New Andersen WD hitch

John,

Thank so much for your response--just the kind of informed feedback I was hoping for. You make reference to the new SAE guidelines for weight distribution. I googled it but so far haven't come up with anything specific to weight distribution. Can you provide me with a link? I most definitely want to be within the SAE guidelines.

Thanks again,

Bruce

Bruce H. wrote:


I adjusted the spring tension until the front fender was within 1/8", which amounted to 1/4" of spring compression. I am a newbie at this weight distribution stuff, but I am thinking that there may be a little too much weight distributed to the front axle and trailer axle. Would appreciate your input on this.

You will notice a 20 lb. discrepancy in the figures. Nothing changed in either the TV or TT that would cause that. I am surmising that the CAT scale weighs in 20 lb. increments and that maybe the rig was right on the bubble.

Am comtemplating another visit to the CAT scale where I measure and weigh each 1/16 increment of spring compression, up to 1/4 inch. This should give me the info need to "fine tune" the setup.

Hi Bruce,

Your spread sheet is great. Thanks for sharing. You have a smaller truck and camper but we can see what is going on at the axles.

The 20 lb difference you are seeing at the scales is scale error. It is common to see that much. Remember they also weigh 80,000# semi's with these same scales....

By your numbers your truck has took on 320# of the 400# of your TT tongue weight. And in your case the rear axle is holding the 320#.

I checked the Andersen manual that states this:

Andersen wrote:
The goal of the weight distribution system is to get the tow vehicle and trailer as level as you can. With that in mind, here is the OPTIMUM setting for most installations:

FRONT WHEEL WELL: the SAME or within 1" ABOVE the initial measurement you took on page 4

REAR WHEEL WELL: the SAME or LESS than the initial measurement (but not drastically less –see next page).

If you are already within the above parameters, then tow your trailer for a few blocks to let everything settle and remeasure. If everything is good, then you are at the optimum tension for towing your trailer.

I highlighted the wording "The same" on the rear axle as "optimum". They are shooting for a level truck it seems. Level can be hard to do pending the truck especially if the rear axle in high to start with. I'm not saying level is not good, but more about what the weights are doing verses being level and you have the weights.

There are many opinions on what is proper WD on a truck and one size does not always fit all. From my experience I would not recommend you go to the "same" on the rear axle. That will push more weight up front and lessen the weight on the rear. With only 320# added to the rear axle that is the added weight to help rear wheels traction on slippery surfaces. Making that less may break free traction in some cases.

What does Honda say in your owners manual for what proper WD is for this specific vehicle? Some times they do and some times they do not. Does your truck receiver have a "weight distributing" rating? I looked up a 2006 Honda Pilot and on page 217 of the owners manual version I found is says something about a WD hitch. The weights of your TT seem to be under what Honda recommends for "other" trailers then a boat. So weight wise things look in line including your GCW.

If you follow the guidelines of the new SAE recommendation they want the front a little lighter then they use to. They are worried about oversteer. The concern is a heavy front may bite in so to speak and send the truck and trailer into jack knife faster when turning.

I would not add any more weight up front. A small amount less may help with the new SAE guideline. I would check your owners manual on a WD hitch and what is the sticker rating on the truck receiver. By what little they said on a WD hitch you for sure do not want to take off any more weight off the rear axle and add any more to the front.

Good luck and hope this helps. You provided an excellent weight chart. Congrats on this now you know what is going on with the WD part.

John

I have been following this forum with great interest and have decided to give the Andersen Hitch a try. Never had to use a weight distributing hitch with our Chalet folding trailer. We purchased a 2012 Lance 1575 TT in late 2011, and it will be towed by a 2006 Honda Pilot 4WD. The Lance has a GVWR of 3500 pounds, which coincides with the Honda's tow limit of 4500 for boats and 3500 for all other trailers.

So far we have had two 80 mile trips with the Lance. The first was without any suspension enhancement, and the Honda really sagged in the rear. Then had Timbrens installed, and there was considerably less sag and improved handling on the second trip. Still thought it sagged a little too much, and also would like the assurance of sway control even though there haven't been any sway issues with the Lance. So, decided on the Andersen.

The hitch is installed and have utlized the local CAT scale, measuring and weighing various configurations. The data is contained on the attached spreadsheet. Don't know how to attach a spreadsheet, so I scanned it and attached it as a photo.

I adjusted the spring tension until the front fender was within 1/8", which amounted to 1/4" of spring compression. I am a newbie at this weight distribution stuff, but I am thinking that there may be a little too much weight distributed to the front axle and trailer axle. Would appreciate your input on this.

You will notice a 20 lb. discrepancy in the figures. Nothing changed in either the TV or TT that would cause that. I am surmising that the CAT scale weighs in 20 lb. increments and that maybe the rig was right on the bubble.

Am comtemplating another visit to the CAT scale where I measure and weigh each 1/16 increment of spring compression, up to 1/4 inch. This should give me the info need to "fine tune" the setup.

Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum limit of 640px maximum width to avoid scrolling.

Just briefly read this thread, and it looks like Anderson may have a winner.
Little bit of a bummer that it costs $499 when there seems to be alot less steel involved when compared to the benchmark Equal-i-zer or Reese Dual Cam.

If they wanted to shake up the market they could have priced it less than the two top dogs....oh well.:R

I'll be watching for some more real-world reviews.

Mike

Sounds like the ease of use and adjustment is a real bonus here. The Equalizer is a pain to adjust. I will be watching these reviews carefully.

I would say the tongue weight on our trailer will be more. I added 4 6 volt golf cart batteries, and two bigger propane tanks to the tongue.

Logisitc,

Thanks for reporting back. Looking forward to hearing your report after the long trip.

When your hitched up next time if you can take a few pics of the hitch setup and post would be great.

Good luck and happy camping

John

I received and installed the new Andersen no-sway hitch yesterday. The install was simple. It required none of the normal trial and error tilt adjustments I'm accustomed to with spring bars. I loved the WD setup; I literally dialed in the amount of distribution by turning two nuts until the front wheel well was a 1/8" higher than original unhitched height. It was a piece of cake.

I had two small issues come up, both caused by the location of my battery bracket:
1) Install required moving my propane tank mount forward about a 1/2 inch to create clearance for the frame mounting brackets.
2) I had to cut a link off each chain with a cutoff disc in my grinder. This is due to the relatively forward mounting position I used on the a-frame rails. Handling this issue is detailed clearly in the hitch instructions.

I took a 50 mile test drive that showed lots of promise. I had 25-35 mph diagonal crosswinds to contend with on the hwy. Sway control was smoother but still comparable to dual friction bars. I found the elimination of trailer bounce was excellent and more noticeable than I had anticipated. I'm leaving for 1000 mile trip on Friday, I'll check in next week with an update. Regards

zues wrote:
Our truck is a 2009 Dodge Ram Mega Cab diesel. Our trailer is a 1965 Streamline Duke. I do not know the weight, but the trailer is 24 ft long. There is no cat scale very close to us, so that is why I have not weighed the trailer.

Streamline called it at around 3,500-lbs with a 375-lb TW for a 25' empty. Have a neighbor with a Prince that he renovated/restored and he reported 4,250-lbs fully loaded for a month-long trip. With that in mind, that Duke might be at 4,600-lbs with a 580-lb TW.

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Gallifrey, I will be interested to see your review as I have the same combo. My equalizer has worked well too, but you nailed its drawbacks. Plus the thing is a little heavy...certainly not a big deal now but somethign to consider down the road.