Andersen hitch doesn't suit, any other recommendations?

[Prior_Pete]

Time to replace my old WD hitch. I'm towing an 8,500lb 36' trailer with about 1,100lb tongue weight. Any experience with Andersen No Sway hitches? It sounds like it might be just what I'm after. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Edit: Seems I have too much tongue weight for Andersen to work well. Looking for recommendations.

[Fstmvrerik]

I am very happy with my Anderson hitch, I have the 3394 model that is rated at 16k trailer and 1600 tongue weight. I am pulling a 39' Outback and the loaded tongue weight is 1200 to 1300lbs, the trailer max weight capacity is 14k. My TV is an F350 srw with ride rite air bags installed.

My primary concern in towing a long trailer was sway control and the Anderson hitch does an excellent job with my current set up.

I chose the Anderson primarily for quick hitching and un-hitching and ease of adjusting weight transfer with changing trailer weights. The hitch is silent during travel and does not need to be removed for tight backing (as is required with some hitches). I was impressed by the anti-sway characteristics after driving in high Kansas winds on multiple occasions.

I will note that the Anderson may not be a good choice if you are relying on the weight transfer aspect of the hitch. I can get my front end near unloaded weight, but not at fully unloaded weight. This hitch will not take the place of a correctly sized tow vehicle.

If you have an over capable tow vehicle, and are looking for an easily adjustable and user friendly hitch that is quiet, the Anderson is a good option. It is not as inexpensive as some hitches mentioned here, but it checked off all of my requirements.

[Ron3rd]

All 3 will serve you well. I use the Equalizer

[lane_hog]

I've been using a Reese Dual-Cam on and off for 15 years. Love it, wouldn't be without it.

[fx2tom]

I LOVE the Equal-I-Zer hitch. Towed a 36 foot 8300 lb travel trailer with it for 6 years without a single issue. Easy to use and does a great job handling weight and sway. Short of going Hensley I wouldn't go with anything else for my use.

[afidel]

Any of the 3 you mentioned will do well, they're all available in appropriate weight ratings and pretty well regarded. The one thing I'll note is that the Equalizer head is not able to accommodate different weight bars so if there's a chance you'll downsize in the future keep that in mind (though honestly it's more of a consideration for those that are likely to move up in the future, I think a much smaller percentage of owners downsize significantly)

[Prior_Pete]

Thanks folks, sounds like Andersen is out. Now I'll look for recommendations. Equalizer? Dual Cam? Blue Ox? Others? Oh ya, towing with 2020 Silverado, crew cab, 6'5" box & max trailering package.

[Ron3rd]

The Anderson has its application for lighter trailers but would be a poor choice for your trailer imo

[goducks10]

Depends on what you're towing with. I used one for a short period of time before getting a 5th wheel. I used it with a 2500 Cummins and a 900-950 lb TW TT. Worked great because I didn't need to return much weight back to the front of the truck being that the Cummins is way heavier than a gas motor. Front hardly lifted when hitched.
I previously towed the same TT with an F150 and needed 1200 lb bars to restore the front of the truck.
My thinking is I could've never made the Andersen work with the F150 but it was great with the 2500 CTD since it didn't need to transfer as much weight and the truck wasn't softly sprung like a 1/2 ton is.

Like mentioned above it seemed when they 1st came out and there were lots of trials with them that the heavier the TW and the lighter duty the truck the harder it was to make the Andersen work.

On a good note, it's a really nice looking hitch. 🙂

[GrandpaKip]

I have 600# of tongue weight on an Andersen and wouldn’t go much higher. 1000# probably too much.

[TomG2]

You are probably one of those people who do not get to use an Andersen hitch. Too much tongue weight for it to handle well. The hitch works very well for smaller trailers towed with adequate tow vehicles.

[rexlion]

Some years back a good thread on the subject revealed that when going above 700 or so lbs of tongue weight the Andersen didn’t have enough leverage to level the rig. I used one for a couple years with a 2700 lb (350 hitch wt) TT and liked it (but it sold with the TT).