New Andersen WD hitch

[JBarca]

A fellow camper bud showed me this. It's new and different.

Anyone using one?

Andersen WD hitches

A U-tube video with the factory guy explaining it. You have to get past MR Truck doing his intro. Interesting 5th wheel hitch too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvM7mCnqmwo&feature=related

It looks like this



I'll hold my comments for a short while to not cloud your thoughts. Ideally we can find someone here using one to quiz them on it.

John

[shades9323]

gijoecam wrote:
I say kudos to NOT starting a new thread on a subject that was discussed ad-nauseum four years ago!

Based on the discussions from earlier in the thread, many users didn't have great results once the tongue weight got north of the 600-700lb range. The leverage it applies to the hitch to redistribute the tongue weight appeared to be a bit limited, which isn't a surprise based on the geometry of the hitch springs.

As with all things in life, you're mileage may vary.

That is kind of why I bumped the thread. 4 years is a long time, perhaps things have gotten re-designed and are working better now?

[ifd22]

I tow a 31' Travel trailer with 900 pounds of tongue weight, weight of the camper is about 7000# My tow vehicle is a Ram 2500 CTD. I towed with this set up with a Equilizer hitch for several years, and other then the noise and weight of the hitch, it worked well. I switched to the Andersen last year. Bought it used, and after some fine tuning it I think it works great. Sway control feels about the same, and I am able to bring my front axle to unloaded height with 8 threads on the Andersen. The biggest improvements is the light weight of the hitch, zero noise, and very little bounce.
I am more then pleased with my purchase.
Another plus is Mine is an older model with the original brake material that they used. This material had a issue with it getting pushed out of the hitch. I emailed them some pictures of my hitch expressing concern with the material, and they had an entire new hitch head at my front door in 3 days no questions asked. Although I wasn't the original owner they backed up their lifetime warranty no questions asked, kudos to Andersen.

[gijoecam]

I say kudos to NOT starting a new thread on a subject that was discussed ad-nauseum four years ago!

Based on the discussions from earlier in the thread, many users didn't have great results once the tongue weight got north of the 600-700lb range. The leverage it applies to the hitch to redistribute the tongue weight appeared to be a bit limited, which isn't a surprise based on the geometry of the hitch springs.

As with all things in life, you're mileage may vary.

[BarneyS]

I think you will be right on the edge of the weight restoration limits of that hitch. You would probably have been better off starting a whole new thread about the hitch rather than bringing up a thread that is over 4 years old since the last post. Things may have changed since this thread started and it is possible that the old comments may not apply anymore.
Barney

[shades9323]

I would be pulling a 22' total length trailer with a gvwr of 5-6000lbs. Pulling with a 14 Ram 1500. Good to go with the Anderson?

[Flapper]

Just took mine off. Truck in sig., trailer is ~7880 lb loaded, TW of ~925, or about 12%. 32' long. I had full water to try to get the TW up.
With my F-150, front rise was 3/8", and I was able to get it back to zero by tightening the Andersen to "9" threads - about as tight as I could get it before the supplied socket ran out of bite. (started with the nut flush to the bolt when hand tight).
Several small instances of sway observed, and one bigger instance that set off the truck's anti-sway system/warnings.
Great concept, but I think I just overwhelmed it with too big of a trailer. Maybe if I could get the TW up higher, it would have resolved, but I kinda doubt it - too much tail wagging the dog for the friction material to prevent the motion.
As noted, a great hitch for smaller rigs than mine. But they seem to be very optimistic in how big you can go using their hitch.

[Gallifrey]

I used it for a while until I "upgraded" to a class A.

For sway control, it was great. It was also easy to hook up and light. However, I never really felt like it transferred enough weight to the front axles. Because of that, I'm not sure I'd use it again.

[shades9323]

Does anybody use this hitch? I haven't seen any mention of it around here.

