Community Forums

Varago · 09-20-2018, 12:23 AM

I would like some advice on hitches for 5th wheels. I need a GOOD hitch, not looking for the best. Expected use is about 5000 miles a year for 5-6 years on 9500 lbs gross trailer (GD 230 RL).

Thanks Dave

uncledon · 09-20-2018, 04:41 AM

There are many good hitches on the market and each will have its pros and cons. I would just suggest if your trailer doesn't have an air assisted pinbox, then get a hitch that has an air ride system.

There are some bad roads across this country and over time they will exact a toll on your trailer, truck, and your teeth. An air ride system will take the sting out od that.

I hauled fivers without and now have a Mountain Master hitch that has an air bladder. I could never go back

**Spdracr39** · 09-20-2018, 04:55 AM

I have a cheap Reese manual sliding hitch and it works just fine. Like everything else pretty much anything will do the job. Seems to me all the fancy ones have drawbacks in addition to their supposed benefits on top of the fact they are expensive. Biggest thing is to make sure the hitch is rated for your loaded trailer weight.

consolenut · 09-20-2018, 05:01 AM

Trailer Saver air ride hitch. First and last you'll ever buy.

grindstone01 · 09-20-2018, 07:45 AM

Look on Craig's List or FB Marketplace for a 1/2 priced used hitch. I recently found a new Trail-Air (air bag) pin box hitch for 1/2 of retail and I like the way it handles the fifth wheel. Your light weight fifth wheel would give you a lot of hitch options.

Cumminsfan · 09-20-2018, 07:51 AM

The best most reliable 5th hitch on the market is a B&W. I've had my B&W Patriot for 6 seasons and put 4-5,000 miles a year on it. It's rock solid and super easy to use.

CecilD · 09-20-2018, 08:46 AM

Any hitch out there will tow that trailer safely. Unfortunately, fifth wheel towing dynamics differ between trailers. A short lightweight trailer sometimes chucks worse than a long, heavy one. I would go with a BW hitch or an Andersen if you are good with a solid hook up between truck and trailer, all the better if you have the MorRyde pin box option.

You mentioned you don't want the the best which would be Trailer Saver. It would ensure a comfortable tow while at the same time protecting your truck and trailer from the harsh forces involved with fifth wheel towing.

KHBama · 09-20-2018, 12:26 PM

I had a pro series 16k slider hitch. I recently swapped to a B&W Companion and can tell a huge difference. The pro series was a good hitch, the B&W is an exceptional hitch

Searching_Ut · 09-20-2018, 03:35 PM

In my garage, I have and Andersen Ultimate, and a Reese fifth Airborne B&W puck mount hitch combination. They're both in the garage as I replaced them with a Reese Goosebox and ball. The truck already had the factory fifth wheel gooseneck prep.

The Andersen was problematic to hitch and unhitch in uneven terrain, and the pin adapter destroyed my pin box to where I had to replace it. Their customer service also became non existent once I had issues. The hitch puts the weight of the trailer aft of the rear axle, and provides no suspension or dampening of any sort so it's not the best on rough roads. On the plus side it doesn't have any slop.

The B&W hitch is really sweet, highly adjustable, very solid and secure and has no slop. It's also a very easy hitch to connect and disconnect. I really like it, but it's heavy. Unfortunately, the Fifth Airborne pin box I replaced the damaged one with resulted in my fifth wheel nose being too high, and I couldn't adjust it down lower than a little over 10 inches of rail clearance. This caused the rear axle of the trailer to carry much more than it's fair share of the trailer weight. While the ride and quality of this combination are fantastic, it didn't work out for me because of the height issue and I either needed a hitch that could adjust even lower, or a different pin box.

The Goosebox provides the air dampening of the fifth airborne pin box, and has a socket design that doesn't suffer the same issues the Andersen did when connecting and disconnecting on un-level surfaces. Once at the campground, or back home, you have the bed of your truck back without having to remove and store a hitch, which is really nice. The only downside is that it's a greased ball system which is not really that problematic. Hooking up with either the Andersen, or Goosebox is a little more difficult in that you have to back right under the socket, same as with a bumper pull which I find easy to do, but some don't.

