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Old 08-22-2015, 05:30 AM   #181
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It took an act of God...........or Mother Nature?

Hi, eleven years, many thousands of miles and it took one Earthquake to make my trailer sway. [while parked in my driveway]



Like everyone else, I repeat my story too.
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Old 08-22-2015, 05:39 AM   #182
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Yea, but your story I believe. Some of the others ,not so much.
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Old 08-22-2015, 10:02 AM   #183
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Originally Posted by Danattherock View Post
Have a great trip man.

I'm going to buy the Pro Pride.

Sorry, PP3P


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You will be very happy with it.

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Old 08-22-2015, 10:46 AM   #184
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danattherock View Post

2012FB,

What tow vehicle were you using with the Anderson?

Dan

It was a 2014 ML350 Bluetec. After putting the PP on the stability was hard for me to believe. What a difference from all the previous hitch setups. Pulling the CO passes with the ML350 pulling the Bunk I reluctantly decided to go back to a 2500 HD Crew Standard Bed. While I probably don't need the PP I kept it because it makes towing pleasurable. You will indeed be impressed with the tow.

I am in agreement that if you have a tow vehicle (truck) that will support the tongue weight directly and only need dampening the Anderson will work well. I bought it because of the ease of hookup and how quiet it was. Contrary to the sales pitch it just does not have much if any real WD capabilities.

The fellow that bought it from me was going to use it on his large pop-up which would be ideal.
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Old 08-23-2015, 02:03 AM   #185
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Thanks for the info guys.

Very much appreciate it.


Dan
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Old 08-23-2015, 06:35 AM   #186
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danattherock View Post
My local Airstream dealer sales and sets up Reese WD hitches with sway control.Main intended usage would be weekend trips to Smoky Mountains of NC/Tenn. For us, that's 3-4 hours of interstate and 1-2 hours of twisty and often steep grades in mountains.
Dan
Although I had been towing boats and cargo trailers for decades, our Airstream was the first travel trailer,we'd ever owned or pulled. Having never used it on boats or other trailers, knew nothing about weight distribution when we bought it. The dealer (Out of Doors Mart in NC) recommended the Reese Dual Cam set up so I had them put it on.

I cannot offer you much in terms of comparisons but we use the Airstream a lot in the part of the country you plan to, on both interstate and back roads.

I have never experienced any sway or instability using it on the 1/2 ton or the 3/4 ton truck. It is easy to hook up, stow away and adjusts easily between the trucks.

I never think about it. Just works.
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Old 08-23-2015, 12:06 PM   #187
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That's really good to hear and I appreciate your input. OODM is where we are buying our Airstream as well, and of course the dealer I referred to selling and setting up the Reese DC hitch. There are certainly several advantages to using my local dealer for said service.


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Old 08-23-2015, 02:58 PM   #188
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I'm sure they'll install a PPPPP for you.


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Old 08-23-2015, 03:59 PM   #189
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Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
The Anderson hitch is basically an expensive friction sway control device, it is completely inept at distributing weight. Tried to tighten the weight distribution chains and after a long trip the urethane bushings were bulged to no effectiveness and the friction material was squeezing out of the socket. The chains had worn partially through (greasing helped) and the chrome was worn off the ball, the steel was then wearing.

In operation it may control sway, but like all friction sway control the trailer was pushed around by semi's and crosswinds (badly). With the urethane bushings completely compressed trying (and failing) to get weight distribution, it had virtually no flexibility (and thereby less porpoising) and a lower banana wrap panel at the front pulled the rivets loose on the Airstream. The steering on our truck was dangerously light on rain-soaked roads.

Then I learned the Andersen is not compatible with the Airstream hitch coupler, will wear the latch and possibly disconnect the Airstream from the truck. Andersen now includes that warning in the package but no other advisory. The solution is to cut off your Airstream coupler and weld on a compatible model.

Enough. I called Sean and ordered a ProPride, vastly superior in every way and exceptionally easy to use. The retailer (not Anderson) refunded my money for the Andersen.

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For future readers of this thread, please understand that the observations stated above are not what all users of the Andersen Hitch experience or have experienced. But if left unchallenged, by repeating them over and over they become “fact” when they are only one person’s limited experience.

My experience is very different. I am on my third season of towing with my Andersen hitch, and have many thousands of miles with it. I have two 20’ trailers, one an Argosy, one an Airstream. 4200# and 5100#, both with tongue weights of around 700#. Certainly not small or minor tongue weights and the 5100# FC 20’ is not a lightweight toy trailer.

I tow with a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 Overland with total air suspension.

I have set both up at the scales. I get all the weight transfer I need, and none of my axels, Jeep or trailer are overloaded. My front does not skate down the highway nor do I have any indication of float with wet or dry pavement. Remember, both trailers have #700 tongue weights, similar to most Airstreams. I am not towing a light tongue trailer. I know what a good trailer hookup feels like, with over 200,000 towing miles behind me.

