Safety Chains Andersen Hitch

Who decided a 5th wheel hitch with mechanical jaws is superior to a ball with a pin. Both can fail. If 5th fails trailer slips out fairly easy. The ball/pin fails the trailer has to bounce off the ball...not easy for a gooseneck or 5th conversion.

I don't use safety chains on my Andersen. I would rather the trailer come out/pull brake/trailer hit ground and stop then roll me over. And chances are it's going to ride on my bed rails till I get stopped vs comming off truck.

azdryheat wrote:
Never heard of chains on a 5th wheel, just the break-away switch.

Gooseneck/ball hitches require safety chains.

N-Trouble wrote:
Show me why a ball/coupler NEED safety chains as opposed to a traditional 5er hitch and I will run them. But seeing how no other 5er is required to run them I'm not going to go run out and buy a set just because some paper says its the law...

Laws are often funny like that.

Show me why a ball/coupler NEED safety chains as opposed to a traditional 5er hitch and I will run them. But seeing how no other 5er is required to run them I'm not going to go run out and buy a set just because some paper says its the law...

billy1davis wrote:
I have ordered the Andersen Hitch after reading the responses to my earlier question posted here about the hitch. Now I am wondering how necessary are the safety chains that are now sold as an option.

Good choice on the hitch , I’m glad you didn’t let the bashers chase you away from it. They try their best every time an Andersen thread pops up.

As far as chains, I don’t have them , it doesn’t make sense with a fifth wheel. Nothing more is going to happen if it comes off the Andersen then if it comes off a conventional fifth wheel hitch.

I’m going to check my States regulations,and also with Andersen .

If you're in Michigan you need chains or another suitable safety device.

257.721 Passenger vehicle or pickup truck towing vehicle or trailer; drawbar or other connection; coupling devices and safety chains; pickup truck with fifth wheel assembly; conditions for towing additional trailer or semitrailer; speed limit requirements; violation as civil infraction.
Sec. 721.

(3) A vehicle or trailer towed or drawn by a vehicle shall be attached to the vehicle with forms of coupling devices in a manner so that when the combination is operated in a linear alignment on a level, smooth, paved surface, the movement of the towed or drawn vehicle or trailer does not deviate more than 3 inches to either side of the path of the towing vehicle that tows or draws it. The vehicle or trailer shall also be connected to the towing vehicle by suitable safety chains or devices, 1 on each side of the coupling and at the extreme outer edge of the vehicle or trailer. Each chain or device and connection used shall be of sufficient strength to haul the vehicle or trailer when loaded. In the case of an implement of husbandry with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, the safety chains or devices required under this subsection shall conform to the federal motor carrier safety regulations requirements contained in 49 CFR 393.70(d)(5).

I added them just so I'd never have to worry about not having them if required, plus it's an extra safety measure. It take an extra 10-15 seconds when hooking up.

As far as the legality, here is the answer I found on "Everything About RVing:"

I would like know if safety chains are mandatory when entering the United States when towing a 5th Wheel Trailer?

ANSWER: Hi thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

The US does not require Towing Safety Chains when towing a 5th Wheel Trailer with a positive locking coupling system. A 5th wheel setup using a Gooseneck Coupling System does require the use of safety chains.

5th Wheel Trailers with a gross weight of 3000 lbs. or more are also required to have a Breakaway Switch that will activate the trailer's brakes if the trailer separates from the tow vehicle.

I've pulled my 5th with the Andersen over 40,000 miles, coast to coast, border to border and into Canada 3 times and I don't have safety chains and have never been stopped or questioned.

I got them for mine. Not sure if they're required or not in Oregon. Better safe than sorry. I see now that Andersen makes a neat safety chain attachment device.
Only takes about 20 secs to hookup the chains.