Concern about the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch

[Aussieguy]

JB weld = NO
you would have to remove all the paint on the frame and bracket

[NavyLCDR]

If you are concerned about the brackets slipping, just drill a small hole for the set screw to bite into. Or even drill and tap a hole for a replacement set screw to thread into.

I have never had an issue with any frame distortion or bracket slippage on mine, and I don't even have a hole drilled for the set screw nor welding.

[RoadDog66]

Old thread reborn, “Concern about the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch” for reference. Sorry to have to bring it up again. Had to make a new post because it wouldn’t allow me to respond to the original which started in 2021 and ended in 2022. Unfortunately the question I have was never addressed.

So I’m highly considering the Andersen WD Hitch for our soon to be Flagstaff 25BRDS. I’m certainly no expert by any means and in reading all this I'm shocked that frames are crushing and deforming by a single set screw torqued to 75-90 ft-lb. The Flagstaff has 11ga rectangular tube steel (as indicated by an email to FR) so I don’t think it would crush that easily, but obviously it’s a possibility. So my takeaway is to tack weld the brackets on the A-frame.

However I’m confused by the photos provided both from Andersen and by Civil_Guy in the original thread (see link). The tack welds seem to be depicted on the wrong side of the bracket to reduce rotational forces. The photos show the welds on the red bushing side rather than chain/receiver side. That seems to be on the far side of the induced rotational forces. Am I missing something here? Shouldn’t the welds be in front of the direction of the rotational force as a block and not behind it pulling on it?

Thanks for any input.

https://imgur.com/a/hSSmDSG

[FlagstaffBen]

I suspect many the issues you read on forums are user or installer error?

[dustman_stx]

I’ve used many WDH systems over the years including the Andersen. The Allen set screw will dimple the tubing. With this being said, its only real job is to keep the bracket from sliding forward. You shouldn’t have any issues crushing the tubing by torquing the bracket/backer plates down properly. As long as you have the bracket installed correctly and make sure that both the top and bottom bolt are firmly against the tubing in the direction the rotational force will be pulling via the chains, a small tack weld anywhere on the bracket should suffice.

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by RoadDog66

Old thread reborn, “Concern about the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch” for reference. Sorry to have to bring it up again. Had to make a new post because it wouldn’t allow me to respond to the original which started in 2021 and ended in 2022. Unfortunately the question I have was never addressed.

I have responded to old posts, more info in an old post does not hurt. So far what I have seen has been a check mark box you have to select at the bottom and then it lets you do it.
I believe though if you check it and then preview your post or go to Advanced it takes the check mark off and you have to put the check mark back in the box.
Box below and to the right of the yellow triangle.



No idea on on your weld question though.

[markb5900]

I’ve got well over 20k miles towing with my Anderson WDH and have had no issues without welding it. I have a box frame on my TT.
Their instructions do state you can weld it, and it should be welded as in the picture you linked to.

[Rhumblefish]

Old thread for reference, showing the damage, as well as discussion about the forces in play:

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ch-232321.html

Seems like this is an unresolved issue worth paying attention to so that current - and potential/future - Anderson owners can be on the lookout for deformation and frame impact

To echo Dave, here's the little box to check in regular (non advanced) reply mode:

[Mr. Dan]

Two threads merged by site team

[Tschank]

Just came across this thread as a recent owner of a 2024 Surveyor 19MDBLE (5"x2" Tubing) and an Anderson hitch on the way now I have concerns. I just got a response from FR and they said they couldn't give out the information. We'll see what lippert says.
I'm leaning towards having it welded at this point.

[01tundra]

Originally Posted by RoadDog66

Old thread reborn, “Concern about the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch” for reference. Sorry to have to bring it up again. Had to make a new post because it wouldn’t allow me to respond to the original which started in 2021 and ended in 2022. Unfortunately the question I have was never addressed.

So I’m highly considering the Andersen WD Hitch for our soon to be Flagstaff 25BRDS. I’m certainly no expert by any means and in reading all this I'm shocked that frames are crushing and deforming by a single set screw torqued to 75-90 ft-lb. The Flagstaff has 11ga rectangular tube steel (as indicated by an email to FR) so I don’t think it would crush that easily, but obviously it’s a possibility. So my takeaway is to tack weld the brackets on the A-frame.