I have never experienced the slightest sway, truck push, or wind induced uneasiness with the Andersen. Not once. I have towed over 80 mph, not often but sometimes on an interstate, things get away from you.

I have measured the hitch “chain wear” and it is in the range of a few thousands of an inch. Sure you can see a flat spot on the chains but there is no weakening of them. And even with total failure of the chains the only thing which would happen is no weight distribution, not separation of trailer and tow vehicle.

Any ball wear is equally minute and not significant. I am sure that any hitch will cause ball wear, just no one has ever found it a problem. The statements above would have you believe that in this hitch is a failure just waiting to happen. It is not.

The “bulging bushings” is a non issue. They work and do their job just fine.

The friction material used in the sway control “issue” is cosmetic only, and does not change how the hitch works or feels.

It is true that Andersen states that the current coupler used on Airstreams is not recommended with the Andersen hitch. Others, and I, have found that a simple minor modification of the coupler upper latch mechanism resolves the issue and I have had absolutely no wear showing on the part in question after many thousands of miles of towing. None.

I am sorry that one person’s negative experience must be repeated over and over and over every time the hitch is even mentioned in passing here on the forums. However that does not make it the feeling of the majority of users, or truth, or fact.
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Old 08-23-2015, 06:43 PM   #190
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How much weight transfer to the front axle and to the trailer.? 100% FALR? It's the most basic of WDH tests.

Scans of your three-pass scale tickets, if you want to defend the thing. Show us equal squat while you're at it.

The cheapest discount house WDH can do all of this.

Thus far, not the Anderson. And likely never.
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Old 08-23-2015, 06:55 PM   #191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by idroba View Post

My experience is very different. I am on my third season of towing with my Andersen hitch, and have many thousands of miles with it. I have two 20’ trailers, one an Argosy, one an Airstream. 4200# and 5100#, both with tongue weights of around 700#. Certainly not small or minor tongue weights and the 5100# FC 20’ is not a lightweight toy trailer.


I really appreciate the in depth insights.

But you are talking about two small lightweight trailers regarding 20 footers with 700 lb hitch weights. The 30' Serenity loaded will be around 7,500 lbs with hitch weight of 1,000-1,100 lbs as I hear it.

The criticisms I found regarding the Anderson are basically that it doesn't transfer much, if any weight, and it's suited to smaller trailers only, like yours. The only consistent advantage I found was the Anderson reportedly reduced porpoising with smaller tow vehicle and camper combos.

Or were you even taking my needs into account? Being literal in asking this question, not stirring an already swirling pot. So much fanboy talk here and fragile egos, it very hard for me as a new guy to decide which posts are self serving chest pumping and which posts are even being directed to me, the OP.


Dan
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Old 08-23-2015, 07:52 PM   #192
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Idroba, I have appreciated your many good posts but this one is off the mark. "all the weight transfer I need" is not a measure of proper weight distribution. Your air suspension is most probably leveling your Grand Cherokee (not the Anderson, the mechanical leverage is not there) but it does not distribute the weight, in other words it looks better than it is.

I had hoped not to post another Anderson remark, I'm sick of the thing, but only after the glowing b.s. reports by always the same very few people and running down the ProPride hitch I now use, I will give my own experience, nothing more.
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Old 08-23-2015, 10:24 PM   #193
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idroba,

I have no axe to grind other than I lost a few hundred dollars when I sold it. I also learned that the modern anti-sway controls on the new class of vehicles work incredibly well indeed.

I picked up a new 2015 30' Bunk with full awnings and dual AC. I am guessing 1,000 - 1,100 on the tongue which is what I told Anderson it would be. I am driving a short wheel base fairly well handling SUV. When I left Boise for Denver the wind was gusting heavily.

The dealer and I worked at getting the TV and trailer as balanced as possible but as I learned later we had the bushings compressed beyond the point of offering any give whatsoever. Once this occurred as explained by the Anderson Sales Person there is no longer any benefit to the system. It actually acts like a solid link and potentially makes things worse. My comments are first hand experience and if you could entertain my sincerity in saying that I really wanted it to work well. It is easy to hitch up and very quiet. I am very glad that it works well for you and you specific TV/Trailer combination. For my specific application it was dangerous and I immediately replaced it after speaking at length with Anderson directly. They agreed that it would not work with my setup. Had I already purchased my current TV a 2015 Silverado LTZ HD Crew Short Box I am sure I would have been singing it praises as well. My TV at that point would have handled the weight without having to compress the bushings beyond function.

Perhaps my more thorough explanation will help you realize I am not here to simply bash the product or design, but others might learn from my experiences and yours as well and decide if it is right for their application.
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