HOW TO: Upgrade the Bulldog coupler and Andersen Hitch to 2 5/16"

[John E Davies]

EDIT 08/29/19. Added extra bolts here: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-reinforce-your-bulldog-coupler-by-adding-extra-bolts/

EDiT 08/23/20. Replaced Grade 8 bolts with Grade 5 - IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS: .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3564-bulldog-coupler-complete-bolt-failure/

EDIT 06/07/21. Link to coupler: https://www.amazon.com/Bulldog-028462-Trailer-Rectangular-Straight/dp/B00ZRVQPVK

The supplied 2" coupler and hitch is marginal. It has a 7000 pound GVWR and the chain thrust wears the ball badly because of the small contact area. Here's info on the newest Andersen coupler and steps to swap the parts. Andersen is really bad about not showing the latest images. The newest ball mount is WAY different than the one pictured on their website. I think it is so they can dispose of obsolete parts rather than discounting them heavily, or scrapping them.

EDIT 08/23/20. Andersen shows the latest style ball unit, I don’t know when they updated the pictures.

Here is the new ball mount, which I received for $100. Included was a return shipping label for the old parts. It is next to the new larger Bulldog coupler. See this thread for upgrade info: .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/fyi-andersen-wd-hitch-ball-locking-up-or-load-noise-11/

EDIT 06/07/21: Andersen is still offering their special $100 upgrade deal as of this date, according to member “rleog”. 

 

 

The new design uses an aluminum collar to retain the seal, and to hopefully keep out moisture. The insert will extrude upwards and make a more intimate contact with the ring. I reinstalled the screws with anti-seize compound to prevent future problems.

 

 

The new ball mount sits about 5/8" above my old one, with a fresh insert (500 miles towing).

 

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

INSTALLING THE BULLDOG COUPLER:

 

Remove the old one. The bolts are tight.

 

 

Uh oh.... Not good - a 1/2" bolt inside a 5/8" hole:

 

 

The only thing holding the coupler tight is the pinch effect against the side of the frame rail. The loose fit at the holes is a poor design. New vs old:

 

 

The new one has a heavy sleeve welded inside the front part. The smaller one just has a thin reinforcement gusset:

 

 

The new one has less "free length" since there is more stuff at the front. There is enough for the Ollie frame however:

 

 

Here is the oversized hole in the old coupler:

 

 

here is the frame, showing the staked in place steel inserts, to keep the sides from collapsing under the load of the bolts:

 

 

There was some damage due to sharp edges inside the old coupler:

 

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[John E Davies]

Here is the reason for the frame damage- sharp corners and edges:

 

 

The new one will need some dressing out, to remove sharp bits, and to remove the excessive weld splatter:

 

 

The back bend is curved instead of straight. That sharp edge could dig into the frame, so it needs some work:

 

 

Frame hole location: 2" back from the front edge, 3.5" center to center, 1.5" down from the top edge:

 

 

The top of the frame needs to have the corners rounded a little:

 

 

 

Here is the inside of the coupler after smoothing and shaping a little:

 

 

More to come.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

I used a drill press. It is accurate and safe, a hand drill could be used but the results may not be as good. Use a good cutting oil, the Bulldog is tough steel. After locating the holes on each side, center punch them and drill pilot holes. Then the 1/2" holes, one from each side.

 

 

After the holes are drilled, use a hand drill to run the bit all the way through, this corrects any small misalignments.

 

 

Try the coupler on the frame. I lucked out. The rear bolt would go all the way through, the front one was a little wonky:

 

 

Run the drill bit through the tight one:

 

 

Here is the fit with the old bolts inserted, way better than the factory fit:

 

 

I did not expect them to fit as precisely as they did, that is a result of careful measuring, and a lot of luck.

 

More to come.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[John E Davies]

LAPPING THE COUPLER: This is SO very optional, I thought about not even posting it. But maybe there is somebody as anal as me who wants to do this. The inside of the coupler is crudely forged. It would be nice if Bulldog would run a power hone up inside afterwards to remove all the rough bits. Those sharp pointy bits are hard on the Andersen ball, which is intentionally made of a softer steel.

 

 

I bought a cheap Walmart 2 5/16" ball to use as a lapping tool. I used the fine valve lapping compound only.

 

 

 

Apply downward pressure, into the top part of the cup, rotate frequently, spin and rock back and forth; whack the collar every now and then with a mallet to ensure the pivoting part is moved fully in.

 

This shows the contact areas, the high spots that need smoothing:

 

 

After a couple of minutes, you will feel the ball start to move more easily, without hanging up. I quit after twenty minutes. The ball moved very easily. Here is the inside, cleaned up with brake cleaner:

 

 

Here is the ball, showing where the contact occurs:

 

 

It's still usable, just scuffed.

