I may have to get a 68RFE in my new truck.

[Cummins2014]

To me that folded hitch looks exactly the same as Stuart's.

But anyways, to me a hitch has to be rock solid.

I have no argument other then I do believe that picture is old news about the Andersen, what they did on the redesign I have no idea. Just that they did redesign.

Big question here is the Andersen still continuing to have the same issue. Lets forget the bed denting, hell, the B&W did the same thats old news also. Whether Andersen is addressing it or not, there is a solution ,shim the damn thing. I find it kind of funny how quick everybody jumped on the bandwagon. Come on ,is the Andersen still bending or not, anyone got any info about that .

 

[AH64ID]

I have no argument other then I do believe that picture is old news about the Andersen, what they did on the redesign I have no idea. Just that they did redesign.

Big question here is the Andersen still continuing to have the same issue. Lets forget the bed denting, hell, the B&W did the same thats old news also. Whether Andersen is addressing it or not, there is a solution ,shim the damn thing. I find it kind of funny how quick everybody jumped on the bandwagon. Come on ,is the Andersen still bending or not, anyone got any info about that .

I read this as the AUH2 as being the redesign, and based on that photo I would say it is still bending. A few years old or not, it's the redesigned hitch.

https://andersenhitches.com/Blog/20...y-did-andersen-update-the-ultimate-connection

 

[Cummins2014]

I read this as the AUH2 as being the redesign, and based on that photo I would say it is still bending. A few years old or not, it's the redesigned hitch.

https://andersenhitches.com/Blog/20...y-did-andersen-update-the-ultimate-connection

You could very well be right, I do know, there was a lot of talk about redesign after that picture of the bent one was posted .

 

[Cummins12V98]

The 2 is the redesigned improved model.

 

[brucejohnson]

I read this as the AUH2 as being the redesign, and based on that photo I would say it is still bending. A few years old or not, it's the redesigned hitch.

https://andersenhitches.com/Blog/20...y-did-andersen-update-the-ultimate-connection

I have seen all kinds of stories on the web regarding this and similar pictures. Not one post has mentioned the story that should have accompanied the picture; just conjectures, bashings and unsupported opinions; few, if any that make any sense.
I'll throw my half-penny in on this one. Looking at the damage and the way things are twisted, in theory the driver took a corner short and dropped the trailer's right wheels into a deep ditch, causing the trailer to high-center on the roadway and the wheels/axles dangling or well embedded into the ditch sides. driver, thinking that the super-duper diesel torque will resolve the issue and be able to easily pull the trailer out of the ditch, pours on the coal and tries to yank or heavily rock the trailer out of the ditch, while at an angle. The hitch exceeded its designed limit, especially at an angle and collapsed, folded, spindled and mutilated. Any other hitch may have caused significant damage in other areas of the truck or trailer, depending on the mounting points and what points give up first. Looks like the Andersen was a "fuse" which kept total damage to a minimum. Just imagine the damage to the trailers gooseneck or trucks frame if it was hooked to a different beefy fifth wheel hitch in that scenario.
I'm just using the typical physics and assumptions with the minimal visual information available. I could be wrong, but without sufficient and accurate information I can not bash any product.

 

[RVTRKN]

There is a big difference with a B&W companion base for pickups (not to confuse it with the flatbed version) and the Anderson. While the B&W base sits on the corrugated sheet metal bed, it is supported by a very stout post that is torqued to the pin below. So there might be a little movement that can show up in the bed, but the blunt of horizontal forces are absorbed by that post, while the Anderson can pivot back and forth on the turnover ball. My old flatbed version is the same as the regular pickup, but with a smaller foot print.

 

[Ozymandias]

To me it doesn't matter what happened to it - I can't accept a hitch to collapse in that way. The hitch has to be the most rigid point.

What if you rear end something?
Will the fifth wheel then jump onto the passenger compartment?
Not acceptable.

 

[Ozymandias]

.... driver, thinking that the super-duper diesel torque will resolve the issue and be able to easily pull the trailer out of the ditch, pours on the coal and tries to yank or heavily rock the trailer out of the ditch, while at an angle. The hitch exceeded its designed limit, especially at an angle and collapsed, folded, spindled and mutilated. Any other hitch may have caused significant damage in other areas of the truck or trailer, depending on the mounting points and what points give up first. Looks like the Andersen was a "fuse" which kept total damage to a minimum. Just imagine the damage to the trailers gooseneck or trucks frame if it was hooked to a different beefy fifth wheel hitch in that scenario.
I'm just using the typical physics and assumptions with the minimal visual information available. I could be wrong, but without sufficient and accurate information I can not bash any product.

That would be even worse! Destroying by just the vehicles power.

 

[AH64ID]

To me it doesn't matter what happened to it - I can't accept a hitch to collapse in that way. The hitch has to be the most rigid point.

What if you rear end something?
Will the fifth wheel then jump onto the passenger compartment?
Not acceptable.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[Cummins2014]

There is a big difference with a B&W companion base for pickups (not to confuse it with the flatbed version) and the Anderson. While the B&W base sits on the corrugated sheet metal bed, it is supported by a very stout post that is torqued to the pin below. So there might be a little movement that can show up in the bed, but the blunt of horizontal forces are absorbed by that post, while the Anderson can pivot back and forth on the turnover ball. My old flatbed version is the same as the regular pickup, but with a smaller foot print.

