Andersen Hitch issue

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

My dad used to quote the "ask the
Man who owns one"'whenever I asked him if a particular product was superior to another. He told me it was originally a Packard automobile slogan. With the power of the internet I checked on that tonight and darned if he wasn't right again. The older I get the smarter my dad was. Hmmm
Anybody else notice that?
Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... I've often said "The longer my kids stay in University... the smarter I get". My dads saying was "He new more about being young... than I knew about being older".
I never owned a Packard but I did work at Holiday Inn. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Zardoz

Hey Robert,

Are you saying that you can drop the triangular plate without loosening the chains? I too leave the chains, rubber bushings, washers, and nut on when I drop the plate but I have to release the forward tension or that ring would never drop (let alone go back on). What's your trick?

Yeah Rich, its really easy to attach the plate if the tongue is jacked up high. So, I hook up, then jack it up high so the chains have slack, and the plate slips on easily. As you lower it, the chains tighten. For unhooking, same thing. Jack it up high first, drop the plate, then lower it to unhook. Never have to mess with the chain adjustment at all. Just a periodic visual inspection to make sure the number of exposed threads stays the same.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gharper

I wonder why does the customer have to do the "warranty" work when the cone was defective. Why can't any rv dealer do the warranty work and invoice them?

This is the model (any RV shop does the work and the manufacturer pays) which Escape follows, because they have no dealers. Dealers are supposed to eliminate the need to deal with other repair shops, but that leaves a potential gap in areas where dealers are rare, unless the manufacturer is willing to work with both a dealer network and non-dealer shops.

Originally Posted by gharper

It appears to me that there are other parts that may need replacement. The chains seem to wear where they exit the square housing near the elastomer.

Chains rubbing on the tubes is likely a common issue with the Andersen No-Sway, due to the design. I suspect it is only a concern if the tubes - due to the bracket mounting - are not lined up with the direction that the chains must go to reach the plate. This is where a dealer or good support from the manufacturer would be helpful, to ensure that the installation is sorted out.

Which side of the tubes are the chains rubbing on - top, bottom, away from the trailer, or toward the trailer?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by J Mac

I'll bet that sometimes, the engineers that try inventing a better mouse trap end up using the one on the shelf.

Aren't you glad they try? There would be no progress otherwise... and no one would be towing trailers, or driving anything, or using a computer, or anything else...

[gharper]

Chains are rubbing on both sides at the bottom of the square tube as they exit.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gharper

Chains are rubbing on both sides at the bottom of the square tube as they exit.

So either the chains angle down to the plate from the brackets, or the brackets are tilted up at the front.

The head of the Andersen puts the chains about 6 inches below the top of the ball (easy to check with a ruler). The brackets hanging below the frame put the other end of the chains about 6 inches below the top of the frame, so if the top of the frame is the top of the coupler (which it nearly is, with the couplers I've seen on Escapes), the chains should be close to parallel with the frame.

My guess is that the pulling of the chains on the brackets (how hard depends on your adjustment, but normally hundreds of pounds per chain) has the brackets tilted forward at the bottom, tilting the square tubes up at the front and causing the interference. Do the brackets fit properly?

[sunrisetrucker]

As I have posted before we got the Andersen hitch but was extremely disappointed with it. As an equalizer it worked well, but there was so much wear on the ball and as well on the trailer coupler that it made me quite concerned. Sent some pictures to Andersen, and they told me that the wear was normal but I'm far from convinced, especially since the trailer coupler was also showing so much wear.

Also showing a lot of wear were the chains where they came out of the square tubing. all of this after one 6000Km trip (4000 Miles)

Add to that the sway control was horrible (It was nonexistent) felt every truck, van and even cars as they passed me. And the noise it created was none stop, even at hwy speeds to point were I was ready to just remove it and try driving with out an equalizer. I got a hold of the Andersen people and Reace and was offered a refund which I excepted, even though I had to wait almost 2 months. I have since bought a husky brand equalizer for half the price and it works great.

[Bobbito]

I wonder if your tongue weight wasn't heavy enough to let the Andersen so its anti-sway thing?

Bob K

[sunrisetrucker]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

I wonder if your tongue weight wasn't heavy enough to let the Andersen so its anti-sway thing?

