Understanding the Anderson "No-Sway"WD hitch

BenK wrote:
"Tinker"...AKA "common sense" is extremely rare... :B

Thanks Ben,

I ended up ordering a Pro Series WD hitch from etrailer.

They make a 550 lb round bar hitch. That with the Curt Bolt on chain hangers and I should be all set.

Jeremiah

"Tinker"...AKA "common sense" is extremely rare... :B

I have decided to NOT go with the Andersen and go with Standard round bar WD hitch and use the bolt on brackets for my chains.

After studying the links Ron and Ben provided and looking at how similar my couplers design is to the Atwood models that are not comparable with the Andersen I decided to stick with tried and true technology.

There were several pictures on the AIR forum that show the wear pattern On the back of the Andersen ball and on the back of the coupler. This tells me Andersens claim that no grease is needed is not accurate...anytime there is metal on metal moving surfaces the bearing area should be greased. Even though the ball and the coupler are turning curves as one the fore and aft and the axis movement is on the ball. The Tinkerer in me says that metal to metal surfaces will wear with no grease. Never mind the issue with the pawl that is absolutly a concern.


I will be picking up an Eaz-Lift 600 lb Elite Round Bar WD hitch and a set of Curt Bolt on spring hangers.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

If you are willing to bolt on the brackets to the trailer a-frame, blue ox makes bolt on-to-the-side rotating latches

Hi Ron,

I would LOVE to use one of those single bar hitches but the top of my a-frame is compleatly covered by a steel plate welded to it. This plate supports the top winch, propane tank, and battery. Crazy design.

The Andersen will only work with chain extensions... You have to go 36 inches back from my coupler to find clear space to mount brackets..

To use a standard WD hitch I have to use bolt on chain hangers...which are fixed, no snap up. :(

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Jeremiah,

Since you're limited to 400# tongue weight, have you considered:

Towing Products (Reese/Cequent) 66069 or Towing Products 66071 single-bar weight distribution hitches?

I've seen them listed for under $400 on the internet.

Ron

Thanks for the links!

Here is a picture of my coupler....is this a shark fin style that is not comparable with the Andersen?



This coupler is a Shelby 5101.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

If you were towing a heavier trailer, there might be more cause for concern. But for a popup the Andersen should not cause any problems.

I did go ahead and drill a couple of holes for the allen screws, to make sure that the brackets could not possibly slip. My installation required removal of a couple of chain links on each side to get the bracket placement I wanted, and this presented no problem at all... I was glad for the system's flexibility in this regard.

jerem0621 wrote:
Has anyone actually heard of a pawl being damaged from use with an Andersen? I know these have been out for about 3 or 4 years now and damage reports should be showing up.

Yes, the Andersen WDH has been known to cause damage to some coupler locking mechanisms.

THIS POST, and the one following it, are from a former Andresen user who encountered a problem.

Andersen has acknowledged the problem. From AndersenHitches.com:

NOTE: Currently the Atwood 88007, 88010, 88555 and 88600 couplers are not compatible with the Andersen WD Hitch (all other Atwood couplers are fine).

And from the Installation Manual:

IMPORTANT ALERT!

The Atwood 88007, 88010, 88555 and 88600 couplers are currently incompatible with the Andersen ‘No Sway’ Weight Distribution Hitch.
All other Atwood couplers work fine.

This potential issue affects the Atwood 88007, 88010, 88555 and 88600 couplers ONLY. All other Atwood couplers work fine. Older (pre-Atwood) Marvel couplers also work fine. Later models may not.

Call or email us if you have questions.
Because of the unique design of these Atwood couplers, when they are combined with the Andersen Weight Distribution system there is a potential issue where some couplers can become unlatched over time (due to wear on the internal latch system). We are currently working with the folks at Atwood to come up with a permanent solution.
At this time (Nov. 2013) the ONLY official solution we endorse
is to replace the coupler with a different Atwood coupler.
(See your local Dealer or contact us for recommendations on a replacement coupler)

Ron

jerem0621 wrote:
Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm still on the fence with it a little. I know that it would probably be a great hitch for my pup... Especially at only 60 lbs...it would help with my tongue weight restriction.

Has anyone actually heard of a pawl being damaged from use with an Andersen? I know these have been out for about 3 or 4 years now and damage reports should be showing up.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I contacted Andersen, regarding concerns mentioned by BenK.

Here is their response:

Tom - thank you for contacting Andersen Hitches. Your question was: Does using the WD Hitch cause premature wear and possibly failure of the trailer coupler?


No worries at all. Couplers are designed with a very high safety factor. The jarring forces of braking and taking off are far greater on your coupler than the steady force we are applying. Also, depending on the coupler design, we actually drive the ball up high into the socket, so for 99.9% of couplers out there the force is on the rear upper corner of the coupler instead of the latch assembly.


We currently have over 11,000 units on the road over a 4 year period and have had no failures at all and no reports of any undue wear.