# Anderson Weight Dist. Hitch



## Pushin 4 u

I have a 2009 f350 SRW diesel TV, pulling a 2013 250RS that comes in just under #6,000... I don't think I need ANY kind of weight dist., but mu buddies tell me different. Having said that i went looking and found the Anderson weight distribution hitch and I like the out of the box thinking. I really like the simple nature of this design and the fact it all stays clean!!! Down side is the ratchet thing to get the tension at the proper amount and getting it there every time... So what do you guys think?


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## CamperAndy

Never heard of it can you post a link to it?

That said even with a 350 and a med size trailer you would be better served if you had a weight distribution hitch.


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## Snow

Andersen Mfg.

It gets mixed reviews on rv.net, from a personal opinion, I'll stick with the tried and tested steel bar set up...


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## CamperAndy

Okay I Googled it and it is Andersen Weight Distribution and it is really outside the box. I see two long term issues with the design just from a quick view of the product on one of the YouTube videos they posted.

1 - clamp mounts to the trailer tongue will slide under load and will reduce the weight distribution force.

2 - I see a lack of range in the system that will contribute to item 1 if the TV enters an up slope while the trailer is still on flat ground. This can occur when pulling into some elevated parking lots or gas stations for example.

If you get it then please give us your first hand impressions.


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## KTMRacer

CamperAndy said:


> Okay I Googled it and it is Andersen Weight Distribution and it is really outside the box. I see two long term issues with the design just from a quick view of the product on one of the YouTube videos they posted.
> 
> 1 - clamp mounts to the trailer tongue will slide under load and will reduce the weight distribution force.
> 
> 2 - I see a lack of range in the system that will contribute to item 1 if the TV enters an up slope while the trailer is still on flat ground. This can occur when pulling into some elevated parking lots or gas stations for example.
> 
> If you get it then please give us your first hand impressions.


add to the above that my understanding of how it works, once hooked up, the WD mechanism forces the ball BACK against the coupler lock mechanism. That is opposite of how virtually all hitches operate today. In other hitch setups, the ball ends up tight against the front of the coupler and there is little horizontal force on the coupler lock. IMHO it remains to be seen if the coupler lock mechanism on couplers will always take this force. A few folks who have used the hitch have mentioned coupler lock issues developing.

Definitely a unique approach, but to me it isn't obvious what advantages it has over a conventional WD hitch combined with the various anti sway mechanism that have been proven reliable. Reese DC, equalizer, Blue Ox, etc. have had decades of experience with their sway control systems and they all seem to work well. And the conventional spring bar WD hitch has been around since the late 60's and has proven itself.

For me it was an absolute no starter from the beginning since the max tongue weight it accomidates is 1400lbs. I'm pushing 1500 with a full water tank,and empty grey/black and am using a Reese DC with 1700lb bars now.


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## CamperAndy

KTMRacer said:


> once hooked up, the WD mechanism forces the ball BACK against the coupler lock mechanism. That is opposite of how virtually all hitches operate today. In other hitch setups, the ball ends up tight against the front of the coupler and there is little horizontal force on the coupler lock. IMHO it remains to be seen if the coupler lock mechanism on couplers will always take this force.


This point makes the hitch a non starter no matter what the other advantages may be.


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## Pushin 4 u

nothing that has been said here i haven't thought about already. With all my experience pulling bobcats, car trailers, and boats of all sizes the only industry consistantly using WD hitches is the RV industry except for the few people hauling the largest carhauler type trailers. My two cents and one of the main reasons i bought the Anderson hitch is that I want the weight over my rear axle. I want the rear axle to be planted to the road, too many times i have seen and experienced not enough tongue weight will make the trailer want to jacknife the tow rig, my truck is near 8,000# with most if it over the front axle with the diesel engine. I have heard too many stories of people letting the dealer installing the WDH any the dealer gave them the wrong springs or the owners bought a new vehicle and never bought new springs. My water tank of the 250rs is behind the axles, and most of the stuff we will be bringing with us will be in the front storage area as well as in the bed of my truck. As my truck sits i want to load the hell out of the front of TT or bed of TV to get the weights right, with this type of hitch my thought was that I will have enough weight distribution capabilities plus the anti-sway. I know that my method takes a little more involvement than just loading and go, as far as loading the TT and TV corectly to provide the right ammount of weight distribution. Some of our friends and I'm sure most people that only tow a TT once every couple of weekends admitted they load the TT and TV, set the WD chains like they always do and hit the road...to me THAT is CRAZY!!! No two trips will the TT be loaded the same, so you have to adjust your set-up accordingly to be as safe as possible!!! To each his own and this is just my way of thinking resulting in my purchase of the Anderson Hitch.


