Safety issue

[MarshHawk]

Took possession of my 2018 CL16TBS proto type. I absolutely adore it. However, my dealer recommended the Anderson hitch installation. We had them put it on. In doing so they had to remove the spare tire that we mounted under the propane tanks on the trailer to put on the Anderson Hitch attachment.  They had no where to move the spare (the belly of the trailer is the new, all sealed/heated underside). The installer said it was fine to mount the spare on the back bumper. I said... I was told NOT to mount anything to the bumper" . He said this was not true, and mounted it to the rear bumper. We are still on the shakedown voyage and I am extremely concerned. I do not want to cause injury to myself, my camper,or anyone else. Is this a safety issue and a Hazard? A dealer should not be doing this if it's not safe.

[chappy133]

I tow our 2016 TBS without WDH with a F 150 with no issues.  I added sway friction bar at time of purchase but after 6000+ miles I do not think I really need it.

You should be able to tow the TBS without a WDH. I added rear air bags and we are well within the max tow limits of the F150 with a tow package.

You could put your spare in your tuck bed?

[MarshHawk]

Chappy..that is exactly what I did. The spare is in the truck bed, where it will probably stay. The dealer is the one who said we needed the Anderson hitch. Silly newbie mistake to listen to the dealer on suggesting to put the spare on the bumper and to buy a hitch I don't need. I may end up taking the Anderson hitch off at some point. Lesson learned!

[djsamuel]

Chappy..that is exactly what I did. The spare is in the truck bed, where it will probably stay. The dealer is the one who said we needed the Anderson hitch. Silly newbie mistake to listen to the dealer on suggesting to put the spare on the bumper and to buy a hitch I don't need. I may end up taking the Anderson hitch off at some point. Lesson learned!

Compare towing with and without the Andersen.  I tow my 21BHS with a Ram 1500.  I can tow without the Andersen with no problems.  however, I do prefer towing with the Andersen.  I find it feels a bit more stable, and one trip from Florida to Arizona/Utah we hit some strong 35MPH cross winds and rain through Texas.  The camper really handled well, while I saw quite a bit of sway on other campers.  May have been just as good with the Andersen hitch, but it does provide a bit of insurance.  Do your own comparison, trying a few different adjustments with the Andersen.  I just tighten the nuts on each side about 3 turns beyond hand tight and it works great.

Doug