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Old 08-09-2017, 09:41 AM   #61
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One thing to remember or consider, is that if hitched up with the Anderson Ulitimate, at least to a F-150, you cannot access anything from behind. The tailgate opens fine when straight inline, but you have only an inch or two clearance to the trailer frame. There is also minimal headroom. I have got into the habit of backing to within a couple feet, connecting everything, closing the tailgate, then backing in all the way. I do the reverse when disconnecting too.

With the Bigfoot, I could open the tailgate when hitched, at least when the trailer was mostly in line with the truck. I could also walk between the trailer and truck when hitched (I had to duck a bit).

I'll have to learn new habits, but it's well worth the effort for my shiny new Escape. With the Escape closer to the truck and a foot shorter (less tall), I should get better gas mileage.

29 days until Jackie Day.
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Old 08-09-2017, 09:50 AM   #62
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Originally Posted by ReagentGrade View Post
With the Bigfoot, I could open the tailgate when hitched, at least when the trailer was mostly in line with the truck. I could also walk between the trailer and truck when hitched (I had to duck a bit).

I'll have to learn new habits, but it's well worth the effort for my shiny new Escape. With the Escape closer to the truck and a foot shorter (less tall), I should get better gas mileage.

29 days until Jackie Day.
I could with my Anderson and my temp trailer last year too. I could use the pin adapter with the ball ahead. Escape is using a different pin box though, and unfortunately can't turn the adapter around. Not a huge deal though, as I have good clearances all around, just no room behind with the tailgate open. Small price to pay to use this trailer, plus it keeps the overall length nice and short.

Jackie Day?
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Old 08-09-2017, 09:50 AM   #63
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All,

I've also been contemplating the Ft Knox lock. I didn't know I'd have to remove the chains reach time I unhitch. But if I reverse the chains and put the "loops" on the chain hooks in the bed, that might be OK. I'll evaluate rattling chains when I have them.

BTW, I find that all I had to do to attach the chains on my Bigfoot was sit on the tailgate, lean onto my back, and reach up. Attaching the brake cable is more trouble than the chains. With the hitch adapter reversed on the Escape, the chains should be even easier. I have a RWD F150, so it is lower than the 4x4s.

With the chain hooks of the back rail (closer to the tailgate), I have a lot of loose chain, even when crossed. I may try putting the chain hooks on the front rail and thread them through the pedestal. If there is enough chan left to allow sharp turns, I'll probably use it that way. I don't think I really need chains, but if I have them, I want to use them to best advantage.

Thanks for all the good info.

Rich


I have the pin adapter facing rear as well as offset of the ball. The chain rings are mounted to rear rail and I shortened them 1/2 dozen links, may shorten some more after I see what I need for maximum turn.
I thought about the locking pins but figured hitch is pretty hard to steal with trailer connected, and when it's not I have a hard locking tonneau that gets it out of sight as well as a small margin of security.


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Old 08-09-2017, 10:04 AM   #64
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Originally Posted by ReagentGrade View Post
With the Bigfoot, I could open the tailgate when hitched, at least when the trailer was mostly in line with the truck. I could also walk between the trailer and truck when hitched (I had to duck a bit).

I'll have to learn new habits, but it's well worth the effort for my shiny new Escape. With the Escape closer to the truck and a foot shorter (less tall), I should get better gas mileage.

29 days until Jackie Day.


I got 15 1/2 - 16 1/2 mpg towing from CT to Lake Champlain and the combination truck trailer and hitch worked great. After reading a post by Jim Bennet about reversing the pin adapter I did it and it allowed me drop the ball to the bottom position which now has trailer towing almost perfectly level and clearance all around for the pin box.


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Old 08-09-2017, 10:20 AM   #65
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Jackie Day?

Jim, it's a long story. The short version is:

My trailer will be named Jackie's Escape, or just Jackie.

Jackie was a sailor whirlygig my grandparents bought in 1928 while vacationing in New England. They brought Jackie home and put him up at their beach house. My mom and her brothers spent their summers at the beach house. Later they brought their kids to the beach house. For my "clan" Jackie symbolizes the many happy memories we had from the beach.