Bob K

If that were true shouldn't ETI have said something? They did the setup and the install. After we picked up the trailer we headed straight for Kamloops to visit some old friends. We hadn't been on the road 5 minutes before I started to notice the poor sway control. (the noise started later) Since it was still March and we were going to take the Coquihalla I had kept my snow tires on just in case. And snow tires as we all know have softer rubber & less air pressure for a better grip. So I blamed the tires thinking they were the problem, but one and a half months later with proper tires at the proper pressure it didn't get any better, maybe even worse. The conventional equalizers have been around for a long time, a tried and true system that works. At leased for me they do.

[Jim Bennett]

After pulling with my Pilot, and without and equalizer hitch, for four years, then adding the Anderson WDH, I can say that it definitely smoothed out the towing nuances that I am quite used too. No sway in the least, and much less bouncing at the hitch. The two vehicles towed together quite nicely.

The insert on my hitch is starting to show wear, but still works great. To release the ball from the socket after docking the trailer, I need to use a big hammer and block to loosen it, so it is obviously doing its sway thing.

[J Mac]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Aren't you glad they try? There would be no progress otherwise... and no one would be towing trailers, or driving anything, or using a computer, or anything else...

Darn right I'm glad they try!! I was just making the point that sometimes a "better mouse trap" is sometimes just "another mouse trap".

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Yeah Rich, its really easy to attach the plate if the tongue is jacked up high. So, I hook up, then jack it up high so the chains have slack, and the plate slips on easily. As you lower it, the chains tighten. For unhooking, same thing. Jack it up high first, drop the plate, then lower it to unhook. Never have to mess with the chain adjustment at all. Just a periodic visual inspection to make sure the number of exposed threads stays the same.

I'm going to give that a try ASAP; thanks! Dumb question: do you leave the hitch latch secured or released when raising the trailer?

[Bobbito]

I use the same method to hook up and unhook. I don't even need the socket wrench then.
Bob K

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Zardoz

I'm going to give that a try ASAP; thanks! Dumb question: do you leave the hitch latch secured or released when raising the trailer?

Definitely DO NOT unlatch it before raising it. Last thing you want is for it to come unhooked from the ball.

[jxoco]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

I use the same method to hook up and unhook. I don't even need the socket wrench then.
Bob K

I do the same with the WDH. Put the trailer on the ball, latch it and lock it on and then start cranking. I don't even have to use the pry bar to put the chains on, I can just place them on the hook. Then crank'r back down. about half way down the chains become quite tight and everything is ready to roll. Just crank the foot up to its lock position.

[BCnomad]

As much as I like my Andersen, I will have to take these posts into the future for troubleshooting. I hope to hit 6000kms towing this year, so that should start to show the shortcomings, if any on my rig. Heaven forbid I have to start using a hammer and block like Jim B.

Like others, I can't help but wonder if Sunrisetrucker had a set up issue. I know on my nose light 21, having weight in the forward tanks had an impact on towing 'feel'. That doesn't explain his issues with his mileage though. Now that all my tools etc are crammed into the underbed storage, I'll likely list to the left.







---

So, two Andersen "secrets":

- cranking up up up will allow one to never need to move the retaining nuts.

- standing on the taunt chain to move the plate enough to straighten up for attaching nuts is ok, or at least what Dennis showed me one day..... (ie, if you unhitch at a sharp angle and the plate isn't square on to the trailer).

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I do the same with the WDH. Put the trailer on the ball, latch it and lock it on and then start cranking. I don't even have to use the pry bar to put the chains on, I can just place them on the hook

Thought I was the only one doing that. Certainly makes for easy on, easy off.

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Heaven forbid I have to start using a hammer and block like Jim B.

When you are disconnected, can you just lift the ball free from the brake material, Bruce? I thought the friction I was experiencing was a good thing, as it is what provides the anti-sway for the hitch.

[OneOleMan]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

When you are disconnected, can you just lift the ball free from the brake material, Bruce? I thought the friction I was experiencing was a good thing, as it is what provides the anti-sway for the hitch.

Jim, are you saying you remove the ball from the brake material each time? Or am I not understanding what you're saying?

[BCnomad]

Yes Jim. The coupler lock occasionally gives me grief but the ball and coupler are free as birds otherwise. Only 3000km towing though??


edit: oh, your ball comes out of what I jokingly call the "play dough"? Yikes, not here!