What do I need to know about purchasing a hitch?

[geometro]

My lovely wife has finally convinced me to trade our wonderful pickup camper for a 5th wheel so we can take the grandchildren camping. We've camped from Alaska to Jalisco to Nova Scotia and I'll miss it, but it is time to move on.

What do I need to know about purchasing a hitch? We've got the short bed 3/4 ton diesel and we will get as small a trailer as possible, but besides weight ratings are there other things that we should know, or are all normal hitches for sale (B&W, Reese, Curt etc) basically the same?

[Bayley]

X6 on the B&W Turnover Ball with the Anderson Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection.
* Light weight
* Easy to install
* Easy to hook up
* Works great with a short box (no need for a heavy slider)when your trailer has an aerodynamic front cap
* Cost effective

You really can't go wrong with the Anderson!!

[N-Trouble]

ralphnjoann wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

dadnjesse wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

I agree, they are getting great reviews, and they are lightweight ,and easy to install ,and remove.

Don't know what you guys are looking at but all i see in a gooseneck adapter.

No, this is a GN adapter http://www.reeseprod.com/products/pin-boxes/goose-box/uW9rVuV4JAj75t!ZHQnotJoVbxIFMqvl

The Andersen is NOT a GN adapter.

GN adapter = BAD
Andersen = GOOD

Here is another type of gooseneck adapter:

http://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Convert-A-Ball/CAB-C5G.html

Old-school type GN adapter = really BAD

[ralphnjoann]

N-Trouble wrote:

dadnjesse wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

I agree, they are getting great reviews, and they are lightweight ,and easy to install ,and remove.

Don't know what you guys are looking at but all i see in a gooseneck adapter.

No, this is a GN adapter http://www.reeseprod.com/products/pin-boxes/goose-box/uW9rVuV4JAj75t!ZHQnotJoVbxIFMqvl

The Andersen is NOT a GN adapter.

GN adapter = BAD
Andersen = GOOD

Here is another type of gooseneck adapter:

http://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Convert-A-Ball/CAB-C5G.html

[N-Trouble]

dadnjesse wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

I agree, they are getting great reviews, and they are lightweight ,and easy to install ,and remove.

Don't know what you guys are looking at but all i see in a gooseneck adapter.

No, this is a GN adapter http://www.reeseprod.com/products/pin-boxes/goose-box/uW9rVuV4JAj75t!ZHQnotJoVbxIFMqvl

The Andersen is NOT a GN adapter.

GN adapter = BAD
Andersen = GOOD

[ken_white]

Dtank wrote:
...Be interesting to know how many posters have had more than one!...

I had a Reese dual jaw 16k when I owned my lighter weight Canyon Trail 5th Wheel - it worked well.

We eventually upgraded our 5th wheel to a Tradition model and therefore had to upgrade the hitch to a Reese single jaw 20k model - it worked well too.

Eventually we upgraded my truck to a hauler style and we also had to upgrade the hitch so we went with a B&W Companion hitch to fit the bed.

I can honestly say the B&W Companion is a much higher quality hitch (I assembled all 3 of them), it hitches and unhitches easier, and it is easier to assemble and take partially apart when installing/removing from the bed of the truck - it is well worth the extra cost.

Just my $0.02...

[hermy]

I think Jimnlin hits it on the nose. Read his post again and then go forward with your plans. My 2 cents worth is to buy more hitch than you need- it will provide a safety factor and will eliminate buying a different hitch if you trade to a heavier rig.

[austinjenna]

I also have a reese for years and no problems with it. If I had to do it all over again I would go with air ride hitch.

[jerem0621]

dadnjesse wrote:

up2nogood wrote:

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

I agree, they are getting great reviews, and they are lightweight ,and easy to install ,and remove.

Don't know what you guys are looking at but all i see in a gooseneck adapter.

The Andersen has a ball in coupler, but that is where the similarities end. A gooseneck adaptor turns the fifth wheel pin box into a gooseneck hitch. The Andersen elevates the ball to a level plane with the king pin. The torsional forces that plague the gooseneck adaptor do not exist with the Andersen.

Three versions of the Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel hitch are made two of them adapt to a gooseneck hitch, one is made of steel and the other made of aluminum. There is also a fifth wheel rail version.

Some states require safety chains if a ball and coupler are used.

30-80 ish lbs depending on the version you have...

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[dadnjesse]

up2nogood wrote:

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

I agree, they are getting great reviews, and they are lightweight ,and easy to install ,and remove.

Don't know what you guys are looking at but all i see in a gooseneck adapter.

[JIMNLIN]

op wrote:
We've got the short bed 3/4 ton diesel

I don't know if this point was brought up but the short bed GM trucks have a longer dimension from the back of the cab to the trucks rear axle than the Ford or Dodge.
Many GM short bed owners say they don't need a slider or if they have a slider they don't use it for any circumstances.
My son had a ancient ('90s) 16k Reese sliding hitch on his '02 chevy short bed Dmax/A Z71 extended cab and moved it to his new 2015 chevy short bed Dmax/A Z71 crew cab. He has never needed the sliding function for his 5er. His trailer had the rounded notched corners with about 5"-6" of clearance between the cab and trailer.

[gtsum]

I have a B&W and chose it over cheaper alternatives because I cannot recall ever hearing a bad word about their hitches. It works great and is built like a tank. Two different people at the dealership (installers) told me they preferred the B&W jaws around the Kingpin over all others (note the dealer did not stock B&W...they had to order it for me).

Since you have a shortbed (like I do), you might want to consider a slider...I didnt want a manual slider and the autoslider I really like (Pullrite Superglide) would have needed an adapter to fit in my ram pucks...so I went with B&W and a sidewinder pinbox...I needed 90 degree turning to get into my driveway first trip home, and that would not have been possible with a standard hitch. Do some reading on here...lots of folks use different brands and most seem to like what they run

[cummins2014]

RAS43 wrote:

Dtank wrote:

Consequently his one choice is/was *the BEST* !!
Be interesting to know how many posters have had more than one!

Let me offer a different take. Don't know if mine is the BEST but my Reese 20k Classic is 19 years old, is on it's third truck and has only had the 2 jaw springs replaced, just last year. It is still tight and works well.

Be careful ,the B&W cheerleaders are going to be all over you on that . Yes I too have a Reese hitch, it works good for me. I have no idea what's best.

It would be interesting how many different hitches a person has had. I have had two of the same brand. Only reason for the second one was I bought a heavier fifth wheel, and wanted a higher rated hitch. If not I'm sure I would still have the first one I bought.

[RAS43]

Dtank wrote:

Consequently his one choice is/was *the BEST* !!
Be interesting to know how many posters have had more than one!

Let me offer a different take. Don't know if mine is the BEST but my Reese 20k Classic is 19 years old, is on it's third truck and has only had the 2 jaw springs replaced, just last year. It is still tight and works well.

[e-light]

hbillsmith wrote:
Highly recommend the Andersen Ultimate Aluminum

Me too...cant update my sig, but Ive been pulling my 12,000 lb 5er with it. Its a wonderful device, smooth as can be, weighs about 35 lbs, attaches to my gooseneck ball in less than 5 minutes. Cant recommend it enough...