Andersen W/D hitch - anyone use?

[JerEazy]

My Fastway E2 (that worked fine with the truck) just isnt quite cutting it with the expedition. Its not that its a terrible thing or its undrivable. But from what i can tell, the IDS in the rear just allows too much bounce. And with the spring bars of the round-bar E-2, it almost accentuates the bounce.

So I started looking around the internet and found my way into a few black holes. Then i stumbled across the Andersen 'No Sway' 'No Bounce' W/D hitch. The videos look interesting, and it seems like it would make sense. And being that bounce is more of my issue than sway is... heck it might function.

But i wanted to see if anyone who is on the forums here has used it! and maybe some feedback.

FWIW i'm town a 25.5' box, 29' bumper to hitch TT - 5300 dry, so assum 6000ish loaded, maybe 600 TW

Thanks!

 

[coolzzy]

Your trailer matches mine exactly, but my tongue weight fully loaded with water is in the 900 pound range (that took me completely by surprise). I'm towing with an XLT EL with stock suspension (no airbags, helper springs, or auto level wizardry). Maybe you just need to increase the tension on your bars or get stronger bars. I'm using the 800-1000 pound bars on my husky centerline TS (appears to be identical to your E2), and I have zero bounce even when fully loaded.

What sort of drop are you getting in the rear when hitched with your Bars tight? Mine is about 1/2" to 1" as measured from the ground to the center of the rear wheel arch. The same measurement at my front wheel arches is no change from unloaded. If you have rise in the front when hitched, you will bounce.

Now to get my bars that tight, I have drop the trailer on the ball and latch it (this bottoms out the expy suspension), then use my power tongue jack and extension foot to raise the trailer and rear of the expy nearly to full extension on the jack, then use the prybar tool to muscle the bars into place. They are tight and unless I'm perfectly straight with the trailer and level side to side, they are even harder to hitch up. Often when leaving campground I have to hitch the ball and then pull the trailer forward to get straight and level before putting the bars into place. With this setup, I have zero bounce and very minimal sway if any.

 

[JerEazy]

i've got the 800lb E2 bars on there and they are tight for sure. I'm wondering if too tight, they have a mild flex to them. Next trip out i'm going to remove a washer from the head to raise the bars slightly and get them more parallel to the trailer frame.

My wheel well heights are spot on. Maybe 1/2" drop in the rear and stock height in the front once it is hooked up. Trailer has about 1/4" drop in the front which is within spec.

It's not a HUGE bounce. its just a constant subtle bounce that gets heavier and heavier with speed. Watching the videos on the Andersen site basically maps it out. The spring bars causing the tension accentuates bouncing because of the tension. So i'm wondering if the Andersen would remove the bounce issue. Not like i'm a speed deamon. But everyone else in the state of Florida is. And being that exceeding 65 MPH just gets uncomfortable, i turn into a very large road block on I-75.

I'm taking the truck in for a 4 wheel alignment and a brake turn and bleed this weekend which should help general feel.

 

[coolzzy]

What are you running for tires on the back and air pressure? I am running the stock wranglers at 50psi when towing. I can tow at 75mph with the expy fully loaded with gear and 5 people without any bounce. (wouldn't reccomend strictly due to the speed rating of trailer tires, the ecoboost will pull at that speed uphill and down without struggle or downshift).

I've got 5 washers behind my hitch head. You might look under the truck, maybe you've got a leaking shock(s) in the back. They are a known failure point at low mileage if you tow. Mine are still hanging in there with 45k miles on the clock.

 

[JerEazy]

You bring up a good point. I’ll check the pressures next time I hook up.

The shocks aren’t leaking - checked them already

 

[T Money]

Look into a Blue Ox Sway Pro. Best hitch I've ever used.

 

[JerEazy]

i've looked at it - but Springbar WD/Anti Sway are all going to operate on the same principal for the most part. If i was going to stick with the spring bar system i would go with the Reese Dual Cam.

 

[chuck s]

Equalizer(tm) 1000/10,000 pound version has been on my '02 Explorer, '07 and '17 Expeditions. Worked wonderfully on every one. Built in sway control. Tongue weight has been over 800 pounds on occasion but normally around 700. Once tuned on my '07 it was plug-n-play on my '17. Biennial wash and paint.

Expedition receiver is sloppy so head angle will need all the washers you can put into this hitch.

-- Chuck

 

[JerEazy]

I’m going to the trailer this afternoon to really give it a good once over.

