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Is the Andersen Hitch necessary on an Elite I?


Carl Hansen

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Greetings!

I am a "soon" to be owner of an Elite I.  (My booking will be in mid October, 2021)  My tow vehicle is be a 2020 Jeep Gladiator with a tow rating of 7,000 lbs.  I feel confident that it can do the job with some margin.

I have been lurking around this forum for some time, learning all that I can.  You owners are a wealth of information and are very generous with your time.  This is my very first post.  I just met another Elite I owner tonight and he assured me that an Andersen WDH is not necessary for my setup.  I was planning on purchasing the Andersen hitch but wanted to tap into your experience and get your opinion. Wisdom dictates that I should use the Andersen but what do you think.

I am still leaning towards the Andersen.

Thoughts?

Carl

2021 Legacy Elite I | "Lil' Tow" | Hull #924

Tow Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Gladiator

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I have fretted over this same issue.  We pick up an Elite 1 in February.  After much research (inlcuding some guidance from this forum), I recently traded in a Tacoma for a Tundra.

My Tacoma had a tow capacity of 6,400 lbs.  it had an advertised payload capacity at or near 1,300 lbs.  However, my model (TRD model ) had an actual payload capaity (from my door jam) of only 950 lbs.  In my view, that was not enough truck to easily pull the trailer ( with 300-400 lb tongue weight + 300 pound passengers + top for the bed + cargo weight).

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR in my decision was my ability to tow without the Andersen.  While I think the Tacoma would have pulled the trailer, I would have absolutely needed the Andersen (simply to shift some of the payload to the front axle).  With the Tundra, I hope to not need the Andersen (although if I do, its not the end of the world).

Therefore, my advice is to check the actual payload capacity from your door jam and also look at the wieght limit for each axle and consider if your rear axle can accomodate the weight of the Elite tongue and bed cargo.

Again, I am not the expert on these forums.  Just my 2 cents.

 

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Hull #735 - 2021 Elite 1 (Shorty)  |  2021 Toyota Tundra

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We have never used an Anderson with our Elite. It weighs in just under 4000 pounds, loaded for camping. 420 on the tongue, with partial grey, black and fresh. It would obviously be more if we had full tanks, or a basket on rhe front.

Tow ratings on our various vehicles over the past 13 years were 4900, 7500, and 8000+ lbs. My Silverado (7500) was our favorite travel vehicle, but we need the 4 x 4 of the ram, so that's what we normally use. 

Don't load up your trailer with unnecessary stuff. Leave the rock collection at home. Check your payload sticker. And your vin for tow capacity.  I'm sure you're likely legal, without the wdh, if you don't go crazy overloading.

The Elite Ii is another story. Much heavier trailer.

 

Edited by SeaDawg

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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I've said it before, often the best tow vehicle is the one you already own, and like. 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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The Jeep GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) for the front axle is 3100 LB.

The Jeep GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) for the rear axle is 3750 LB.

The GVW for the Jeep is 7,000 lbs.

The Jeep Gladiator has inherited the RAM 1500 truck frame, brakes and suspension so I feel it can handle the Elite I without much problem.  I believe the towing margins for the Elite II are too narrow.  It might be able to pull it but I believe it will put too much strain on the Jeep.

My real concern at this point is whether or not I can pull the Elite I without an Andersen hitch.  I guess the hitch would add additional security but I it would be nice to save $800.

Carl

2021 Legacy Elite I | "Lil' Tow" | Hull #924

Tow Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Gladiator

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1 hour ago, Carl Hansen said:

The Jeep Gladiator has inherited the RAM 1500 truck frame, brakes and suspension so I feel it can handle the Elite I without much problem.  

Sorry, but this is very incorrect. The Gladiator is a stretched Wrangler, a lighter duty vehicle than the full-sized 1500 pickup trucks. For example, the Ecodiesel 3.0 engine is a towing marvel, when in the larger truck; the current model tows up to 12,500 pounds. In the Gladiator it was derated to 6500 pounds because of the limited cooling capacity of the narrow Wrangler front end, they could not get a big enough radiator and intercooler in there to cool that hot running little engine.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/jeep/gladiator/2021/2021-jeep-gladiator-ecodiesel-first-drive-review/

When the new Gladiator was announced the press predicted a huge market, but that has not proven to be the case. I think a lot of Jeep enthusiasts wanted a return of the classic J Series with a full sized drivetrain and frame, to pull real loads, but with that classic square body.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited by John E Davies

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Greetings! 

This a common misconception about the Jeep Gladiator.  There are multiple references about the Jeep Gladiator having components from the RAM truck. I thought I would share some references here to help clarify.

From Cars.com

Not Just Some Wrangler With a Bed

"Yes, the Gladiator looks like a four-door Wrangler Unlimited with a cargo bed slapped onto the rear end. However, Jeep likes to point out that there is more than meets the eye. Compared with the Wrangler, the Gladiator rides on a longer wheelbase, has added structural reinforcements to boost towing capacity, and has a rear suspension that shares many components with the full-size Ram 1500 pickup truck. Even those traditional Jeep front grille slats are wider than what you find in the Wrangler in an effort to aid with engine cooling."