 

More to come.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Jitters]

Thanks John.  I have the new coupler ready to do this same project.  Did you use some cold galv or repaint the bare metal parts of the new coupler after your filing?  I was also thinking of using new bolts...

 

I don't have a press, but may take it to a machine shop and ask them to do the holes.

 

 

[John E Davies]

Clean up the coupler and paint it inside and out, at least two coats. I used Duplicolor Brake Caliper Paint gloss black. It requires no primer, is super easy to apply and it is extremely durable.

 

Clean up the tongue, sand down the rough bits and prime with several coats. I used Duplicolor Self Etching Primer, which is specifically OK for aluminum. (Many primers do not work well on AL.)  ...   https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-EDAP16907-General-Purpose-Self-Etching/dp/B002984MU0  .... I primed a little beyond the new coupler since there is wear there from the bungee cord I use to hold up the Andersen chains.

 

 

Here is the new hardware, make sure the bolt is GRADE 8, GRADE 5 and has at least a 3.5" unthreaded shank. NO threads should be inside the coupler or frame rail.Cut off the excess so you can install a cap nut. I added an extra washer under each nut, since the factory nuts were cutting into the shank.

EDiT 08/23/20. Replaced Grade 8 bolts with Grade 5 - IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS: .... 

 

Coat the bolts and threads with anti-seize compound and insert:

 

 

Apply an upward load on the coupler. I used a jack stand and retracted the electric jack. Torque gradually to 80 ft lbs 45 ft lbs if lubricated. Alternate back and forth, keep tightening until there is no further nut turning. The sides of the coupler will draw in tight against the frame. When done, add the stainless cap nuts to make it pretty and keep from scraping your shin.

 

 

 

***RECHECK THE TORQUE OFTEN WHEN TOWING UNTIL THE NUTS NO LONGER MOVE.***

 

Optional: paint a bright stripe on top of the coupler, it highlights the ratings label and makes it easier to see in your tow vehicle camera when hitching up. I used silver caliper paint.

 

 

Done!

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

Edited August 23, 2020 by John E Davies

[Jitters]

Guess I asked too soon. :)  Nice job!  What did you use to accurately measure the 1.5 inches from the top inside the coupler?  Did you just measure the thickness of the top and add that to the 1.5"?

[Jitters]

I wish OTT used inserts for 5/8" vice 1/2" bolts.  I was reading some older threads about 1/2" grade 8 bolts on the telescoping tongues shearing off.  Scary stuff.

 

 

[John E Davies]

Measuring the location for the coupler holes is tricky since the shape isn't precise - the bends are a little random. Add the top thickness plus a little extra, then drill. If you have to drill (or file) some more when it is on the frame rail, that is OK. You just want to make sure you don't have GINORMOUS holes, so that there is some precision to the fit.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[John E Davies]

INSTALLING THE ANDERSEN BALL MOUNT:

 

Follow the Andersen instructions, apply an upward load (to remove slack) if you plan to keep the chains tight. If you are running them loose like me, as a dead weight hitch, you can let gravity pull the mount down. Torque both big bolts to 150 ft lbs.

 

**** RECHECK THE BIG BOLTS FOR CORRECT TORQUE AFTER TOWING *****

 

Since the new ball is taller, and the new coupler cavity is at about the same horizontal position as the old one, the tongue will sit a little higher. My tongue was already a little high. so I was able to drop down one set of holes and ended up with a very nice alignment. Trailer level, truck level with 10 psi in the airbags, chains just snug.

 

 

 

I REALLY think that these trailers should be delivered with the larger couplers installed, the cost is the same and it is a much better setup for the Elite II. For the baby Ollie, the smaller coupler is fine..

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

 

 

[WhatDa]

Nice writeup and your shots of the tongue show how much aluminum really goes into the frame.  It'd make a nice side by side with your standard stick build frame to compare.

 

How many miles were you getting out of the 2" ball?

 

 

[John E Davies]

How many miles were you getting out of the 2″ ball?

It had about 5000 miles, and I had flipped it around at about 4500 so that the fresh side would be taking the thrust load from the coupler. It still had a lot of life left, I just could not deal with the squealing and popping when it got wet. I had used four inserts in that time, attempting to keep it quiet....

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[BackofBeyond]

Nice job and great write up - as usual - with your meticulous detail. Lapping in the ball- just to much-but expected.....

 

However - you somewhat mislead the uninformed -

 

The supplied 2″ coupler and hitch is marginal

 

The EII is rated to 7000lb GVWR and  the suppled 2in bulldog is rated the same - so evenly matched is more appropriate in my mind. Yes its not overkill, I grant you.

 

I always enjoy you mods - was that a spec of dirt I saw on the garage floor, I'm not sure.