There are a lot of good reason to go with a ReeseGoosebox and install just a ball and chain anchors in the bed of the truck.

Natebert · 09-21-2018, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CecilD

Any hitch out there will tow that trailer safely. Unfortunately, fifth wheel towing dynamics differ between trailers. A short lightweight trailer sometimes chucks worse than a long, heavy one. I would go with a BW hitch or an Andersen if you are good with a solid hook up between truck and trailer, all the better if you have the MorRyde pin box option.

You mentioned you don't want the the best which would be Trailer Saver. It would ensure a comfortable tow while at the same time protecting your truck and trailer from the harsh forces involved with fifth wheel towing.

Been using a B&W Companion + MorRyde pin box and have been very happy with it. My truck has airbags on the suspension, and I've felt no need for it on the hitch.

Nevadastars · 09-22-2018, 08:44 AM

Ok here we go. With hitches you will always get the fans of B&W, which is fine if you want to wrestle a big heavy hitch in and out of the truck. Personally, my first was a Curt slider, major PITA. Then I went to an Andersen steel rail hitch, which sold me on their design. So easy to use and weighs 40 lbs, so easily removed from the truck by myself.

Then I bought a used 1st Gen Andersen Ultimate mated to a B&W turnover ball, which also worked great. As far as their customer service, they are first rate IMHO. For example, I called them last week to find out which ball kit they recommend for my newly purchased Ram 2500 with the 5th wheel prep option.

As we got to talking, he asked which Ultimate I had, I told him the first generation. He said to cut one of the downtubes, send him a picture of it, and they will send out a brand new Ultimate in the latest generation, no charge. Wow, are you kidding? I was having no issues with the original. The new one is on it's way as I type this.

I will not trash any other hitch as they all work. But for me the ease of getting it in and out of the truck makes the Andersen a no-brainer. Maybe if we had a 15k+ RV with a 2500lb+ pin weight, I would go with a B&W, but with our 10k, 1600lb pin weight fiver, the Andersen Ultimate is perfect for us. Loading and unloading is a snap with the remote for the landing gear. I can see the ball from inside the truck, line it up and drop it down. No need to get out of the truck except to lock the cable and hook up the plug. Same thing with unloading. It hangs it on the wall of my shop when not in use. I love it.

Nevadastars · 09-22-2018, 10:20 AM

Here is my Andersen Ultimate with the cut in the downtube awaiting the new one. What other hitch can you hang on the wall?

Searching_Ut · 09-22-2018, 04:09 PM

Having a trailer damaged by the Andersen ultimate, my experience with their customer service is the complete opposite. Having both it and a B@W in the garage, I also think the B@W deserves the praise it gets, while damage aside, the Andersen was problematic. It B&W is a much nicer hitch and earns its Fans. Only downside is the weight. As for hanging the hitch on the wall, get a goosebox and just keep the ball in the in the little storage box in the floor of your Ram.

Nevadastars · 09-23-2018, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searching_Ut

Having a trailer damaged by the Andersen ultimate, my experience with their customer service is the complete opposite. Having both it and a B@W in the garage, I also think the B@W deserves the praise it gets, while damage aside, the Andersen was problematic. It B&W is a much nicer hitch and earns its Fans. Only downside is the weight. As for hanging the hitch on the wall, get a goosebox and just keep the ball in the in the little storage box in the floor of your Ram.

According to other forums I have been on, your problems with Andersen are in the definite minority. In fact almost exclusive to you and a maybe a couple more and there are thousands of them out there. Not saying you have not had issues with them, but it is extremely rare to hear. Most people on the net that trash them have never owned them or did not use them properly.

The weight of the B&W or any other traditional hitch is a huge problem for those of us in our 60s or 70s without help to unload it or some kind of hoist. I can have mine out in 5 minutes by myself, and I weigh 150 lbs and will be 66 tomorrow. After 3 years and no issues whatsoever, I will stick with it.