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 VidCopy 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.

Hi Tony,I did not see any flex. The head of the hitch is designed to tilt from side to side.

Very hard to tell if there is any flex with the way the camera moves around. I thought it looked like the truck bed might have flexed once, but hard to tell. I saw no unwarranted movement of the hitch itself. Perhaps the bed/frame just isn't strong enough for the hitch mount and flexes too much. If there's a problem it looks to be with the construction of the truck.

I use a B&W companion, mine's almost 3 years old. Very soon after I installed it I came to realize that the 4 rubber pads were very inadequate so I replaced them with 1/4 inch thick reinforced rubber belting held in place with just 2 ea 3/16 bolts and they have held up excellent. One thing I didn't like about the companion was B&W's installation method, I know they designed it... I did try to talk with B&W over this and they became very defensive to say the least. After asking around I settled on a different installation method which I have used from after the first month or so. With the Lippert's recent approval of the Reese goose pin box and the possible use of no safety chains many may drop the use of the companion altogether. I definitely see the flex and also have a couple of creases in my bed at the rear of the hitch feet.

If you open it full screen, you should see the upright arms and base flexing. The hitch head itself is rock solid.If I watch it on a 40" screen, it's very obvious. I'm also uploading an inside of the trailer video to my channel. I can't believe these rigs stay together as long as they do!

I guess I don't get it. I don't know how the B&W mounts. Does it mount to the floor of the bed? I can definitely see the flex, alright. But what I don't get is the flex coming from the hitch? Or the bed floor?Either way, it doesn't look good.

Video of B&W Flex | Good Sam Community

69 Replies

noteven
Explorer III
Dec 27, 2013
laknox wrote:
And all this has to do with hitch flex...how?

Lyle

:):)
motorcycle_jack
Explorer II
Dec 27, 2013
I have read all 7 pages of post and frankly am astounded at the OP thinking that his truck is ok, the new ones are no better and his is enough for the job - but then I'm not surprised because I can see 4 or 5 exact same RV'ers with the same thinking in the park where I'm at. Sorry guy, you deserve the flex since you said you were an experienced installer and KNEW what you were doing. I'll no longer read this thread as it deserves to DIE.
psford
Explorer
Dec 27, 2013
laknox wrote:
And all this has to do with hitch flex...how?

Lyle

Not real sure, but I think someone took exception to a statement about the Ram having frame flex or something like that, and decided to tell us that the new generation is totally different ,then went on to say ford was not, and I believe it continued from there, but you are right we are not talking about ford frames compared to Ram, then of course it got to the great Cummins motor, and how it continues to do it every day, and I guess the other two will not, but it is all in fun, no big deal :)
laknox
Nomad
Dec 27, 2013
And all this has to do with hitch flex...how?

Lyle
psford
Explorer
Dec 27, 2013
Cummins12V98 wrote:
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

I agree.

But they are where the are and climbing.

You let me know when Ram catches ford, I have to think it is going to take a few days, and we may not be around to see it . They got a lot of catching up to do . :) It would be interesting if Ram could improve their overall standing of third place in the towing contest in the Rockies a couple years ago. Does not Ram have the current bragging rights in torque ,and horse power these days .

Just torque. Remember it's not who is the fastest but who can do it every day over and over again.

Just a fun fact……..what engine is available in the F650 and 750"s?

Yup the same engine that comes in the RAM. CUMMINS

Yup, I do know that, get on a ford forum , and see how many miles the 7.3 are getting on them ,then tell me me if the average owner of these new or old diesels need a million miles out of them , which some have gotten. I will never be able to wear out my nearly 16 year old 7.3. What do I care if the cummins will out last the powerstroke by a couple hundred thousand miles, thats mileage I will never see one or the other, so touting that is pretty much a mute point to most.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Dec 27, 2013
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

I agree.

But they are where the are and climbing.

You let me know when Ram catches ford, I have to think it is going to take a few days, and we may not be around to see it . They got a lot of catching up to do . :) It would be interesting if Ram could improve their overall standing of third place in the towing contest in the Rockies a couple years ago. Does not Ram have the current bragging rights in torque ,and horse power these days .

Just torque. Remember it's not who is the fastest but who can do it every day over and over again.

Just a fun fact……..what engine is available in the F650 and 750"s?

Yup the same engine that comes in the RAM. CUMMINS
psford
Explorer
Dec 27, 2013
Cummins12V98 wrote:
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

I agree.

But they are where the are and climbing.

You let me know when Ram catches ford, I have to think it is going to take a few days, and we may not be around to see it . They got a lot of catching up to do . :) It would be interesting if Ram could improve their overall standing of third place in the towing contest in the Rockies a couple years ago. Does not Ram have the current bragging rights in torque ,and horse power these days .
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Dec 26, 2013
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

I agree.

But they are where the are and climbing.
psford
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
CumminsDriver wrote:
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

Yep, and without that Cummins Engine in the Dodge back then, you'd probably still have the 6.9 International in your Ford. Without the Allison Transmission in the GM trucks you'd probably still have the 3 & 4 speed automatics. Ford has made many changes, as has GM and Ram over the years. Ford is upgrading their current PSD for the 2015 model year. Why is that? Because of competition from the other trucks. This is great for us consumers!

Rich

Well don't you think its time Ford made some changes, after all it has had pretty much the same body style since the early 99 Superduty , what, 16 years, and still stayed the #1 seller. I think they stayed with the competition pretty well , regardless of what the others have done. How many body changes would you venture to say for Ram ,and GM in that time period , certainly more then Ford.
Rich1961
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
psford wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you look at a 14 you will be amazed at the difference from 3rd gen to 4th gen. They really have stepped it up.

Ford still has the same frame and cab as from 1999 with a few tweaks. Ram has many changes that back up their ratings. Until u drive one you just don't know.

One thing you have to realize is that Ram had to make changes to keep up where as ford the #1 seller of light trucks already had a winner. Granted ford has had its share of troubles in respect to some of there diesel engines, but this seems to be in the past . Without the cummins motor it would be hard to say where the Dodge ,and Ram trucks would be.

Yep, and without that Cummins Engine in the Dodge back then, you'd probably still have the 6.9 International in your Ford. Without the Allison Transmission in the GM trucks you'd probably still have the 3 & 4 speed automatics. Ford has made many changes, as has GM and Ram over the years. Ford is upgrading their current PSD for the 2015 model year. Why is that? Because of competition from the other trucks. This is great for us consumers!

Rich

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Video of B&W Flex

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