Someday maybe I'll inflict the full story upon you over a cup of home roasted coffee.

I use Jackie's image as my avatar.
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Old 08-09-2017, 10:39 AM   #66
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Jim, it's a long story. The short version is:

My trailer will be named Jackie's Escape, or just Jackie.

Jackie was a sailor whirlygig my grandparents bought in 1928 while vacationing in New England. They brought Jackie home and put him up at their beach house. My mom and her brothers spent their summers at the beach house. Later they brought their kids to the beach house. For my "clan" Jackie symbolizes the many happy memories we had from the beach.

Someday maybe I'll inflict the full story upon you over a cup of home roasted coffee.

I use Jackie's image as my avatar.
Kewl story, Rich. I am wiser now. Happy Jackie day when it finally comes.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:22 PM   #67
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why would you need chains at all with an Anderson rail mount fifth wheel hitch (not ball attachment)? i thought you did not need chains with a fifth wheel hitch? I can reach the hitch just reaching down to clip chains on both sides of the hitch would be hard.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:22 PM   #68
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... might change and go with the traditional Anderson with the rails if it means I have to fasten chains when I hitch up
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why would you need chains at all with an Anderson rail mount fifth wheel hitch (not ball attachment)? i thought you did not need chains with a fifth wheel hitch?
Rail-mount or "gooseneck" mount will make no difference to the requirement for chains, since the connection between the trailer and an Andersen Ultimate hitch is the same ball coupling in either case; it's not just the ball in the truck bed which triggers the safety chain (or "secondary means of attachment") requirement, in jurisdictions where that requirement exists. The Andersen Ultimate is not a fifth-wheel hitch.

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But from what I'm reading chains are only required for the Anderson with ball connection in Indiana - but I don't know is ETrailer a reliable source ? they post a lot of information on hitches ...
The do post a lot of information, and are an extremely useful source of information from their suppliers, such as hitch manufacturers. If you want to know how a hitch mounts on a particular vehicle, look that vehicle up in eTrailer's site and you'll find listings for a good selection of hitches, with attached installation instructions. I see no reason to consider them a reliable source of information regarding regulation; they are not a government agency or law enforcement agency, and the regulations for towing don't apply to the retailer of the equipment.

If a customer didn't use chains, and got a ticket for missing chains in some state, would that customer inform eTrailer and would eTrailer post a correction? I doubt it.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:25 PM   #69
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why would you need chains at all with an Anderson rail mount fifth wheel hitch (not ball attachment)? i thought you did not need chains with a fifth wheel hitch? I can reach the hitch just reaching down to clip chains on both sides of the hitch would be hard.
The Anderson itself is a ball mount.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:30 PM   #70
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even the rail version? i thought to be a ball version it would have to connect to a ball in the bed of the truck
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:37 PM   #71
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I would like to hear more about changing the door and hatch locks now that I have learned that like all trailers use the same key. Is there some easy replacement that uses different keys or gives keypad/keyless entry?

Rather than repeat it here is what I sent awhile back.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f7...tml#post207836

There was a post around March from someone who installed the keyless entry. It looked nice .

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f7...tml#post179064
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:39 PM   #72
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even the rail version? i thought to be a ball version it would have to connect to a ball in the bed of the truck
The Anderson uses a ball on top as well, to connect to the kin pin adapter, the same on the rail or gooseneck mount. The only difference is there is two balls with the gooseneck mount.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:41 PM   #73
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I called Trademaster they said chains are not required for the Anderson hitch yes there is a ball but the coupling is different. I can use my little stool to get the break away attached and check the hitch connection and plug in. I think i will not use chains- if i get a ticket so be it...
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:45 PM   #74
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Yes at 5'2" i cannot step on the wheel and reach the bed of the truck...
You might benefit from the reversed chain idea which was being discussed earlier: leave the chains attached to the truck, hook the other ends onto the trailer (onto Andersen's chain loops which are optionally mounted on the coupler) for towing. When not towing, hook the trailer end of the chains on storage hooks on the side of the box.
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Old 08-09-2017, 12:53 PM   #75
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yes if i ever decide to chain up i would use that solution.
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Old 08-09-2017, 02:05 PM   #76
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When not towing, hook the trailer end of the chains on storage hooks on the side of the box.

