B&W Companion users

[transamz9]

My new truck has a drop in liner in the bed. Will a Companion work without cutting the bed liner? I know I will have to cut it for the ball to come through but didn't know if there was an adjustment on the Companion to allow for the thickness of the bed liner.

[camperfamily]

I run a companion. First truck had a sprayed in liner. Worked fine with the hitch. Present truck has a rubber mat. B&W's present day instructions says to cut the mat under where the hitch rests on the bed - two huge rectangles. I didn't cut the mat and it does squash down under the weight.

The original instructions for my hitch said it could sit on top of a drop-in liner. I wouldn't have done it then, nor would I now. Too much weight/stress being put onto a piece of plastic.

If I were in your shoes... a couple options. Sell the liner and get what you can towards spring in or mat. OR you could cut out the entire bottom of the liner and put a mat down on the bed of the truck.

Up to you, but I would not trust the weights involved sitting upon a piece of corrugated plastic.

[laknox]

AZ T&T wrote:



These photos are of my hitch after installing the GM base to stop bed creasing.

Cool! Thanks, Tom.

Lyle

[AZ_T_T]

These photos are of my hitch after installing the GM base to stop bed creasing.

[oilslick]

That is the new model RVK3500 companion with the feet tucked in, the old model RVK3000 the feet turned outward and were just flat on the bottom.

[laknox]

transamz9 wrote:
I robbed this from another thread. If you look closely the little pads are adjustable from side to side on this hitch with slotted holes in the hitch base.

Thanks; I don't recall seeing that before. Must be the solution for the bed creasing.

Lyle

[transamz9]

I robbed this from another thread. If you look closely the little pads are adjustable from side to side on this hitch with slotted holes in the hitch base.

[laknox]

transamz9 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Best use for a drop in bed liner is to put it upside down and let some farm animal use it for shelter.

They make a heck of a multi-person snow sled also.....

In all seriousness though, does or can someone get a picture of the under side of a Companion hitch. Also, how thick are the little adjustable feet that rest on the bed and their dimensions? I'm brain storming here. I hate the drop-ins too but I got what I got and first things first, I need a hitch and I would really like to make the B&W work and work correctly with the bed liner I have at the moment.

The Companion I have, that works with the Turnover Ball, does not have adjustable "feet". There are 4 ~1/4" thick rubber pads that sit directly on the bed. The square tube that goes into the receiver is designed to bottom out on the hole in perfect alignment with the cross-pin. You then screw down the hold down bolt that's in the Companion frame into the vertical tube and torque to 40 lb ft. As mine's the old style, I have 2 u-bolts that are then tightened around the vertical tube and torqued to 80 lb ft. As you can see, there is no "adjustment" on the older Companions. I'm not familiar at all with the newer versions, though I do know that trucks in the past couple years have been having issues with the bed corrugation crushing/bending under load. B&W has addressed this with an insert that replaces the flat rubber pads with a pad that fits into the bed corrugation to spread the load at the corners onto a larger surface area. A really stupid way to take 5 lbs off a truck, IMO, by making the working surface thinner and less durable. Yet one more reason to have a quality spray-in liner.

Lyle

[transamz9]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Best use for a drop in bed liner is to put it upside down and let some farm animal use it for shelter.

They make a heck of a multi-person snow sled also.....

In all seriousness though, does or can someone get a picture of the under side of a Companion hitch. Also, how thick are the little adjustable feet that rest on the bed and their dimensions? I'm brain storming here. I hate the drop-ins too but I got what I got and first things first, I need a hitch and I would really like to make the B&W work and work correctly with the bed liner I have at the moment.

[Cummins12V98]

Best use for a drop in bed liner is to put it upside down and let some farm animal use it for shelter.

[laknox]

Passin' Through wrote:

"I know people who've been ticketed for not having safety chains (or loose chains) on trailers AND fifth wheels. Not as obvious on a FW, for sure, but if a cop sees you in a lot, then waits for you to leave, he can nail you. Have known a couple CDL's get cited when they forgot to hook 'em up, as well. I have a triple-axle GN and you can bet they're always hooked up whenever I move it.

Lyle"

Safety chains on fifth-wheels? I've seen a many thousands of big rigs as well as pickups towing 5ers, and never once saw one with safety chains. Maybe you meant a connected breakaway switch?

Sorry, I meant "GN", not "FW".

Lyle

[fj12ryder]

Probably referring to 5th wheels being pulled with gooseneck adapters not having safety chains.

[Passin__Through]

"I know people who've been ticketed for not having safety chains (or loose chains) on trailers AND fifth wheels. Not as obvious on a FW, for sure, but if a cop sees you in a lot, then waits for you to leave, he can nail you. Have known a couple CDL's get cited when they forgot to hook 'em up, as well. I have a triple-axle GN and you can bet they're always hooked up whenever I move it.

Lyle"

Safety chains on fifth-wheels? I've seen a many thousands of big rigs as well as pickups towing 5ers, and never once saw one with safety chains. Maybe you meant a connected breakaway switch?

[laknox]

transamz9 wrote:

laknox wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
My new truck has a drop in liner in the bed. Will a Companion work without cutting the bed liner? I know I will have to cut it for the ball to come through but didn't know if there was an adjustment on the Companion to allow for the thickness of the bed liner.

As the others have said, no way do you want to use a drop-in bed liner with the Companion. Get a spray-in. Also, if you're using the Turnover Ball, and want to have the ability to use the GN hitch, you will need to have the 5 1/2" holes for the safety chain hold-downs drilled in the bed as well as the center 4" hole for the ball. Almost all states require safety chains when using any sort of ball hitch. I don't think it's one of those things that you can skate by with as a "my home state" exemption.

Lyle

LOL! I know you're right, I just wanted to say I bet I've only seen one or two trailers in my state that still has the chains on. HAHAHA! I know nun of ours do.:S

I know people who've been ticketed for not having safety chains (or loose chains) on trailers AND fifth wheels. Not as obvious on a FW, for sure, but if a cop sees you in a lot, then waits for you to leave, he can nail you. Have known a couple CDL's get cited when they forgot to hook 'em up, as well. I have a triple-axle GN and you can bet they're always hooked up whenever I move it.

Lyle

[transamz9]

laknox wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
My new truck has a drop in liner in the bed. Will a Companion work without cutting the bed liner? I know I will have to cut it for the ball to come through but didn't know if there was an adjustment on the Companion to allow for the thickness of the bed liner.

As the others have said, no way do you want to use a drop-in bed liner with the Companion. Get a spray-in. Also, if you're using the Turnover Ball, and want to have the ability to use the GN hitch, you will need to have the 5 1/2" holes for the safety chain hold-downs drilled in the bed as well as the center 4" hole for the ball. Almost all states require safety chains when using any sort of ball hitch. I don't think it's one of those things that you can skate by with as a "my home state" exemption.

Lyle

LOL! I know you're right, I just wanted to say I bet I've only seen one or two trailers in my state that still has the chains on. HAHAHA! I know nun of ours do.:S