Help deciding on hitch

N-Trouble wrote:

Cdash wrote:


Keep in mind that the further back your pin goes (referring to the Anderson adjustment), the more the weight increases in the trucks back axle and unloads the front axle. It's all physics and you can't get away from it. Less of a concern when you're within the limits, but should be more of a concern when you're going well beyond limits.

Not going to judge, but encourage you to consider the impacts. The Anderson seems to be the hot new thing that does all of these great things, but for every great thing, there is a not so great thing. Old school fifth wheel hitches put the load slightly ahead of the rear axle, but people seem to throw that idea out the window with the Anderson and don't care where the load is front to back.

Hogwash... Only the attach/pivot point is moved back. The hitch itself (which is what the weight is being distributed through) is still centered over the axle or slightly in front just like any other traditional 5er hitch. Its all physics as you say...

With my Pullrite, I have two lateral bars that hook into the frame brackets. Once in front of the axle at the front edge of the hitch and one aft of the axle at the rear edge of the hitch. The Pullrite head, in it's normal (not slid) position is right up at the front edge of the hitch. This would keep most of the vertical load on the front bar since the hitch head is up there. As it slides back, more load gets transferred to the back, and this would be during low speed sharp turns (which isn't going to affect handling).

When I look at the Anderson, the ball looks to be centered between the attachment rails, which are in front and behind the rear axle. If it is centered between those rails, the load will travel equally to the front and rear rails which increased rear axle load. Additionally, any lateral loads are going to pull forward or backward on the hitch which would cause a torque on the frame and would lift up in front when accelerating or pulling up hill, or lift up in back when braking or going down hill. This part may not be too different from normal fifth wheel hitches.

Bobandshawn wrote:

Coach-man wrote:


X2!! I have noticed a lot of people pooh, pooh the super glide! They say it is heavy? I want something heavy and rugged to pull my 5th wheel! You never have to stop and think, "should I slide"? It does so automatically, you just back it in, no worries! Hitching and un hitching is a snap! I do not have to worry about it it just sits there and does what it is supposed to do! You wanted a suggestion, Pullright Super Glide all the way!

And he wouldn't be able to pull much trailer as of all the added hitch weight. If I could I'd go superglide in a minute but I have to keep my hitch weight under 2500-2600 lbs. And I am too dang old with too many back issues to be lifting that monster out of the truck. I am seeing a 225-250 lb hitch with the rail adapter for my 5h wheel prep.

They do make trailers that have the tapered cap that will allow a short bed to turn pretty tight. Most of these are trailers that are in the weight range a 3/4 ton truck can haul. I watched a guy back in a Cougar with a Chevy short bed and a non sliding hitch pretty slick.

Here is my take ,I tow with a 2014 Ram 3500 Megacab SRW. I have the Reese picture frame adapter for the fifth prep, and an older 18K Reese slider. The pin sits 2" forward of center on the axle. Not once with the Ram or my previous truck a ford Superduty short bed have I needed to pull the slide back. My fifth wheel is a 2008 ,and has somewhat the rounded corners, not nearly as much as the new ones.

I would not have any concern with cab clearance with the Andersen hitch, and a short bed Ram or any brand for that matter. IMO its the only way to go, way more advantages to the Andersen, then disadvantages .

I have a heavy monster of a hitch, just like the B&W ,and the rest of them. IMO why have to put a hoist in a garage or disassemble a hitch to remove from the truck . There is also the cost factor , Andersen will save you a few bucks.

B&W hands down. Our first hitch was a Reese 16K and after a year I switched to a B&W. Night and day difference. B&W is smooth, noiseless and easy to connect/disconnect. No question that your hitched. Spend extra money and the best hitch you can, you won't be disappointed.

Coach-man wrote:


X2!! I have noticed a lot of people pooh, pooh the super glide! They say it is heavy? I want something heavy and rugged to pull my 5th wheel! You never have to stop and think, "should I slide"? It does so automatically, you just back it in, no worries! Hitching and un hitching is a snap! I do not have to worry about it it just sits there and does what it is supposed to do! You wanted a suggestion, Pullright Super Glide all the way!

