Anderson Ultimate and 100" wide 5th Wheel

[skidooman93]

Anyone here using and Anderson Ultimate to tow a full size (not a light) openrange (mine is a 2014 367BH) 5th wheel with a 2014-2017 Ram 2500-3500 short bed 4X4 and factory gooseneck/5th wheel prep. I was all ready to purchase and Anderson but I am concerned with clearance issues when turning. And clearance issues with bed side rails if the adapter is turned so the ball mount is behind the king pin, The openranges are 100" wide so that seems to create more clearance issues for some. Any help or experience would be greatly appreciated. I am not interested in a traditional 5th wheel hitch IE B&W only other alternative would be a reese goosebox.

[Searching_Ut]

Would need more specifics about your trailer to know for sure, but with the Andersen ultimate you will probably end up being able to turn slightly less sharply with your trailer than you would be able to turn with a conventional hitch. Most of the newer medium sized trailer now use a variation of the lippert 1602 pin box. It has a long arm, and will sometimes hit the bed rails of your truck when you have the hitch set low which you tend to have to do with the new ram trucks to get your 5er anywhere close to level. The Andersen pin adapter will either lengthen or shorten the effective length of your kinpin by 4 inches. More than likely you will have to shorten the length by putting the pin in front of the ball to keep from hitting the bedrails in tight turns.

The Andersen hitch moves the ball 4 inches behind the axle on a ram shortbed, which gives you the ability to turn slightly tighter, However, the shortened pin arm resulting from putting the pin 4 inches in front of the ball removes that advantage. I just switched from and Andersen ultimate to a B&W hitch a few weeks ago and returned today from a 2500 mile trip of a couple weeks, lots of different driving conditions. With my Andersen, I could get approximately 75 to 80 degree during optimal flat smooth turns. With the B&W which I have set back 4 inches same as I had the Andersen, I find I can get approximately the same 88 degrees, if not slightly more that Heatland advertises for their nose cap.

Bottom line, without knowing which pin box you have, and how high you can get away with adjusting your hitch, I can't tell for sure how you would have to install your Andersen Pin adapter which effects turning radius a fair bit.

[Walaby]

minnow wrote:
Is there a local RV dealer that sells the Andersen? If so, would they allow you to install it, drive the 130 miles to your RV and then you can determine if this works for you. If it does, you'll buy it from the dealer.

I couldn't imagine a dealer allowing this. If it DOESN'T work, then the dealer now has a hitch he can't sell.. or has to sell used, and lose money on it.

Mike

[kohai]

If you already have a turnover ball, maybe you could borrow an Andersen from a buddy and try it out. I have the steel version and would love to have the aluminum but already have the steel so I'm fine.

I tried testing the turning radius but got too nervous about the weird angles the axles and tires were bending that I stopped at the point I was happy. It's strange to hear and watch them do that. I've never tried to get to 90 degrees.

[minnow]

Is there a local RV dealer that sells the Andersen? If so, would they allow you to install it, drive the 130 miles to your RV and then you can determine if this works for you. If it does, you'll buy it from the dealer.

[BarneyS]

Enough! :M
Stay on topic or this thread will be closed just as many others have been when bashing and off-topic remarks become excessive.
Barney

[skidooman93]

IdaD wrote:

skidooman93 wrote:
I have never said I care about being about to make 90 degree turns. I understand that is a draw back to having a short bed truck and a non slider hitch. That is my choice. However having a turning radius of only 50-60 degrees is not desirable. I understand I will have to make more moves in tight campgrounds. And as stated before, I don't need someone to tell what can happen if you turn too tight. You can quit with the examples it is not rocket science.

Only one person has come along that has first hand experience with what I have asked. Everyone else has felt the need to chime in on what can happen if you don't have enough clearance, or what they feel about rounded noised 5th wheels, or short bed trucks.

I don't not have the 5th wheel near by it is located 130 miles away, I also do not have the Anderson hitch. I am asking for experience from others using that hitch with the range of trucks in question. Again I am fully aware that I will not be about to turn 90 degrees that is acceptable. But 50-60 degrees is not acceptable. I should have made this more clear but I didnt think I needed to. I have not asked for opinions only experience.

Can I make 80 degree turns if not give me an estimate, can I handle declines with out the pin box contacting the tail gate or bed sides. That is what I want to know.

I can turn at full lock either direction going forward with no contact, FWIW. Backing it will hit at some point. I don't know the specific angle in degrees, but it turns plenty tight for my needs. Being able to turn 90 degrees is pretty meaningless in the real world.

I appreciate your info. I plan to contact Anderson Tomorrow. But that is kind of what I needed to hear. I would like to hear from some others that tow with similar set ups.

[IdaD]

skidooman93 wrote:
I have never said I care about being about to make 90 degree turns. I understand that is a draw back to having a short bed truck and a non slider hitch. That is my choice. However having a turning radius of only 50-60 degrees is not desirable. I understand I will have to make more moves in tight campgrounds. And as stated before, I don't need someone to tell what can happen if you turn too tight. You can quit with the examples it is not rocket science.

