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Old 09-06-2013, 06:00 AM   #1
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I am close to buying a C4500 to tow a heavy toy hauler. The 2 I'm looking at have welded on goose neck balls but no 5th hitch

I have a B&W 5th hitch so obviously I would like to install a B&W on the top kick.

2 questions

How much would a B&W install cost on a flatbed C 4500? Approximately and also

Is it better to have air bags on the truck or air bags on the 5th wheel hitch?

Thanks
Mark
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Old 09-06-2013, 12:39 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbeyroad2 View Post
Is it better to have air bags on the truck or air bags on the 5th wheel hitch?
It depends on why you want either kind of air bags. And you can have both air suspension and air hitch, so you don't have to choose only one of those.

The purpose of air bags in the truck's rear suspension is to allow you to raise the rear end of the truck to compensate for the rear-end sag caused by heavy pin weight. Without the air bags in the suspension, the headlights may be aiming at the stars and blinding oncoming drivers at night.

The purpose of air bags built into the hitch is to absorb the shock of the kingpin banging around in the hitch when you hit bumps or chugholes or slam on the brakes or pore on the coal.

Air bags in the suspension won't do anything for hitch banging. Air bags in the hitch won't do anything for a sagging rear end.

With a good 5er hitch and a GM 4500 towing machine, you probably won't need either one. I wouldn't install air bags in the suspension until after your first towing trip with some nighttime towing. If oncoming traffic flashes their lights at you, then you probably need the air bags in the suspension.

I've never needed any sort of air hitch. But then I've never towed a heavy 5er. The 5er I towed for 12 years and about 100,000 miles grossed around 8,000 pounds. No need for an air hitch with that 5er.
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Grumpy ole man with over 60 years towing experience. Now my heaviest trailer is a 7'x16' 5,000-pound flatbed utility trailer, my tow vehicle is a 2019 F-150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost SuperCab with Max Tow (1,904 pounds payload capacity).
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Old 09-06-2013, 12:51 PM   #3
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The C4500 I am looking at has suspension air bags already I just found out. It is good to know the info you shared. Thanks so much. The hitch on our new raptor should be good.
Mark
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Old 09-07-2013, 09:55 AM   #4
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The installation is going to depend on if B&W has an underbed hitch for that truck. I didn't think they did.
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Old 09-13-2013, 10:01 AM   #5
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The installation is going to depend on if B&W has an underbed hitch for that truck. I didn't think they did.
The B&W Turnover ball gooseneck hitch frame is mounted under the bed. There's a hole in the bed where the gooseneck ball and shank sticks down into the underbed hitch frame.

The B&W Companion 5er hitch fits into the same hole in the bed as the turnover ball. So it is an underbed hitch. When you remove the hitch, nothing is left in the bed but a hole and two almost flush gizmos where you attach the safety chains (required for a gooseneck hitch but not for a 5er). You have to look hard at this photo to see the attachment gizmos.


If you are installing the underbed frame for the turnover ball, and don't plan to ever tow a gooseneck trailer, then you could just not install the safety chain attachment gizmos.
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Old 09-14-2013, 08:09 PM   #6
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The B&W Turnover ball gooseneck hitch frame is mounted under the bed. There's a hole in the bed where the gooseneck ball and shank sticks down into the underbed hitch frame.

The B&W Companion 5er hitch fits into the same hole in the bed as the turnover ball. So it is an underbed hitch. When you remove the hitch, nothing is left in the bed but a hole and two almost flush gizmos where you attach the safety chains (required for a gooseneck hitch but not for a 5er). You have to look hard at this photo to see the attachment gizmos.


If you are installing the underbed frame for the turnover ball, and don't plan to ever tow a gooseneck trailer, then you could just not install the safety chain attachment gizmos.
I know, I've done lots of them.
They are made custom for each vehicle. Do they have one for the Chevy 4500?
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