5.0TA Andersen Hitch Safety Chain Question

[George n Mary]

We are expecting our new 5.0 to be available mid July and have decided to use the Andersen 3200 bed rail hitch. This is a ball type hitch making safety chains a requirement. I know how I will attach these to my bed rails in the truck but how are they secured to the trailer? Does Escape predrill the pin box end of the hitch for eye bolts? Pictures of what some of you have done would be helpful.

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by George n Mary

We are expecting our new 5.0 to be available mid July and have decided to use the Andersen 3200 bed rail hitch. This is a ball type hitch making safety chains a requirement. I know how I will attach these to my bed rails in the truck but how are they secured to the trailer? Does Escape predrill the pin box end of the hitch for eye bolts? Pictures of what some of you have done would be helpful.

Hi! If you’re using the kit from Andersen, it will replace the bolts on the pin adapter with eye bolts for the safety chains.

I’m standing in front of my trailer/hitch, but I can’t figure out how to add a photo of it to this post

[kavm]

The installer (ETI or another) will need the larger eye bolds that come with Andersen safety chains. In our case, we mailed the bigger eye bolds to ETI, they used them with an Andersen coupler from their stock, and we gave our coupler back to ETI when we took delivery in Sumas, WA. That was during the Covid phase when we could not visit Canada.

If you plan to use a lock - like what we have - you will want a certain orientation to the eye bolts so that the lock can fit over them. How ETI installed them did not work and we had to have that redone...

Hope that helps.

[Centex]

See this for the Andersen solution: SAFETY CHAINS FOR ULTIMATE CONNECTION; note the link to the installation guide on that webpage.

Or, you can assemble similar pieces yourself from other sources, just be attentive to the 'strength' rating of the components you buy.

[George n Mary]

Thank you all! I have a much better understanding of how the chains will attach with the eye bolts thanks to your response's to my question.

[occer]

Andersen hitch with out eye bolts on hitch.

Is there an alternative location to connect the safety chains?

[Centex]

Originally Posted by occer

Andersen hitch with out eye bolts on hitch.

Is there an alternative location to connect the safety chains?

Please clarify - by "hitch" do you mean ...

The component in the truck bed (and if so, is yours rail-mounted or gooseneck-mounted)?

and / or

Do you mean the coupler block affixed to your trailer kingpin?

[Jeremy Kessenich]

These bolts from Anderson replace the bolts in the picture below:

https://andersenhitches.com/product/...ain-eye-bolts/


I ordered my bolts and safety chains from Anderson. If you are using the rail mount you can order this set if you don't already have the chains.

https://andersenhitches.com/product/...ith-rail-tabs/

[Centex]

If you need the anchor for the safety chains on a gooseneck-mounted hitch there's these alternatives

Andersen Safety Chain Plate

Enixwill (Amazon) Safety Chain Plate

There's less expensive than Andersen alternatives for all of the safety chain hardware, either through Amazon or local bolt / hardware stores.

I like my Andersen gooseneck mounted hitch and coupler block, and they're the only source for those. But IMO their other hardware is priced outrageously; I assembled my complete and identical safety chain setup using the Enixiwill plate with all the other hardware sourced from my local industrial bolt store for a small fraction of Andersen's price.
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As to an alternate location for hooking the safety chains on the trailer end ... IMO there's none that's as practical to install or as unlikely to 'foul' as the eye-bolts on the coupler block.