Anderson Ultimate 3200 (Universal Rail Mount)
Ok folks, here goes... To a small degree, I screwed up. When I bought my Ram in October I didn't get the factory 5th wheel package PUC system. I wanted it, but the truck I got was exactly what I was ...
Forum Discussion
fj12ryder wrote:
Do you think they redesigned the hitch to make it prettier or to make it stronger? If it was plenty strong enough before, then why the need for a redesign?
This is undeniable. Andersen in fact even acknowledged that the redesign was done in part to make it a stronger unit. Doesn't mean that it wasn't strong enough to start with.
fj12ryder wrote:
And IMO Anderson wouldn't be replacing hitches when asked, if they didn't feel that it was a good idea to get the older hitches out of use.
This seems to be a mostly unsubstantiated rumor. I have read where a few people have requested replacements and a few have received them. But what circumstances led to such an agreement between Andersen and the customer is something we're not privileged to know. I guess you don't kiss and tell...
fj12ryder wrote:
As far as the "Faulty hitch or faulty install ??", the hitch didn't break loose from the bed, the main support post bent due to stresses of a panic stop. Hard to really see how a faulty installation could cause the thing to bend like that.
Correct installation is paramount to the success of this hitch (and any other hitch for that matter). Imagine leaving a pin or 2 out of the traditional rail-mount hitch. If there was too much force in the direction opposite those pins, it may not disconnect from the truck or trailer, but it will become dislodged and likely lead to a lot of damage. The Andersen relies on the correct amount of downward pressure so that it makes full contact with the bed and spreads the weight evenly. If it gets loose, it will disproportionately concentrate the weight on certain areas. The now-famous person who started all this hitch bending discussion over on the cumminsforum later admitted that he had not installed his hitch properly. Now to his credit, he installed it based upon the original instructions (which was apparently all he knew) and Andersen later revised these instructions to change the tightening sequence. With the physics involved with this type of hitch arrangement, proper installation is a key part of maintaining the structural stability.
