Help me decide on a hitch

[vort_max]

I just bought a 2016 Cougar model 244. CW recommended a Anderson Ultimate 5th wheel hitch but I have concerns since I have a Dodge
Ram short bed. I did have a slider hitch before but found it
difficult to back up, especially in a tight, short spaces.

What would you recommend? Do you think the Anderson would still allow for a nearly full turn?

[Me_Again]

transamz9 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
Just for the record cummins12v98 dies have experience with hitches that put the pin weight on the bed floor with his 2011 and B&W Companion that caused some deforming of his bed.

I might consider a rail mount version on my Demco 6099 picture frame, however not the version that carries the weight on the bed floor. Chris

When you haul a rock quarry in the front of a 5er you are going to be heavy.

He has never been over 25k on his trailers! Are you saying that rating is inflated? Chris

[transamz9]

Me Again wrote:
Just for the record cummins12v98 dies have experience with hitches that put the pin weight on the bed floor with his 2011 and B&W Companion that caused some deforming of his bed.

I might consider a rail mount version on my Demco 6099 picture frame, however not the version that carries the weight on the bed floor. Chris

When you haul a rock quarry in the front of a 5er you are going to be heavy.

[Me_Again]

Just for the record cummins12v98 dies have experience with hitches that put the pin weight on the bed floor with his 2011 and B&W Companion that caused some deforming of his bed.

I might consider a rail mount version on my Demco 6099 picture frame, however not the version that carries the weight on the bed floor. Chris

[csamayfield55x]

I can tell you with absolute certainty that an Andersen works just perfect with a short bed Ram. The one I installed in my FIL's truck after a few adjustments works perfectly.I turned his rig so far I thought the wheels would pop off the beads!! I am sure we were at about 85 deg total or more.

As far as hitting the cab, I could do that with my flatbed longbed and gooseneck if I tried hard enough! You still have to pay attention to WTF you are doing!! No one can fix ignorance

Chris

[SabreCanuck]

vort max wrote:
I prefer this discussion now to wander too far off topic.

A reliable dealer here in Oregon says they don't recommend an Anderson hitch with a short bed while another says there will be no problem. Of course, neither will guarantee anything. My concern is how sharp a turn can I make before getting into trouble?

The Anderson ad video actually shows a Couger 5th wheel in a tight turn not hitting the cab which leads me to believe it will work.
I am also hoping the Anderson hitch will be easier to back up then the Pullrite superglide hitch. (I have a 10X30 ft driveway I must pull into on a narrow street and the superglide, at least for me, requires too much jockeying.)

If Camping World is recommending the Anderson Hitch and you are concerned with clearance, is it possible that they might have an employee vehicle or ?? that has an Anderson installed? Might take an 1/2 hour to hook up YOUR camper to THEIR truck and do some testing. Then you would know for sure. Even if it is an 8' bed on their truck when you jacknife you should be able to measure from pin center to front of trailer and know what clearance you would have from pin center to back of your cab.?.?

Nothing like real world testing. 🙂

[rhagfo]

vort max wrote:
I prefer this discussion now to wander too far off topic.

A reliable dealer here in Oregon says they don't recommend an Anderson hitch with a short bed while another says there will be no problem. Of course, neither will guarantee anything. My concern is how sharp a turn can I make before getting into trouble?

The Anderson ad video actually shows a Couger 5th wheel in a tight turn not hitting the cab which leads me to believe it will work.
I am also hoping the Anderson hitch will be easier to back up then the Pullrite superglide hitch. (I have a 10X30 ft driveway I must pull into on a narrow street and the superglide, at least for me, requires too much jockeying.)

So that is not a Andersen issue, it is the distance from the pin connection point to the cab. If you trailer is 8' wide at front you need 48" from cab the the pin rotation point.
Newer 5ers do the rounded nose so at a distance just over 1/2 the with of the TV bed, the nose isn't a full 8' wide, this allows for a tighter turn. The down side is you loose storage space in the front of the 5er.

[vort_max]

I prefer this discussion now to wander too far off topic.

A reliable dealer here in Oregon says they don't recommend an Anderson hitch with a short bed while another says there will be no problem. Of course, neither will guarantee anything. My concern is how sharp a turn can I make before getting into trouble?

