Hello from sunny Florida Micro Minnie 2108TB

HectorC · 03-01-2021, 09:12 PM

Hi everyone just got my first travel trailer, will be picking it up this Saturday. I was looking at an Anderson weight distribution hitch,does anyone use this brand? Thank you

**macnut** · 03-01-2021, 11:18 PM

I have a motorhome, so can’t help with your hitch question, but do want to welcome you to the forum! It’s a great place for questions like that.

HectorC · 03-02-2021, 07:22 AM

Thank you

DavidM · 03-02-2021, 09:00 AM

The Anderson WDH is good for sway control, but it doesn't control weight distribution as well as other WDHs. What is the total weight and hitch weight of your trailer and the towing total and hitch weight ratings of your TV?

David

HectorC · 03-02-2021, 10:16 AM

Gvwr of my 2108TB is 5500 and tongue weight is 435 pounds my tow vehicle has a GVWR of 5000 pounds with a tongue weight of 500 pounds

**creativepart** · 03-02-2021, 04:19 PM

When I had a Travel Trailer I used the Husky Centerline WD-Anti-sway hitch and it served me well. One of the most popular is the Equal-i-zer. Another popular hitch is the EAZ LIFT.

All three are good at weight distribution and anti-sway.

Looking online I do seem some discussion of the Anderson Hitch's WD qualities but I also see many that love the hitch. You should do a search for Anderson hitch on www.irv2.com there is a mixed bag of opinions about the hitch there.

backtrack15 · 03-02-2021, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HectorC

Gvwr of my 2108TB is 5500 and tongue weight is 435 pounds my tow vehicle has a GVWR of 5000 pounds with a tongue weight of 500 pounds

It would not surprise me one bit if your tongue weight was more than 500. If that is a real limit for you, I'd look into it a bit further. Does the 435 include batteries and propane in the bottles? Most of the storage on the 2108TB is forward of the axles, which is good for stability but doesn't help with the tongue weight.

HectorC · 03-02-2021, 05:11 PM

I don’t know it is what is on the trailer for it’s dry weight from the factory I saw the sticker also it has a 5500 gvwr so it should be 550 on the tongue but I will find out Saturday as it when I pick it up. I think after I fill it up With all the stuff I think I should have I am going to weigh it before we go on our first trip to be sure and to see if I have to move things from front to back

backtrack15 · 03-02-2021, 06:43 PM

Congrats on the new trailer. I hope you have a great time with it.

jhedges · 03-02-2021, 07:29 PM

This is what you want. Don't sacrifice. Pricey but worth it.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/how-equalizer-works

tinglett · 03-02-2021, 07:45 PM

In looking for my first WDH, I found advice for all sorts of hitches including Blue Ox, Equalizer, Anderson, etc. I went with Anderson as it appeared to be simple to setup and use. And it works great. Huge difference in handling as you are no doubt well aware. Whether it's better or worse than others, I can't say, but I like it.

I needed the 8" drop. I was on the edge of needing the low profile brackets, but Anderson advised to try the normal ones and see. They work fine. I never scuff into the ground. And yeah, the tow connector cable is riding low here. I adjusted after the photo.

tinglett · 03-02-2021, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidM

The Anderson WDH is good for sway control, but it doesn't control weight distribution as well as other WDHs.

I wonder why it doesn't control weight distribution as well. I had no trouble at all leveling everything up with my hitch. It only took a few minutes to remove the squat, though I have yet to bring it over a scale. That's a project for later in the spring ahead of this year's trips.

backtrack15 · 03-02-2021, 08:25 PM

The Andersen ought to be quite capable of projecting weight while also being easy to adjust. It's a simple system, which is nice. The primary issue I see is that the only "give" in the system is the elastomers on the ends of the chains. It has the potential to be an extremely rigid connection between the vehicles. Typical spring bars have a fair amount of vertical "give" as the bars flex (unless you buy the wrong bars).

