New Andersen WD hitch
A fellow camper bud showed me this. It's new and different. Anyone using one? Andersen WD hitches A U-tube video with the factory guy explaining it. You have to get past MR Truck doing his...
Forum Discussion
Well, I finally got the hitch set up and tested. The end result: nice and smooth. The trailer tows great. It wasn't a windy day, so I wasn't able to test the anti-sway feature much, though I did try some semi-abrupt maneuvers on the freeway and it seemed to work very well, and I had no sway the entire time.
The details:
I have a 2005 Nissan Armada with the factory tow package. This includes auto leveling rear shocks.
The trailer is a KZ Spree BHS. 6141 lbs UVW, 790 lbs Dry Hitch Weight. GVWR of 7300 lbs. As you'll see in the picture below, the coupler is on the bottom of the frame.
Some background: I previously had an Equal-i-zer hitch, which worked fine as far as towing goes. It was a bit bouncy, but anti-sway and weight distribution was fine. I didn't like the weight of the hitch, nor the grease, nor the noise and the brackets would "walk" up and down the frame frequently if I didn't stay on top of them and tighten them frequently.
So, I got the Anderson hitch. Installation was fine except I was missing a washer for the red "springs", which Anderson promptly shipped to me. Also, I had to buy some new sockets to fit the various nuts.
Also, I did have to use the "secure" method to attach the set pins. I wasn't able to turn the set pins anywhere near the 3 turns past them "touching" the frame as the manual suggested. And, they moved the first time I put weight on them. So, I drilled holes for the pins and tightened them into those holes, which is what the manual suggests as a more secure way to do it. The size of holes they recommended didn't exactly fit the screws, so I couldn't get the set screws all the way in, but they are in there pretty good and didn't move.
After that, I tried several different adjustments on the chains, and here are the results, with measurements at each wheel:
Before hooking up the hitch:
Front 36 1/8"
Rear 36 1/8"
No weight distribution:
Front 37 1/8"
Rear 33 1/4"
7 threads:
Front 36 3/4"
Rear 33 3/4"
8 threads:
Front 36 5/8"
Rear 34"
9 threads:
Front 36 3/8"
Rear: 34 1/8"
Note that the auto-leveling shocks moved the rear back up to 36 1/4" after starting the vehicle.
I tried towing about 20 miles with both 8 threads and 9 threads. They both "felt" about the same, but hooking up with 9 threads seems to really compress the springs, probably more than they should (I'll ask Anderson about that), so I'll probably keep it set at 8 threads unless my measurements show that, after I've loaded a trailer a specific way, it's not enough WD for my vehicle.
So, overall, as long as there no long-term problems, I'm happy with this hitch.
One thing is, though, with the Equal-i-zer hitch, I could dial up the WD as much as I want without seeming to put a strain on anything. I could push my front wheels down beyond the unhitched height easily. (I didn't tow this way, this just happened when I was setting it up and I set it to be too aggressive.) I don't think I could do that with the Anderson.
Here's a picture of my setup with 9 threads showing (sorry, I should have taken the picture at a lower angle):
The details:
I have a 2005 Nissan Armada with the factory tow package. This includes auto leveling rear shocks.
The trailer is a KZ Spree BHS. 6141 lbs UVW, 790 lbs Dry Hitch Weight. GVWR of 7300 lbs. As you'll see in the picture below, the coupler is on the bottom of the frame.
Some background: I previously had an Equal-i-zer hitch, which worked fine as far as towing goes. It was a bit bouncy, but anti-sway and weight distribution was fine. I didn't like the weight of the hitch, nor the grease, nor the noise and the brackets would "walk" up and down the frame frequently if I didn't stay on top of them and tighten them frequently.
So, I got the Anderson hitch. Installation was fine except I was missing a washer for the red "springs", which Anderson promptly shipped to me. Also, I had to buy some new sockets to fit the various nuts.
Also, I did have to use the "secure" method to attach the set pins. I wasn't able to turn the set pins anywhere near the 3 turns past them "touching" the frame as the manual suggested. And, they moved the first time I put weight on them. So, I drilled holes for the pins and tightened them into those holes, which is what the manual suggests as a more secure way to do it. The size of holes they recommended didn't exactly fit the screws, so I couldn't get the set screws all the way in, but they are in there pretty good and didn't move.
After that, I tried several different adjustments on the chains, and here are the results, with measurements at each wheel:
Before hooking up the hitch:
Front 36 1/8"
Rear 36 1/8"
No weight distribution:
Front 37 1/8"
Rear 33 1/4"
7 threads:
Front 36 3/4"
Rear 33 3/4"
8 threads:
Front 36 5/8"
Rear 34"
9 threads:
Front 36 3/8"
Rear: 34 1/8"
Note that the auto-leveling shocks moved the rear back up to 36 1/4" after starting the vehicle.
I tried towing about 20 miles with both 8 threads and 9 threads. They both "felt" about the same, but hooking up with 9 threads seems to really compress the springs, probably more than they should (I'll ask Anderson about that), so I'll probably keep it set at 8 threads unless my measurements show that, after I've loaded a trailer a specific way, it's not enough WD for my vehicle.
So, overall, as long as there no long-term problems, I'm happy with this hitch.
One thing is, though, with the Equal-i-zer hitch, I could dial up the WD as much as I want without seeming to put a strain on anything. I could push my front wheels down beyond the unhitched height easily. (I didn't tow this way, this just happened when I was setting it up and I set it to be too aggressive.) I don't think I could do that with the Anderson.
Here's a picture of my setup with 9 threads showing (sorry, I should have taken the picture at a lower angle):
