Andersen Aluminum Ultimate Hitch Redesigned

[jerem0621]

I follow Andersen hitches on Facebook and they have announced a redesign of their Aluminum Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch...here are some screen shots of the Facebook post.





Thanks!

Jeremiah

[fj12ryder]

I think the fact that they're willing to change/upgrade their product is great. I think some companies are very slow to do that because they're afraid the public will think the original was flawed in some way and needed to be improved upon.

[crcr]

snippet ... This sounds like they had a failure of some sort and have addressed it with an upgraded product ...

Well certainly that is a possibility, but that statement makes the assumption that it's a given that a failure of some sort prompted an upgrade. With that thinking, one would have to assume that the many regular upgrades and improvements to vehicles year on year, are ALL due to failures of previous designs, which is not at all the case.

[RustyJC]

IdaD wrote:

RustyJC wrote:
Let me answer you this way....if ball hitches (including goosenecks) are superior, why aren't they used instead of 5th wheel (kingpin) hitches on Class 8 over-the-road tractor/trailers? Even those rigs towing double use pintle hitches to connect the dolly to the front trailer. As far as the implied integrity of the hitching arrangements, notice that safety chains are not required on kingpin-type hitches but are by some states on all ball hitches.

If you want to get into the design specifics, we can wade off into that discussion another time.

Rusty

Safety chains are required on ball setups because there are more opportunities for error, not because they're inherently weaker. Wrong size ball or failure to lock the hitch and you could have an issue, whereas a kingpin is a kingpin and it locks in automatically.

I like a gooseneck ball on rough terrain. Nice and flexible and no issues hitching or unhitching at an angle. Not an issue in Texas where you can stand on a tuna can and see 20 miles, but it can be important out west. :B

Articulation has been an advantage of a gooseneck-type hitch. That's why goosenecks are the de-facto standard for off road applications such as livestock and agricultural trailers. The articulation advantage of the gooseneck has been greatly negated by the use of modern double-pivot (fore/aft and side-to-side) 5th wheel hitches. I've never had a problem hitching or unhitching on unlevel terrain.

Having said that, I don't tow my 5th wheel off road. In my case, I could tow either way since my B&W Companion 5th wheel hitch is mounted into my B&W Turnoverball gooseneck hitch, but my preference is to tow 5th wheel trailers with 5th wheel hitches for my on road application.

Rusty

[Me_Again]

IdaD wrote:

RustyJC wrote:
Let me answer you this way....if ball hitches (including goosenecks) are superior, why aren't they used instead of 5th wheel (kingpin) hitches on Class 8 over-the-road tractor/trailers? Even those rigs towing double use pintle hitches to connect the dolly to the front trailer. As far as the implied integrity of the hitching arrangements, notice that safety chains are not required on kingpin-type hitches but are by some states on all ball hitches.

If you want to get into the design specifics, we can wade off into that discussion another time.

Rusty

Safety chains are required on ball setups because there are more opportunities for error, not because they're inherently weaker. Wrong size ball or failure to lock the hitch and you could have an issue, whereas a kingpin is a kingpin and it locks in automatically.

I like a gooseneck ball on rough terrain. Nice and flexible and no issues hitching or unhitching at an angle. Not an issue in Texas where you can stand on a tuna can and see 20 miles, but it can be important out west. :B

Have you ever heard of a 5th wheel king pin crystallizing and failing?

Crystallized balls do happen!

However different strokes for different folks!

Chris

[IdaD]

RustyJC wrote:
Let me answer you this way....if ball hitches (including goosenecks) are superior, why aren't they used instead of 5th wheel (kingpin) hitches on Class 8 over-the-road tractor/trailers? Even those rigs towing double use pintle hitches to connect the dolly to the front trailer. As far as the implied integrity of the hitching arrangements, notice that safety chains are not required on kingpin-type hitches but are by some states on all ball hitches.

If you want to get into the design specifics, we can wade off into that discussion another time.

Rusty

Safety chains are required on ball setups because there are more opportunities for error, not because they're inherently weaker. Wrong size ball or failure to lock the hitch and you could have an issue, whereas a kingpin is a kingpin and it locks in automatically.

