Andersen Ultimate Issues

[Searching_Ut]

I'm coming up on the one year marks with the Andersen Ultimate steel version approximately 5k miles with the Bighorn, a around 800 miles with a Presidential suites. I've given up on the hitch as it's causing damage to both my truck, and my 2016 Bighorn 3270RS. So far the truck bed is pretty much just cosmetic from what I can tell, spray in bed liner flattened/indented. Judging by the bed flex though I feel time won't be good especially if we head to Alaska which is one of our plans.

The bighorn has a Lippert 1621HD pin box, the bottom plate of which isn't up to supporting all of the pin weight on the ends of the two set screws which carry all the load with the Andersen hitch adapter. See photos for issues. Dealer won't deal with the issue, and after approximately 3 weeks Andersen isn't saying anything yet either so being as how I have a long roadtrip planned for the near future, I ended up buying a B&W hitch, which is installed in the truck already, and Reese fifth airborne pin box which should arrive and be installed Monday.









Due to pin box length, ball adapter is installed with ball installed aft of pin. Collapse of pin box base plate was slow and progressive over the miles.

[BarneyS]

I am tired of tying to keep this thread alive by editing or deleting all the trolling posts. Thread closed.
Barney

[Cummins12V98]

WTP-GC wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
I think that the PullRite Superlite may be the better engineered design. At the very least the king pin adaptor looks like it covers much more surface area.

Thanks!

It also has a much more realistic rating.

Based upon.....??????

Potential ideas to finish the above sentence:
1. eye test
2. actual engineering information
3. the fact that its made by PullRite
4. the fact that its not made by Andersen
5. product history
6. its prettier
7. they didn't do a crush test

OPPS I forgot to add "IMHO".

My humble opinion was correct since they re designed the Ultimate. I also said the hitch would/could dent the bed. I saw first hand of that recently.

I will REPEAT the ANDERSEN is a QUALITY product that IMHO is rated too high as another example has been shown by the OP.

[WTP-GC]

minnow wrote:

Like I previously wrote, every single hitch will have its problems for a variety of reasons. For someone however to base an opinion on 2 reported issues is not fair or reasonable.

I have 5 safety recall notices for my 2014 RAM hanging on my bulletin board. I've heard complaints about bad interiors on these trucks. Maybe I'll find another truck.

Ford had a real bad run with that 6.0 PSD, lots of problems. In order to work on the 6.4 and 6.7, removal of the cab is almost a necessity. Seems like a lot of work. Maybe I'll find another truck.

If I've heard one complaint about the DEF system on the duramax engines, I've heard 1000. Maybe I'll find another truck.

I hear that the Tundra can pull a space shuttle...

[minnow]

WTP-GC wrote:

Me Again wrote:

So everyone that has had a problem came here and reported it?

Why is this always the response of the critics??

So since two people came here and reported it, we should condemn the entirety of the product?

There's been 1 reported case that I'm aware of where (under uncertain conditions) the Andersen hitch base bent. And now, there's been 1 reported case where an RV frame component deformed.

And in the first instance, it was the first design of the hitch. The revised hitch now has additional supporting steel.

In this day of the Internet with all of the RV, truck specific forums, Facebook, etc, one could reasonably expect to have read of a lot more incidents if there were more failures.
Like I previously wrote, every single hitch will have its problems for a variety of reasons. For someone however to base an opinion on 2 reported issues is not fair or reasonable. One should purchase the hitch of their choosing. If what another guy buys is not to your liking, then that's ok and that's where it should end.

[cummins2014]

Searching_Ut wrote:

smkettner wrote:
I like the idea of Andersen. Hate to read a thread like this as I plan to have this hitch with my next RV. Andersen may need to start building pin boxes and skip the adapter.

Actually, I think a socket type pin box would be a great idea, the ball hitch is much simpler, with far less moving parts than standard 5er hitches. It really wouldn't be hard for andersen to build a hitch adapter that distributed the weight better. Ultimate setup would probably be to design a different baseplate for something like the mor-ryde hitch which I would think would be quite the setup. It's already rumored that they are working on something that would fit factory puck setups, which would be highly desirable as well. Seeing just how much bed flex I was getting when backing up soft gravel while sorting out my popping was kind of concerning. Over long periods of time that would probably lead to issues.

I don't think its a rumor, I emailed Andersen awhile back, yes they said they are coming out with the factory puck setup in Feb 2017 .

Unfortuneatly your troubles started with a cheaply made pin box that shouldn't have bent in the first place regardless of the hitch. IMO thats the last place they should be skimping on quality.