I like that idea Brian. So simple, so obvious, so helpful. How come I didn't think of that?
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Old 08-09-2017, 03:17 PM   #77
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That is one nice thing about the chains being attached to the trailer, is that they hang nicely on the back of the pin box, where the 7-pin cable gets stored as well.

If you zoom in here you can see what I mean. Bonus in shout is a bit of my daughters Trillium showing.

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Old 08-09-2017, 04:56 PM   #78
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I called Trademaster they said chains are not required for the Anderson hitch yes there is a ball but the coupling is different.
The coupling is a hemispherical socket like every other coupler for a ball. The latch is a pin passing behind and under the ball, which is among the most primitive of latch designs (rarely if ever seen on conventional trailers, but occasionally seen on gooseenck-shaped trailers), and can be left unlatched as easily as any other latch design. I have not seen a regulation for safety chains or couplers which discusses the latch design: it's just fifth-wheel or not, so the latch design is irrelevant to those regulations.

While I'm sure that Trademasters is reflecting their experience that people don't get tickets by failing to use a safety cable or chain with a trailer hitched by a bed-mounted ball, I don't see any validity to their claim that there is no requirement.

In practice, you're unlikely to get a ticket, just as you're unlikely to get a ticket for overloaded axles (trailer or tug), overloaded trailer or tug, missing chains on a conventional trailer, lack of brakes, nonfunctional brakes, lack of a functional breakaway brake system, or anything else other than speeding past a speed trap.

You're also unlikely to both tow without the coupler latched and hit a bump hard enough to bounce the trailer off of the hitch, or to have a failure of the hitch, just as you're unlikely to need the chains or breakaway brake cable on a conventional trailer or have a failure of a conventional ball mount. I suppose everyone needs to decide what equipment to use.

Trademasters operates in British Columbia, where the Motor Vehicle Act says:
Quote:
Trailer connections and towed vehicles
7.07 (1) No person shall drive or operate on a highway a motor vehicle and trailer unless
(a) the drawbar or other connection between the motor vehicle and trailer will hold the vehicles together,
(b) the device which couples the trailer to the motor vehicle is firmly attached to a structurally adequate integral part of the frame of each vehicle, or, where the towed vehicle is of a gross vehicle weight of less than 900 kg, to a structurally adequate part of the towing vehicle and to an integral part of the frame of the towed vehicle,
(c) the vehicles are equipped and connected with an auxiliary coupling device with a breaking strength of not less than the gross weight of the vehicle or vehicles being towed, except that this provision shall not apply where the coupling device is a fifth wheel and kingpin assembly used to couple a semitrailer to a truck tractor, and
(d) where the trailer is a towing dolly, the wheel at each end of the axle of the motor vehicle that is being carried by the towing dolly is secured to the towing dolly by a device that has a safe working load equal to
(i) the licensed vehicle weight of the motor vehicle one axle of which is being carried by the towing dolly, if that motor vehicle is licensed as a private passenger motor vehicle or commercial vehicle, or
(ii) the gross vehicle weight rating of the motor vehicle one axle of which is being carried by the towing dolly, if that motor vehicle displays a transporter number plate, demonstration number plate, manufacturer's number plate or repairman's number plate.
The Andersen Ultimate used to tow an Escape is not "a fifth wheel and kingpin assembly used to couple a semitrailer to a truck tractor" so it legally needs an "auxiliary coupling device" (in B.C.). This could be a single chain or cable. Often, when people say something is "not required" they mean "you can get away without it", which is probably true in this case.
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Old 08-09-2017, 05:32 PM   #79
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I just have a hard time not believing the hitch experts and the manufacture I have talked too. They are saying its safe both in writing and verbally i can't imagine that they would say that if it was unsafe.
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Old 08-09-2017, 05:34 PM   #80
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Safe and legal are different terms.
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