Andersen Ultimate 5th

[hwkscr]

Originally Posted by gmacecsko

Last year when we purchased our 5th wheel, I had the dealer replace the pin box with a Goosebox. The cost was on par with buying a 5th wheel hitch. All I have in the bed is the ball that drops into the factory 5thwheel/gooseneck.
This setup is approved by Lippert so no warranty concern.

I thought about going this route, but I have a 6.5' bed. Do you have a short bed? Any cab clearance issues?

[gmacecsko]

Originally Posted by hwkscr

I thought about going this route, but I have a 6.5' bed. Do you have a short bed? Any cab clearance issues?

I have a 2018 GMC Sierra Denali dually with an 8 ft bed.

[IsuzuCamper]

I spoke with Lippert and my trailer manufacturer.



You can do what you wish but there is more then one reason I don't own an Anderson Ultimate Hitch.


I saw pictures of damage caused by it to the pin box from multiple people. IMO it's a bad design. There are 4 set screws that push against the bottom of the pin box. It will crack and dent the pin box eventually. The amount of pressure exerted on the pin box by the tiny set screws is immense.


Also, I have read of Anderson's 5 million dollar warranty and them not standing behind it when people have claimed damage. I can't verify this but it certainly scared me enough to add it to the negative column for this product.



If you research and ask questions you will find the answers.



To the original poster. Give Lippert a call and ask if there is damage to their frame when using anything but what they approve of if they will honor the warranty.




To quote another post above:




Officially they can only void the warranty if the adapter actually CAUSES damage, not simply if it is used (see Federal Trade Commission'sv'Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act', 15 U.S.C. ch. 50, 2301-2312).




Hmm, Lippert could easily say the usage of the unapproved hitch caused the frame to crack, bend or break. Are you wiling to take that chance if it happens? We certainly are not.

[IsuzuCamper]

Also,
I know I will get flak about my comments above about pin box damage. So I refer you to the below - it will be obvious the 4 set screws caused a great deal of damage to the pin box:


https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...print/true.cfm

[IsuzuCamper]

Originally Posted by hwkscr

I thought about going this route, but I have a 6.5' bed. Do you have a short bed? Any cab clearance issues?

We use the Reese Goosebox with a 6.5 bed. It works great! The front of the 5er plays an important role in this. I was concerned about this as well so I mocked up the front of our new camper with wood and took precise measurements of the goosebox connection point in the bed of the truck. We can achieve nearly a 90 degree turn before contact would be made to the cab of the truck. I would advise making similar checks before hand as well since trucks are different as are 5th wheels.

[hwkscr]

Well folks, I have ended up purchasing the B&W Companion 3700 that is designed to fit with the GM OEM puck system. I figured I bought this truck bc it had that in it, so I mind as well use it. I also got the wedge that is specific to the B&W so I can take advantage of the MorRyde Orbiting pinbox.

I haven't been able to find anything negative about the Companion other than it's heavy. So, I think it'll be a good setup. I'd rather not take a risk when my family is in the truck with me.

[IsuzuCamper]

Originally Posted by hwkscr

Well folks, I have ended up purchasing the B&W Companion 3700 that is designed to fit with the GM OEM puck system. I figured I bought this truck bc it had that in it, so I mind as well use it. I also got the wedge that is specific to the B&W so I can take advantage of the MorRyde Orbiting pinbox.

I haven't been able to find anything negative about the Companion other than it's heavy. So, I think it'll be a good setup. I'd rather not take a risk when my family is in the truck with me.

I think that is a great choice. Should be very happy with it from what I read.

[Searching_Ut]

Originally Posted by IsuzuCamper

Also,
I know I will get flak about my comments above about pin box damage. So I refer you to the below - it will be obvious the 4 set screws caused a great deal of damage to the pin box:


https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...print/true.cfm

One correction on your observation, the way the pin adapter is designed, only the two set screws between the ball and the pin carry the weight when hooked up, kind of like the pivot point of a teeter totter. They are the two set screws that damaged the pin box baseplate.



