RV HITCH FAILURE! Would I trust this Hitch?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 17 вер 2024
- #rv #towing #trucks
BigTruckBigRV LIFE Channel: @BTBRV LIFE
Instagram: / bigtruckbigrv
Facebook: / bigtruckbigrv
Links to many of the accessories I review and use from etrailer!
www.etrailer.c...
RV Towing Upgrades
*Reese Goosebox Gen3: www.etrailer.c...
*B&W OEM Gooseball: www.etrailer.c...
*B&W Fifth Wheel Hitch: www.etrailer.c...
*B&W Sliding Fifth Wheel Hitch: www.etrailer.c...
*Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch: www.etrailer.c...
*B&W Tow and Stow Hitch: www.etrailer.c...
*Curt Drop Hitch: www.etrailer.c...
RV and Trailer Equipment Upgrades
*RoadArmor Suspension Equalizer: www.etrailer.c...
*HD Shackle Straps and Wet Bolts: www.etrailer.c...
*RV Suspension Upgrade (travel trailer, Cargo Trailer): www.etrailer.c...
*16” G Rated Wheel Tire Combo: www.etrailer.c...
*Goodyear Endurance 15” Trailer Tire: www.etrailer.c...
*Goodyear Endurance 16” Trailer Tire: www.etrailer.c...
*Furrion Wireless Backup Camera: www.etrailer.c...
*Furrion Wireless Side and Rear Cameras: www.etrailer.c...
*Phoenix Electric Trailer Jack 4,000 lbs: www.etrailer.c...
*GlowStep Revolution Steps: www.etrailer.c...
*LCI Solid Steps: www.etrailer.c...
*LCI AutoLeveling System: www.etrailer.c...
*Reese Fifth Wheel Dual Motor Landing Gear: www.etrailer.c...
Must Have Equipment!
*6000 Watt Generator Kit: www.etrailer.c...
*3200 Watt Inverter Generator: www.etrailer.c...
*2000 Watt Inverter Generator: www.etrailer.c...
*30amp to 50amp Power Cord: www.etrailer.c...
*LED RV Replacement Taillights: www.etrailer.c...
*Fastway Tire Chocks: www.etrailer.c...
*RV Foam Sprayer: www.etrailer.c...
*RV Soap: www.etrailer.c...
Truck Upgrades
*Airlift 5000 Airbag Kit: www.etrailer.c...
*Airlift Wireless Air Controller: www.etrailer.c...
*Access Toolbox Bed Cover: www.etrailer.c...
*Bedrug Bed Liner: www.etrailer.c...
*Floormats: www.etrailer.c...
*Etrailer.com is the official sponsor of my channel. Equipment reviewed may have been provided by them as part of that sponsorship. All reviews are honest and unbiased. This channel is for entertainment purposes, and you should always do your own research prior to making a decision!
Sponsored items may be in this video. Always research multiple sources before making a purchasing decision. As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases.
Hi JD:
As you know, this was my video, and my hitch that failed.
After going through the factory tour, I am convinced the Gen3 hitch is 100% safe and a great choice. My wish is that fifth-wheel trailer owners WHO ARE INTERESTED learn about the Gen3 version of the Andersen hitch, which is literally a tank compared to the Gen 2.
I think the video was well done, and specifically, you did an excellent job of expressing the progression of my thoughts about the failure of my Gen2 Andersen hitch, to my learning of the Gen3 and choosing it as completely acceptable, and as the hitch I trust.
And yes to your comments about keyboard warriors. Anybody can recommend or condemn anything, on a hunch, or based on "something" they can't identify. Everyone can do what they want, but it's best when "recommendations" are based on facts, not feelings....
I’m going to opt out of the battle with the warriors this time.
Thanks again!
A good engineer can usually spot the weak point in a “system”. That’s something that comes with decades of experience designing complete mechanical systems and unfortunately sometimes performing the failure analysis afterwards. My personal take on the Anderson hitch was this; you have a 16Klb+or- trailer made of steel/aluminum/wood/composites being towed by a 7Klb+ truck going down the road both being subjected to dynamic forces of incredible magnitude. Connecting them together with a minimalist tubular aluminum hitch just didn’t scream “robust” to me. To me it screamed “weakest link” in the "system". That “gut” feeling that one develops with experience is usually all we have to go on as consumers.
