B & W Companion question

[Blazing_Zippers]

We visited a local RV dealer looking for advice about fifth wheel hitches. We currently have a B & W Turnover ball with an Anderson. When asked about the B & W Companion, the sales fellow said there had been "chucking" reported by owners. Do any of you Companion owners have any "chucking?"

[cummins2014]

B92F wrote:
We also have a B & W turnover slider, and it tows much easier than our other hitch which was a Husky brand. With the locking jaws being one inch thick there is not a lot of room to bounce around.

Please explain how one hitch can tow easier then another, after its hooked up. Thats a little confusing. :h

[B92F]

We also have a B & W turnover slider, and it tows much easier than our other hitch which was a Husky brand. With the locking jaws being one inch thick there is not a lot of room to bounce around.

[WTP-GC]

Blazing Zippers wrote:
When asked about the B & W Companion, the sales fellow said there had been "chucking" reported by owners.

Back in the day, my parents and grandparents had no choice but to rely on the word of the salespeople from whatever place of business they were patronizing. But back then, there were less options and generally more knowledge from the employee (partially because a man's job meant more to them). You go to the tire shop and the owner of the business personally talks to you about which brand and type to get (if there was even a choice). People simply cared more. Now, you walk into a shop and workers are simply clueless. Go to an auto parts store and ask what's the best way to clean the carbs on your lawn mower, and they'll sell you can of SeaFoam. But more than likely, they can't tell you how to disassemble a carb and clean it manually. Go to Home Depot and ask them about the brushes in an electric drill motor and you might as well be speaking a foreign language. Go to Bass Pro and ask them what type of lure you need for bass in your local lake, and they'll tell you "...well the pro's use this...". Go to an RV dealership and ask them what hitch to use, and they'll point you to whatever hitch is: easiest to install, quickest/easiest bang for THEIR buck, one with the most available markup/commission, one that's old stock and they're trying to move out, etc.
(rant over)

fj12ryder wrote:
Shoot, any hitch will "chuck" under the right/wrong conditions.

Yep! There are so many factors involved that its impossible for one hitch to be a guaranteed "chucker" or a guaranteed "non-chucker".

[htss]

I have the B&W Companion. I had really bad chucking until I put on Bilstein HD's all around and fixed the leaks in my air bags. After that, I still get it a little bit on really bad roads but I just add another 5-10 psi to bags and it usually goes away. I do not think my problems were related to the hitch at all.

For what it is worth, all of the dealerships I talked to said they really like the Companion hitch.

[stickdog]

I've towed around 60,000 miles with a B&W Companion and a Dremco GlideRide pin box. I have no idea what chucking is. Do I feel bad roadways yep do I feel expansion joints sometimes, but no jerking. It's a smooth setup. Just had a B&W turnball installed in new truck and upgraded my companion hitch to 20,000 lb model.

[dmck413]

My B&W is great to tow with. Good solid hook up

[fj12ryder]

Shoot, any hitch will "chuck" under the right/wrong conditions.

[Durb]

Chucking forces originate with the trailer. If you didn't have issues with the Andersen then you most likely won't have any with the B&W. Both hitches couple the kingpin firmly to the truck frame.

I had a B&W Patriot and the chucking was terrible but it certainly wasn't the hitch's fault.