what kind of fifthwheel hitch?

Searching_Ut wrote:


I couldn't keep my hitch base from slipping occasionally resulting in loud pop. Torqued to 50 ft lbs with trailer weight on hitch. Hitch adapter got damaged twice by dealer using ball on fork lift. Resulted in lock pin binding and adapter having to be replaced second time. Bed of truck starting to deform and lippert 1621hd got trashed from all the weight being carried on two set screws. Ordered and installed B&W hitch, also ordered 5th airborne pin box which I'm still waiting on.

Personally, my advise would be to avoid the Andersen hitch unless you have a really light trailer. Neat idea but not really ready for prime time yet. I totally lost confidence in it, and wold have swapped it out even without the damage it's caused and causing. Can't really comment on the B&W yet as I haven't towed with it yet. Should have approximately 3k of experience though by end of Oct.

I've not heard of the "loud pop" that results from occasional slipping. Kinda makes me wonder if there's something else going on. Over the course of an entire trip (and before the revised instructions came out), I noticed that my base had spun maybe 1" or so, but that's not a problem I've had again. I did also have it slip back and forth once, but I corrected that problem as soon as I realized that I had forgotten to tighten the set screws on the coupler.

Sad that it didn't work out for you, as it seems to work just fine for 99% of other users. I can certainly see how a dealer could damage it. It shouldn't happen, but I've seen them act so carelessly I'm surprised that they don't do more damage.

I didn't really gain any help in turning tight with my Andersen ultimate and my bighorn. Hitch moved the ball back 4 inches but with a 1621 pin box you have to put the adapter on so that the pin is in front of the ball or have bed rail interference issues. Trailer ends up same distance behind as with pin right over axle. Pivot point still 4 inches back but pin box length effectively shorter which reduces effectiveness of nose cap cutouts thus cab/trailer interference remains about same.

I couldn't keep my hitch base from slipping occasionally resulting in loud pop. Torqued to 50 ft lbs with trailer weight on hitch. Hitch adapter got damaged twice by dealer using ball on fork lift. Resulted in lock pin binding and adapter having to be replaced second time. Bed of truck starting to deform and lippert 1621hd got trashed from all the weight being carried on two set screws. Ordered and installed B&W hitch, also ordered 5th airborne pin box which I'm still waiting on.

Personally, my advise would be to avoid the Andersen hitch unless you have a really light trailer. Neat idea but not really ready for prime time yet. I totally lost confidence in it, and wold have swapped it out even without the damage it's caused and causing. Can't really comment on the B&W yet as I haven't towed with it yet. Should have approximately 3k of experience though by end of Oct.

Redaman wrote:

dfb wrote:
We own a 2015 ram megacab and a new Montana 3610. We bought the Andersen ultimate. Backed up to my driveway and WHAMO!. Busted back window and a dented cab... The truck, has 2200 miles on it and is back in the body shop to repair the repair they did originally..we bought this LARAMIE in November. Out of two dalerships in my area and 400 RAMS, not one long bed dually, not one. All were short beds with some long bed srw... Can anyone explain why RAM Would build a truck with a cummins, and AISIN auto with the factory 5th wheel prep package in a shortbed.?. But then again, why did I buy it?....
Took the Andersen back and got a refund. Now we have the superglide... About 160 lbs heavier than the Andersen...400 lbs over my GVWR....
MONTANA has now reduced the pin weight. On our model from 2905 to around 2500...

I hate when that happens!! Just curious, if you have a short bed, did you turn the hitch so that the ball is closer to the tailgate? It sets the ball back several inches further, hence your trailer is back further as well.

I can turn nearly 90 degrees with my Ford SB. Not that I need or LIKE to do that, but it happens sometimes and I haven't hit my cab.

Many many owners with the Ram Megacab have no issues with the Andersen hitch. I have no issues with a conventional slider , never have had to slide it back with my Montana fifth wheel.

I have no doubt that the Andersen would work as advertised with my Ram Megacab and Montana fifth wheel with the factory fifth wheel prep.

Although its unfortunate, and an expensive mistake running the cab into a fifth wheel, or dropping a fifth wheel for that matter, but towing a fifth wheel requires some additional awareness. An automatic slider is the perfect, but expensive alternative to not have to worry or pay attention to what you are doing.

dfb wrote:
We own a 2015 ram megacab and a new Montana 3610. We bought the Andersen ultimate. Backed up to my driveway and WHAMO!. Busted back window and a dented cab... The truck, has 2200 miles on it and is back in the body shop to repair the repair they did originally..we bought this LARAMIE in November. Out of two dalerships in my area and 400 RAMS, not one long bed dually, not one. All were short beds with some long bed srw... Can anyone explain why RAM Would build a truck with a cummins, and AISIN auto with the factory 5th wheel prep package in a shortbed.?. But then again, why did I buy it?....
Took the Andersen back and got a refund. Now we have the superglide... About 160 lbs heavier than the Andersen...400 lbs over my GVWR....
MONTANA has now reduced the pin weight. On our model from 2905 to around 2500...