From JeepGladiatorForum.com

Rear Suspension Heavily Ram 1500-Inspired
It’s immediately clear that the rear suspension setup revealed on this Jeep Gladiator prototype has nothing to do with the JL Wrangler, with a design heavily influenced by the Ram 1500 for handling proper pickup truck duty. The design and component placement looks to be nearly identical between the Ram 1500 and the JT Gladiator, which should calm any fears that Jeep’s upcoming pickup truck will just be a warmed over JL Wrangler with a pickup bed.

JT Gladiator Suspension (w/ Coil Springs) Analyzed
The Gladiator prototype’s rear design shows healthy control arms along with a panhard rod, and a rear stabilizer bar that leads into stab (or sway) bar end links, just as we see on the Ram 1500. We also see hints of the JT's coil springs (as on the Ram) with no sign of leaf springs. The JT's shock absorber placement also appears to mimic the Ram’s design.

A Mix of Wrangler & Ram 1500 DNA
It’s interesting to see the path Jeep engineers have taken in transitioning the Wrangler-flavored offering for pickup truck duty. While there’s still plenty of Wrangler DNA to be found in the JT, it’s now abundantly clear that the Gladiator will have a healthy dose of Ram DNA throughout its undercarriage. It likely streamlines the development of the new truck with cost benefits in sharing similar components and engineering solutions that have already been worked out on the coil-sprung Ram trucks.

From AdventruaChryslerJeepDogeRam.com

Jeep Plus Ram Equals the 2020 Gladiator

It’s a mashup of one of the most off-roading capable Jeep vehicles and, well, why don’t we just say it? It’s like Ram and Jeep had an affair, and the Gladiator is their automobile spawn. Plus, there’s just so much to love, because the Jeep Gladiator has the best of both worlds, with Jeep as the dominant genes in this pairing.

It is under the Jeep badge name, it’s produced by Jeep manufacturing plants, but the Gladiator also shared a room with the new Ram midsize pickup truck sharing the same body-on-frame design.

I hope this helps.

Carl

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2021 Legacy Elite I | "Lil' Tow" | Hull #924

Tow Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Gladiator

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Thanks to all for your thoughts and responses.  It is much appreciated. I have already learned so much from this forum.

A bit of good news!  I made the initial down-payment to lock in our delivery date.  Mid October is a long way away but I am still very excited.

To bring this thread to a close, I have decided to include the Andersen in my configuration.  Since I want to take the Oliver off-road on logging roads and appropriate backroads as well as many mountains passes, I believe the Andersen will give me an additional level of "insurance" to ensure proper weight distribution over these types of roads.

Thanks again for all your help!

Carl

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2021 Legacy Elite I | "Lil' Tow" | Hull #924

Tow Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Gladiator

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

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Carl - 

I'd like to add to your plus points for the Andersen by saying that the Andersen will also greatly help to reduce "porpoising" (i.e. that bouncing that occurs when towing over something like the expansion joints on the interstate).  I believe that this is particularly so when towing with relative lighter weight vehicles.

Bill

p.s. Congratulations on actually joining the family - it really is nice to have you with us.  October will be here before you know it and that is a great month for getting to know your new Ollie.

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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10 month wait - WOW. And Oliver gets $$ up front - I always said it was a great business.

I don't believe you will need the Anderson, for the towing,  but what is the payload rating of your TV. You should take a look at that number. Not sure what the hitch weight of an E1 would be at full capacity.

And respectfully - all the fanfare from cars.com is worth what they cost - nothing. The actual numbers - printed on your vehicles GVWR sticker are the legal ratings. That is the DNA.

Welcome to the group.

Edited by BackofBeyond
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Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
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Carl, thanks for clearing up my confusion, obviously I was not fully informed. That was great information.

I do want to caution that the Anderson is NOT suitable for offroad use. Graded forest roads, small potholes, washboard, no worries. If you remove all the chain tension it will do about as well as a regular ball hitch, but when they are tight they severely limit articulation, and they can put a huge amount of stress on the truck and the trailer frames when the back of the truck drops into a gully or washout. It also has very inadequate ground clearance in those situations.

Also, it actually is not very good at weight distribution compared to a traditional hitch with big steel spring bars. It excels at controlling hobby horsing as Bill pointed out, and at controlling sway, which an Oliver does not need.

Get a dead weight offroad coupler like the one Overland has, I am sure he will chime in or you can Message him to ask. If necessary you could add rear  airbags to level the back under a load, and maybe install better shocks with adjustable dampening.

I have the Andersen and I really wish my Land Cruiser could do without it.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited by John E Davies
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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Thanks John!

I don't plan on pulling the Oliver on anything but graded forest roads, nothing severe at all.  When boondocking, I plan on using the trailer as a base camp and taking the Jeep Gladiator out, without the trailer attached, on more rugged terrain.

Carl

 

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2021 Legacy Elite I | "Lil' Tow" | Hull #924

Tow Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Gladiator

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

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Carl, if maintained forest roads is your goal, just try a dead weight ball mount. I suspect it will be perfect, but if not you can easily add an Andersen later. I recommend against buying one from the start because I really think it would be a waste of money and a handicap too. Plus they are a PITA to deal with on a regular basis - hooking up can be very trying sometimes.

I like your base camp plan, that is why I have a Land Cruiser and not something a little better suited to towing down highways. I like to drive into the back country, park the Ollie, and then explore in comfort and safety.

John Davies

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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