ready for a better hitch...B&W or Anderson Ultimate

[Learjet]

Story:

I'm not happy with My Curt Q16 hitch, lots of slop starting and stopping, chucking on un-even roads...althought this might not be the hitches fault.

When Starting and stopping I can see the pin box slide on the hitch head about a 1/2 inch or so. This is a new hitch and a new 5th wheel trailer ...my first.

I have bed rails, no problem with them...So I'm thinking about getting a better hitch to use with the rails and my 12,000 lb 5th wheel trailer.

I have narrowed my choices to the B&W Patriot and the Anderson Ultimate connection rail version with safety chains.

I see many good post on each, but what about choosing between the two?

[Phydeauxman]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Phydeauxman wrote:
Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

That's okay, I'm still scratching my head over why someone would choose a hitch based on how easy it is to pick up rather than how well it tows. 🙂

I would trust the Andersen for a light RV but nothing else. Amazing how all people want is "EASY"

If the Andersen is truly rated at 20K+ then this must in reality be rated at 60K.

Check out this video...while they were WAY overweight for the truck...the hitch handled it fine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMW-ynhTatA

[Sport45]

The Companion is a beast and is rated for more pin and trailer weight than the Andersen. I would trust either to do what they are rated for.

The Andersen is lighter (obviously) because it utilizes KISS engineering principles. Simple triangular trusses carry the forces down straight lines to the base. The Patriot has to be beefier to handle the necessarily convoluted force paths from the top to the base. They both appear to be great hitches and all that's left is for the purchaser to choose the one that fits their wants and needs the best.

[Cummins12V98]

fj12ryder wrote:

Phydeauxman wrote:
Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

That's okay, I'm still scratching my head over why someone would choose a hitch based on how easy it is to pick up rather than how well it tows. 🙂

I would trust the Andersen for a light RV but nothing else. Amazing how all people want is "EASY"

If the Andersen is truly rated at 20K+ then this must in reality be rated at 60K.

[Tennessee_Nomad]

B & W Companion = My biased answer

[N-Trouble]

ramgunner wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

Probably some Andersen tech that didn't know better.

They indicated that there were no issues with the MORryde, however, MORryde also has a special setup for hitches like the Andersen.

Still pretty vague... Special setup? What are we suppose to do with that statement?

If there are compatibility issue with certain Pinboxes Andersen really needs to put this information on their website so people aren't making $600+ mistakes only to find out later.

[fj12ryder]

Phydeauxman wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Phydeauxman wrote:
Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

That's okay, I'm still scratching my head over why someone would choose a hitch based on how easy it is to pick up rather than how well it tows. 🙂

I hear ya...have not got mine yet but getting one. I have been researching this for a while and everyone says it pulls great with no clunking like I get with my PullRite auto slider. And easier to hook up as well.

Sounds like either one will be better than what you have if you're that unhappy with it. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

[ramgunner]

N-Trouble wrote:

Probably some Andersen tech that didn't know better.

I checked with them personally yesterday. "With the RotaFlex we do see where the setup can cause some issues with how the pin box is designed to be used".

They indicated that there were no issues with the MORryde, however, MORryde also has a special setup for hitches like the Andersen.

[Phydeauxman]

fj12ryder wrote:

Phydeauxman wrote:
Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

That's okay, I'm still scratching my head over why someone would choose a hitch based on how easy it is to pick up rather than how well it tows. 🙂

I hear ya...have not got mine yet but getting one. I have been researching this for a while and everyone says it pulls great with no clunking like I get with my PullRite auto slider. And easier to hook up as well.

[fj12ryder]

Phydeauxman wrote:
Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

That's okay, I'm still scratching my head over why someone would choose a hitch based on how easy it is to pick up rather than how well it tows. 🙂

[ramgunner]

up2nogood wrote:
Pretty tough to only get of the truck to latch , and raise landing gear.

If you are using the latest 6-point auto level from Lippert, it does a pretty good job remembering the unhitch/hitch height. You can pretty much just back up and hitch with it.

[Phydeauxman]

Considering that the Andersen aluminum only weighs 32lbs...I am scratching my head as to why anyone would choose to use something else.

[Learjet]

redhooker wrote:

Learjet wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:

Learjet wrote:
I spoke with Curt tech support today, and they confirmed that 1/4 " is about a normal slack tolerance with the jaws around the pin.

Sounds like you have the slide bar model of the Curt 16k hitch.

It's VERY secure...if the bar is across the pin in the back...you are locked in. The down side is that there is some slop with a slide bar hitch. If it is the Slide bar version there should be a tension rod at the back of the hitch head that is supposed to take some of the slop out.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

No slider, play in the head and too much leg to base rail play also.

But the sliding back and forth on head is what bothers me.

Just checking as mine were missing on installation, but are there 1/8 inch rubber bushings at each rail pin location between the hitch and rails? If not you definitely need them, as my Q20 would "clunk" each time we had a momentum change and almost 1 inch of head movement. After placement of bushings no issue at all. I called Curt they sent them out for free. It is however a definite design flaw they are fixing with these bushings.

I went through several packs of the rubber pads, they are made for the slider units, not my Q16 with base legs. The small foot print of the solid legs chews them up in one trip with the small foot print that contacts the base rails.

[jerem0621]

Thanks for the catch redhooker. You are 100% correct.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[redhooker]

jerem0621 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:

Learjet wrote:
I spoke with Curt tech support today, and they confirmed that 1/4 " is about a normal slack tolerance with the jaws around the pin.

Sounds like you have the slide bar model of the Curt 16k hitch.

It's VERY secure...if the bar is across the pin in the back...you are locked in. The down side is that there is some slop with a slide bar hitch. If it is the Slide bar version there should be a tension rod at the back of the hitch head that is supposed to take some of the slop out.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

The slide bars can break, my Dad's did on his RBW. They are noisy. I had a RBW also and cringed everytime I stopped or took off!

Thanks for sharing that information! That the kind of details we need in a forum.

The Curt like the OP has IS the grandchild of the RBW Lil' Rocker. The design is nearly identical with the only exception being the lack of side to side pivot lock outs on the Curt. Even the instruction manual is word for word the same in some cases.

Do you know how your Dads slide bar broke on the RBW? I have heard of damage happening when someone forgets to open the slide bar jaw but that can happen with nearly any hitch that requires the user to open the jaws before hitching. (I am not alluding that your dad made a mistake)

But I think your dads experience is the first I heard of the slide bar actually breaking.

Since there are thousands of similar hitches on the road by Husky, Pro Series, Curt, and used RBW's out there I think its worth the discussion.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I believe you are thinking of the Curt E16 as related to the lil rocker. The OP has a Q16 which is a different hitch altogether.

[Cummins12V98]

I have heard of others. His just broke due to fatigue, he did tow thousands of miles with it. I gave him mm RBW after I got my B&W then later when he bought his 11 RAM he went B&W and was very pleased.

He said "silence is golden".