The Anderson ad video actually shows a Couger 5th wheel in a tight turn not hitting the cab which leads me to believe it will work.
I am also hoping the Anderson hitch will be easier to back up then the Pullrite superglide hitch. (I have a 10X30 ft driveway I must pull into on a narrow street and the superglide, at least for me, requires too much jockeying.)

[WTP-GC]

fj12ryder wrote:
Cummins12V98 doesn't like the Andersen hitch. You'll just have to learn to live with that. Arguing isn't going to change his mind.

Nothing wrong with anyone sharing an opinion about any possible topic under the sun. But that's where it should stop. "I don't like this or that, and I'm not going to use this or that."
It only becomes a problem when opinion morphs into conjecture, and baseless claims are put out there as fact.

I'm a contractor by trade. Lots of contractors rely on online reviews and referrals, but that's not the type of work I do. If I had 1000 positive reviews and 1 or 2 or 3 negative reviews, would it be safe to assume that those are outliers and I'm good at what I do?

I might say: "I'm a good contractor".
Someone else who has never used me, never worked with me or for me, and generally has no knowledge of me might say: "He's a bad contractor". Is it reasonable to believe that person?

[ralphnjoann]

fj12ryder wrote:
Cummins12V98 doesn't like the Andersen hitch. You'll just have to learn to live with that. Arguing isn't going to change his mind.

What it will do is get the thread closed.

[SabreCanuck]

fj12ryder wrote:
Cummins12V98 doesn't like the Andersen hitch. You'll just have to learn to live with that. Arguing isn't going to change his mind.

This is true, and perfect timing as I was just about to mention the OP specifically stated what make/model of 5th he has which is well under 10K and pin weight of probably 1700#.

Yet the post stating "I would never pull this" is showing a trailer of close to 20K and pin weight of 5000+.

Not really apples to apples or answering the question honestly.

[N-Trouble]

WTP-GC wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Under 12 K Andersen is no doubt an option. Towing heavy not so much. Bed deflection and bent tubes. They have updated for those towing heavy.

Andersen rates their hitch at 24K, but you're saying that the hitch is only good for less than half that. Why would they rate it so high then? Wouldn't they be held liable if someone experienced a catastrophic failure as a result of their hitch being overrated? I searched long and hard but couldn't find more than a one case of bent tubes, and only a few other comments from dissatisfied customers. You must have some engineering data or information regarding a high number of incidents to confirm your position.

He has no engineering degree. Just personal opinion... Hes the most outspoken critic of the Andersen even though hes never used one.

For heavy applications Andersen still offers the original steel version. You will not find any reports of failures out there even from guys towing heavy.

[fj12ryder]

Cummins12V98 doesn't like the Andersen hitch. You'll just have to learn to live with that. Arguing isn't going to change his mind.

[WTP-GC]

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Under 12 K Andersen is no doubt an option. Towing heavy not so much. Bed deflection and bent tubes. They have updated for those towing heavy.

Andersen rates their hitch at 24K, but you're saying that the hitch is only good for less than half that. Why would they rate it so high then? Wouldn't they be held liable if someone experienced a catastrophic failure as a result of their hitch being overrated? I searched long and hard but couldn't find more than a one case of bent tubes, and only a few other comments from dissatisfied customers. You must have some engineering data or information regarding a high number of incidents to confirm your position.

[bpounds]

I think you are going to find that the Cougar has a very short overhang, just like my 278 does. It means that you cannot hitch up with your tailgate down. You have to backup close, get out and close your tailgate, and then complete the hitch makeup. Guess wrong and you will dent your fiver front or your tailgate. I avoid all that by using a Vee cut tailgate.

But I think the Anderson might be a good fit. You won't need to pull forward/backward to operate the hitch jaws. You will simply drop the receiver directly down on the ball. You will likely still have to open/close the tailgate halfway through, but the clearance will be improved.

[Cummins12V98]

Dumoldles wrote:
Andersen hitch is great, I have a short bed truck and no problems. I got it because I can easily, within two minutes, take it out of my bed and store it in the storage compartment of my 5th wheel. Difficult for me to fathom why anyone would go with your traditional heavy, clunky hitch...hope I didn't any of old school guys.

Dumoldles

Under 12 K Andersen is no doubt an option. Towing heavy not so much. Bed deflection and bent tubes. They have updated for those towing heavy. Still NO way this would be attached to an Andersen in the back of my truck.