Bulldog coupler destroys Anderson ball

[John E Davies]

Wow, this is an old thread, I had sort of lost track of it. You should grease the ball, but you also should add a can of spray brake cleaner and paper towels to your tow kit, because you will have to clean off the ball every time you unhitch, otherwise it will soil your pants or bare leg. Bad words will follow! It doesn't matter what type of grease, but a product that comes in a tube is much easier to store and to apply. It only takes a small amount, where the shiny spots and wear are positioned.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Park-Tool-Polylube-1000-Grease-Tube/33294585

It does attract dirt, so clean out the cavity in the coupler every now and then, or it will just turn into valve grinding compound 😉

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Mountainman198]

Been hitching mine dry.  Approx 8000 mi towing in less than a year.  No abnormal wear so far.

[Steve Morris]

2 hours ago, Mountainman198 said:

Been hitching mine dry.  Approx 8000 mi towing in less than a year.  No abnormal wear so far.

I wondered if anyone did with trailers this weight. For decades, over a succession of under 2000 pound sailboats and now my squaredrop trailer, I've used a stainless steel ball and a four layer thick square of waxed paper. Never a squeak, no wear, no mess. A boat dealer told me about this method back in the '70s or '80s.

[mossemi]

On 7/19/2022 at 9:17 AM, Mountainman198 said:

Been hitching mine dry.  Approx 8000 mi towing in less than a year.  No abnormal wear so far.

It would be my guess the you are not using the Andersen WDH with your 1 ton Ram.  And I believe JD thinks the function of the Andersen WDH is the source of the excessive ball wear.

Mossey

[Patriot]

On 7/19/2022 at 9:17 AM, Mountainman198 said:

Been hitching mine dry.  Approx 8000 mi towing in less than a year.  No abnormal wear so far.

The Andersen greaseless ball has served me well with no noticeable or excessive wear with the bulldog hitch and no greasy mess to clean up and zero squeaks. I shed no tears when we sold our Andersen WDH after purchasing a TV that does not require a WDH.

[Mountainman198]

2 hours ago, mossemi said:

It would be my guess the you are not using the Andersen WDH with your 1 ton Ram.  And I believe JD thinks the function of the Andersen WDH is the source of the excessive ball wear.

Mossey

I DO use the Andersen WDH with the Tundra and keep it on the few times I use the Ram as then I do not have to remove the chains.  All but 1.5k mi have been run with the Tundra.

I see often that people appear to tighten the tensioners on their WDH so much that that they have problems crushing the poly bumpers when on the level then splay the chain connectors when hitting dips in the road surface.  I run my tension as Oliver had set up for me on pickup day and have found neither issue with excessive ball wear or with connecting the whale tail when re-hitching.  I could see where these both would present as problems were I running high levels of tension on the chain tensioners.

[mossemi]

3 hours ago, Mountainman198 said:

I DO use the Andersen WDH with the Tundra and keep it on the few times I use the Ram as then I do not have to remove the chains.  All but 1.5k mi have been run with the Tundra.

Thank you for pointing out to everyone that either I can’t read or I am blind.🙈   I totally overlooked the Tundra in your signature.

Please except my apologies and thank you for your insightful comments on your Andersen setup.

Mossey

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Patriot said:

The Andersen greaseless ball has served me well with no noticeable or excessive wear with the bulldog hitch 

Thanks Patriot, I might try that hitch. 

[Patriot]

15 hours ago, Kirk Peterson said:

Thanks Patriot, I might try that hitch. 

Kirk, you are welcome! I have actually owned this 8 years and never a problem. 👍🏻

[Geronimo John]

I upgraded to the 2 5/16" Anderson/Bulldog when I purchased my OEII.  The next year I upgraded to the newer design.  I now have 19,000 miles on my 2 5/16" Anderson ball.

I  use a spray can of Lubriplate spray white lithium grease on the ball for each hitch up.  For me, it is best to wipe off the grease from the ball at each un-hitch to prevent my accidently getting jeans/leg greasy..  We just finished up our 2022 Summer/Fall TX to Alaska voyage (12,709 miles) and found nothing of concern with the ball or hitch.  

With my 2019 F-150 EB Lariat FX4 we have zero sway worries.  That said, I am considering a set of air bags for next year.

GJ

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:

I upgraded to the 2 5/16" Anderson/Bulldog when I purchased my OEII.  The next year I upgraded to the newer design.  I now have 19,000 miles on my 2 5/16" Anderson ball.