Then why does the B&W have to be shimmed ?? The Andersen is also torqued to the pin.

 

[AH64ID]

Then why does the B&W have to be shimmed ?? The Andersen is also torqued to the pin.

The Anderson is torqued to the ball, not to the pin. The B&W is one solid piece that slides into the B&W GN hitch. There is nowhere to pivot between 5th wheel hitch and the GN hitch. The B&W cannot sit flat on the ground, unlike the Anderson, due to the shaft sticking down.

The B&W sits on skid's so that it can be made to fit any manufacturer's bed ribs for the most contact. It does not float across any ribs this way and takes more advantage of the sheet-metal strength.

In the end the B&W has much less movement in any direction, but especially fore and aft.

 

[Cummins2014]

The Anderson is torqued to the ball, not to the pin. The B&W is one solid piece that slides into the B&W GN hitch. There is nowhere to pivot between 5th wheel hitch and the GN hitch. The B&W cannot sit flat on the ground, unlike the Anderson, due to the shaft sticking down.

The B&W sits on skid's so that it can be made to fit any manufacturer's bed ribs for the most contact. It does not float across any ribs this way and takes more advantage of the sheet-metal strength.

In the end the B&W has much less movement in any direction, but especially fore and aft.

They both require shims to prevent damage to the bed, and I would assume thats from the fore, and aft movement , or is B&W no longer a problem damaging beds ?? I acknowledge now the difference in how they are connected ,and torqued, just not seeing what difference does it make if both are damaging the bed.

 

[AH64ID]

They both require shims to prevent damage to the bed, and I would assume thats from the fore, and aft movement , or is B&W no longer a problem damaging beds ?? I acknowledge now the difference in how they are connected ,and torqued, just not seeing what difference does it make if both are damaging the bed.

The B&W is no longer damaging beds, at least not that I am aware of. And they certainly aren’t folding.

Dad ran his B&W RVK3500 for 2 years before I noticed it didn’t have the skids (I wouldn’t call them shims) and there wasn’t any damage. The skids simply put all the weight either on or off the rib, so there is 100% contact with the bed.

 

[Cummins2014]

The B&W is no longer damaging beds, at least not that I am aware of. And they certainly aren’t folding.

Dad ran his B&W RVK3500 for 2 years before I noticed it didn’t have the skids (I wouldn’t call them shims) and there wasn’t any damage. The skids simply put all the weight either on or off the rib, so there is 100% contact with the bed.

No idea now, just know B&W had to do something, are they or are they not still having to shim, or skids or whatever to the bed. Doesn't matter if your dads did or did not . Andersen ,did ,and did not damage beds , some reported a problem ,some said there was no issue . As far as folding as you call it, whens the last time, I have seen two ,the one on here thats been floating around many forums now ,and gets posted mostly by non owners every so often, and one that was in a wreck. Anymore you aware of ??? I'm not .

 

[RVTRKN]

The Anderson teeters on the ball which allows the crease fore and aft of the post. My companion is for a flat bed (and is for sale, if anyone is interested), and B&W does have rubber glued to the bottom of the supports. It did leave a footprint on the bed, but not creasing it, just signs of movement. However there was no movement that I could detect in feel or sudden stopping, and there were a few times I thanked myself for chosing such a quality built and very stout hitch. Metal to metal wear is the evidence I see were the the rubber slid off the base from the anti-slip metal bed grabbing the rubber. I will assume the bigger foot print on the regular bed version has the same effect, just a little more magnafied. The post that the B&W hitch is anchored to does allow a little movement, otherwise you wouldn't be able to remove it when you want to remove it, from being to tight.

 

[Cummins12V98]

This Mobile Suites was hit broadside with a VERY overloaded truck/trailer. Hit so hard it knocked over the RV and as you see put the truck up nearly on it's side.

 

[AH64ID]

Ouch!

Any idea how the frame on the Ram fared? I'm guessing it was a total loss?

Quite happy to see how well the hitch/truck held up thou. That's what I want for my safety.

 

[Jim W]

Ouch is right!

But I bet if the owner had a ANDERSON hitch the truck would not be on it's side. The hitch would have bent and allowed it's self to be torn from the ball joint with out any damage to the truck other than scrapped paint!

 

[Cummins2014]

Ouch is right!

But I bet if the owner had a ANDERSON hitch the truck would not be on it's side. The hitch would have bent and allowed it's self to be torn from the ball joint with out any damage to the truck other than scrapped paint!

In another case it tore the B&W in half, and the truck remained upright , just another one floating around the internet showing how it ripped apart, they all will come apart under certain circumstances , so it just depends. That Andersen failure has been out on the internet many times ,its old news .

 

[brucejohnson]

Ouch is right!

But I bet if the owner had a ANDERSON hitch the truck would not be on it's side. The hitch would have bent and allowed it's self to be torn from the ball joint with out any damage to the truck other than scrapped paint!

The B&W is severely bent in this picture. I believe the Andersen would have held on tightly to its balls, just articulate a bit differently in its agony after a hit like that.