The Andersen WD Hitch User Thread

[sierrafun]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

"I am sure I ignorantly added to the problem by choosing a Ford F250 as TV."

I know lots of people who pull Airstreams very successfully with Ford 250's without the trailer suffering damage. I suspect you are hitched too stiffly or have a bad imbalance in the running gear. I think the Ford 250 was an great choice for a TV. Maybe your torsion bars are too heavy? Or you are transferring more weight than needed to the front wheels? Or you have 10 ply with 80 psi in them? I pull an older 25' with a 2500 Dodge that is not sprung nearly as well as the Ford and we marvel at how stuff stays in place in the trailer and does not bounce around.

Hi Bill,

Just yesterday, my husband and I were test driving potential tow vehicles (3/4 Ton Ford, GMC & Dodge) and he asked me, "Do you think we'll even need a WD hitch if we are towing with one of these big boys?" I told him I'd ask the pros on Airforums. So, what do you think?

[Airtandem]

I got mine today; now to set-it up. Looks simple and good instructions. Now to compare it to my Equi-lizer.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by sierrafun

Hi Bill,

Just yesterday, my husband and I were test driving potential tow vehicles (3/4 Ton Ford, GMC & Dodge) and he asked me, "Do you think we'll even need a WD hitch if we are towing with one of these big boys?" I told him I'd ask the pros on Airforums. So, what do you think?

It depends what you will be towing with it. For any TT (travel trailer) other then a popup an anti-sway hitch is very helpful some would even say necessary. With a 3/4 ton a 23' Airstream would be the biggest I would want to tow more then a short distance without WD, but I would rather not do that on a regular basis.

Using a WD/anti-sway hitch just increases safety so why not?

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by Wazbro

It depends what you will be towing with it. For any TT (travel trailer) other then a popup an anti-sway hitch is very helpful some would even say necessary. With a 3/4 ton a 23' Airstream would be the biggest I would want to tow more then a short distance without WD, but I would rather not do that on a regular basis.

Using a WD/anti-sway hitch just increases safety so why not?

Also, check the rating on the truck's hitch (receiver). On my F350's factory installed hitch the maximum is 500 lbs tongue weight and 5000 lbs trailer weight without a weight distributing hitch.

[sierrafun]

Thank you so much for the help Wazbro and DavidsonOverlander. We never considered looking at the rating on the truck's hitch. That would be an important consideration especially since the 27FB International has a hitch weight of 770 lbs.

Thank you again! It is really so nice to meet such nice and helpful people on this forum :-)

[dkottum]

It's more than hitch weight that you need a w.d. hitch, you need the sway control features as well. A 3/4 ton truck suspension and high center of gravity is not the most stable thing on the road in emergency maneuvers or if the trailer starts to sway.

doug k

[idroba]

I hope this thread can remain information about the Andersen hitch and not the need for a WD hitch in general. Just a heads up not to let the topic drift too far from the original title.

[sierrafun]

Originally Posted by dkottum

It's more than hitch weight that you need a w.d. hitch, you need the sway control features as well. A 3/4 ton truck suspension and high center of gravity is not the most stable thing on the road in emergency maneuvers or if the trailer starts to sway.

doug k

Hi Doug,

So do you think the Andersen Hitch will make a 3/4 ton pulling a 7600 lb Airstream more stable?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by sierrafun

Hi Doug,

So do you think the Andersen Hitch will make a 3/4 ton pulling a 7600 lb Airstream more stable?

Hi, I think the hitch [any hitch] is supposed to make the trailer more stable. [not the tow vehicle] Or I miss-understood what you are saying.

[sierrafun]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I think the hitch [any hitch] is supposed to make the trailer more stable. [not the tow vehicle] Or I miss-understood what you are saying.

Looks like I'll be buying an Andersen WD Hitch I love the ease of use and no grease! I was just looking on their website and noticed that they also offer a "Greaseless Hardball" (costs extra) but looks like it might work better than the ball that comes standard with the hitch.
Below is the link:
3453 - 2" Greaseless Single AlumiBall

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by sierrafun

Looks like I'll be buying an Andersen WD Hitch I love the ease of use and no grease! I was just looking on their website and noticed that they also offer a "Greaseless Hardball" (costs extra) but looks like it might work better than the ball that comes standard with the hitch.
Below is the link:
3453 - 2" Greaseless Single AlumiBall

Hi, this looks like the wrong size ball and for a completely different type hitch.

