5th wheel hitch

[sleepyT]

Originally Posted by sjk1998

Mark, I ordered the B&W turnover ball kit and will be installing it in the next week or two. After that I will most likely move forward and purchase the hitch and along with the safety chains.

Scott
By B&M turnover ball kit you are saying B&M under bed mount gooseneck ball hitch..? If I am understanding that correctly I have that hitch, and with the picture you have in Post#19 the Andersen hitch is held in place by the B&M undermount gooseneck ball hitch...If all that I just said is correct the B&M undermount hitch comes with accommodations for safety chains...Now I just have to ask one more question...You said you have a short bed pickup yet the hitch you are thinking of buying is not a slider...???? Knowing you have done a lot of research I am puzzled...

[sjk1998]

Originally Posted by sleepyT

Scott
By B&M turnover ball kit you are saying B&M under bed mount gooseneck ball hitch..? If I am understanding that correctly I have that hitch, and with the picture you have in Post#19 the Andersen hitch is held in place by the B&M undermount gooseneck ball hitch...If all that I just said is correct the B&M undermount hitch comes with accommodations for safety chains...Now I just have to ask one more question...You said you have a short bed pickup yet the hitch you are thinking of buying is not a slider...???? Knowing you have done a lot of research I am puzzled...

Yes it is the B&M under bed mount kit. I do not have the 5 1/2 ft bed I have the 6 1/2 ft bed and the king pin adapter that mounts to the pin box is offset front or rear which ever way you choose to mount it so you can gain another 2” to 3” inches if you mount the offset forward. From the people that I talked to that have the 6 1/2 ft bed and have a slider most do not need to use them. While doing more research I also learned that the Pullrite 2600 Superlite is a very similar style hitch to the Andersen Ultimate but the way that it couples is reversed from the Andersen, the same principle though.

[sleepyT]

Scott
Thanks for explaining that to me...Just proves the old adage that you can learn something new everyday...I have the Demco Hijacker Recon hitch...The base looks the same as the Andersen but it has a king pin receiver rather than the Ball Andersen has...

[DavisK]

Many people mistakenly refer to 6.5' beds as short beds, but they are standard beds. 5.5' beds are short beds and 8' beds are long beds. I have a standard bed with a slider 5th wheel hitch. The only time I slide mine is when I am maneuvering in my cramped backyard to back the camper into its shed. I have to almost jackknife it to get it in and if either the camper or the truck lean any I would end up with a broken rear window in the truck.

[dagst1]

But some of us "old" folks came from a time when the 8' beds were standard and you had to order a short 6' bed. Times have changed.

[sleepyT]

Kemp
When I had my GMC it had a 6ft 5in bed and I had a Pull-Rite slider...My camper would hit the cab if I got the truck too close to perpendicular to the camper if I didn't have the slider...That is why I asked Scot the question, but all front caps are not the same, the newer 5ers are more rounded than the older caps

[RockyMtn2]

I've owned a Reese 5th wheel hitch, a steel tubed Anderson, and currently have a Companion Hitch that mounts via the OEM puck system. The Anderson towed great. Quiet, no movement fwd/aft. The issues are with a shorter bed, if the hitch is mounted so the pin is over the axel, the ability to position your truck 90 degrees to the trailer is compromised. If you mount the hitch so the pin is farther from the cab to improve your turning, the kingpin is really close to the tailgate. Depending how the kingpin drops down from the 5th wheel will determine whether or not this is an issue.

As others have mentioned, when its time to hitch or unhitch, the 5th wheel has to raise up quite a bit in order to clear the Anderson ball. Not a big deal when the ground is level, but not convenient when parked on an incline.

[Drayton]

I love my Anderson hitch. My 2006 Ram 2500 only has a 6’4” bed and the Anderson hitch allows me to make a 85 degree turn. I pull a 27 ft Crossroads Cruiser and don’t have any problems. The Anderson is easy to install and remove. You will love it!

[sleepyT]

Originally Posted by Drayton

I love my Anderson hitch. My 2006 Ram 2500 only has a 6’4” bed and the Anderson hitch allows me to make a 85 degree turn.

The point I was trying to make with the 6/4 bed was while it is great you can make the 85 degree turn with no problems, which I feel is a little over estimated, the one time you exceed that number you have to take a trip to the body shop...That is why I owned the slider it takes that trip to the body shop away...IMHO...

[Dallasrules]

I also use the Anderson ultimate hitch. I have for about 5 years, 6 different 5th wheel trailers, and 2 trucks. I have hauled everything from a 28ft 5th wheel to a 37'. Still using the same hitch. We did have a problem with a piece on the collar about 3 years in. One call to Anderson and they overnighted a new part for free. I think it's super easy to hitch and unhitch. Plus I have the hide a ball now, so flat empty bed when hitch is not in use.

[sjk1998]

Thank you for all of the feedback on the Andersen Ultimate hitch. After a lot of research and the feedback from this forum I went ahead and ordered this hitch and am looking forward to giving it a try.

[OhioMark]

Originally Posted by sjk1998

Thank you for all of the feedback on the Andersen Ultimate hitch. After a lot of research and the feedback from this forum I went ahead and ordered this hitch and am looking forward to giving it a try.

You might already have this but I picked up a cheap 3/8 torque wrench and grabbed a 3/8 15/16 low profile socket at Menards and keep it in the truck. Keeps me from trying to mount the bolts without the proper torque which is imperative to not have issues down the road.

I just posted this on my other forum (I have a (Grand Design Toy hauler now) had an issue at the dealer where a tech stripped out the Allen bolt with a power driver. The Allen bolt is deep set in the coupler. I now carry a separate tool bag in the truck with the following:

- [ ] 3/8 torque wrench
- [ ] 1/4” long hex Allen socket
- [ ] 3/8 drive 15/16 socket
- [ ] 15/16 wrench
- [ ] 3/8 drive 15/16 socket

I don’t let the dealer touch my hitch when I take it in anymore. They always remove the coupler when you take it in for repair.

Good luck with the hitch. You’re going to love it.

[sjk1998]

Originally Posted by OhioMark

You might already have this but I picked up a cheap 3/8 torque wrench and grabbed a 3/8 15/16 low profile socket at Menards and keep it in the truck. Keeps me from trying to mount the bolts without the proper torque which is imperative to not have issues down the road.

I just posted this on my other forum (I have a (Grand Design Toy hauler now) had an issue at the dealer where a tech stripped out the Allen bolt with a power driver. The Allen bolt is deep set in the coupler. I now carry a separate tool bag in the truck with the following:

- [ ] 3/8 torque wrench
- [ ] 1/4” long hex Allen socket
- [ ] 3/8 drive 15/16 socket
- [ ] 15/16 wrench
- [ ] 3/8 drive 15/16 socket

I don’t let the dealer touch my hitch when I take it in anymore. They always remove the coupler when you take it in for repair.

Good luck with the hitch. You’re going to love it.

OhioMark, Thanks for the suggestions, I will put together a small “hitchkit”.”