And he wouldn't be able to pull much trailer as of all the added hitch weight. If I could I'd go superglide in a minute but I have to keep my hitch weight under 2500-2600 lbs. And I am too dang old with too many back issues to be lifting that monster out of the truck. I am seeing a 225-250 lb hitch with the rail adapter for my 5h wheel prep.

They do make trailers that have the tapered cap that will allow a short bed to turn pretty tight. Most of these are trailers that are in the weight range a 3/4 ton truck can haul. I watched a guy back in a Cougar with a Chevy short bed and a non sliding hitch pretty slick.

b_pilot wrote:
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.

X2!! I have noticed a lot of people pooh, pooh the super glide! They say it is heavy? I want something heavy and rugged to pull my 5th wheel! You never have to stop and think, "should I slide"? It does so automatically, you just back it in, no worries! Hitching and un hitching is a snap! I do not have to worry about it it just sits there and does what it is supposed to do! You wanted a suggestion, Pullright Super Glide all the way!

CDASH said;
"Old school fifth wheel hitches put the load slightly ahead of the rear axle, but people seem to throw that idea out the window with the Anderson and don't care where the load is front to back.



The Anderson has no adjustment that moves weight rearward, or forward. The weight is centered on the trucks gooseneck ball. As long as you either have the factory prep setup for the ball or make sure and mount the after market ball or rails correctly the weight distribution is the same as an old school fifth wheel hitch.

The Anderson does set the trailer back either 9.5" or 5.5" depending on how you install the king pin adapter. Either way the weight on the center of mass under the hitch remains the same. This is true for the center gooseneck mount or the rail mount (if the rails are installed correctly) You can turn the adapter on the pin box 180 degrees to shorten the length 4". But you can't turn the hitch 180 degrees as the pin that hooks the trailer up is offset 5.5" to the rear of the trucks center gooseneck ball and the frame of the hitch is designed to fit over the crossmembers of the truck. Either way the weight of the pin box is still applied to the same center as a regular fifth wheel hitch. It's funny some times when folks feel having a longer pin box will move the weight of the trailer further back in the rear of the truck. A longer pin box will add strain to the trailer frame and pin box frame due to the laws of leverage, but the hitch weight will remain centered in the same place.

On a short bed 3/4 ton truck the Anderson is great as you can put a hitch on the truck that can tow more trailer than you can carry for under 100 lbs including the gooseneck ball and safety chains. And do it at a cost of under a grand. Just make sure you get a trailer with a "short bed" nose on it so you can turn it. And then be careful to not tear up you cab.

Cdash wrote:


Keep in mind that the further back your pin goes (referring to the Anderson adjustment), the more the weight increases in the trucks back axle and unloads the front axle. It's all physics and you can't get away from it. Less of a concern when you're within the limits, but should be more of a concern when you're going well beyond limits.

Not going to judge, but encourage you to consider the impacts. The Anderson seems to be the hot new thing that does all of these great things, but for every great thing, there is a not so great thing. Old school fifth wheel hitches put the load slightly ahead of the rear axle, but people seem to throw that idea out the window with the Anderson and don't care where the load is front to back.

Hogwash... Only the attach/pivot point is moved back. The hitch itself (which is what the weight is being distributed through) is still centered over the axle or slightly in front just like any other traditional 5er hitch. Its all physics as you say...

My Andersen setup (gooesneck ball connect) has the ball set on the lowest setting on my '07 Ram 2500 4x4. The additional 2(?) holes of height adjustment would raise the ball quite a bit and I can't imagine it wouldn't reach the highest of trailers.

IdaD wrote:

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.

Keep in mind that the further back your pin goes (referring to the Anderson adjustment), the more the weight increases in the trucks back axle and unloads the front axle. It's all physics and you can't get away from it. Less of a concern when you're within the limits, but should be more of a concern when you're going well beyond limits.

Not going to judge, but encourage you to consider the impacts. The Anderson seems to be the hot new thing that does all of these great things, but for every great thing, there is a not so great thing. Old school fifth wheel hitches put the load slightly ahead of the rear axle, but people seem to throw that idea out the window with the Anderson and don't care where the load is front to back.