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## Leedek

Looks like you got your mind made up. I would bet that any WDH is better than none.


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## Pushin 4 u

Everyone keeps telling me this including the wife, since our friends said that we have to run one. I hope there right, I still cant see 600#-800# of tongue weight being any type of problem. I just hope i didn't just waste $500.00!!!


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## Hitcher

Snow said:


> Andersen Mfg.
> 
> It gets mixed reviews on rv.net, from a personal opinion, I'll stick with the tried and tested steel bar set up...


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## Hitcher

Im with you Snow hard to beat steel bars but you might want to check out straptek's new tensioner it makes it a lot easier. [email protected] is reworking there website, send them a email and you can get pics.


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## Hitcher

Pushin 4 u said:


> nothing that has been said here i haven't thought about already. With all my experience pulling bobcats, car trailers, and boats of all sizes the only industry consistantly using WD hitches is the RV industry except for the few people hauling the largest carhauler type trailers. My two cents and one of the main reasons i bought the Anderson hitch is that I want the weight over my rear axle. I want the rear axle to be planted to the road, too many times i have seen and experienced not enough tongue weight will make the trailer want to jacknife the tow rig, my truck is near 8,000# with most if it over the front axle with the diesel engine. I have heard too many stories of people letting the dealer installing the WDH any the dealer gave them the wrong springs or the owners bought a new vehicle and never bought new springs. My water tank of the 250rs is behind the axles, and most of the stuff we will be bringing with us will be in the front storage area as well as in the bed of my truck. As my truck sits i want to load the hell out of the front of TT or bed of TV to get the weights right, with this type of hitch my thought was that I will have enough weight distribution capabilities plus the anti-sway. I know that my method takes a little more involvement than just loading and go, as far as loading the TT and TV corectly to provide the right ammount of weight distribution. Some of our friends and I'm sure most people that only tow a TT once every couple of weekends admitted they load the TT and TV, set the WD chains like they always do and hit the road...to me THAT is CRAZY!!! No two trips will the TT be loaded the same, so you have to adjust your set-up accordingly to be as safe as possible!!! To each his own and this is just my way of thinking resulting in my purchase of the Anderson Hitch.


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## Hitcher

How long does it take set-up the anderson hitch for these different load situations.


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## Pushin 4 u

A long as you can take enough weight off the back of the truck it is easy. In my case as it sits pretty much empty, all I have to do is pick up the back end of the truck with the power jack and the pin and chain assembly drop right off. I cannot tell you how it's going to go with a load yet. Using a ratchet and the supplied socket is not too bad, just as bad as using the pry tool with other brands. As far as results pulling the TT, honestly it has only been several miles... To test and bring the TT home to get ready for our first trip, but the anti-sway is hard to tell as there was not a lot of wind, but the anti-bouncing part of the hitch was very surprising!!! Don't get me wrong, the truck will still bounce but there is a significant difference between having the Anderson hitch on and off, it stops the porpoising very quickly and is smooth. It is also very when turning sharp and even sharp turns while backing-up.


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## Hitcher

Pushin 4 u said:


> A long as you can take enough weight off the back of the truck it is easy. In my case as it sits pretty much empty, all I have to do is pick up the back end of the truck with the power jack and the pin and chain assembly drop right off. I cannot tell you how it's going to go with a load yet. Using a ratchet and the supplied socket is not too bad, just as bad as using the pry tool with other brands. As far as results pulling the TT, honestly it has only been several miles... To test and bring the TT home to get ready for our first trip, but the anti-sway is hard to tell as there was not a lot of wind, but the anti-bouncing part of the hitch was very surprising!!! Don't get me wrong, the truck will still bounce but there is a significant difference between having the Anderson hitch on and off, it stops the porpoising very quickly and is smooth. It is also very when turning sharp and even sharp turns while backing-up.


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## Hitcher

I was wondering if you had a regular WD hitch any time before this one, round bar or truunion, I could do you alot of good if you still had a set.


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