Those are photos of my fifth wheel, a 2016 Bighorn. At the time, it was under a year old, and under warranty. I let the dealer work the issue initially, but Lippert rightly blamed the Andersen pin box adapter, and Andersen wouldn't do anything about it. After approximately 6 weeks at the dealer, with the answer being if I wanted it replaced I would have to pay for it, I brought the trailer back with the pin box still damaged, and tried to work it with Andersen myself. They kept saying they would get back to me for weeks, and finally just replied that some pin boxes weren't strong enough to work with their pin adapter, and they sent me a shim to put under the pin adapter to distribute the weight better. When I called to question them about this e-mail they simply advised me that their warranty expressly excludes damage to the trailer or tow vehicle from use of their product and that the hitch itself hadn't failed. By this time I was out of time prior to a big trip I had planned for months so I just bought a new hitch and pin box and installed myself.



Having read their so called supplemental warranty, once I return home in Late Feb I'll probably get ahold of them again and try to pursue further. To say I'm totally unimpressed with their customer service would be the understatement of the century.

[1960C182]

My dealings with Andersen customer service was that of a company that took care of things with no delay or crap about not their problem.

[Searching_Ut]

Originally Posted by 1960C182

My dealings with Andersen customer service was that of a company that took care of things with no delay or crap about not their problem.

That was also my experience when it was just simple issues. When it became more serious, they suddenly became a different animal. I've detailed the problems I've had with them. What are the ones you've had that they took care of?

[1960C182]

Originally Posted by Searching_Ut

That was also my experience when it was just simple issues. When it became more serious, they suddenly became a different animal. I've detailed the problems I've had with them. What are the ones you've had that they took care of?

Pretty serious.

[IsuzuCamper]

Originally Posted by Searching_Ut

One correction on your observation, the way the pin adapter is designed, only the two set screws between the ball and the pin carry the weight when hooked up, kind of like the pivot point of a teeter totter. They are the two set screws that damaged the pin box baseplate.



Those are photos of my fifth wheel, a 2016 Bighorn. At the time, it was under a year old, and under warranty. I let the dealer work the issue initially, but Lippert rightly blamed the Andersen pin box adapter, and Andersen wouldn't do anything about it. After approximately 6 weeks at the dealer, with the answer being if I wanted it replaced I would have to pay for it, I brought the trailer back with the pin box still damaged, and tried to work it with Andersen myself. They kept saying they would get back to me for weeks, and finally just replied that some pin boxes weren't strong enough to work with their pin adapter, and they sent me a shim to put under the pin adapter to distribute the weight better. When I called to question them about this e-mail they simply advised me that their warranty expressly excludes damage to the trailer or tow vehicle from use of their product and that the hitch itself hadn't failed. By this time I was out of time prior to a big trip I had planned for months so I just bought a new hitch and pin box and installed myself.



Having read their so called supplemental warranty, once I return home in Late Feb I'll probably get ahold of them again and try to pursue further. To say I'm totally unimpressed with their customer service would be the understatement of the century.

Thanks for the clarification on that. It's clear to me that at least that part of the hitch is poorly designed. To have the amount of torque and stress placed on tiny set screws is just beyond ridiculous. You need a large flat surface making contact with another large flat surface to distribute those stresses over a wide area. For example. A 200lb person wearing sneakers can step on your stomach and really not hurt you. The same person wearing a pair of very narrow/sharp high heels...look out!


I was wondering what the conclusion of your story was. So no relief from Andersen? Their answer to your problem is the kind of problem I was concerned about. So if they say it's not their problem if you have trailer damage that might very well have been caused by their product what good is this 5 million dollar warranty of theirs?

[Daycruiser]

Originally Posted by IsuzuCamper

Also,
I know I will get flak about my comments above about pin box damage. So I refer you to the below - it will be obvious the 4 set screws caused a great deal of damage to the pin box:


https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...print/true.cfm

Don't sweat it, I already took crap in another thread about this very same subject because I stated exactly what you did about the Anderson. I don't use the Goosebox but I think it's a much better solution for those that want to use a Ball. I use a pivoting pin box and energy absorbing hitch in my short box. The Anderson is just a bad idea.

[Yosemite77]

Originally Posted by hwkscr

Well folks, I have ended up purchasing the B&W Companion 3700 that is designed to fit with the GM OEM puck system. I figured I bought this truck bc it had that in it, so I mind as well use it. I also got the wedge that is specific to the B&W so I can take advantage of the MorRyde Orbiting pinbox.

I haven't been able to find anything negative about the Companion other than it's heavy. So, I think it'll be a good setup. I'd rather not take a risk when my family is in the truck with me.

The Companion is a great hitch. My solution to deal with the weight was to install a hoist on my garage ceiling. I store the hitch on a 30”x18” dolly which makes moving it a breeze.