I like a gooseneck ball on rough terrain. Nice and flexible and no issues hitching or unhitching at an angle. Not an issue in Texas where you can stand on a tuna can and see 20 miles, but it can be important out west. :B

[ramgunner]

N-Trouble wrote:

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

Sounds like a good idea however if you were stuck somewhere and needed to have your trailer towed your kind of out of luck. Unless someone else happens to have an Andersen.

There is that, and also folks that want to use a tripod stabilizer when parked would need another option.

If they can overcome the issue of getting it accepted by the manufacturers and available as a factory option, they might just become commonplace, and you'd see stabilizers made to interface with it as well.

They have not done so yet.

[RustyJC]

Let me answer you this way....if ball hitches (including goosenecks) are superior, why aren't they used instead of 5th wheel (kingpin) hitches on Class 8 over-the-road tractor/trailers? Even those rigs towing double use pintle hitches to connect the dolly to the front trailer. As far as the implied integrity of the hitching arrangements, notice that safety chains are not required on kingpin-type hitches but are by some states on all ball hitches.

If you want to get into the design specifics, we can wade off into that discussion another time.

Rusty

[Searching_Ut]

RustyJC wrote:

Searching_Ut wrote:

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

I think we may see something along those lines in the fairly near future. For trailers as light as we're towing with pickups, a ball hitch makes a lot more sense than the kingpin hitch setup. Far fewer moving parts and as a result fewer potential failure and wear points.

That's certainly an interesting opinion. I much prefer the kingpin hitch arrangement for any number of reasons, but that's my opinion. I suppose the marketplace will ultimately decide...

Rusty

Out of curiosity, what would some of the any number of reason be?

[RustyJC]

Searching_Ut wrote:

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

I think we may see something along those lines in the fairly near future. For trailers as light as we're towing with pickups, a ball hitch makes a lot more sense than the kingpin hitch setup. Far fewer moving parts and as a result fewer potential failure and wear points.

That's certainly an interesting opinion. I much prefer the kingpin hitch arrangement for any number of reasons, but that's my opinion. I suppose the marketplace will ultimately decide...

Rusty

[N-Trouble]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:
What does locking the RV to the hitch accomplish?

It will keep someone from pulling the handle and have the possibility of the RV disconnecting from the hitch. Yes it can and has happened.

Do you ever look in your rearview mirror while towing? Its right there... Might be a concern with a traditional 5er hitch that would just slide off, but its not like its going to jump off the ball without some serious effort.

On the other hand someone could just as easily pull the latch on my B&W Turnoverball so kind of defeats the purpose of having a lock on the Andersen anyways:P

[Searching_Ut]

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

I think we may see something along those lines in the fairly near future. For trailers as light as we're towing with pickups, a ball hitch makes a lot more sense than the kingpin hitch setup. Far fewer moving parts and as a result fewer potential failure and wear points.

[Me_Again]

This sounds like they had a failure of some sort and have addressed it with an upgraded product. Wonder what they would say to someone that request a free upgrade?

Chris

[Cummins12V98]

N-Trouble wrote:
What does locking the RV to the hitch accomplish?

It will keep someone from pulling the handle and have the possibility of the RV disconnecting from the hitch. Yes it can and has happened.

[Dayle1]

IdaD wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

Sounds like a good idea however if you were stuck somewhere and needed to have your trailer towed your kind of out of luck. Unless someone else happens to have an Andersen.

Why? Just remove the king pin coupler block. Then any truck with a 5th hitch can tow it.

He's responding to the idea of eliminating the coupler block and just having a pinbox on the fifth wheel that is itself compatible with dropping onto the Andersen gooseneck ball.

There is something like that available already, a rotating pin box with a king pin on one side and a ball socket on the other side.

[IdaD]

goducks10 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

ramgunner wrote:
It would be great if they could make a replacement pin box with their system built-in, get it "type-accepted" by the manufacturers, and have it offered as a factory option. I once heard they were working on that.

Sounds like a good idea however if you were stuck somewhere and needed to have your trailer towed your kind of out of luck. Unless someone else happens to have an Andersen.

Why? Just remove the king pin coupler block. Then any truck with a 5th hitch can tow it.

He's responding to the idea of eliminating the coupler block and just having a pinbox on the fifth wheel that is itself compatible with dropping onto the Andersen gooseneck ball.