However I’m confused by the photos provided both from Andersen and by Civil_Guy in the original thread (see link). The tack welds seem to be depicted on the wrong side of the bracket to reduce rotational forces. The photos show the welds on the red bushing side rather than chain/receiver side. That seems to be on the far side of the induced rotational forces. Am I missing something here? Shouldn’t the welds be in front of the direction of the rotational force as a block and not behind it pulling on it?

Thanks for any input.

https://imgur.com/a/hSSmDSG

If there was ever enough force to break a proper weld on either side you have much bigger issues.....

But I welded mine exactly like the instructions say to and it has been fine.

[RoadDog66]

Thanks all for the replies and sorry for missing that little check box to keep the original thread alive from the get-go. I’ll likely go with the Andersen and keep an eye on it to begin with and then have it tack welded per indicated instructions if needed. My TT will likely have a 1000 lb tongue weight loaded up so just being overly cautious and trying to limit unnecessary tongue weight where I can. I even plan to only run with one 30 lb LP tank and one battery too.

[NavyLCDR]

Just realize the Andersen WDH is not that efficient at redistributing the tongue weight. Anderson even admits that on their website.

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

Just realize the Andersen WDH is not that efficient at redistributing the tongue weight. Anderson even admits that on their website.

Can you link to where they say that? I am sure others are skeptical and I can not find it specifically. Myself I don't understand how it returns the weight to the front axle. Reading their info I see a lot of Sway and Bounce comments. They are very vague on their instructions to level also, just say to eyeball it.

I am going to stay with the "It is probably good for a shorter light trailer crowd myself." I need to try and find some pictures of heavier tongue weight campers set up on level ground with this setup.

From their FAQ page.

My tongue weight is about 900 lbs. Will the Andersen WD Hitch work for me?

Our hitch is rated for the 14,000 gross and 1400 tongue weight as that is what the ball mount is rated to tow with all the safety factors built in as required by third party agencies.
Many people feel that the best way to tow a trailer is to eliminate all or close to all of the tongue weight of the trailer. The problem with that scenario is you lose a lot of traction especially if you end up on a wet, slick, gravel, etc. road. Our hitch by design leaves approximately half of the tongue weight on the tow vehicle and we instruct the customer to leave the hitch connected at all times no matter the road conditions to give the best towing experience available.
Where you have a 900-pound tongue weight on your trailer you will expect 450 pounds of it being transferred and the rest being on the rear of the tow vehicle. If we knew which tow vehicle you were using we would know if that is in the specs of it. For example, if this is being towed with a RAV4 than the hitch is not adequate for what you are wanting to do but if it is a full-size truck then our Weight Distribution Hitch is an excellent option to provide sway control, bounce control and distribute enough weight to make the towing experience enjoyable.

[Rhumblefish]

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

Myself I don't understand how it returns the weight to the front axle.

As you know, a traditional WDH setup with bars effectively lengthens the frame of your tow vehicle, just like the handles coming off the back of a wheelbarrow. Think of the wheelbarrow as your tow vehicle and YOU as the trailer. Grasp the handles. If you lean forward and rest your head (and bodyweight) on the back lip of the wheelbarrow, you've effectively put the tongue weight of the upper half of your body on the "hitch" transferring into the back legs of the wheelbarrow (the rest of your weight is going down through your own legs). Now, from that position, lift the wheelbarrow handles up, such that the back legs of the wheelbarrow have come up off the ground. Your arms are serving as the chains attaching the tow bar (the handles) to the trailer (your body). By lifting the rear of the wheelbarrow off the ground, you've effectively transferred ALL of the hitch weight (1) FORWARD to the front wheel of the wheelbarrow and (2) BACKWARD to your own feet.

