ProPerDoper

Hey folks....

I've not been on the forum for quite some time it seems! Sorry 'bout that, but life is full and time flies.

After quite a bit of research I decided to purchase an Andersen hitch in hopes of improving my ride quality. Many have advised that a hitch change (short of an air ride version) would do nothing to improve ride quality. In fact, before buying the hitch, I did just about everything I could for mods to improve ride, including: Front AND rear air bags, Torklift stable loads, Mor Ryde pin box, KYB Monotube design shocks, new trailer shocks and Dexter E-Z Flex equalizers with wet bolts, etc.

All of the above mods did improve ride quality to some degree, with the most effect probably coming from the Torklift Stableloads and the Mor Ryde pin box. Yet there was still this nagging chucking, hitch noise, and general battle between the truck and trailer. As an example on highway 4 between Discovery Bay and Stockton CA, prior to recent road work the undulations and resulting suspension rebound set up by uneven pavement would actually send the trailer sailing to the point that I could feel the trailer weight leave the hitch, and then come slamming back down with quite a shock. Noisy, uncomfortable, disconcerting, and enough to make me want to avoid that stretch of road completely. I could find no advice that would solve the issue.

After stumbling across the Andersen Ultimate Connection 5th wheel hitch online, I started watching video's reading reviews, asking questions. I decided the spend wasn't all that great relative to some of the mods we do, and pulled the trigger.

Installing the Andersen hitch is probably the single best modification I've done to my rig. (Ok...maybe after larger injectors, a tuner, J Hook for the turbo, boost fooler, intake, exhaust.... Seriously though....I highly recommend it.

In a word, the result was unification. The truck and trailer finally now act as one. The connection is absolutely rock solid with no play anywhere. As a result when you drive over uneven pavement, the truck and trailer suspension do their job together very nicely. No longer do they fight one another. No more chucking and feeling shoved around by the trailer.

Andersen covers some of the other benefits of the hitch well in their advertising, so if interested suggest you have a look at that information. For me, the key objective was improved ride quality, and I achieved that in a big way.

Highly recommended it.

Busboy

I looked hard at them about 5 or 6 years ago and the down side for me was having to use safety chains and the fact most RVs are not set up with them.

Hillbilly66

They now offer a safety chain kit, that consists of two eye bolts to bolt the block onto the king pin. The safety chain then connects to the eye bolts.

I also have the Anderson Hitch.

ProPerDoper

To date, I've been running without safety chains based on Andersen's stated position below:

here's the complete text from Andersen...


Safety Chains & the Ultimate Connection 5th Wheel Hitch…

We receive this question often and there is some grey area involved in the mandatory use of safety chains with our Ultimate 5th Wheel Hitch.


Our Ultimate Connection was tested, designed and passed the certification to be classified as a 5th wheel hitch – for which the vast majority of the laws in the United States only require the break-away switch to be used as the safety system needed. The only state that we are aware of with more specific laws is Indiana, which has written the law to state that any trailer coupled via a tow ball is required to use safety chains. We offer the safety chain set as part # 3230 to satisfy the cautious towing individuals and to appease the laws of Indiana and any other state that may have the same law that we are not aware of.

Busboy

Now that would make things easier, being able to hook on at the pin means not having to get into the box. I didn't realize that it is only Indiana that has the "ball" attachment requirement for safety chains, I'm pretty sure it's still all of Canada though. When I was looking at them the whole safety chain issue was "glossed" over with "you don't need them" when I knew it was law here. I went with the B&W turnover ball for goose trailers and bought a companion 5ver hitch for my RV.. I did look at the Reese goose pin box when it was introduced but I wouldn't have the clearance that the companion offers so for now I'm using that. I did like the weight and simplicity of the Anderson hitch though.

torquehead

I've only pulled with my Anderson a couple of times but like it much better than the Pullrite Auto we used to have....