The bed may be just superficial ,but could have been avoided with shims, pretty much documented same as the B&W ball mount hitch .

Great thread on the Cummins forum about the Andersen, many many owners towing large heavy fifth wheels ,and toy haulers with no issues.

The Andersen is a great hitch used within their weight rating, but my opinion holds just about as much weight as the critics do, not owning or using one.

No failure has occurred with an Andersen hitch. Although B&W owners have dropped their fifth wheels, maybe a design flaw with jaws locked open., but mostly operator error.

[cummins2014]

WTP-GC wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
I think that the PullRite Superlite may be the better engineered design. At the very least the king pin adaptor looks like it covers much more surface area.

Thanks!

It also has a much more realistic rating.

Based upon.....??????

Potential ideas to finish the above sentence:
1. eye test
2. actual engineering information
3. the fact that its made by PullRite
4. the fact that its not made by Andersen
5. product history
6. its prettier
7. they didn't do a crush test

Its unfortunate that the OP had a problem with another cheap component on a fifth wheel. Sounds like that pin box could use a couple vertical braces in the hitch area, regardless of what type of hitch, those pin boxes should not be bending.

As far as damaging the bed, shims would have prevented that. B&W caused the same damage to beds until shims were added.

A gooseneck hitch would most likely do the same thing to that pin box, it would depend on how much area the gooseneck hitch sat on .

Its futile to try and defend a product when the forum experts have spoken, although they have never owned or used the Andersen.

Its like people dropping their fifth wheels with a B&W fifth wheel hitch, it happens ,but you read from the fan club here its impossible, but yet it happens. IMO the B&W fifth wheel hitch has a design flaw allowing the jaws to be locked open, its proven thats been the cause of dropped fifth wheels. Is it still a quality hitch, yes.

[WTP-GC]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
I think that the PullRite Superlite may be the better engineered design. At the very least the king pin adaptor looks like it covers much more surface area.

Thanks!

It also has a much more realistic rating.

Based upon.....??????

Potential ideas to finish the above sentence:
1. eye test
2. actual engineering information
3. the fact that its made by PullRite
4. the fact that its not made by Andersen
5. product history
6. its prettier
7. they didn't do a crush test

[WTP-GC]

Me Again wrote:

So everyone that has had a problem came here and reported it?

Why is this always the response of the critics??

So since two people came here and reported it, we should condemn the entirety of the product?

There's been 1 reported case that I'm aware of where (under uncertain conditions) the Andersen hitch base bent. And now, there's been 1 reported case where an RV frame component deformed.

[Cummins12V98]

jerem0621 wrote:
I think that the PullRite Superlite may be the better engineered design. At the very least the king pin adaptor looks like it covers much more surface area.

Thanks!

It also has a much more realistic rating.

[Cummins12V98]

WTP-GC wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

The "kingpin" did not bend, not really possible.

The metal support structure bent, which allowed the kingpin to be re-aligned. Last picture confirms this.

I stated FACT! Last picture confirms what I said. The exact same kingpin is used on Semi trailers.

[WTP-GC]

smkettner wrote:
I like the idea of Andersen. Hate to read a thread like this as I plan to have this hitch with my next RV. Andersen may need to start building pin boxes and skip the adapter.

Don't let this thread derail your plans. This incident is only the 2nd reported case of failure most anyone is aware of. The critics will claim that there are a few more, but over the course of nearly 20,000 units sold, that's not bad.

[WTP-GC]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

The "kingpin" did not bend, not really possible.

The metal support structure bent, which allowed the kingpin to be re-aligned. Last picture confirms this.

[jerem0621]

I think that the PullRite Superlite may be the better engineered design. At the very least the king pin adaptor looks like it covers much more surface area.

Thanks!

[Searching_Ut]

smkettner wrote:
I like the idea of Andersen. Hate to read a thread like this as I plan to have this hitch with my next RV. Andersen may need to start building pin boxes and skip the adapter.

Actually, I think a socket type pin box would be a great idea, the ball hitch is much simpler, with far less moving parts than standard 5er hitches. It really wouldn't be hard for andersen to build a hitch adapter that distributed the weight better. Ultimate setup would probably be to design a different baseplate for something like the mor-ryde hitch which I would think would be quite the setup. It's already rumored that they are working on something that would fit factory puck setups, which would be highly desirable as well. Seeing just how much bed flex I was getting when backing up soft gravel while sorting out my popping was kind of concerning. Over long periods of time that would probably lead to issues.