Searching_Ut wrote:
For those unfamiliar with the Andersen Ultimate hitch, 100 percent of the weight of the trailer is carried by the bed of the truck, and none is carried on the ball in the bed of the truck. The truck bed ball is used as an anchor point with a pin that goes under the ball to anchor the hitch. You then tighten a bolt on on top of the tube that pulls a tub within the tube to pre-load the the base tightly against the bed of the truck. The truck bed ball is used for pulling to pull the hitch down, not to support the weight.
The other thing to keep in mind is that all of the pin weight for the trailer is transferred to the two set screws on the pin adapter between the ball and pin. The pin box not being designed to support the weight in a small area rather than distributed across the pin box base plate is what resulted in damage to my bighorn.
Well, for one thing, the Andersen hitch does not cause "100 percent" of the weight of the trailer to be carried by the bed of the truck.
Second, the pin weight is carried by a ball mounted on a cross member secured to the rails of the truck. Snugging down the hitch so it doesn't shift does not place pin weight on the bed. That 40 or so pounds of force is there whether or not a trailer is attached.
Finally, the problems you had with your pin box must not be widespread since yours was the first and only one I have read about on these forums.