The Anderson system also uses pressure to move weight forward and backward, but it doesn't lengthen the frame of your tow vehicle (like traditional lift bars). Instead, think of your hitched up tow vehicle as one leg of the capital letter "A" and the trailer as the other leg, with the pointy top of the "A" as the hitch point, where the coupler is on the ball. The Anderson hitch serves as the crossbar to the "A." By tightening the chains and shortening the crossbar of the A, the bottom of the two ends are being pulled together, and the pointy top of the A is being pushed upwards - effectively moving weight from the pointy top, to the ends of the two sides (FORWARD to the front wheels of your TV, and BACKWARDS to the back of your TT). Same motion as the lift bars, but different mechanism:


There are a few problems with the Anderson system that make it a little less effective than traditional lift bar setup:

1. It's a shorter run with not a long lever arm. There is a triangle being formed with (1) the fixed length of the top of the hitch to the lower chain mounting point, (2) the fixed length of the top of the hitch to the bottom of the triangle plate, and (3) the variable length of the chain from the bottom of the triangle plate to the lower chain mounting plate (connected with the elastomer compression cushion). Because the two lengths are fixed, tightening the chain (effectively shortening the bottom length) forces the top of the A upward - thereby moving weight away from the hitchpoint. A lot of force through a small triangle. You'd get more effective force if the chains were a LOT longer, and the difference in height between the top of the ball to the bottom of the triangle (or curved bat wing) plate was much greater - there'd be more lever arm to work through. Effectively like a longer lift bar (the same reason we lift lift bars from the end, and not closer to the hitch).


2. it's only pulling HALF the distance; from one side of the A, to the middle of the A - effectively on the trailer side. ALL the weight transfer has to come out of this side, as you couldn't effectively run the chain from the TT directly to the TV. (I mean, you COULD, and the chain would be able to apply force more directly between the two vehicles, but then you wouldn't be able to turn - the TT and TV would always have to be in a straight line with regard to each other). In the actual setup, the chains reach to the pivot point - the hitch - enabling the setup to work and allow the TT and TV to turn in regard to one another. So, our short lever arm is even shorter by necessity.

3. It's putting all that force through the HSS (Hollow Structure Section) frame of your travel trailer. Remember - one of the arms of the triangle is from the top of the hitch coupler to the bottom of the chain hitch point. The structural integrity of your HSS frame is keeping that lower point in place against the rotational forces being put into the system holding the lower point in place against the force being moved. Worse, installing the pointed pin to hold the bracket in place actually puts stress into the frame, bending the sidewalls horizontally - the sidewalls of your HSS frame being what is providing the integrity to keep the lower contact point in place (which is why some people are drilling where this point is, and others are welding). If you've seen the demonstration of someone standing on an empty aluminum soda can, and someone else touching the side of the can, you'll immediately get why this point application is a bad idea. The point is close to the top edge of the sidewall, so it's not at the worst place it could be (in the exact middle of the vertical section of the frame), but not great. Consequentially, this force will have greater impact on a thinner HSS TT frame than a thicker one. You can see some frame deformation photos of this force in action in the wild.

That's a description of how the forces work, as well as some of the shortcomings, but it's not all doom and gloom. It's kind of a neat system, it just has some limitations - like all systems do.

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

Reading their info I see a lot of Sway and Bounce comments. They are very vague on their instructions to level also, just say to eyeball it.

Yeah, buncha marketing fluff, to make owners (and prospects) feel good about it. Watch the installation video, it's pretty quick to get into place. I'd suggest that they're not quite as specific about leveling the TT, inasmuch as they want the TT parallel to the ground (and inline with the TV). If there's a horizontal element to the TT (like the bottom of the coach, or a stripe, or - yes - even the frame), you can simply take a quick measurement from the ground to this element at the very front of the TT and again at the very back of the TT.

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

I am going to stay with the "It is probably good for a shorter light trailer crowd myself." I need to try and find some pictures of heavier tongue weight campers set up on level ground with this setup.