[idroba]

Yes, most of our trailers use the 2 5/16 ball. It is interesting that they have this, while saying you don't need grease on the ball. It is a new hitch concept, and I can see that there may be a learning curve from the factory as to what works best in the real world of us users. As I have mentioned, I use a little grease on the ball of my Andersen and Howee had found that a small amount of lube on the bottom ring and shank is helpful. I have been experimenting with teflon tape in that location, but have reached no conclusions as to weather it is really useful or not.

This is a great thread to toss out ideas and things we have tried with the Andersen.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, this looks like the wrong size ball and for a completely different type hitch.

You are absolutely correct about the wrong hitch. It says it's for the Rapid Hitch. If you click on the Rapid hitch button on the left, you can see it is a completely different thing.

Ken

[purman]

Originally Posted by idroba

Yes, most of our trailers use the 2 5/16 ball. It is interesting that they have this, while saying you don't need grease on the ball. It is a new hitch concept, and I can see that there may be a learning curve from the factory as to what works best in the real world of us users. As I have mentioned, I use a little grease on the ball of my Andersen and Howee had found that a small amount of lube on the bottom ring and shank is helpful. I have been experimenting with teflon tape in that location, but have reached no conclusions as to weather it is really useful or not.

This is a great thread to toss out ideas and things we have tried with the Andersen.

My 68' is a 2" ball.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, the more that I read about this hitch the more I understand it and like it. Now what about the frame brackets. How far back from the coupler do they go for example 29" to 32"s like my Equal-i-zer so I don't have battery box or propane tank issues? And what about the 5" to 6" brackets? I think I would prefer to have brackets made for my 5" frame only. Or is this partly why I see four holes per bracket? Any close up pictures of the brackets bolted to a 5" frame and showing which holes you used.

[idroba]

I will measure my backset for the mounting of the brackets tomorrow and give you the dimensions. My frame is a 4" so the 3-4" frame bracket use the top holes. The 5-6" brackets would use the bottom holes, but you could cut the top part off prior to installation if you didn't want the projection.

You can shorten the chains a lot according to Andersen, and they will supply longer ones if you want or need them for some spacing reasons. Mine fit behind the propane tank rings on my Argosy's just perfectly, but your spacing on a newer AS might be different.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by sierrafun

Looks like I'll be buying an Andersen WD Hitch I love the ease of use and no grease! I was just looking on their website and noticed that they also offer a "Greaseless Hardball" (costs extra) but looks like it might work better than the ball that comes standard with the hitch.
Below is the link:
3453 - 2" Greaseless Single AlumiBall

That ball will not work with the WD hitch. It is for the Rapid Hitch that they make and sell. Look closely at the pictures and videos on their site of the WD system and you will see why it would not work or is even necessary.

[idroba]

AWCHIEF: thanks for pointing that out, I sure missed it when I looked at the link.

ROBERTSUNRUS: I just went out and measured my chain bracket setback and it is 28" from the center of the ball to the center of the brackets as I have them mounted on my Argosy. For me, that is behind the propane tank bottom hold downs, which are welded in place on my rig. That dimension is for the standard supplied chains. The supplied chains can be shortened in the field for a closer mount, and Andersen will supply longer ones for a bracket farther back on special order.

[dkottum]

Okay, me too. The Equal-I-Zer has done the job but the light weight, low cost, ease of use, no grease has got to me. I prefer the Hensley/Propride design but the cost, heavy tongue weight, some difficulty hitching, and how we travel holds me back.

Perhaps the great factor in this decision is the jostling of us and our equipment on many older concrete highway sections. (No it's not the hitch adjustment; after many campers, it's lousy roads). Reports are this is greatly reduced by the Andersen design. Is it?

doug k

[purman]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Okay, me too. The Equal-I-Zer has done the job but the light weight, low cost, ease of use, no grease has got to me. I prefer the Hensley/Propride design but the cost, heavy tongue weight, some difficulty hitching, and how we travel holds me back.

Perhaps the great factor in this decision is the jostling of us and our equipment on many older concrete highway sections. (No it's not the hitch adjustment; after many campers, it's lousy roads). Reports are this is greatly reduced by the Andersen design. Is it?

doug k

I noticed a difference in ride with mine. I have not been down dirt roads with it yet but on the rough highways it smooths out the jolts that I got with my old WD.