I hate when that happens!! Just curious, if you have a short bed, did you turn the hitch so that the ball is closer to the tailgate? It sets the ball back several inches further, hence your trailer is back further as well.

I can turn nearly 90 degrees with my Ford SB. Not that I need or LIKE to do that, but it happens sometimes and I haven't hit my cab.

We have B&W Patriot and it has been great.

As with nearly all cases of cab damage caused by 5'ers...its not the hitches fault. It didn't just "happen". The front nose of the 5'er got closer and closer and...WHAM. I do hate to hear when someone has this problem, and I do pass along my sympathies for them, but any case I've ever heard of has always truly been a matter of the operator not paying attention.

Get the B &W Companion hitch. Solid, well built and best of all Made In America....Reese moved its mfg's facilities to MX from what I heard..B&W was also less expensive and is very EZ to handle.

Sport45 wrote:

dfb wrote:
We own a 2015 ram megacab and a new Montana 3610. We bought the Andersen ultimate. Backed up to my driveway and WHAMO!. Busted back window and a dented cab... The truck, has 2200 miles on it and is back in the body shop to repair the repair they did originally..we bought this LARAMIE in November. Out of two dalerships in my area and 400 RAMS, not one long bed dually, not one. All were short beds with some long bed srw... Can anyone explain why RAM Would build a truck with a cummins, and AISIN auto with the factory 5th wheel prep package in a shortbed.?. But then again, why did I buy it?....
Took the Andersen back and got a refund. Now we have the superglide... About 160 lbs heavier than the Andersen...400 lbs over my GVWR....
MONTANA has now reduced the pin weight. On our model from 2905 to around 2500...

I don't really think you can blame Andersen for the dents and busted window. Looks to me like the same thing would have happened with any fixed hitch. As you alluded, you bought the wrong truck for a fixed hitch or the wrong hitch for a short bed truck. If you had picked one of the long bed trucks you'd seen it wouldn't have happened.

RAM builds short bed CTD/Aisin trucks because they sell. They're status symbols for most buyers. We're a minority few who actually kinda use them as they were intended. Buyers (us included) have driven the manufacturers away from many things that used to be "must haves" in a pickup such as vinyl seats and floor coverings.

Andersen has a website where they ttake a 5 foot bed and do a 90. The hitch dealer"guaranteed they would not meet. So, I do kinda blame Andersen, the dealer, and myself..

dfb wrote:
We own a 2015 ram megacab and a new Montana 3610. We bought the Andersen ultimate. Backed up to my driveway and WHAMO!. Busted back window and a dented cab... The truck, has 2200 miles on it and is back in the body shop to repair the repair they did originally..we bought this LARAMIE in November. Out of two dalerships in my area and 400 RAMS, not one long bed dually, not one. All were short beds with some long bed srw... Can anyone explain why RAM Would build a truck with a cummins, and AISIN auto with the factory 5th wheel prep package in a shortbed.?. But then again, why did I buy it?....
Took the Andersen back and got a refund. Now we have the superglide... About 160 lbs heavier than the Andersen...400 lbs over my GVWR....
MONTANA has now reduced the pin weight. On our model from 2905 to around 2500...

I don't really think you can blame Andersen for the dents and busted window. Looks to me like the same thing would have happened with any fixed hitch. As you alluded, you bought the wrong truck for a fixed hitch or the wrong hitch for a short bed truck. If you had picked one of the long bed trucks you'd seen it wouldn't have happened.

RAM builds short bed CTD/Aisin trucks because they sell. They're status symbols for most buyers. We're a minority few who actually kinda use them as they were intended. Buyers (us included) have driven the manufacturers away from many things that used to be "must haves" in a pickup such as vinyl seats and floor coverings.

dfb wrote:
We own a 2015 ram megacab and a new Montana 3610. We bought the Andersen ultimate. Backed up to my driveway and WHAMO!. Busted back window and a dented cab... The truck, has 2200 miles on it and is back in the body shop to repair the repair they did originally..we bought this LARAMIE in November. Out of two dalerships in my area and 400 RAMS, not one long bed dually, not one. All were short beds with some long bed srw... Can anyone explain why RAM Would build a truck with a cummins, and AISIN auto with the factory 5th wheel prep package in a shortbed.?. But then again, why did I buy it?....
Took the Andersen back and got a refund. Now we have the superglide... About 160 lbs heavier than the Andersen...400 lbs over my GVWR....
MONTANA has now reduced the pin weight. On our model from 2905 to around 2500...

Ouch! Not fun, asked to help get one unhitched in the Park the other day. Not my cup of tea, some how the release cable got pressed over at the pin box and the cable was bound inside. Straightened out them it released, then raise about 6" to clear the ball. :S

I could see in the bed where the base had already scared the spray in bed liner.
I think they are a profit tool for the dealerships..