With the shortcomings described, I'm going to hazard a guess and agree with you. I'm no engineer, but it seems that there's a sweet spot for this system, and it's likely for lighter to middle weight TT's, with tongue weights of about 800-1,100 lbs. The system will work with less, though at some point, the HSS frames of the even lighter TT's will get thinner (and more susceptible to the forces being put into the frame). The system will also work with more, though, at some point, the shorter lever arms will require more stress in the system to transfer more weight, at which point the weak points in the system will start to fail.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, I still like the Andersen system. It's nifty, and has a lot of benefits that I'm in a good place to take advantage of, such that I'm considering it as the primary hitch for my next TV. Good to know the pros and cons (and WHY they are the pros and cons)

Anyway, just my .02. Hope this helps.

[wlfclf2000]

Originally Posted by wszApex245

Below is a picture of the completed repairs. Needless to say, the repairs were expensive. The biggest disappointment is the owner of Andersen, Mr. Ryan Andersen felt the structural damage was of no concern and may help the Andersen hitch perform better.

As a licensed Professional Engineer, I cannot support Mr. Andersen’s claim. The idea of allowing uncontrolled deformation of a structural member then claiming the deformation may help the Andersen products performance disappoints me. As a Professional Engineer the deformation of a structural member is unacceptable and a potential warning sign of failure. The only way to determine if a structural member can withstand such deformation would be to perform a laboratory test or Finite Element Analysis.

Based on my experience with the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH), I would recommend against the use of an Andersen WDH on a trailer with a tubular frame. If I used an Andersen WDH on a trailer with a tubular frame, I would have the brackets welded to the frame versus utilizing the bolts and set screws from Andersen.

If you have an Andersen WDH attached to a tubular A-frame trailer, I recommend you examine your frame and monitor the frame for any deformation of the tube walls.

I came across this post today looking for an answer for my Anderson Hitch.
I have an R-Pod 196 and there was a recall on the BeastMode suspension. When I hooked it up to tow to the dealer, I noticed that the bolts had a lot more threads just to get tension on the Anderson bushings. It's obvious that one or both of the A-frame brackets have slipped. I did not have time to mess with it, so I towed it to the dealer. I will pick it up with a strait hitch, the one I used to pick up the camper new last year. When I get it home, I will inspect for damage and spot weld the brackets in place. My trailer is 4200lbs loaded (cat scaled) and tongue weight is 500lbs using a tongue weight scale. I don't really need weight distribution but do want sway control and anti-purposing. Hopefully spot welding will make this hitch work the way it should and prevent damage. I have only towed about 200 miles since new so am hoping for no damage to the a-frame.

[MR.M]

Having towed with the andersen for well over 30,000 miles with out a hitch lol . i think most issues are installer caused . Towed a 9800 lbs toy hauler with out issues to the frame and every tow was uneventful .. no sway no bounce and great fo those that do not have undersized trucks for what they towing .

[wlfclf2000]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Having towed with the andersen for well over 30,000 miles with out a hitch lol . i think most issues are installer caused . Towed a 9800 lbs toy hauler with out issues to the frame and every tow was uneventful .. no sway no bounce and great fo those that do not have undersized trucks for what they towing .

I don't mean to be condescending but, in the past, I rebuilt a Ford F150 4.6 motor in my garage with forged crank, forged pistons etc. Assembled the full short block including filing the rings, checking tolerances on the bearings, torquing everything to spec, installed rebuilt heads then full timing install for the cams. I then bolted on a roots blower, had it tuned and pulled a small 5th wheel 10,000 miles.
I think I am capable of installing an Anderson hitch as per the instructions and still it slipped.
I will (and am capable of) put 4 1/2 inch welds 2 on each side top and bottom to assure it will not move again.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by wlfclf2000

I don't mean to be condescending but, in the past, I rebuilt a Ford F150 4.6 motor in my garage with forged crank, forged pistons etc. Assembled the full short block including filing the rings, checking tolerances on the bearings, torquing everything to spec, installed rebuilt heads then full timing install for the cams. I then bolted on a roots blower, had it tuned and pulled a small 5th wheel 10,000 miles.
I think I am capable of installing an Anderson hitch as per the instructions and still it slipped.
I will (and am capable of) put 4 1/2 inch welds 2 on each side top and bottom to assure it will not move again.

good for you ! no need for 4.5 inch welds a small 1/2 " will do the trick if you have issues with it slipping