 

RB

[John E Davies]

However – you somewhat mislead the uninformed –

John E Davies wrote:

The supplied 2″ coupler and hitch is marginal

The EII is rated to 7000lb GVWR and the suppled 2in bulldog is rated the same – so evenly matched is more appropriate in my mind. Yes its not overkill, I grant you.

If you are NOT using the Andersen hitch, the 2” ball is fine for both trailers. But there is not enough surface area for the unusual and rapid wear that the chains apply ... they jam the back of the Bulldog hard into the back of the ball. It is made worse in dirty conditions. The Bulldog is designed for a strictly vertical load. Just look inside the opening to see why. It is the combination that is not good. The small ball just makes it worse. It is the Achilles heel of the hitch. The appalling Wake the Dead Spawn of Satan noises it makes sometimes is hopefully cured, time will tell with this redesign...

 

Thanks for the kind comments.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

Old thread, Andersen says this is all normal....

 

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/bulldog-coupler-destroys-anderson-ball/

 

A little off topic...does anyone have any idea what percentage of trailers ship out with an Andersen? Half?

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Mike and Carol]

As in the other discussion about safety chains and cables I don’t think Oliver is producing trailers with marginal safety tolerances. Bigger is usually better. I would rather have the larger ball and hitch and have looked at the larger bulldog at Tractor Supply. I just don’t feel confident doing the drilling - even with the excellent detailed explanation above!  So, I hope my 2” ball isn’t putting me in danger. The wear on my ball from the Andersen is noticeable but hasn’t really worsened the last couple of years. No groans after swapping out the original sleeve. I do think I’ll upgrade to the new hitch before we leave for our fall adventure. Mike

[WhatDa]

Do you think the groans were from the ball vs coupler or the sleeve cone/ball/mount area?  From the other thread you mentioned you had greased, but did that become a no-no from Andersen again?  There are the obvious improvements you pointed out for the sleeve/ball interface, done after how many years of "everything is fine"?  I guess the options are to consider a new ball/sleeve annually a cost of doing business, install another brand of WDH, or email the dealer back about the HD he found me and tow like Raspy.

 

Steven

 

 

[Mike and Carol]

Do you think the groans were from the ball vs coupler or the sleeve cone/ball/mount area? From the other thread you mentioned you had greased, but did that become a no-no from Andersen again? There are the obvious improvements you pointed out for the sleeve/ball interface, done after how many years of “everything is fine”? I guess the options are to consider a new ball/sleeve annually a cost of doing business, install another brand of WDH, or email the dealer back about the HD he found me and tow like Raspy.

 

Steven

 

 

The groans were from the sleeve not the ball/bulldog.  Andersen sent me a new one a couple of years ago and I haven’t had any issues since. I do wipe off any crud around the ball and sleeve before we go out and apply 2 or 3 drops of Boeshield T-9 on top of the sleeve at Andersen’s recommendation. I’ve never greased my ball. I had about 15K miles on the first sleeve and about 30K on this one. Budgeting for a new ball/sleeve annually is overkill, my second one was provided by Andersen at no charge. It has been trouble free. I’m thinking of forking over $100 for the new model because of John’s pictures.  Andersen has excellent customer service. Mike

[Raspy]

I wish OTT used inserts for 5/8″ vice 1/2″ bolts. I was reading some older threads about 1/2″ grade 8 bolts on the telescoping tongues shearing off. Scary stuff.

 

 

 

Jitters,

 

I have never heard of this.  Where can I read about it?  The main cross bolt on the telescoping tongue is very large and cannot shear off because the tongue telescopes.  It only sees stress from braking and acceleration and the bolt seems stronger than the material around it.  The smaller 7/16" cross bolts in the bulldog hitch are under a shear load.   Mine were beginning to elongate the holes in the coupler because the nuts had bottomed out on the threads before pinching the coupler tight to the tongue.  The fix, while installing the 2  5/16" coupler, was to add a couple of grade 8 washers on the bolts

 

I have never heard of any of these bolts shearing off.

[Overland]

I have never heard of any of these bolts shearing off.

Nor have I.  I'd be interested to know the circumstances.

[ScubaRx]

I would tell you the story but then I’d have to kill you all.  And that’s just too much paperwork.

[Raspy]

I would tell you the story but then I’d have to kill you all. And that’s just too much paperwork.

 

Best way to end the rumor is to challenge it.

[Mike and Carol]

ScubaRx wrote:

I would tell you the story but then I’d have to kill you all. And that’s just too much paperwork.

Best way to end the rumor is to challenge it.

 

If there is an Oliver rumor out there Steve has either started it or ended it.

[Jitters]

John,

 

A little OT, but how did you install the cross bar on the trailer side of the stone stomper?

 

Thanks!