My neighbor has the Andersen and he tows a trailer that is 8000 lbs (and is honestly a bit too big for his SUV). He has not complained a bit about the hitch and I know he has gone ~10K miles with it over the last year. It must be good at sway control. His setup is level so it seems to do a fine job at weight distribution.

jhedges · 03-03-2021, 04:05 AM

you should be towing with a different tow vehicle. It appears your inches from the ground and asking for trouble. I don't know any VW that can tow anything.

Good Luck

backtrack15 · 03-03-2021, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhedges

you should be towing with a different tow vehicle. It appears your inches from the ground and asking for trouble. I don't know any VW that can tow anything.

Good Luck

The photo from tinglett above is a Toyota Land Cruiser.

Marine359 · 03-03-2021, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HectorC

Hi everyone just got my first travel trailer, will be picking it up this Saturday. I was looking at an Anderson weight distribution hitch,does anyone use this brand? Thank you

I have a 2021 2108ds, but I think all 2021 2108’s have a hitch weight of 400lbs. I use a husky centerline, which works great for sway and weight distribution. My only complaint about my hitch is that it is quite noisy in slow speed turns. Whatever hitch you get, make sure when installing hitch ball, your tow vehicle is carrying the same amount of weight as you would normally carry when camping. I made the mistake of not doing this, and had to go buy big wrenches to change the ball height.

tinglett · 03-03-2021, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backtrack15

The primary issue I see is that the only "give" in the system is the elastomers on the ends of the chains. It has the potential to be an extremely rigid connection between the vehicles. Typical spring bars have a fair amount of vertical "give" as the bars flex (unless you buy the wrong bars).

I see what you mean. The elastomers (red plastic "bushings") really do compress, though, as you can see if you look close in the photo. I've wondered how long they will last. Anderson says they are commonly used in industry, so I'm hoping for the best there.

And yeah, it's a Toyota Land Cruiser. I've got plenty of ground clearance. The whole setup is spot on level when out on the street. Once I run it over a scale I'll do more adjustment if needed, but I suspect it's pretty good as-is. I really like that the LC typically cruises well under 2000 rpm so I get a nice quiet ride. It has the big V8 from the Tundra, but with an 8-speed transmission. But that means it gulps gas and it only has a tiny 23 gallon tank

.

HectorC, did you say what you are thinking about towing your 2108TBS with? The guy I bought my 2108DS from was using a Toyota Highlander which seems too small to me, though he didn't seem to have a problem with it. Then again, my understanding was that he never traveled very far or through any real hills of any kind.

HectorC · 03-03-2021, 07:23 AM

Thanks I am ordering it today

HectorC · 03-03-2021, 07:28 AM

Tried to change my tow vehicle but I didn’t want to take the hit on depreciation. I don’t have a VW it is a Volvo XC90 with factory air suspension, I really like it, it has been reliable and economical and it’s pretty luxurious. This is my first luxury vehicle I got it for my retirement and I did a factory delivery so we picked it up in Sweden drove it around for a month in Europe, went to eight countries and Volvo brought it back to the states. When I do change it because I will maybe in A year or two I believe I’m going to buy a Land Rover defender 110. That has a 8000 pound tow rating or maybe the new Grenadier.

tinglett · 03-03-2021, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HectorC

a Volvo XC90 with factory air suspension, I really like it, it has been reliable and economical and it’s pretty luxurious. This is my first luxury vehicle I got it for my retirement and I did a factory delivery so we picked it up in Sweden drove it around for a month in Europe, went to eight countries and Volvo brought it back to the states. When I do change it because I will maybe in A year or two I believe I’m going to buy a Land Rover defender 110. That has a 8000 pound tow rating or maybe the new Grenadier.

That's awesome you got to drive around Sweden and, no doubt, take the depreciation off! I don't know much about the XC90 but suspect it is similar to the Highlander for ability. I found for these SUVs it's difficult to find all the weight ratings you need, unlike trucks which usually have a printed towing guide. I know I looked at the Land Rover briefly, but I don't have a dealer in town and wasn't motivated enough to get to the bottom of its specs. Hopefully the stuff you need to know will be on the label in the door frame. Mine's all there. It was just stupid expensive, but I have to say I really like it

.