Andersen No-Sway Experience
Over all I give the Andersen a thumbs up. Initial install is simple and quick. Its ability to move weight forward on your rig is surprisingly good. It pulls well and handles sway about as well as coul...
Forum Discussion
Well, Another 1200 km Pull under the belt of my rig...
Quick update... Inspection of the hitch components shows no unusual wear, the latch etc on the trailer still appears as new, I have been running with approx 1/4 inch of compression on the bushings and upon unhitching, they return to their original length with no sign of wear. A couple things i have done with the unit is to lightly grease the hitch ball to guard against any of the wear i hear about and to spray the section of chain that is inside the bushing mount to ease the small amount of movement that does occur. These are strictly precautionary measures and not a response to any issues with the unit.
As a response to a few of the different PM's i have received about why I am so “cavalier” and do not seem to care about the "shortcomings" of this hitch...
-It works for me, as I have said before, if I had a smaller truck with softer springs, would it work as well? nope, but I don't.
I do not care, nor will i ever care, about the front end load restoration percentage debate that is being so deeply discussed on “other forums”. In my opinion, enough weight is transferred back to the steering axle to keep my unit safe and drivable. I have NEVER felt like the front end of the truck was light or experienced under steer on account of the trailer hitch i am using. If you are in a situation where you seriously think you need more weight on your front end then you are getting, buy a different hitch, or a bigger truck.
-As a couple of side notes JUST for FUN and information; 5th wheel hitches do not always add weight to the front axle of a Pull Unit. I know this because I have rolled over commercial scales maybe 20 to 30 times with a previous work setup, a F-350 Power-stroke (used both drw and srw) and a 35 foot 5th wheel open deck trailer weighing anywhere between 6000 and 20000 Lbs, I would never have believed it either, but the loads weight and positioning can change the dynamic of the trailer and actually lift the front of the truck. Even on tractor trailers... An average highway tractor runs down the highway (bob-tailing) with steers weighing in at between 5400 and 5600 KG, Put a good size trailer on it and that same axle will weigh between 5000 and 5300. I have personally pulled a 16 wheel jeep out of a rig and just run the trailer on a tandem tractor... 35000 kg on a tandem axle tractor... Off road scales had our steers at 1800 KG. LOL, Turning was a bit of a tricky process, but damn could it climb hills! Anyhow, My point is that it is not always just about a number, it is about how you, the driver, feel while in the drivers seat of the pull unit.
-The sway control aspect of this unit works as advertised and expected. I have never felt that the trailer was out of control or that the unit performed worse in any manner then any other hitch i have used, Blue ox, equalizer and a Reese round bar with friction sway bar, plus the straight up ball mount i pulled the 16.5 footer with... Having said that, are there conditions where i can feel the trailer tug, push or wiggle side to side a bit? Sure, In very specific wind or road conditions i can feel the 37 foot long, 12 foot high, 8 foot wide and 9300 Lb trailer i have hooked up to the back of my truck move around behind me. What a shocker.
People... I am sorry if this sounds flippant or dismissive. I really do not want to be “that guy”. But come on... Have you seen some of the truck and trailer combinations rolling out there on our highways? Noses pointing at the sky, bumpers damn near dragging on the ground, wobbling back and forth in and out of 2 lanes at 80 miles an hour? I wrote the original post because i found a new and interesting product out there that really worked like a charm for my application. I thought i would toss my opinion of it out into the world in case anyone else out there wanted to give it a try. Thats it. If you really believe that the piece of equipment is not right for you, know what? Don’t buy one. As for me? I am going camping.
Quick update... Inspection of the hitch components shows no unusual wear, the latch etc on the trailer still appears as new, I have been running with approx 1/4 inch of compression on the bushings and upon unhitching, they return to their original length with no sign of wear. A couple things i have done with the unit is to lightly grease the hitch ball to guard against any of the wear i hear about and to spray the section of chain that is inside the bushing mount to ease the small amount of movement that does occur. These are strictly precautionary measures and not a response to any issues with the unit.
As a response to a few of the different PM's i have received about why I am so “cavalier” and do not seem to care about the "shortcomings" of this hitch...
-It works for me, as I have said before, if I had a smaller truck with softer springs, would it work as well? nope, but I don't.
I do not care, nor will i ever care, about the front end load restoration percentage debate that is being so deeply discussed on “other forums”. In my opinion, enough weight is transferred back to the steering axle to keep my unit safe and drivable. I have NEVER felt like the front end of the truck was light or experienced under steer on account of the trailer hitch i am using. If you are in a situation where you seriously think you need more weight on your front end then you are getting, buy a different hitch, or a bigger truck.
-As a couple of side notes JUST for FUN and information; 5th wheel hitches do not always add weight to the front axle of a Pull Unit. I know this because I have rolled over commercial scales maybe 20 to 30 times with a previous work setup, a F-350 Power-stroke (used both drw and srw) and a 35 foot 5th wheel open deck trailer weighing anywhere between 6000 and 20000 Lbs, I would never have believed it either, but the loads weight and positioning can change the dynamic of the trailer and actually lift the front of the truck. Even on tractor trailers... An average highway tractor runs down the highway (bob-tailing) with steers weighing in at between 5400 and 5600 KG, Put a good size trailer on it and that same axle will weigh between 5000 and 5300. I have personally pulled a 16 wheel jeep out of a rig and just run the trailer on a tandem tractor... 35000 kg on a tandem axle tractor... Off road scales had our steers at 1800 KG. LOL, Turning was a bit of a tricky process, but damn could it climb hills! Anyhow, My point is that it is not always just about a number, it is about how you, the driver, feel while in the drivers seat of the pull unit.
-The sway control aspect of this unit works as advertised and expected. I have never felt that the trailer was out of control or that the unit performed worse in any manner then any other hitch i have used, Blue ox, equalizer and a Reese round bar with friction sway bar, plus the straight up ball mount i pulled the 16.5 footer with... Having said that, are there conditions where i can feel the trailer tug, push or wiggle side to side a bit? Sure, In very specific wind or road conditions i can feel the 37 foot long, 12 foot high, 8 foot wide and 9300 Lb trailer i have hooked up to the back of my truck move around behind me. What a shocker.
People... I am sorry if this sounds flippant or dismissive. I really do not want to be “that guy”. But come on... Have you seen some of the truck and trailer combinations rolling out there on our highways? Noses pointing at the sky, bumpers damn near dragging on the ground, wobbling back and forth in and out of 2 lanes at 80 miles an hour? I wrote the original post because i found a new and interesting product out there that really worked like a charm for my application. I thought i would toss my opinion of it out into the world in case anyone else out there wanted to give it a try. Thats it. If you really believe that the piece of equipment is not right for you, know what? Don’t buy one. As for me? I am going camping.
