B&W failure

[DJNCJ]

Originally Posted by Cummins12V98

The "CRAP" design is GM's cambered bed that was NOT on any of the truck beds when this B&W product was designed. Put the blame where it belongs. I am sure B&W is working on a fix for this. GM sure won't do anything about it!

Not sure how you seem to know B&W built a hitch and then GM somehow switched the design causing this problem?

I recall an Andersen hitch owner sharing his experience with a bent hitch and you slamming Andersen. Why not slam B&W for this bent hitch? Call a spade a spade...

My way of thinking is that B&W ought to engineer their hitch to the various manufacturers products...not the other way around.

Look...we all need to take some responsibility for keeping ourselves and others around us safe on the road. While not an engineer, I apply common sense to my equipment.

I for instance am removing the (perfectly working electric drum brakes) from my 5'er and replacing them with electric/hydraulic disc brakes. I am adding an already (engineered by the experts) system to my rig to make it safer/better. If I see an improvement I can make to their system without jeopordizing the integrity, upon installation I'll do it.

The OP perhaps could have modified his plactic spacer strips to allow the entire base to rest upon the bed to eliminate any rocking and spreading the load slightly, but I suspect the bend would occur anyway. As some other posters have stated, this is happening to owners of other brands than GM too so to me it appears B&W should be the ones addressing the problem... not GM. I won't call it crap but it needs to be fixed.

[Steadfast]

Originally Posted by Cummins12V98

Look at the left edge of the base it is HIGHER than the top of the ribs of the bed. That means the bed has a camber. You can look down the inside of the left edge of the base and see it is straight.

Perhaps you are thinking that this base design is like the older B&W design. It is not. The new Companion version is designed for all the contact to be on the plastic rails only.

[clifford j]

Nobody is throwing stones at GM for introducing a bed design change, we're suggesting that B&W should be doing their homework and keeping up with market place changes. The OP indicated the standard plastic spacers cause the hitch to be above the bed. If the B&W hitch cannot retain it's structural integrity with the parts supplied than they should address their inferior design. MHO

CLIFF

[head gamez]

Originally Posted by DJNCJ

I recall an Andersen hitch owner sharing his experience with a bent hitch and you slamming Andersen. Why not slam B&W for this bent hitch?

It's pretty simply really. He is the typical message board bad ass. He doesn't own an Andersen so it is, by default, inferior. He owns a B&W which makes it superior. He drives a Dodge, so it is the best. He doesn't own a GM, so it is not up to par.

The Internet is full of them.

[Elatta1954]

Just had a B&W installed on my Ram, hope I don't see this issue

[Cummins12V98]

Originally Posted by head gamez

It's pretty simply really. He is the typical message board bad ass. He doesn't own an Andersen so it is, by default, inferior. He owns a B&W which makes it superior. He drives a Dodge, so it is the best. He doesn't own a GM, so it is not up to par.

The Internet is full of them.

It's a RAM.

If you have read any of my posts I wrote about my 18K B&W base denting the bed and bent the base on my 11 Dually RAM. The fact is the 18K was designed for older stronger beds. they changed the design to the now 20K Companion. That was a few years ago. At that time GM beds did not have cambers. I am sure B&W is working on a fix for such a dumb thing a cambered bed. Yes I criticized the Andersen for being over rated and I was proven to be right! They in their own words had SEVERAL FAILURES from people towing in the upper weight range. I have also said Andersen is a QUALITY US Made product and would be good at lower towing weights.

So I hope I have cleared things up for you. Amazing how people that have a different opinion gat all upset and have to start calling names as in "message board bad ass".

[Cummins12V98]

Originally Posted by Elatta1954

Just had a B&W installed on my Ram, hope I don't see this issue

If it looks like this you will be a VERY happy camper!

[wingnut60]

I am sure having a problem thinking this GM/B&W deal out---in one post, B&W is quoted as saying 'most' GM beds have a camber to them. Can't feature that the other trucks than 'most' would be flat--anyone verify that this is a hit-and-miss deal with GM pickup beds?
Or singular to some models/trims/bed length?
I have used the B&W Companion with a 350 dually, then 2 450s--the center post allows for drawdown of the entire hitch so the pin weight is taken by the underframe component of the setup--should NOT be any chance for the base to 'lean' forward under hard braking, and I can't feature being able to pull out fast/hard enough for the base to 'lean' backward. If the hitch is just set in the post hole and not tightened down, then there might be the chance for leaning frontwards/backwards.
But I don't have a GM pickup and it certainly isn't a problem with a 2011 3500 longbed, nor a 2013 3500 shortbed, based on friends who own them and Companions.
Joe

[clifford j]

Cummins12v98,,,that picture you just posted shows a "smart" design. Very sturdy and simplistic. The old adage is "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

CLIFF

[Namlehse]

I had a B&W hitch failure too, it didn't unlock itself before trying to connect.



Couldn't help myself.

Personally, I wouldn't be using a hitch "Near the limit". due to that being where you tend to find the failures. Personalty, this is the first B&W failure I've seen, just as the other post was the first Anderson failure I've seen. If the trailer doesn't come off and go flying down the freeway, I wouldn't consider it a failure.

[wingnut60]

It didn't unlock because you did not purchase the optional automatic lock/unlock feature.