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SteveH · 09-17-2012, 02:32 PM

OK, got the Andersen hitch installed after taking the draw bar to a welder for reassembly at the right height. The rest of the installation was non eventful, but I did weld stopping blocks on the bottom side of the trailer tongue to prevent the side brackets from tilting or slipping. The brackets were installed where they are pushing up against the propane tank mounts on the top which prevents the top from slipping.

This trailer is about 3,500 pounds, and 400 pounds tongue weight. The adjustment for the proper weight distribution went suprisingly easy, and I was rather taken by the light amount of tention required on the chains to return the front of the vehicle to it's non hitched height. As a matter of fact, I adjusted it too tight on initial attempt, and had to back off to raise the front back up a bit.

I was towing the trailer with a Drawtite single round bar WD hitch with a single friction slide anti sway bar.

As a test, I took the trailer on a known bumpy road with a speed limit of 60, and my first impressions are the hitch is VERY good. The ride is much better than the ride with the round bar hitch, with much less bucking. It seems to force the vehicle's suspension to work rather than allow the hitch's suspension to flex so much.

I also actually tried to make the trailer sway by whipping the steering wheel at 65 MPH, and the trailer did not sway. In comparison to the friction slide anti sway bar of the Drawtite, I would estimate the Andersen is easily twice as effective, if not more.

I am very pleased with this hitch.

HowieE · 09-17-2012, 02:42 PM

Now there is a statement and pictures any apprehensive Bumble Bee would get inspiration from.

SteveH · 09-17-2012, 02:48 PM

One thing I might add, this was a before and after test because I knew I had not towed this rig in a while, so yesterday I took it for the same test drive, over the same road, at the same speeds with the Drawtite hitch so it would be fresh in my mind.

A HA HA killer??? Not ready to call it that, but it is good, very good.

At this time I would recommend the hitch over ANY other brand of standard WD hitch that I have used, which would be both types of Reese Dual Cam, a Eazlift, a Curt replica of a Eazlift, and the Drawtite.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 09-17-2012, 05:17 PM

Hi, unlike an Airstream, Your Casita's tongue and coupler are raised, therefore your chains look pretty straight.

idroba · 09-17-2012, 07:05 PM

Us bumblebees loves our kool aid. Glad to see more confirmation of what I have found with my Andersen hitch. My rig is one solid unit, and even though I never objected to my Reese trunyon bar or Draw Tight round bar hitches from the towing quality, the Andersen is better.

polarlyse · 09-19-2012, 12:05 PM

I'm getting very, very close to giving the Anderson a try. I got a newer trailer this past summer and it came with a newer WD hitch. ( not sure of the brand ). It has the round bars. My old trailer / hitch had the rectangular bars. I actually liked the old ones better than the new. The newer ones are a pain in the BUTT. I've had one of the bars fall out of the hitch and get dragged along by the chain more than once. The older ones were attached differently and could not fall out. So I'm ready for a change and I like what I've seen and read about these Andersons. I need to measure the ball height on my truck so when I call them we can decide which draw bar I will need. Are there any other measurements I will need to check on ????

HowieE · 09-19-2012, 12:17 PM

You should be Good to Go.

Man, for those with doubts, is there going to be a lot of used Reese and Draw Tight equipment for sale on E bay if this keeps up.

SteveH · 09-19-2012, 01:01 PM

Been looking at mine that I installed on the Casita, and looking at the Airstream.

I think IF I wanted to change to this hitch on the Airstream, I'd order the tongue brackets for an 8" frame, then weld them onto the frame so the square tubing is lower allowing a straighter pull on the chains. I believe this would help in reducing the chain wear that Airstream users are experiencing.

dkottum · 09-19-2012, 01:29 PM

I agree the chain tube alignment is essential to prevent chain wear, and the low position of the coupler on Airstream creates the angle if standard install is used. I started to install mine but have stopped to reconsider the methods.

The 5"-6" bracket aligns very well on a 5" frame if the bracket is dropped down to the upper bolt holes for the 6" frame. Just not sure the best way to fasten it there.

I could drill two holes into each bracket and through the frame, then bolt it to the frame. That would hold but would it weaken the frame (a beam can be drilled in the center with little effect, but these bolt holes would have to be near the edges)? Or I could weld the brackets to the frame and be done with it, but what if I wanted to remove them?

No hurry, a few weeks yet before we hit the road to see if a revelation appears.

Word of caution on drilling the frame. Besides structural weakening question, the electrical hookup to the tow vehicle runs inside one of them.

doug k

SteveH · 09-19-2012, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkottum

I could drill two holes into each bracket and through the frame, then bolt it to the frame. That would hold but would it weaken the frame (a beam can be drilled in the center with little effect, but these bolt holes would have to be near the edges)? Or I could weld the brackets to the frame and be done with it, but what if I wanted to remove them?
doug k

Welded on brackets are much easier to remove with a hand grinder, IMHO than welding up unwanted drilled holes.

