Help deciding on hitch

Cummins12V98 wrote:


I am sure your hitch is quieter than the Curt. For me I HATE rails of any kind in a truck bed!

I don't have the factory prep so it was rails or gooseneck, and I like the rail setup with the Andersen better than any of the gooseneck setups I've seen (Andersen or otherwise).

The ball on the Andersen hitch has three positions so there's some adjustment there. I'm almost sure the lift and tires is going to require an axle flip on the trailer to make it work. My fifth wheel is a little bit older so probably lower than some of the newer ones, but I need to do an axle flip on mine and my truck is stock height.

Weight Police??? I've never heard of such a thing on rv.net!

I will second Lyle's comment on the 3" lift. These late model trucks sit tall, and can be a problem with FW being towed nose-high. Adding the extra height only amplifies this problem.

You will want a hitch with up down adjustment for sure, and front back adj. is great too. The B&W pictured would be great, if you are an aware enough driver, to not need a sliding hitch. Rams are known to need a slider, in a short bed.

The Andersen will allow more clearance between cab and pin, not sure on up/down.

Jerry

Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you have the factory pucks great of not add them it's not hard to do and not expensive. Go with either the B&W RVK3600 in pic below and adjust the location of the kingpin to suite your 5er or the B&W slider with a picture frame adapter. I would suggest the 3600 because you will want a larger truck and you will be able to take the hitch with you.

I will refrain from comment for now on the RV size and 3" lift.

I agree on anything by B&W, puck, rail, gooseneck base, slider or not. I =will= comment on the weight and lift. You're almost certainly not going to have enough bed rail clearance with a 3" lift. You're likely going to have to either significantly raise any FW you buy or lose the 3" lift. As for weight, you're looking at +/- 3,500 lbs pin weight, when loaded to the 15,500 GVW. That's firmly in 1 ton range, IMO.

Lyle

+1 on the Andersen. It will also provide more cab clearance than a traditional non-slider hitch. Ram's have the shortest hitch to cab distance of the big three and I would be hesitant to use a traditional non-slider

Andersen also has an option for a GN/Turnover Ball attach if you want a clean bed.

With a short bed truck and a fifth wheel trailer you should consider a slider hitch. When I bought my first 5th wheel, I bought a manual slider hitch since I had a 2500 short bed. I didn't like it because you had to plan on when you needed to move the hitch back for a tight turn. When I sold my truck for another 2500 short bed truck, I bought a Pullrite Super Glide which moves back and forth automatically as you make turns. It provides piece of mind knowing that you can make a tight turn without hitting the cab of the truck. Much more expensive than a manual slider but worth it in my opinion.

IdaD wrote:
This will draw a diverse set of opinions...

I use a rail mount Andersen hitch in my short bed Ram and I really like it. It only weighs about 35 lbs so it's easy to get in and out of the truck and it doesn't add much weight on your axle. It's also absolutely smooth - no play or noise at all, either starting and stopping or out on the highway. It's also made here in Idaho and I'll support the local guys when I can.



I initially had a Curt slider hitch but I'm selling it. It's a bit clunky on starts and stops, it's a PITA to get in and out of the truck at 200 lbs, and most importantly the slider function won't work with my pin box.

I am sure your hitch is quieter than the Curt. For me I HATE rails of any kind in a truck bed!

If you have the factory pucks great of not add them it's not hard to do and not expensive. Go with either the B&W RVK3600 in pic below and adjust the location of the kingpin to suite your 5er or the B&W slider with a picture frame adapter. I would suggest the 3600 because you will want a larger truck and you will be able to take the hitch with you.

I will refrain from comment for now on the RV size and 3" lift.

This will draw a diverse set of opinions...

I use a rail mount Andersen hitch in my short bed Ram and I really like it. It only weighs about 35 lbs so it's easy to get in and out of the truck and it doesn't add much weight on your axle. It's also absolutely smooth - no play or noise at all, either starting and stopping or out on the highway. It's also made here in Idaho and I'll support the local guys when I can.



I initially had a Curt slider hitch but I'm selling it. It's a bit clunky on starts and stops, it's a PITA to get in and out of the truck at 200 lbs, and most importantly the slider function won't work with my pin box.