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SteveSueMac · 08-10-2016, 03:54 PM

Chaplain - Doug has written extensively about his once positive but ultimately dissatisfying experience with the Andersen hitch. If you search the forums for "Andersen" by "dkottum" as author, you'll get tons...

After reading all the hullabaloo about it (often much more heat than light in that particular hitch's topics here...), I concluded the Andersen could be a very good fit for light tongue weight trailers tied to heavy duty tow vehicles. The 2 biggest complaints about the Andersen are incompatibility with a particular coupler (which can be solved in a number of ways) and the apparent lack of capability to move more than a couple hundred pounds to the front axle of the tow vehicle (thus my take that lighter tongue weights on HD trucks could be a good fit for the Andersen). Users who have had coupler incompatibility have solved for that and those that have tweaked it seem to really love it.

Good luck!

HowieE · 08-11-2016, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaplain Kent

I currently tow our 30' with an Air Safe equipped with equalizer and sway attached to a Ford Excursion 7.3 diesel. We love the ride and safety but hate the weight of the system and having to ask my neighbor to lift it on and off for me since I can no longer do it. I looked at the Andersen and thought this would be great but you say not, why not?

I have been towing a 34 for close to 4 years with an Andersen behind an 04 6.0 Excursion. Yes I did replace a failed Atwood coupler with a Quick Bite, no longer available. I just last year replaced the Reese system on my daughter's 7,500 lbs SOB behind a Suburban. Great results and improvement in both cases.

Chaplain Kent · 08-12-2016, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

I have been towing a 34 for close to 4 years with an Andersen behind an 04 6.0 Excursion. Yes I did replace a failed Atwood coupler with a Quick Bite, no longer available. I just last year replaced the Reese system on my daughter's 7,500 lbs SOB behind a Suburban. Great results and improvement in both cases.

Thanks for the reply and happy to hear from another X driver, nothing is better. The Andersen spiel states that the neoprene washer absorbs shocks and bumps, is this true? With our Air Safe I can feel nothing behind me. I also adjust the air for load and road conditions, will the Andersen allow this by adjusting chain tension?

HowieE · 08-12-2016, 12:04 PM

Once set up the chain tension should not be adjusted. That adjustment is the weight distribution. If you loosen the chains during hookup/unhooking you just return them to the same tread count on the lead screw. I do not loosen mine when hitching, I lift the combination until the chains are slack. This allows for offset in the approach angle of the TV also. Complete hitching time is less than 3 min.

If you are using an Air safe 0700 I don't see any way that head could be used with any WD system. If you have used it with a WD system please advise and if possible post some pictures.

Chaplain Kent · 08-12-2016, 01:07 PM

I have been using this set up for several years and we have logged many miles. Aside from the weight of the Air Safe I am very happy with it. Right now I am trying to decide whether to put it on the truck or use my driveway hitch to take the trailer 30 miles, it is that heavy.

HowieE · 08-12-2016, 01:28 PM

OK we are on the same page. Yes the hitch you are using will function with a WD head. The one I saw when I Googled Air Safe would not have. I have worked with one like yours on a friends TV. They bought the rig used and had no idea of how to set it up. Ran with it completely deflated. It is my understanding that as long as the Air Safe coupler bars are level with what ever trailer tongue weight is in tow the Air Safe is set to optimum.

Yes the Andersen will absorb some bounce when used alone, that is how it controls porpoising common with bars type systems. In combination with the Air Safe the bushings would mainly be the trailer sway control.