I  use a spray can of Lubriplate spray white lithium grease on the ball for each hitch up.  For me, it is best to wipe off the grease from the ball at each un-hitch to prevent my accidently getting jeans/leg greasy..  We just finished up our 2022 Summer/Fall TX to Alaska voyage (12,709 miles) and found nothing of concern with the ball or hitch.  

With my 2019 F-150 EB Lariat FX4 we have zero sway worries.  That said, I am considering a set of air bags for next year.

GJ

Those AlCan frost heaves are a real joy, aren't they?  Spoke with a friend today who recently had the frame of his trailer (conventional construction) break in the yukon.

Put a set of air bags on my F150 FX4 and am pleased with the result.  Set at about 50#, they tame the porposing greatly.

[katanapilot]

2 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

.  We just finished up our 2022 Summer/Fall TX to Alaska voyage (12,709 miles) and found nothing of concern with the ball or hitch.  

With my 2019 F-150 EB Lariat FX4 we have zero sway worries.  That said, I am considering a set of air bags for next year.

GJ

It was a pleasure meeting you and your spouse in Whitehorse. Glad you had a good, safe trip. 

And you beat us (not by much, though). 12,430 miles 😉

[Geronimo John]

It was nice to run across you, and then again in Alaska.  I very much appreciated the tour of your rig, and especially seeing in action your Houghton.  I'll not forget the comment I made just as I entered asking if you could turn on the unit and the huge smile you had saying "It's on high!".  To all the Oliver Owners... this unit is extremely quiet even on high.

This year was a long summer for sure.  Total time in our Ollie was over four months.  As much fun as it was, we ar glad to be home now.  Starting to plan for next year's voyage!

GJ

 

[Geronimo John]

2 hours ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

Those AlCan frost heaves are a real joy, aren't they?  Spoke with a friend today who recently had the frame of his trailer (conventional construction) break in the yukon.

Put a set of air bags on my F150 FX4 and am pleased with the result.  Set at about 50#, they tame the porposing greatly.

For sure.  We had a lot of rain and the low spots were somewhat visible as "puddles".  Avoid the puddles in YT for sure. 

I caught up to another RV'er who had hit one that was flooded.  Must have been a foot deep.  He had passed me doing double my speed.  He bent his two left trailer rims, and ate both tires.  All with no suitable jack to make the repairs.  We got his spare installed and I suggested that he dump his gray and fresh water tanks.  He did and limped slowly to  a tire shop.  Between the deep pot holes, frost heaves, and corduroy road bases failing .... Yukon Territories can only be care free traveled at well below the posted speed limits.

GJ

[Geronimo John]

On 10/7/2022 at 1:51 PM, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

Put a set of air bags on my F150 FX4 and am pleased with the result.  Set at about 50#, they tame the porposing greatly.

Jim:  What air bags did your use?

Looking at doing the same on our TV.... for the same reasons.

GJ

[Rivernerd]

On 10/7/2022 at 4:06 PM, Geronimo John said:

I upgraded to the 2 5/16" Anderson/Bulldog when I purchased my OEII.  The next year I upgraded to the newer design.  I now have 19,000 miles on my 2 5/16" Anderson ball.

I  use a spray can of Lubriplate spray white lithium grease on the ball for each hitch up. 

I also upgraded to the 2-6/16"  Bulldog coupler, and purchased an Andersen WD hitch with the 2-5/16" ball.  I installed it myself at the Oliver campsite the day after we took delivery.

Per Andersen's ALL CAPS. BOLD AND HIGHLIGHTED INSTRUCTION on page 5 of their Installation Manual to "DO NOT GREASE THE BALL OR COUPLER,"  I didn't.  Yet, after towing 2000+ miles back home to Idaho, there is a wear pattern on the 2-5/16" ball strikingly similar to the one pictured in John Davies' initial post above, just not as deep.  Photo attached.

So, I plan to try the wax paper trick for the next trip or two, and evaluate whether the wear is increased.

But this makes me wonder what prompts Andersen's dire warning to not grease.  Are they afraid the lubricant will allow the coupler to separate from the ball?

 

[johnwen]

55 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:

But this makes me wonder what prompts Andersen's dire warning to not grease

Oliver told me the grease will seep downwards below the seal around the hitch ball and create issues with the friction mechanism.

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

But this makes me wonder what prompts Andersen's dire warning to not grease.  Are they afraid the lubricant will allow the coupler to separate from the ball?

