Ultimate Anderson Hitch Install

[Kent]

Originally Posted by frank_a

What an exceptional tutorial for small Chevy/GMC truck owners. Kudos to you Kent!

Frank

Thank you Frank!

All spacers now tapped and fit tested. Next clean and apply the POR-15.

[Kent]

Spacers are finished, here I have installed the spacers and frame brackets so frame can be marked for bolt holes to be drilled. Once marked, the frame brackets will be removed, holes drilled and POR-15 applied to holes and frame brackets reinstalled and attached permanently.

I will be making use of at least one existing frame hole and will use spacer for this purpose that came with hitch rail kit.

Almost there!

[phalaney]

Continued admiration, Kent. I click here every day just to see how you're progressing. When done, maybe a few "Hire it done versus Do it yourself" comments for folks like me with basic skills, but not yours.

[Kent]

Originally Posted by phalaney

Continued admiration, Kent. I click here every day just to see how you're progressing. When done, maybe a few "Hire it done versus Do it yourself" comments for folks like me with basic skills, but not yours.

Thanks, I had planned on a followup! Would have had this done sometime back, but still working and running a business limits time I can spend. This winter has been a real Montana winter and doing the work in the confined space of my garage has been a challenge.

Cheers!

[Kent]

Drilled and mounted the driver side frame brackets today. Ended up drilling 4 holes and not using existing frame hole as I thought I would. Once I removed the wheel I found I could make use of the bottom hole which provided more separation between the two frame bolts on the DS front frame bracket.

Everything worked as planned on driver side and anticipate the same for passenger side. Torqued the frame bracket bolts to 85 ft. lbs. per instructions. I’m not able to get torque wrench on the nuts going through spacers to hitch rails as they sit in between bed and the frame. Not a surprise at this point as figured this out back when I drilled the holes for rails in the bed.

The nuts not hidden by frame brackets will not be issue as I can get open end wrench on them and use cheater bar to get close enough. The nuts behind the frame brackets will be a bit tougher as not enough room to get wrench on them much less with a cheater bar, but have them pretty tight now with just the open end wrench. I would say about 50 ft. lbs.

[frank_a]

Wow! Nice work Kent! All for the love of a 5th wheel. I don't know if I would have that patience, but then again I have built a couple hot rods from scratch, so maybe...

Frank

[Kent]

All that remains is getting remaining bolts torqued and install the Husky wheel well liners.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Kent

All that remains is getting remaining bolts torqued and install the Husky wheel well liners.

Are those the standard bump stops or Timbren aftermarket?

[Kent]

Good Catch! Timbren SES, when I first got them I figured the frame would be touching the stops and called Timbren. They told me to try them and if the ride was to harsh, they would exchange for shorter version.

I can tell a little difference and would say feels more tight and not harsh, this is with the truck unloaded.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Kent

Good Catch! Timbren SES, when I first got them I figured the frame would be touching the stops and called Timbren. They told me to try them and if the ride was to harsh, they would exchange for shorter version.

I can tell a little difference and would say feels more tight and not harsh, this is with the truck unloaded.

Read good things about them, was thinking that would be the way to go if truck rode low with trailer. It rides level and smooth so the need has not come up. Please add some pics when you hitch up your new trailer and a ride review.

[Kent]

Sure thing, will measure the rear wheel well lip for before and after measurements too.

[Chotch]

Ok, thanks 👍😎👍

[Kent]

BACKGROUND
Soon after pulling the trigger on ordering the Escape 5.0TA I decided on the GMC Canyon with Duramax diesel to be my tow vehicle. Given this is midsize truck and no one makes bolt in frame brackets for this platform. I knew I would have to go with a universal rail system. Others have had Trade Masters install or they installed themselves. After looking at the various makes and models of fifth wheel hitches I decided on the Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch; mainly due to ease of removing the hitch and weight savings over regular fifth wheel hitches.

Since no custom brackets are available for the Colorado/Canyon one must use universal frame mounting brackets that require drilling or welding the brackets to the frame. Frame brackets are what connect’s the universal rails to the frame. Given this is a mid-size truck, there is not a lot of real estate underneath like you would have on full-size trucks. The Duramax diesel option adds an additional tank for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) plus other electronics.
I originally planned on having Trade Masters in Chilliwack install my hitch, but I decided to install myself given I had several months to install it and I like doing this kind of stuff myself.

HITCH INSTALLATION
Once my GMC Canyon was in my garage, I began the process of sitting the Anderson hitch in the bed and figuring out what holes in the rails I would use and where the bolts would come through the bed. I discovered the front frame brackets that came with my Reese Universal Rail Kit would not work. I could not mount them to the frame at the point where they would line up with the bolts going through the bed. I needed angled front frame brackets and found them through Curt on Amazon.

I ended up with universal rail kit with brackets from Reese and a universal bracket kit from Curt. I used the rails and knurled frame bolts from the Reese kit, frame brackets and one spacer from the curt kit and since none of the bolts from either kit would work due to being too short or too long. I purchased grade 8 hardware in the lengths I needed

Once I drilled the holes through the bed, the next problem revealed itself. The bolts came through right next to and behind the pitch weld flange underneath the bed. The bolts were so close to the flange it did not provide enough room to use nuts and washers without the nuts and washers first hitting the flange. I was not interested in cutting the pitch weld flange and if I was unwilling to cut the flange; I needed to bring the bottom of bed to the bottom of the flange. The good news was the area right behind this flange is a flat surface about 1.5 inches deep before it rises up and then back down across the pickup bed.