"You get what you pay for"
The fact they signed off on it is near criminal.
I worked as a metalurgist and have a bit of information regarding this subject. If you want strength you do not want cast steel or aluminum. Plate steel is THE way to go. Weld it up and be done with worry. Ever see a bridge built out of cast steel or aluminum? Wonder why? There's tensil strength, shear strength, etc as well as the composition of the steel itself. I mean you could make plate steel so brittle that it would shatter. And you do not want plate steel so soft it can tear. But with understanding it's possible to find a steel composition that will do what you want.
true!
been a fabricator for 30 yrs. seen aluminum crack, break easily. I don't care which alloy it is. if it's the connection between your tow vehicle and a trailer that could weigh between 10k and 20k lbs. , I honestly don't know how any engineer could approve of that. I'm just a dummy and no way I'd be ok with that.
I still have a 1st gen Anderson. 5 years old. Pulling a trailer that's 14k max. Still looks brand new. Just returned from a 5k miles trip. Most videos and their stories rarely line up. The video you posted shows it coming apart as he was pulling off. That hitch was busted well before that point for both front corners to come away like that. Evidently, someone didn't inspect their equipment regularly, or you would have seen signs of it cracking first. Just maybe his trailer is too heavy for the hitch in the first place and had no business using it. We weren't there so it is what it is.
@@gageihm52 Watching that video i personally just felt things looked fishy. Just a personal observation. I have Gen 2 hitch after having a 300lb slider hitch that required 2 people to get it out of my trunk. My anderson hitch has over 30k miles on it and looks like new. I follow the directions for torquing the bolts to 40lbs and the main bolt to 60lbs.
When I was shopping for a fifth wheel hitch, the last thing that mattered to me was, “light weight.”
So?
Great video, I'm a B&W hitch fan I had three it work for me.
Nice video. You handled it well.
If it failed, most likely that is because it wasn't engineered properly. We are not talking about cutting edge engineering here. Something like this should have an enormous margin of error involved. It should be much much stronger than the force it is ever likely to see.
Am glad to see your explanation on the Anderson failure and they are currently in the 3rd generation of hitches, I am now po’d at Camping world for selling me a 2nd Gen hitch, telling me it was the latest model, it wasn’t, it was a left over. Now over Labor Day we had a minor failure on an Anderson modification for a RotoFlex pin box and they are failing to get in touch with me after I sent pictures and phone #.
Love your videos. Keep doing what you do. I messaged keystone about putting a Gen Y on my 2024 cougar, and they told me it would not void my warranty. I put about 1500miles on it this summer and love it
That is awesome!
I went with the goosebox for many reasons. Strength being one. I feel comfortable and confident pulling my 15.5lbs toyhauler and dont worry about the trailer to truck connection. Smooth, quiet and a game changer for ease of use. Spend a lil more, trust me, ite worth the extra money spent. I contemplated for years before buying my trailler and with the plethora of info on this channel, settled for a pre convid 17' venom unit, and many upgrade items including this goosebox. Couldnt be happier. Saved a shit ton, have a quality trailer, and all the goodies to go with. Factor in $300 for the lock! Fort knox locks are approved by me as well!
Thanks JD, youve helped me immensely with my purchases. Time for tires now. On to your other video series! 😂
I think 95% of us looked at the Anderson hitch and thought the same thing.. morel of the story is if it looks like a duck quacks like a duck then it’s probably a duck 🦆
It's strange to me how people are saying they need to build better rvs bigger stronger bullet proof frames thicker gauge steel Yada yada then I'm gonna run the lightest chunk of kit I can get to drag it down the road just sayin
I sense another JD/manufacturer collaboration in the future 😂
I purchased a 2nd Gen Ultimate Hitch because I love the Gooseneck connection, wanted to easily be able to remove the hitch out of the bed and was what I could afford at the time. I owned that version for 8 years but recently while doing my maintenance, I noticed a 3/4” crack in the welding near the top that wasn’t there before. I emailed Anderson asking them if it was a concern and they said yes. They then shipped out the 3rd gen and it appears to be a lot more solid than the last version.