Nope - 

Remember that the "ball" is in one piece connected to a "shaft" that extends from the ball down through the "body" of the Andersen and comes out at the bottom - this is where you then attach the "whale tail".  When the trailer is attached to the Andersen there are two points of contact - 1 - the ball and -2- the whale tail.  When the shaft "rotates" inside the body it creates friction and the "brake" material inside that housing expands due to the heat.  This, in turn, applies more and more pressure on the shaft as friction is increased due to these rotational forces inside this body.  When "sway" occurs - never have I heard of this happening with an Oliver - the rotational forces are greater and greater as the sway gets worse.  The friction and thus the braking material continues to expand until there is enough force applied to the shaft to slow the rate of sway/rotation. This is how the Andersen controls sway - which basically we Ollie owners do not really need.  Greasing the ball will tend to allow the ball - hitch connection to move more easily against each other than intended thereby negating the "benefit" of having this connection force help to move the shaft inside the housing.  Yes, you still have the whale tail that will rotate that shaft but you are then relying on the whale tail's connection to the trailer via the chains to slow the rotation while when the ball is "solidly" also connected to the ball and therefore the shaft and therefore the whale tail you have all things moving (or not moving) at roughly the same speed/force.

In older models of the Andersen grease ( and water and dirt and all kinds of stuff) often seeped down into that "brake" material somewhat negating its functionality.  But, with the newer designs this old problem has been virtually eliminated.

Bill

Edited December 4, 2022 by topgun2
added detail

[Rivernerd]

13 hours ago, johnwen said:

Oliver told me the grease will seep downwards below the seal around the hitch ball and create issues with the friction mechanism.

Makes sense. 

Thanks to you and Bill (Topgun2) for the explanations.  I infer that, since waxed paper shouldn't seep when friction warms it up, that should be the preferred way to reduce coupler-to-ball friction, yet avoid the seepage issue, even with my 2022 version of the Andersen WD hitch.

So, I think I'll try that method. 

[Rivernerd]

Photo of scored 2-5/16" hitch ball attached.

I guess time will tell (when we use the Oliver next spring) if the scoring gets worse, or just "settles in", after trying the 4-fold wax paper lube method.

[Mike and Carol]

30 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:

I guess time will tell (when we use the Oliver next spring) if the scoring gets worse, or just "settles in", after trying the 4-fold wax paper lube method.

We used the Andersen for almost 6 years, 70-80K miles.  There was some wear on the ball but not enough to be concerned about.  I sold it when we got our 2500 and I believe the current owner is still using it with his Oliver, so it is going on 7 years.  I did grease it occasionally.  Andersen ball wear is not something I would worry about.  Grease it, wax paper it, do it dry, it’s going to be fine based on our experience.  Mike

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

On 12/3/2022 at 11:37 AM, Geronimo John said:

Jim:  What air bags did your use?

Looking at doing the same on our TV.... for the same reasons.

GJ

GJ

I used bags made by Air Lift in Michigan.  They were a bit more costly than the Firestones and were more highly recommended by the dealer (Les Schwab Tires, a chain in the Northwest).  Mine are the 5000 series and have twin nylon fill lines.  So far I am very happy with them.  I will occasionally have to top them off a few pounds but leakage is minimal.  They are rated to 100# but I find 35 - 45# does the job quite well.  They will lift the rear end so adjustment of the Anderson hitch was necessary but simple.

A set of heavier shocks would help as would tires with tougher sidewalls than those that came with the pickup.

They have tamed the porposing greatly.

Jim

[Geronimo John]

18 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

the 4-fold wax paper lube method

Your method would sure leave less grease on my leg or pants!  Hope it works well.   Please do keep us updated.  

[topgun2]

22 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

Photo of scored 2-5/16" hitch ball attached.

It is difficult to tell for sure - but - it does not appear to me that there is significant "scoring" on the ball of that Andersen.  Yes, the shiny finish is wearing off but there is nothing like the gouges that JD's outfit showed.  I would not worry about this at all.

Bill

[Wandering Sagebrush]

On 7/20/2022 at 8:22 AM, Patriot said:

The Andersen greaseless ball has served me well with no noticeable or excessive wear with the bulldog hitch and no greasy mess to clean up and zero squeaks. I shed no tears when we sold our Andersen WDH after purchasing a TV that does not require a WDH.

I’m also using this hitch, and after a little over 1000 miles since buying our 2018 Ollie, I haven’t noticed any wear or undue scratches/gouges.  This morning, Google News had an article about ball grease that set my worry box in motion.  BTW, the article recommended dry graphite to minimize dirt.

I’m going to continue to not use a hitch lubricant unless I see something concerning.   Am I being overly optimistic?  Inquiring minds need to know.