vertical load on the front bar since the hitch head is up there. As it slides back, more load gets transferred to the back, and this would be during low speed sharp turns (which isn't going to affect handling).

When I look at the Anderson, the ball looks to be centered between the attachment rails, which are in front and behind the rear axle. If it is centered between those rails, the load will travel equally to the front and rear rails which increased rear axle load. Additionally, any lateral loads are going to pull forward or backward on the hitch which would cause a torque on the frame and would lift up in front when accelerating or pulling up hill, or lift up in back when braking or going down hill. This part may not be too different from normal fifth wheel hitches.