5.0 TA hitching visibility

[davidmurphy02]

I towed a small fifth wheel for years with our 1998 Ram and I could see the hitch when looking over my shoulder from the driver's seat, which made hitching up a very simple one person operation. Our 5.0TA is on order and with our new 2019 Ram, like most trucks now, the bed rails are much higher and the bottom of the back window is higher and I don't think I'll be able to see the hitch.

For those of you with a 5.0TA and a late model full size pickup with high bed rails, are you also unable to see the hitch from the driver's seat? And if so, does that make hitching a two person operation or do you find that you're able to back up fairly close to the hitching point and get lined up OK?

[RicVic]

I hitch up the same way as you but I do have to stretch my neck a bit. I tow with a F150 with the short bed.

[Fox hunt]

i cannot see my hitch i line up then get out about a millions times to check where i am- i had tricks to do my bumper pull but not with my 5th wheel yet. i have a 2017 F150 short bed

[Chris R]

Yes, the middle rear seat is a bit high to see the hitch. I use the Andersen gooseneck setup so I use a portable backup camera to help get the ball lined up. Once I have the hitch/trailer lined up (side-to-side), I place the camera in the truck bed looking up at the ball. I then can backup accurately looking at the monitor.
To line up the hitch (side-to-side) I have a plastic rod above the ball that I line up with a white line drawn on the centre of the trailer hitch.

[dmetz]

We use a pair of those telescoping magnetic tennis ball looking things. I don't remember what they are called. We got them at Camping World years ago. They make lining up a snap.

[padlin]

Without the tonneau cover I can see the hitch after I removed the center rear seat head rest. For use with the tommeau cover I put a white tape stripe down the pin box and a couple small pieces on the cover frame. I line them up when backing and can do it myself. I do have to get out to verify height and you do need to be coming back fairly in line.

[Mark James]

Have a Tundra with a 6.5 foot bed and a 5 TA with a Demco Hijacker double pivot hitch. Hitch it myself but I get out a couple of times to line things up. Understand some of the newer model pickups have a camera in the bed which helps a lot.

[Chapitre]

I tried a number of things, but bought a wireless IBall Hitch Camera , ( I always have the cover on) , attached a piece of metal at the end of the folded up tonneau cover, place the camera there and can see the hitch clearly.I also put a long piece of tape up the front of the hitch part on the trailer for the centre to line up. It works very well. No problem doing it on my own.
I bought a "Rear View Safety" model previously but had to return it, as it would only stay on for 2 minutes, which was almost impossible to use, called the company and they said yes that is how it was designed- to time out at 2 minutes.

[TravelingAlfredo]

Hi,
I am new in this forum and I appreciate all the wisdom/experience here. I am in the process of buying a 5.0 ta and now trying to find the best hitch for my 2019 RAM 1500 Laramie, 4x4 with a 67" bed. I am looking at Anderson 3200 or B&W patriot, but discussing the difference options rail system vs. gooseneck with service at camping world now. I was particularly interested in your thoughts Mr. Murphy since you have the RAM too. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated. Best Regards, Alfred

[emers382]

Hi Alfred. Welcome to the forum.

The Anderson 3200 seems to be very popular, I'm sure owners with that will comment.

We bought the B&W Patriot when we got our first 5.0 4.5 years ago. We are happy with it. The weight is an issue, really have to watch how much I put in the truck as my payload is only 1484 lb. It does lift out fairly easily in two pieces. I only do that for the few winter months we're not camping.

The reason I bought it specifically is that I liked the fact it's a full locking jaw rather than the sliding bar like on a Reese. After having worked with the CPR Intermodal for my first career and seeing railcars on their sides with trailers still attached to the hitch, I wanted to ensure I'd never lose the trailer.

[davidmurphy02]

The last time I checked, there were not yet rail mount kits available for the 2019 Ram so I haven't had to decide on a hitch yet. A local hitch shop expects rail kits to be out for the 2019 Ram in the next month or two. I know many on the forum have and love the Andersen, but I am still leaning toward a conventional hitch like the Curt A16 or the B&W you mention. I used a basic Reese hitch for 15 years and like that type of hitch, in fact I would keep our old Reese except it does not articulate side to side like most fifth wheel hitches now and there were times when uneven terrain made hitching and unhitching somewhat difficult so I definitely want a hitch that can tilt in both directions.

