When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have the Andersen hitch on a CCLB, the only issue I have is that the adapter block for the king pin moves the king pin bracket 6" - 8" further out from center, so when making a sharp turn the king pin bracket will come in contact with the side rails of the bed.
Since I have a long bed, I can turn the adapter block 180* Bringing the adapter plate closer to center, however you short bed guys can't do that without having the front of the RV perilously close to the cab.
I have the king pin bracket reversed on my CCSB and it’s fine. I can turn 70-80* with no problems. I try not to turn that sharp since it’s hard on the trailer suspension. Been using an AUH for 2 years and have been very happy with it.
I have a 2017 CCSB F350 and I have been using the Andersen for 2 years now and I completely love it. I was, like you, worried about the cab clearance issue under sharp turns so I went out to an open parking lot and tested it. I was able to get about 85 degrees before the cap of the trailer would contact the back window. For me this was plenty. You might be able to get the full 90 degrees as all 5th wheel front caps have a different design. I believe yours look very scalloped and you should be able to get the full 90 degrees.
The Andersen tows quiet, gives full articulation in the ball, eliminates chucking, and the real kicker is that its so light weight. When not in use I hang it on my garage wall.
I attached a pic showing the clearance from the cab with no turn.....hope that helps at least a little bit. I didn't take any pics when I tested the turning clearance, sorry.
I am in the EXACT same boat... 2017 CCSB, running Anderson Ultimate for two years, no clearance issues, couldn’t be happier! I had an 18k Pullright slider before this and would never go back for any reason!
I have heard nothing but good things about pullrite. That particular model is 220lbs. I wish to have something that not too heavy and I can take out by myself and the andersen is light. Plus It can be hitched at any angle. How do you take your Superglide out??
Your money, your rig.
Just for the record, the AU is a Rube Goldberg setup, IF one of my engineers came to with that, he would be fired, it lacks the strength the Pullrite has, its a poor design! Google is your friend, you can find pics of its failure.
I have seen several fails of the AU and I can tell why it failed!
I’ve towed for years and never got myself into a 90 degree situation. The 90 degree argument is false one. So why would anyone choose a heavy immovable hitch to ride in you truck ? Many of us use our trucks for other things besides towing and hauling around a hitch. Times have changed, If your hitch is not easily portable you bot the wrong hitch.
I’ve towed for years and never got myself into a 90 degree situation. The 90 degree argument is false one. So why would anyone choose a heavy immovable hitch to ride in you truck ? Many of us use our trucks for other things besides towing and hauling around a hitch. Times have changed, If your hitch is not easily portable you bot the wrong hitch.
For your needs, I'd recommend you look at one of the Reese Sidewinder/Revolution options as mentioned there. Pushes the pivot point back 22", but keeps the weight centered over the rear axle. You can use pretty much any traditional fiver hitch with it, so you don't have to worry about the weight of the Pullright Superglide or the Demco Autoslide.
However, with these, because the pivot point is behind the rear axle, you may still get some sway, but not as bad as a full bumper pull. The distance from pivot to rear axle is significantly shorter than bumper pull to rear axle, so there's less of a lever affect but still, there may be some. Despite that, if you really need to achieve that kind of angle, this should let you achieve it.
What I really worry about is where you say:
Originally Posted by 2019RRSDLARIAT
...I have to back up between the house and the garage to make a sharper turn around 70-80 degrees when I park it...
I don't know what kind of clearance you have there, but trying to back a trailer on an angle like that is a nightmare. Once it gets to the point that you're worried about the hitting the cab, the trailer quits backing and instead just pivots on the tires as you push the kingpin sideways. At that far over, you've basically got limited control over it. These extreme angle use cases are more often than not for tight turning radius needs going forward, like turning around in a cul-de-sac.
In my '15 F250 CCSB I initially had a 20k Reese slider traditional 5th wheel hitch. Weight a ton, or so it seemed. No hope of moving it alone. Went with the AUH rail mount and through some pretty tight turns I had no clearance issues.
Most new 5th wheel RV's have a rounded enough nose to help prevent hitting the cab in SB trucks.
I got the current '18 F350 Dually LB and have the AUH aluminum hitch. Both my previous steel rail AUH and the one I have now are quick remove and install and are light enough that my wife could hand it to me, if I would ever actually ask her to.
I have the exact configuration you are buying. F350 CCSB, Reflection 337RLS, Andersen Ultimate II Hitch.
I mounted the Andersen Red Coupler in reverse position so that the pin box “wings” don’t hit the side rails.
Max turn before chance of trailer front cap contacting the truck cab is about 70-75 degrees.
Here are are some pictures you requested.
Well thank you very much for taking the time to do that. It looks like plenty of clearance. My biggest concern about the Andersen is that if I have to make a major panic/emergency so, I heard and have seen those tubes bend collapsing that hitch. As a result the trailer comes down on the bed and damages them. Lightweight aluminum is only made so strong. So not only the turns did concern me but the overall durability of the hitch. Heck someone can rearend me when I am trying to stop. You never know what can happen. Plus depending on the terrain, one side of the trailer could be up on one side on a turn like and can still possibly touch the cab.
The last thing I want to do is damage my truck. Something is telling me to get the AUH but the above comcerns me. I'm sure you had a good experience with it but it doesn't mean that I am going to. I hate to handle a heavy hitch by myself but I could unlatch the pins in the puck system and use the landing gear to lift it out. In other words the hitch will be hanging on the pin until I install it again and I can lower it down, move it in the holes and latch it and I am ready to go and I can hitch up. I can lock the pin so anyone Can't tamper with it and risking a 200lb hitch and can seriously injure or kill someone especially a kid.
There are thousands of people out there towing with the Andersen. Some with very heavy trailers close to 20k or more. Failures are very rare....maybe you can call Andersen and ask them. I'm sure they will be biased in their response but they probably know of any failures.
I’ve been using my Andersen for a little over 2 years. I always take it out of the bed between trips. This is the only 5th wheel hitch I’ve ever owned and I love it.
Everyone says they have seen or heard of multiple failures but there is only 1 on the internet with actual pictures and that was an overloaded situation. I have had mine for 2 years with a few emergency stops in both my F250 and now my F450 and do not have an issue.
People don’t like (or are afraid of) what’s different. Plain and simple. The Anderson is an amazing design that no one else capitalized on first. If people don’t want to use it, there are plenty of other good options out there but that doesn’t make the Anderson bad or dangerous. I am a research freak when buying anything, drives my wife crazy. Other than the one failure posted online, that was mentioned above, I couldn’t find anything negative about the Anderson. There were several folks who wanted to explain why the hitch wouldn’t work, but none of them actually ever used the hitch. I couldn’t find a single owner/user that was disappointed.
i do think that there is probably a weight at which the design gets taxed but most fifth wheels aren’t there.
Use what you feel comfortable with. At the end of the day, that’s the best purchase.
06-23-2019, 05:36 PM