Only one person has come along that has first hand experience with what I have asked. Everyone else has felt the need to chime in on what can happen if you don't have enough clearance, or what they feel about rounded noised 5th wheels, or short bed trucks.

I don't not have the 5th wheel near by it is located 130 miles away, I also do not have the Anderson hitch. I am asking for experience from others using that hitch with the range of trucks in question. Again I am fully aware that I will not be about to turn 90 degrees that is acceptable. But 50-60 degrees is not acceptable. I should have made this more clear but I didnt think I needed to. I have not asked for opinions only experience.

Can I make 80 degree turns if not give me an estimate, can I handle declines with out the pin box contacting the tail gate or bed sides. That is what I want to know.

I can turn at full lock either direction going forward with no contact, FWIW. Backing it will hit at some point. I don't know the specific angle in degrees, but it turns plenty tight for my needs. Being able to turn 90 degrees is pretty meaningless in the real world.

[skidooman93]

I have never said I care about being about to make 90 degree turns. I understand that is a draw back to having a short bed truck and a non slider hitch. That is my choice. However having a turning radius of only 50-60 degrees is not desirable. I understand I will have to make more moves in tight campgrounds. And as stated before, I don't need someone to tell what can happen if you turn too tight. You can quit with the examples it is not rocket science.

Only one person has come along that has first hand experience with what I have asked. Everyone else has felt the need to chime in on what can happen if you don't have enough clearance, or what they feel about rounded noised 5th wheels, or short bed trucks.

I don't not have the 5th wheel near by it is located 130 miles away, I also do not have the Anderson hitch. I am asking for experience from others using that hitch with the range of trucks in question. Again I am fully aware that I will not be about to turn 90 degrees that is acceptable. But 50-60 degrees is not acceptable. I should have made this more clear but I didnt think I needed to. I have not asked for opinions only experience.

Can I make 80 degree turns if not give me an estimate, can I handle declines with out the pin box contacting the tail gate or bed sides. That is what I want to know.

[Me_Again]

garyp4951 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
From TDR

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/254427-Forget-what-I-said-about-Andersen-hitch?highlight...

This truck looks like it was at a 90 degrees, and no 5er hitch will prevent that.

If it went 90% the rear passenger side area of the cab would be smashed in.

A tape measure will show about where is hit. The corner of the trailer shows damage where it hit the corner of the window frame.

Another little detail is RAM SB is the shortest of the group, but stuff happens unless someone is standing right there to stop you.

Chris

[rhagfo]

garyp4951 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
From TDR

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/254427-Forget-what-I-said-about-Andersen-hitch?highlight...

This truck looks like it was at a 90 degrees, and no 5er hitch will p

If you read a bit farther there was a guy with a regular 5er hitch that knocked the window out of his long bed too!!

Chris

Boy, people sure get touch about their Andersen hitches. I have read most of the post in this thread, and haven't seen a direct Andersen slam.

Most have pointed out that with a fixed hitch mounted over the axle the distance from the pin to the back of the cab will be less than half the width of the 5er. That the curved front will help, but unless you have over 50" in the OP's case you will hit the cab.

To the OP, take a couple sticks, place a soup can on the end of one and place over the Andersen ball.
Measure back from the 5er pin adapter socket, the distance the front corners of the front cap are, at this point on the main stick place a 100" long cross stick, see where the end of the cross stick hit the cab.

[csamayfield55x]

garyp4951 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
From TDR

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/254427-Forget-what-I-said-about-Andersen-hitch?highlight...

This truck looks like it was at a 90 degrees, and no 5er hitch will prevent that.

If you read a bit farther there was a guy with a regular 5er hitch that knocked the window out of his long bed too!!

Chris

[garyp4951]

Me Again wrote:
From TDR

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/254427-Forget-what-I-said-about-Andersen-hitch?highlight...

This truck looks like it was at a 90 degrees, and no 5er hitch will prevent that.

[ralphnjoann]

Allworth wrote:
Gee! Doesn't that make you special!

Way to be sure that a lot of people will be ready to help you with any future problem you might have!

I think a lot of people will be willing to help him because a lot of people, myself included, agree with him.

Watch this thread get closed because of its direction. If you don't believe it, look at previous discussions involving Andersen. How is the OP helped, or anyone else for that matter, when this happens?

[larry_barnhart]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Op you are not the only one who reads these posts there are a lot of people just reading and learning. So if someone gives info you don't like or did not ask for just go to the next response. There is always the BLOCK option that I will never use. EVERYONE has info that can be used.

. This is true. It needs to be information for who needs it for them to make up their mind and use their money as they want. Chevman

[Cummins12V98]

Op you are not the only one who reads these posts there are a lot of people just reading and learning. So if someone gives info you don't like or did not ask for just go to the next response. There is always the BLOCK option that I will never use. EVERYONE has info that can be used.