Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch
- Thread starter JWalker
- Start date
LBR
Well-known member
CoveredWagon
Well-known member
Definitely a major accident. Note the hitch never let go of the trailer. Looks like a failure of the gooseneck mount on the truck or improper attachment of the hitch to the gooseneck ball in the truck.
We have approximately 3000 miles towing with the Andersen Ultimate. Couldn’t be more pleased.
jleavitt11
retired Utah Chapter Leaders
Using facebook as a source of information will only insure failure. I believe the Anderson hitch is the best hitch on the market and I have used many differant types of 5th wheel hitches.
What does your camper weigh? I know the hitch is rated higher, just curious.
My Andersen Hitch failed too but I was in a VERY minor fender bender. I really doubt my Curt 24K would have failed, but who knows. I replaced the Andersen with a Reese base rail adapter (for a Ram 3500) and the Pullrite 2400 which is made of steel, not aluminum. Same idea as the Andersen only it attaches to the pucks via the base rail adapter and not the goose neck. Pullrite is also releasing a model very similar to Andersen that attaches directly to the goose neck.
BTW- in my conversations with Andersen, I'm pretty sure they will replace your hitch since the failure was the not the result of any external forces.
2psnapod2
Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
It is not my hitch so I have no issues. Just posted this to let people know that they are having issues with the hitch. It is not the almighty of hitches. I am a firm believer that the hitch will pull anything. But in an accident, it MIGHT not work to well.
So this was informational and those that love it can continue to do so, and those that are Leary of can also. I just fit in the second group.
Have a great RV date!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
So this was informational and those that love it can continue to do so, and those that are Leary of can also. I just fit in the second group.
Have a great RV date!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
CoveredWagon
Well-known member
Doublegranch
Mountain Region Director-Retired
This picture looks like one from the video on the Anderson site. If so, the guy was towing way too fast and way to close to the car in front of him. The car in front hit his brakes and the tow vehicle could not stop, swerved to one side of the road, went off into a embankment and the truck and RV ended up on their side. The RV never came loose from the Anderson hitch however the frame was damaged. While it wasn't any fault of the Anderson hitch, they gave him a brand new hitch at no cost.
I think damage would exist on any fifth wheel hitch that had this kind of accident and it would not be the fault of the hitch....Driver ERROR!
No hitch is stressed to take this kind of abuse and force while flipping on it's side.
I think damage would exist on any fifth wheel hitch that had this kind of accident and it would not be the fault of the hitch....Driver ERROR!
No hitch is stressed to take this kind of abuse and force while flipping on it's side.
Bogie
Well-known member
I found a little more information regarding the AU that failed on the Grand Design Owners Forum. It doesn't give a lot more information, but
suggests that the original poster on facebook hit a curb or bump. Also, says it was one of the larger Grand Design 5er's. I would like to know the particulars of what happened.
Here is the LINK.
suggests that the original poster on facebook hit a curb or bump. Also, says it was one of the larger Grand Design 5er's. I would like to know the particulars of what happened.
Here is the LINK.
I barely tapped the car in front of me. Long story short, this started because the car I hit was run off the road by a tractor trailer (who never pulled over). Anyway, my hitch came off the goose neck and collapsed then my camper rear ended my truck. I don't want to post any pictures and do any harm to Andersen.
LBR
Well-known member
I too agree and will stay with the "way too heavy" style of hitch...if we were pulling a little 15K fifth wheel, I would possibly consider it more....but ours is at 20K gross, so no thanx!
The trucking industry is the premier and top users of 5th wheel trailers....if and when they start using an aluminum hitch, only then will I feel it is an alternative.
CoveredWagon
Well-known member
porthole
Retired
Like the facebunk post, the Grand Design link also does not link to the original facebunk thread that the pictures were lifted from.
Somewhat down on the DRV facebunk thread is an email response from Anderson RE. the hitch. Anderson claims to have had only two failures since they started making the AU.
Pretty good track record.
My ts-3 didn’t have a failure, but it was destined to had I not found a problem with it.
And my current Reese Goosebox also has not failed, but I have a replacement goosebox due to other problems sitting in the garage for the Cyclone once the season is over. And I had to force the ball out of the truck’s frame and then file out the slot to let the lever move freely.
I have now had 3 5th wheel hitches and had problems with 2 of them.
Bones
Well-known member
Yes so far a pretty good track record. A new hitch is on my list but still undecided. I'm not all that happy with Reese. They have ignored two email request so far.
fastcarsspeed
Well-known member
I was really looking at this hitch but I think I am just going to stick to my Reese Ford Puck Elite Hitch. I am going to put in a new Pin Box to help with the chucking.
fastcarsspeed
Well-known member
Exactly. Something really must have happened for that to fail. I like the hitch but saw a guy with the same truck as mine and it sits low on the bed which I did not like and it looks to be a pain to hook and roll out as I do now. My Reese hitch is not that heavy and comes out of the truck very quickly with the puck system.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
I really have not been following the last section of this thread so I am speaking out of my *** here but I have an Andersen, not the aluminum, and I would guess that in a crash it would come apart, or perhaps not, depending upon the crash but do we know about the install by the owner in this case? Not really. So was it installed both on the trailer and it the truck correctly? Was it checked periodically for security? Who knows?
Bottom line to this is that before everyone goes off of the deep end perhaps we need more info and more testing by Andersen. They are standing by their product and until something comes along to change that I will stick with mine. Others can go the direction that they wish but adding more BS to the Internet feed on this is pointless without some sort of proof AND Facebook or any other on line video is not that at all we need to step back and see how this goes.
Bottom line to this is that before everyone goes off of the deep end perhaps we need more info and more testing by Andersen. They are standing by their product and until something comes along to change that I will stick with mine. Others can go the direction that they wish but adding more BS to the Internet feed on this is pointless without some sort of proof AND Facebook or any other on line video is not that at all we need to step back and see how this goes.
6.7LMegaCab
Well-known member
Good evening all!
New Heartland owner here and fairly new to the forum as well. I've been reading this thread...got to about page 12 and skipped on over to the end. Just decided to stop on by to say hi and that I have the Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch as well, although, I have the rail mount steel version. My experience thus far has been great! Haven't towed with it much, only about 350 miles or so. Planning the first long haul this December on the way out to NM. I have zero experience with the standard hitches, but I will say that I spent the better part of this past year researching the various brands. I was settled on the Curt Q24 w/slider until I came across the Andersen Ultimate hitch. After watching multiple videos and hearing what Andersen had to say, then find out a co-worker got one earlier this year and had nothing but good to say about it, it made my decision much easier. I couldn't be happier with this hitch so far.
My only complaint is that I can't put the remote latch cable on the drivers side. It would be nice if the cable was able to be flipped to the other side when the coupler ball is behind the king pin.
New Heartland owner here and fairly new to the forum as well. I've been reading this thread...got to about page 12 and skipped on over to the end. Just decided to stop on by to say hi and that I have the Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch as well, although, I have the rail mount steel version. My experience thus far has been great! Haven't towed with it much, only about 350 miles or so. Planning the first long haul this December on the way out to NM. I have zero experience with the standard hitches, but I will say that I spent the better part of this past year researching the various brands. I was settled on the Curt Q24 w/slider until I came across the Andersen Ultimate hitch. After watching multiple videos and hearing what Andersen had to say, then find out a co-worker got one earlier this year and had nothing but good to say about it, it made my decision much easier. I couldn't be happier with this hitch so far.
My only complaint is that I can't put the remote latch cable on the drivers side. It would be nice if the cable was able to be flipped to the other side when the coupler ball is behind the king pin.