After watching your video on the Anderson Ultimate hitch and thus learning about the gen 3 upgrade discount for gen 2 owners, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade. A very critical aspect not mentioned on the video or from Anderson was that the ball setback had been reduced on the Gen 3. I’ve used the Gen 2 without problems for over 4-years. My first attempt backing in my RV with the Gen 3 resulted in a broken rear window on my pickup. Probably this could have been avoided with a bit more care but I’m confident the reduced setback on the Gen 3 makes the hitch unusable for me. Thankfully, I had not destroyed my Gen 2 and will reinstall it for more years of confident RV travel. I wish Anderson had made it clear that they had reduced the ball setback. It appears, I’ll get a refund on return but the $1,200 window replacement was an expensive lesson. Regardless, I appreciate your channel and don’t fault you in anyway.
JD same here, I just want to see a product that works and have zero issues, because if it failed you’re going to hope how bad it’s going to be.
Let Gen Y build a comparable product. You know it'll be over built and be amazing
I'm like that with gooseneck hitches. I look at the data, and it shows that they work very well, but I look at a video of one while it's going going down the road, and my brain starts screaming, "HELL NO!!! SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE"!!! 😂😂😂
Yeup, I had to build a co2 powered car project for elementary school. My car was the lightest the smallest I took as much wood off as possible. I used graphite in the axles and I got first place. There were other cars that were built like a wedge. Of course mine wasn't the strongest but it didn't need to be. You need to build for the worst case scenario when you're dealing with heavy trailers and speed down the expressway. If my little car broke in half, half down the track, it is not likely that anybody would die.
I'm a mechanical engineer. Sorry, but for large fifth wheels, the Anderson Hitch just doesn't pass my sniff test. I'll stick with my Reese.
I've never towed a 5th wheel, but looking at that hitch I would feel a lot more comfortable if there were a few more triangles rather than those 4 single tubes.
Since I know Anderson is going to check these comments. A suggestion. Since you have your failure data for the Gen 2's. Maybe offer a trade\exchange credit for them for purchases of the Gen 3's. You obviously (in a consumers mind) did not make the gen 2's strong enough that it necessitated a strengthened product (a gen 3) that was essentially just a reinforced gen 2 that didn't account for the differences of metal fatigue between the steel of the gen 1 and aluminum of the gen 2.
They offer an upgrade program. I talked about it at the end of the first video on this
I went with the Goosebox as well, but that was because we bought new. The next one will have a Gen-Y, especially if it does NOT have a Lippert frame.
I heard tale, that Lippert refused to approve Gen-Y because Gen-Y refused to allow Lippert be the sole source. Not sure if that is true or not, but I do know for fact that Alliance (makes their own frame) and they have approved Gen-Y.
As far as the Andersen hitch, I MIGHT trust it if they tied into the 4 corners of the OE system. I really don't like that they rely on friction with the bed to keep the tower from rotating...
Looking at the photos and video, it looks to be attached at a single point with a lot of torque in all directions around that point. It's not just the pull, but it looks like it rocks around the attachment point. First thought is cycle fatigue. Going down the road that thing is rocking around its base front, back, left, right, up, down. The questions I would have are the same I have on Lippert frames -- what forces are they modeling in the FEM?
I’m adding a GenY hitch to my Alliance Paradigm 382 RK this week. Wish there were more frame manufacturers out there. Putting a B&W turnover ball in the bed of my F350 DRW.
I have a B&W Companion 5th wheel hitch. I purposely bought the 25K hitch. That capacity is well beyond what my F350 SRW can tow. My goal was to remove or reduce points of failure. This is the 2nd 5th wheel hitch I’ve ever owned. Plate steel makes me feel safer. I explored and researched the gooseneck hitch before buying the B&W. I did not feel comfortable with having everything dependent on a single point of failure. Safety and peace of mind were my goals.
