Fifth wheel hitch for turn over ball

[LanceRKeys]

I was able to purchase a B&W turn over hitch for my truck this weekend ($30 ??) Now I am looking for a fifth wheel set up. Would the Anderson Ultimate or Companion work better with my short bed? There is a companion for sale locally, but not a slider. Trying to watch for another good deal. I don’t have a fifth wheel yet, so I have time. If a goosebox comes up for sale I may jump on that.

[slapshot12]

I have an AUH and am very happy with it. I reversed the red adapter part to ensure proper bed rail clearance and it's worked well.

I'd use a B&W Companion also. The main reason I didn't get one was the weight. I can't get my truck in the garage to use a hoist to get it in and out of the bed. The AUH is a breeze to install and remove.

The AUH is a love it or hate it. 99.9% of us who actually use them, love them.

[Blazing_Zippers]

I just sold a fifth wheel (Lippert frame) that was connected to an Anderson hitch. LOVED the set up! However----Important that you check with the trailer manufacturer to see if the Anderson will void the warrantee.
I found that the Anderson block was ahead of the pin, and it seemed to transfer trailer weight forward. Kind of like pushing up on your chin vs. pushing up on your nose. Also, a king pin hitch has a flat plate that the trailer frame rests on. Whether or not, we had 1 3/16 king pin flex on a two year old fifth wheel.
The set up was a joy to use. No chucking or clunking, and easy to check the connection.

[garyp4951]

There are different models of the Reese Goosebox, so you would need to get the FW first.

[IdaD]

LanceRKeys wrote:
I was able to purchase a B&W turn over hitch for my truck this weekend ($30 ??) Now I am looking for a fifth wheel set up. Would the Anderson Ultimate or Companion work better with my short bed? There is a companion for sale locally, but not a slider. Trying to watch for another good deal. I don’t have a fifth wheel yet, so I have time. If a goosebox comes up for sale I may jump on that.

I use the rail mount Andersen in my short bed and love it. As far as I'm concerned it's a much slicker setup than any standard fifth wheel style hitch I've ever used before. It's idiot proof to use totally smooth. I haven't used the ball mount version before but it should perform similarly. I have read it can bend your bed rails some if that matters to you. I've managed to add some dents to mine in other ways so I guess you'd say it isn't real high on my list of concerns.

There have been a couple of photos of the original version of the aluminum hitch bending under extreme stress. I think it's a pretty rare issue but if you're buying used you might target the steel or revised aluminum versions.

[LIKE2BUILD]

The B&W Companion would be a great option. Or you could also look into the Reese Goose Box if you have a Lippert frame in your 5th wheel.

KJ

[Cummins12V98]

Stick with the “HeavyWeight” non folding hitch.

[FF286]

I have had a companion hitch in my short bed for about 10 years now. I have the hitch set on the furthest rear position, and have never had a problem with clearance. Recently I lucked into a like new sliding hitch for $200 so I will try it next year. I have never had a time I wish I had a slider, but it for the price I figured I would give it a try.

[bigorange]

I’m very happy with my Companion Slider on Ram 2500 crew cab. Haven’t needed the slider yet, but also haven’t had to back into anywhere tight yet. Only drawbacks for me are cost (which I got over LoL) and weight, but my wife and I can easily remove and install the hitch.

[LanceRKeys]

The problem I think I will have with the standard and a crew cab is I will not be able to see the gooseneck ball while backing up, with my last truck it was easy to do myself because I just turned my head and backed under the trailer.

[diazr2]

Both my trucks are club cab fords. Short bed no problems with either of them. I pulled my fifth wheel to Alaska from Oregon three times and traveled cross country to Newfoundland and not a single problem. Don't know about crew cab? Also don't know anything about standard transmissions.

[LanceRKeys]

My last fifth wheel was adapted to gooseneck, worked just fine, but that was with a regular cab truck. Hooking up with a crew cab and standard transmission would be difficult.

[diazr2]

I have the Anderson Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection 2 (Gooseneck) - Aluminum - 3220 for my short bed. I have also used the Anderson 3100 gooseneck adapter. I like both of them the 3100 might not suit your needs or it might be just what you want.. It all depends on your application. I have them on both my trucks and both are short bed.