First I thought about stacking the stock spacers that came with the kits, but they only capture one bolt and thought a multiple stack of these spacers could slide out over time.

This is when I decided to make my own spacer that encapsulated both bolts providing more strength and a solid piece of steel would provide the ability to create a 2nd mechanical means of holding spacer in place.

SPACER TEMPLATE
To make a prototype I traced the end of one universal rail and transferred the outline and holes to wood. Since the flange measured ¾” tall. The prototype measured ¾ inch thick by 1.5 inches deep and 6 inches wide. I test fitted the wood prototype to all four rail bolt locations and the only change I needed was to add 1/8 inch of thickness so the spacer so it would extend slightly below the flange edge.

With the dimensions in hand I went to local steel company and had them cut steel bars measuring 1 inch thick 6 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep. A friend of mind took my prototype and made a cad drawing and I took the drawing and steel bars to local machine shop and they machined all the spacers. With the spacers in hand I installed them and tighten them as much as I could and drilled pilot holes through the flange and into the spacer. I removed the spacers, drilled and tapped the spacers for 1” x 5/16 x24 thread bolt grade 8 bolts.

Next I painted the spacers with POR-15 which is a rust prohibitive used within the vehicle restoration market. Once dried, I installed the spacers and the CURT frame brackets and tighten making sure they were flat against the frame as well. Next I drilled the frame bolt holes through the slots of the frame brackets and into the frame.

Next step was to remove the frame brackets and apply POR-15 to the freshly drilled holes. Once dried and using the bolt fish wire that came with the kits. I pulled the knurled frame bolts through the holes and screwed on the nuts and tighten them down until the bolt heads were pulled into the frame. I reinstalled the frame brackets and tighten and torqued all the bolts using Nord lock washers and Flange lock nuts.

The job is complete and ready to tow and j Just need to reinstall the wheel well liners and a 5.0TA fifth wheel.

[lzcamper]

Great writeup! You have really paved the way for anyone that wants to do the Canyon/Colorado installation. I learned a lot following your progress, but not having the resources and ability that it takes to do the install, I had a local person install the hitch. He mounted the rails using the next set of holes inside yours and mounted spacers (created with square tubular steel) in that location underneath the bed. Now I need to find the correct electrical T adapter to fit the Canyon and the correct size chain safety loops to fit my rails.

Thanks, Rick

[phalaney]

What izcamper said. All I can add is that I can spot at least a couple of quality touches that you included, over and above what Trailmaster's provides. And for folks who followed this and wonder about the project length, they need to read your reference to the fact that you did this in a Bozeman Montana garage in late winter/early spring. FMI, do you heat those work areas?

[Kent]

Yes the garage is heated, but the biggest obstacle was working in confined space.

When the truck is in the garage I only have enough room to slide by the front of truck as the rear bumper is within inches of the garage door. Plus only about two or three feet on either side depending on my driving skills when pulling truck in garage.

Made for some fun times and comedic visuals when I was installing the Clearview mirror on the passenger side. Let's just say I trapped myself on the wrong side of the passenger door for a bit.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Kent

Yes the garage is heated, but the biggest obstacle was working in confined space.

When the truck is in the garage I only have enough room to slide by the front of truck as the rear bumper is within inches of the garage door. Plus only about two or three feet on either side depending on my driving skills when pulling truck in garage.

Made for some fun times and comedic visuals when I was installing the Clearview mirror on the passenger side. Let's just say I trapped myself on the wrong side of the passenger door for a bit.

Ha ha ha!

I am in a similar situation Kent, trying to build a new hot rod in a single car garage. Like you, I need heat and have it, but the challenge is building a car from scratch in a single low ceiling (no rafters for a chain hoist) car space!

Frank

[lzcamper]

Is there a proper way to orient the Andersen Ultimate hitch in the truck and the adapter on the trailer or do you just set it up for your particular rig?

Should the tilt of the hitch pyramid lean toward the tailgate or the cab? Should the ball end of the pin adapter be closer to the body of the trailer or the nose of it?

Rick

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by lzcamper

Is there a proper way to orient the Andersen Ultimate hitch in the truck and the adapter on the trailer or do you just set it up for your particular rig?

Should the tilt of the hitch pyramid lean toward the tailgate or the cab? Should the ball end of the pin adapter be closer to the body of the trailer or the nose of it?

The pyramid structure is offset so that you can choose which direction (forward or rearward) suits your specific situation. The coupler adapter (which installs on the trailer) is probably only offset so it can fit around the pin, but it can also go whichever way works best for you.

[sleepy]

Nice work. Detailed, well thought out.
Thank you for posting the information and pictures.

Was it difficult to drill thru the sidewall of the frame?
I ask because I thought I'd read somewhere that some of the newer truck frames are harder (higher carbon, possibly)?