Video of B&W Flex

[Crazy_Cooter]

I have posted about my concerns with the flexing I have seen in my B&W hitch while riding in the bed with my wife driving.

Well, I got a new camera and decided to make a video of it.....B&W Vid

Copy and paste of my description:This is the flex I have been concerned about after seeing my bed floor broken. It used to be much worse, but I have installed the hitch at the farthest forward and lowest mounting holes to minimize the loads and the Morryde help with the shock loads. I also installed flat bar stock in the low grooves in the bed so the loads will be place evenly over all surfaces in the bed. I assume this is why B&W has since redesigned the Companion and upped the rating. I run right up to the 18K rating and 3000-3400 vertical load.

Before anyone decides to tell me that it is installed wrong.....it IS installed per the instructions and torqued to specs..... I'm not dissing B&W in any way. I'm also a dealer/installer listed on the MVP list and sell/install their products weekly.

[joebedford]

Crazy Cooter wrote:
Ya um......

I should go waste 70K for a new truck with the nearly same relevant components so I can have the higher printed 30K towing capacity....NOT. Along with the horrible fuel economy and shorter engine life...that would make good sense. Then I could have a weaker bed that would bend faster.

Loved my Ram which was about the same generation as yours but it absolutely wasn't up to the task of hauling my toy hauler (a little havier than yours). No aftermarket add-ons would have made it suitable. YMMV.

[Cummins12V98]

Crazy Cooter wrote:
Ya um......

I should go waste 70K for a new truck with the nearly same relevant components so I can have the higher printed 30K towing capacity....NOT. Along with the horrible fuel economy and shorter engine life...that would make good sense. Then I could have a weaker bed that would bend faster.

I disagree, there is NOTHING from the engine to the tailpipe that is the same on your truck compared to the new 14 Ram trucks with 30K towing.

Just sayin

[Crazy_Cooter]

Ya um......

I should go waste 70K for a new truck with the nearly same relevant components so I can have the higher printed 30K towing capacity....NOT. Along with the horrible fuel economy and shorter engine life...that would make good sense. Then I could have a weaker bed that would bend faster.

[joebedford]

Something's flexing? What's the truck rated for? Pretty sure it's well below the 18K you said your trailer weighs. Just asking.

[Crazy_Cooter]

I bet you could sell you current model for $550-600 and buy the new one with the out of pocket ending up the same as buying the new base.

This is my plan......

[oilslick]

I took a look at the RVK3500, it's new and addresses every single one of my concerns with the RVK3000 which I see they do not make any more, perhaps my email made it to engineering. The install procedure is much simpler and the locking device is designed for repeated use. There are some days I have needed to remove and install my hitch twice, I never leave the hitch in the truck for corrosion reasons. I too will buy the RVK3500 base and use my existing head.

[Crazy_Cooter]

NJRVer wrote:

greende wrote:
Okay, I'll weigh in here though I'm probably going to regret it. I watched the video and read all the posts.

There will never be a bolt-on system without flex and there probably shouldn't be as the stresses have to go somewhere. I firmly believe that the flex I saw on the video was not out of line. The issue is with the truck manufacturers making the beds cheaper and allowing the flex to crush the ribs. The B&W Companion was designed when they used real steel in the beds. In retrospect, it would have been better for B&W to design a footprint to distribute more of the weight but who knew? And who knows what the next design change will cause even to conventional hitches.

I cannot explain the other structural problems that the OP experienced, but the rib crushing issue is more on GM & others than it is on B&W.

Thanks for listening.....

X2.
I agree. Anything you can do that would spread out the weight across the bed would help out.
I didn't really think the video was showing anything drastically wrong considering the stresses that must be going on while you drive down the road.
Maybe you had to Be there to see something else.

You are right, its not that bad now. You had to be there to see it on a rough road BEFORE I installed the Moryde! It was at least 2 maybe even 3 times more than this.

[Crazy_Cooter]

I'm aware of Curt's X-5. I wouldn't use combined with B&W's gooseneck mount to pull 20k after seeing what it happening back there WITH the preloaded Companion base.