Actually you still have a single point....the pin.
Seems like a lot of complications have been surfacing regarding 5th wheels lately. I'm glad I didn't buy one.
An Aluminum hitch failure is exactly why they don't make Aluminum leaf springs! aluminum is not a load baring material.!!🤨
Morryde pin box with a Trailersaver BD5 hitch. Best option for a heavy fifthwheel. Nothing better.
"engineered" just means under absolute perfect conditions with no other added stresses.
that aluminum tube piece of crap doesn't look like it should of made it out of the parking lot.
To the folks who say aluminum can't do this job, I would point out that they make 900hp aluminum block racing engines that virtually never have a catastrophic failure of the block. It's about the engineering for the specific job, not the material. I agree with JD - in this case, overbuilding due to the need to avoid *any* catastrophic failures, at the expense of some added weight, would make sense.
There's an ol boy up in Michigan makes pretty good living welding aluminum blocks and heads that cracked
Great video and insight. I probably missed it, but this was the first time I recall hearing you not recommend this product for long term application. With that said... do you recommend the Gen-Y offset adapter for long term application??
Adding 15lb of aluminum to an Anderson only makes sense if it adds strength at appropriate points in the design. Just because something is heavy, doesn’t mean it’s strong in the way it needs to be strong for a particular purpose.
I wouldn't consider a single failure as a design defect. It was more likely a manufacturing or material defect that caused the failure. Aluminum is pretty strong material, depending on the alloy used. Which I don't think people take in to consideration when discussing aluminum.
I really think these goose neck hitches are going to put to much stress on the frame. Is like a long crowbar with the distance from where the load is suppose to be. It adds 12 to 14 inches or more. I like the design but i dont want to destroy my frame. We will see as time goes. Thanks for the information .
I have the B&W Companion 18k , I don't know how many iterations there have been of this hitch but I'm quite sure I'd steer away from a unit that has been re-engineered 3 times. A trailer hitch is a pretty significant piece of equipment that ought be second guessed.
Who cares about saving weight? If your worried about that you are too close to your max payload of the tow vehicle, if your worried about getting it in and out of the truck you are too frail to be towing anyways.
I have the first generation anderson hitch pared with a cougar 5th wheel. I am considering switching to the 3rd generation anderson hitch. Was wondering your opinion about switching.
For what I understand, that if you let them know that you can trade up to the 3rd gen it can't hurt.
Watch the video, he gives his opinion
Radar have something over built for safety
do you a think a 5th wheel over the gooseball is good like a pullrite 3900
Man sure seems the way to go…
But then… when I looked more into it… For me I would only do if I was on the lighter side of the weight rating of the trailer. Once I understood more the change to the load on the hitch of the fifth wheel I realized the downside.
Kind of wish fifth wheels came this way - sure seems the way to go.
@@patricksquires77 well the pull rite 3900 is rated at 24000 lbs max gvwr and 6000 lbs pin weight the gooseneck ball is a 2 5/16 ball rated at 38000lbs and 9500 lbs pin weight
@@christianrenteria2792 I have to be looking at the wrong hitch details!
Looks like a replay Video from cple wks ago
After watching your video on the Anderson Ultimate hitch and thus learning about the gen 3 upgrade discount for gen 2 owners, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade. A very critical aspect not mentioned on the video or from Anderson was that the ball setback had been reduced on the Gen 3. I’ve used the Gen 2 without problems for over 4-years. My first attempt backing in my RV with the Gen 3 resulted in a broken rear window on my pickup. Probably this could have been avoided with a bit more care but I’m confident the reduced setback on the Gen 3 makes the hitch unusable for me. Thankfully, I had not destroyed my Gen 2 and will reinstall it for more years of confident RV travel. I wish Anderson had made it clear that they had reduced the ball setback. It appears, I’ll get a refund on return but the $1,200 window replacement was an expensive lesson. Regardless, I appreciate your channel and don’t fault you in anyway.