[Ron_Gratz]

John, I just took a look at the link to "

2011 Chevy Silverado HD Unveiled

".

Unfortunately, that link no longer leads to the article which it did three years ago.

I'll do some digging to see if I can locate the original article.

Ron

[JBarca]

Thanks for the link Ron, I missed that thread. Wish I would of knew of it when it was open. My kind of thread.

[Ron_Gratz]

JBarca wrote:
Also for reasons not understood, GM now states how to adjust WD on a PU very different than the SUV truck line. Why???

John,

I don't know why GM now specifies that WD is "optional" for some trucks, FALR = 50% for some trucks and loading, and FALR = 100% for some trucks and loading.

I do know that Chevrolet announced nearly three years ago that WD was not needed for their HD trucks, Weight Distribution No Longer Needed on Chevy HDs ??.

I don't know why it took them two years to adopt the change via their Owners Manuals.

Ron

[JBarca]

Having been a prior Chevy K2500 Suburban tower, I had to go look up if they changed something. Not from what I can tell

The chart on page 9-68 (pdf page 326) from the 2013 Suburban manual lists this for the receiver :

1500/2500 Weight Distributing, 1,000# Max

1500/2500 Weight Carrying, 600# Max

On page 9-69 (pdf page 327) it talks about returning the front end to unhitched height with the WD hitch. Does not say the 2500 is any different than the 1500.

See the manual here: 2013 Suburban Manual

Here are some a pics of the 2007 redesign receiver that took the 2500 Suburban/Yukon out of towing anything larger than a 1,000# TW camper. Glad I had a 2003.


Here is the 2007 GMC 2500 Burb with the new receiver. According 2013 manual above, this fact has not changed.




If anyone has found something different on the new Suburban, please help show us how you found this.

Also for reasons not understood, GM now states how to adjust WD on a PU very different than the SUV truck line. Why???

The Andersen hitch used on a Burb, will need to obtain full WD to bring the front back to unhitched.
Note: Moderator edit to enlarge pictures to forum limit for easier reading.

[TomG2]

PHS79 wrote:
I am a member a few different RV forums, so I have read more than my fair share of threads about the Andersen hitch. From what I have read it seems like the Andersen hitch does a fair-good job of WD on trailers with a tongue weight of 800lbs or less, and that when on bigger TT's with weights of 1000lbs or more the Andersen hitch doesn't transfer enough weight back to the front of the TV.

I run the Andersen hitch and really like it, but my TT is fairly lite at only 6500lbs and a tongue weight nearing 700lbs right now. And with 1/4" compression of the bushings I am able to get the front end back to within 1/8 inch of its empty height and the rear to about 1/4" lower than empty:
(all measurements taken at wheel well openings)
truck empty-- front 40 1/8", rear 40 1/4"
camper hooked no WD-- front 40 3/8", rear 39 1/4"
camper hooked with WD front 40 1/4", rear 40"

For me this hitch works and I like it. My cousin was looking at buying a hitch for his 32' Kodiak TT. He liked the looks and ease of the Andersen, but I actually talked him out of it and into the Equal-I-zer since he a tongue weight just over 1000lbs, and told him that he probably wouldn't be as happy with the Andersen as I am.

Also I have been keeping my eye on craigslist and ebay for a Equal-I-zer, so I could try that and actually see for myself if there is a big difference being that this Andersen is my first WD hitch.

Well stated and thanks for relating your experience. I too would suggest the Equal-I-Zer for your cousin or anyone else with over 800 pounds of tongue weight.

[TomG2]

As Reagan used to say, "Trust, but verify"

The 2013 Chevrolet Suburban Owner's Manual has the following to say:

"Vehicle Hitch Type Maximum Tongue Weight

2500 Weight Carrying 453 kg (1,000 lbs)"

1,000 pounds of tongue weight will accommodate a lot of small to medium sized trailers and according to the chart, not require a WD hitch or 0% FALR. But who really cares?