I'm going to replace the current hitch with the re-designed rvk3500. It it a much more rigid design combined with more surface area support in the right places. It also installs with one bolt, which is great for lazy people who won't install the current offering correctly.

[NJRVer]

greende wrote:
Okay, I'll weigh in here though I'm probably going to regret it. I watched the video and read all the posts.

There will never be a bolt-on system without flex and there probably shouldn't be as the stresses have to go somewhere. I firmly believe that the flex I saw on the video was not out of line. The issue is with the truck manufacturers making the beds cheaper and allowing the flex to crush the ribs. The B&W Companion was designed when they used real steel in the beds. In retrospect, it would have been better for B&W to design a footprint to distribute more of the weight but who knew? And who knows what the next design change will cause even to conventional hitches.

I cannot explain the other structural problems that the OP experienced, but the rib crushing issue is more on GM & others than it is on B&W.

Thanks for listening.....

X2.
I agree. Anything you can do that would spread out the weight across the bed would help out.
I didn't really think the video was showing anything drastically wrong considering the stresses that must be going on while you drive down the road.
Maybe you had to Be there to see something else.

[oilslick]

To help the OP have a look at the Curt 16310 adapter that fits into the B&W goose hitch, it's good for 20,000lbs and requires no bolts to be installed or removed, no per loading of the lock pin and may solve your bed problems.

[4x4ord]

I have had my B&W Companion for about 9 years and couldn't be happier with it. I watched the video twice and fail to see what the big deal is?

[greende]

Okay, I'll weigh in here though I'm probably going to regret it. I watched the video and read all the posts.

There will never be a bolt-on system without flex and there probably shouldn't be as the stresses have to go somewhere. I firmly believe that the flex I saw on the video was not out of line. The issue is with the truck manufacturers making the beds cheaper and allowing the flex to crush the ribs. The B&W Companion was designed when they used real steel in the beds. In retrospect, it would have been better for B&W to design a footprint to distribute more of the weight but who knew? And who knows what the next design change will cause even to conventional hitches.

I cannot explain the other structural problems that the OP experienced, but the rib crushing issue is more on GM & others than it is on B&W.

Thanks for listening.....

[laknox]

oilslick wrote:
My 2011 ram 3500 is modified so extra power, 14,000GVWR trailer and I don't have an air suspension pin box, hitch at most rearward position. More importantly I remove my hitch very often. You being an installer I would very much like your opinion on MY method of installation.

With B&W's method I was concerned that the "u" bolts stretching and the lock nuts losing their locking ability and changing the friction applied with the set amount of torque would be a problem. Also the draw down bolt and nut stretch/torque.

I know that when the hitch is used with the 2 5/16 ball there is NO draw down torque applied to the lock pin, I have even heard of people forgetting to lock the pin in place on both the companion and the ball hitch. What I and many like me did was to install the thicker rubber feet then shim and torque the draw down bolt so that the lock pin can be easily slid in and out with the hitch just sitting there with no load, (just like the goose ball)then torque the "u" bolts. This means there is NO preload on the lock pin the same as with the goose ball. This also means the entire hitch can be lifted out in one piece with just drawing back the lock pin.

Seriously? Stretching 1/2" hardened bolts at either 40 or 80 lb ft? You may want to have your torque wrench calibrated if you think that's happening. The biggest issue with the nylock nuts is that, after time, and many uses, the nylon gets brittle and will start to break off, jamming in the threads. Personally, I grab my breaker bar and a cheater and simply twist them off, then call B&W for a new, free, set. If you don't draw down the Companion, you introduce slop into the system. Even a small amount can do damage. I've noticed no issue with my '02 D'max, whatsoever, with my 11,300 GVW FW loaded to near max, with a standard pin box. Virtually no visible flex and I do go off-road at least once a year.

Lyle

[sljkansas]

Call B&W, tell them whats going on. They have a solution for the Dodge and GM bed flexing.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I for one, appreciate the videos, so that I don't freak out the first time we hook up and pull out....LOL!!!

Deb