Weight Distributing Hitch - Anderson vs. Equalizer?

[kisstherain]

I recently purchased a new 2 horse, 4 Star trailer. This new trailer will be larger/heavier than my existing trailer, and will be pulled by my existing truck, a Ford F150. Given the weight when loaded, I feel a weight-distributing hitch is needed.

I’ve been Googling quite a bit, and it seems like A LOT of people like the Equalizer hitch, but that folks like the Anderson hitch too, which looks a bit simpler and perhaps easier to deal with - ??

Does anyone have experience with either of these? One of my concerns is the weight of these hitches and the ease of hitching up. I will be mainly hitching-up by myself, and as a female with limited upper body strength, I’m a bit worried about lifting these things and their components.

Thanks!

[DMK]

I can’t speak for the Anderson, I opted to get the equalizer since it was both weight distribution (keep your front wheels on the ground) and anti-sway (keep the thing behind you where it belongs). I figured if I was going to be annoyed by the mechanics of either, I might as well get the benefits of both!

That said, my number one piece of advice for you is to ALSO invest in an electric jack then dealing with the equaliizer will be a piece of cake. This is the one I bought, my trailer has almost 20k miles since I installed it, so it does get used often. So far, so good!

Amazon.com: Husky HB4500 4500 lbs. Brute Power Jack, Hammer Gray Finish :...

The big hitch that goes in the receiver is one big, heavy unpleasant thing to slog around, so if you are one of those people who removes your hitch, you will be miserable. Unfortunately the Anderson one looks just about as big, so that seems like an unavoidable problem. I leave mine in and use it even when I don’t bother with the bars (I generally only use the full hitch on long hauls when we are packed to the gills). But when it comes to hitching up with the electric hitch, life is pretty easy, also the jack is powered by the truck battery so no worrying about whether you have a charged battery like other jacks.

Process:
get truck lined up close to trailer, attach brake/light plug, lift hitch enough (I keep mine low/level)
back up vehicle, lower hitch enough to lock hitch on ball. Put sway bars on HITCH with cotter pins

LIFT hitch by pushing switch UP (this would be physically painful to do manually - you are lifting the back end of the tow vehicle) when sway bars rise enough to clear the “ledge” they sit on (ledge is on the edge of your trailer hitch frame) you can either nudge it the rest of the way with your heel, or there is a tool that helps lift it in place if it isn’t quite high enough. Put the bar “lock” in place.

Lower trailer by pushing “down” button. Watch how much higher the back end sits and how much lower the front end sits.

So. Easy.

I also ordered a reinforced bag that holds the sway bars and other stuff. Keeps it all in one place and not moving around the trailer when not in use.

[LadyNeon01]

I have the Equalizer hitch. I won’t tow my 2H Hawk trailer without it. When it is set up properly, it works great. I can go down the interstate at 70-75mph and be rock solid, even with an 18-wheeler blowing past me.

I did have to make some minor adjustments to it when I got new tires put on my truck. Apparently I was right on the edge of proper setup with my old tires. When the new tires were put on my truck, it all went to crap and I could feel the trailer doing its own thing and my truck not handling it properly. My husband and our friend came over to help with all the adjustments, as our friend had just adjusted his own hitch for his RV. It was pretty simple to adjust once we had the right size sockets and wrenches.

I follow a similar hook up procedure as DMK but with a few minor differences. I don’t leave the hitch on my truck. I keep my trailer high enough so that I can back up under it once I put the hitch on the truck. My electric jack is crucial, as I put it down to lock it on the ball and then jack it up to put the sway bars in. Then I drop it back down and pull my jack foot. All in all, it only adds a few minutes to my hook up time as compared to not having the hitch at all.

It was completely worth the money for peace of mind while hauling.

[Quintessential]

Following because I am in the exact position as @kisstherain (albeit 3 years later!) but I’m still trying to figure out how to install since most horse trailers have a metal sheet covering the tongue on the hitch.

Did you weld the bars onto the frame or maybe cut the metal to be able to set the straps around the frame?

[Pico_Banana]

I am asking myself the exact same question right now, as well. My trailer has the diamond plating on the frame next to the hitch. Need to figure out how to attach WDH. Would prefer the equalizer I think.

[endlessclimb]

The one I used to use when I needed one was a Curt.

None of this lifty uppy downy to try and get a bar on a ledge. Hitch the trailer up as normal. Click the L bars in place on the hitch, turn the J hook down on the trailer, hook the chain and use the 1’ lever bar to lift up. Cotter pin, done.

It took maybe another 60 seconds compared to a standard hitch. I absolutely despise sway bars, so never used that feature, though it was capable of it.

As far as install, I’d take it to a trailer place and have them do it.

CURT 14,000 lb. Capacity Round Bar Weight Distribution Hitch with Lubrication, Sway Control at Tractor Supply Co

[Quintessential]

@Pico_Banana, it seems there is another useful thread from a while ago here:

Best clamps to attach to trailer for weight distributing hitch?

Seems people do cut into the diamond plating. Although, mine is a bit thicker than diamond plating and shorter from trailer to coupler.

Attached photos if anyone has any other ideas!

IMG_1599|666x500

[DMK]

You have to cut a slot in the frame to drop the clamp bar into. If I remember I’ll take a pic

[mfglickman]

I have an Anderson and really like it. I’m often hitching alone and I’m pretty strong but the Equalizer was just way too heavy for me to use alone.

[Leather]

I’ve got an Andersen and sadly had to cut into the diamond plating to install the brackets - see picture.

Your trailer does look like it would be a little more challenging. The brackets are usually installed around 30" from the center of the coupler give or take a few inches - does that give you enough clearance from the actual V-nose of your trailer?

Maybe reach out to the hitch manufacturers to see if they have any suggestions?

The Andersen website that they have some specialty brackets available, they might be able to come up with a solution for your trailer.

Good luck!