I had to remove one of the little anti sway bar balls from the tongue of the Casita to install the Andersen, and it took me less than 15 minutes to grind it off. And, there was no remaining damage to the tongue.

Kosm1o · 09-19-2012, 01:36 PM

Or you can do as one suggested and weld a "stop" piece on the top (behind) and one on the bottom (in front) and then you can remove the hitch. The welded pieces would prevent the hitch brackets from shifting and you can remove them as well. It does sound like a workable solution.

SteveH · 09-19-2012, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

Or you can do as one suggested and weld a "stop" piece on the top (behind) and one on the bottom (in front) and then you can remove the hitch. The welded pieces would prevent the hitch brackets from shifting and you can remove them as well. It does sound like a workable solution.

That is exactly what I did on the Casita installation, except I used an existing propane bottle bracked for the top stop. However, if you used the 8" brackets, and mounted them lower so the chain alignment would be better, I believe more would be needed.

HowieE · 09-19-2012, 02:00 PM

The 8 in. brackets would give the extra drop to allow adjusting of the nuts to clear the frame. However I think it would be necessary to drill new lower bolt holes so the bolts were close enough to the frame to allow for the welded stops. Not a problem just a consideration.

When I get home after this weekends trip I will lower my brackets to use the upper hole for a 6 in frame and drill out the set screw hole to accept the lower bolt then align things and have stops welded on the top and bottom of the frame.

idroba · 09-19-2012, 02:55 PM

I keep thinking about alternative ways the chain and bushing system could be done. One thought that I keep coming up with is that the bushings don't need to be on the frame end of the chains where the small movement (chug) has caused the chain to wear. If the bushing was at the triangular plate end of the chain, the adjusting nut system would not have any movement on the frame end and thus no wear. Another place it could be is in the center of the chain, it just has to be somewhere in the chain system. The bushing needs to be in compression so some kind of a system which kept it in that mode is necessary.

I realize that this would need some re-engineering and have not come up with any simple design that I could make at this point, but maybe someone else could start thinking about it. The point would be to have the bushing unit separated from the adjusting nut so the flex would be there without the chain movement in the square tube. I can even visualize some kind of an over center side ways snap up bracket so once adjusted the chains could be tensioned with a lever action, something like the conventional spring bars use.

Yes, this is Andersen's issue to solve, but just thinking out loud here, how to make it better, simple and grease free, as well as attach to the frame easier, and maybe even more universally, for different frame depths.

Bill M. · 09-19-2012, 02:59 PM

What would you need to use the Anderson hitch on 2 different Airstreams? Just another set of brackets? What is the distance the bracket needs to be mounted on the trailer? I need to see if it will clear my propane tanks with the standard setup. Thanks for any information.

idroba · 09-19-2012, 03:05 PM

As I recall, it is 28" from the center of the ball on the coupler to the front of the frame brackets. I am not at home right now to measure it again. I posted the number somewhere back a ways in this thread but can't find it right now.

Yes, all you would need is another set of brackets for a second trailer, assuming you did not change the chain length for any reason.

HowieE · 09-19-2012, 03:33 PM

Rather than attempt to duplicate the set up for use on 2 different trailers. I would just do a complete set on each trailer and record the final length on the screws. With that information changing trailers would just be hook up and set the acme screws to the recorded length.

purman · 09-19-2012, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill M.

What would you need to use the Anderson hitch on 2 different Airstreams? Just another set of brackets? What is the distance the bracket needs to be mounted on the trailer? I need to see if it will clear my propane tanks with the standard setup. Thanks for any information.

I had to shorten my chains to clear the propane tanks, but it didn't work as I wanted so I lengthened them by about a link and it worked perfect. You could do it with one set but it might be easier to order chains and brackets if they can't go in the same place.

purman · 09-19-2012, 04:23 PM

Personally I would not weld in a stop on the frame. I would weld the bracket to the frame. There isn't an advantage welding in a stop and it won't look as nice.

I drove 15 miles to the weld shop to get my door frame fixed today. I had the chain brackets at my new angle. There was no chain noise or rubbing that I could tell. But it was only 15 miles. 400 mile trip to Zion in 5 weeks will be the real test.

I like the idea of dropping the bracket with a larger frame mount, this is an easy fix, but you will have to know some measurements to get it right.

With my angle and the brackets welded (not yet) I foresee no more problems. Waiting on replacement chain for the one that wore badly, before I weld it all up..

AWCHIEF · 09-20-2012, 06:36 AM

I do wish someone from Andersen would chime in here. I am curious as to what they think about the modifications (proposed and actual) that some are making. Until the issue of the rubbing was brought up here I had not even thought about it. Looking at mine I do see some noticeable rubbing of the chain and the housing but not sure if it will actually be bad enough in the future to be an issue.