I had a thought on what may be causing my “bounce”. The trailer has a storage rack built into the rear bumper that swings down and locks in place with 2 set pins. It’s almost always loaded with 4 bikes when we head out. So I’m thinking that it’s bouncing over bumps and such and the trailer is transferring that to the hitch, and that’s what I’m feeling.

We remove the storage rack and swap it for a bumper mounted bike rack.

 

[chuck s]

Any weight on the trailer rear bumper will de-load the tongue -- and you need 10% - 15% of the trailer's weight on the ball.

Also weights at the ends of anything like a trailer or boat will cause hobby-horsing (bobbing up and down).

-- Chuck

 

[JerEazy]

Went to the trailer today to give it a once over and the more I look at that factory storage platform the more I think it’s a good idea with negative results.

Going to remove and solid mount the spare to the rear bumper and do a hitch mounted bike rack for the family bikes.

Camping again in 2 weekends - will repost with results.

 

[Dr0idattack]

I use the Andersen, but I’m still not sure if I’ve gotten everything correct. Sometimes things seem grand, but in the last 20 miles of my trip the trailer felt squirrelly. Maybe my shocks are flaky (2013 with 80k.)

 

[coolzzy]

Have you taken the loaded trailer to the scales to verify your tongue weight? I was surprised to find out how much mine was which made me go up a hole on my trailer saddles. My first test pull with empty trailer after buying my expedition did have a little bounce despite setting up the hitch according to the manual. Once I went up a notch on the saddles (putting more load on the bars) things settled down nicely. My stated dry tongue weight is 498 pounds, but loaded for camp with full propane, dual 6v batteries, and water puts that over 900 pounds. That's enough to make anything bounce if everything isn't dialed in just right. I wish I had a rack on the back so I could push more weight in back of the axle but my lightweight trailer cannot accommodate that. Also figure 15% tongue weight, that's 900 pounds for a 6k pound trailer.

 

[CaptOchs]

Is the highway concrete? I used to have a similar sized trailer. I was once on this stretch of highway that is all concrete. I was bouncing enough I had to pull over and check everything out. I thought the WD failed. As it turns out it was due to a phonomia called "harmonic bouncing." I was fine after I got off that concrete.

 

[rollinstone]

I've been using the Andersen WDH for years...never any bounce, not to mention no sway. The Andersen weight tolerances range widely...0-1400/0-14,000 so you can handle some fairly hefty trailers out there. My lite trailer doesn't get any heavier than 3,500 lbs...hitch weight is about 300-400.

 

[JerEazy]

I do need to take it in and get a fully accurate weight. I have been guessing on the highsides for everything. Only one battery and spec says 612 hitch weight dry. I don’t ride with full water. And load on the front storage on the trailer is maybe 50lbs of tools/gear + 2 propane tanks. I try and keep the storage well ballasted with the rear

I really think removing the jostling storage rack and spare tire will make a difference.

Attached is the only picture I have of the set-up. But if you zoom in you can see it’s held with hitch pins. Imagine that turned parallel with the ground re-hitched pinnned on either side. imagine that bounce.

 

[bobmbx]

Is the highway concrete? I used to have a similar sized trailer. I was once on this stretch of highway that is all concrete. I was bouncing enough I had to pull over and check everything out. I thought the WD failed. As it turns out it was due to a phonomia called "harmonic bouncing." I was fine after I got off that concrete.

I-95 SB in GA. In a 31' Class C, and the concrete slab joints were spaced just right for the speed I was moving, and in only about 30 seconds it was jumping so much that stuff was coming off the counters, you could hear the silverware jingling, and the spouse was not happy (trying to sleep on the rear bed). It was literally jumping off the ground. All 15,000 lbs of it.

 

[Muddy Bean]

I used the Anderson for 13,000 miles of towing my 5500lb trailer last year. All over the country, through the mountains etc. worked perfectly and super easy to use.

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[Dr0idattack]

I used the Anderson for 13,000 miles of towing my 5500lb trailer last year. All over the country, through the mountains etc. worked perfectly and super easy to use.

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How many turns of the nut? I’ve found 4 is too little, and I think I’ve settled on 9ish.


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[Muddy Bean]

I have never counted turns. I know you’re supposed to, but I honestly just set them, and used the power jack to raise the trailer tongue while attached to the ball until the chains slackened. Then I removed the triangle plate, dropped the jack, unlocked the ball lock on the tongue and then raised the trailer again and drove away.


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