The payload on my truck is 1,804 pounds so the weight of the hitch is not a big factor, and it will stay in the truck bed pretty much all of the time so ease of removal is not a factor for me either. You might want to check the door jamb payload sticker on your new Ram if you haven't already done that, depending on what your truck's payload rating is the lighter weight of the Andersen may be a point in its favor.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

We bought the B&W Patriot
...
The reason I bought it specifically is that I liked the fact it's a full locking jaw rather than the sliding bar like on a Reese.

Not all Reese fifth-wheel hitches are the same. The cheapest Reese - the 15K (such as part 30093) - has a sliding locking bar. Other Reese models - even the 16K (such as part 30047) - have two pivoting jaws; this is like the B&W Patriot and Companion, but a different location of the pivot shafts makes the Reese hitches grip tighter due to the force of pulling the trailer. The Elite Series (such as the 18K part 30142) have a single jaw, but it is a pivoting wrap-around design, not a slide bar.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

... I am still leaning toward a conventional hitch like the Curt A16 or the B&W you mention.

I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with the A16, but if you are considering Curt hitches you might want to look at the Q-series, which have a very different pivot design from the A-series.

Previous discussions of the Curt Q-series in the forum can be found with a search for "Q20".

[TravelingAlfredo]

Thank you all

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with the A16, but if you are considering Curt hitches you might want to look at the Q-series, which have a very different pivot design from the A-series.

Previous discussions of the Curt Q-series in the forum can be found with a search for "Q20".

My understanding is that the Q-16 has been renamed the A-16, it is the higher end hitch and the E-16 is the basic one.

[TravelingAlfredo]

At Alamo Auto Supply here in El Paso where I have done business for many years, they showed me the BW (gooseneck) with turnover ball. That can be fitted to my 2019 RAM. The rail systems won't be out for several weeks. Will the 5.0 TA sit right on the truck bed and be level. Looks like the rail systems are sitting a little higher. Of course there is no slide (stationary mount). Is this a problem?

I am still trying to look at the Anderson rail or gooseneck with our local Camping World service manager.

Thanks for your input advisement. Alfred. (El Paso, Texas)

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

My understanding is that the Q-16 has been renamed the A-16, it is the higher end hitch and the E-16 is the basic one.

When I looked at these before, the A16 and Q20 were very different. I just looked at the Curt website, and they don't show a Q16... just E16 (#16515 is the head) and A16 (#16520 is the head). In the 20K range, there are A20 (#16540) and Q20 (#16530). The A16 looks just like the A20. A-series and Q-series certainly appear to be different designs, consistent within each series. The E-series is different again.

Both A-series and Q-series have two pivoting jaws latching around the pin. The Q-series design looks very similar to the B&W design, while the A-series jaws overlap each other in a different way. The E-series has a slide-bar latch.

The less visible difference is in the pivot design: the Q-series has that unusual spherical pivot (designed to minimize free play), while the A-series has a more straightforward two-axis yoke. The E-series has an older (but perfectly good, I assume) style of mounting frame, and again two pivot axes... with perhaps questionable pivot bearings.

Again, I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong with the A-series, but other 5.0TA owners have praised the Q-series, and they are different.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by TravelingAlfredo

At Alamo Auto Supply here in El Paso where I have done business for many years, they showed me the BW (gooseneck) with turnover ball. That can be fitted to my 2019 RAM. The rail systems won't be out for several weeks. Will the 5.0 TA sit right on the truck bed and be level. Looks like the rail systems are sitting a little higher. Of course there is no slide (stationary mount). Is this a problem?

I am still trying to look at the Anderson rail or gooseneck with our local Camping World service manager.

Thanks for your input advisement. Alfred. (El Paso, Texas)

Either a gooseneck ball or rail mounted hitch will work just fine. The gooseneck ball mounts have the advantage of being able to remove or flip over the gooseneck ball when you are not towing, which leaves you with a clean unobstructed bed. The rails are about one inch thick and are permanently mounted to your truck bed. When you take the hitch out, the rails remain in place in the bed, which may or not be an issue depending on what else you use the truck for. Generally a removable gooseneck ball will cost more than having rails installed, and you still have the cost of the hitch on top of that.

Every fifth wheel hitch has some vertical adjustment range, and there is also some variability in the kingpin mounting arm on the trailer frame. ETI will adjust those as needed to get your trailer level. Normally there will be about six inches between the trailer frame and the top of your bed rails to allow clearance for going over bumps, dips, and uneven terrain.

There are quite a few fifth wheel hitch options available, all of which are rated for much more weight than the 5.0TA (they usually start at a 16,000 pound rating these days) so all are more than adequate. If you search the forum you'll find lots of discussion about various hitches. There's no right answer or one best hitch, depends on your needs and preferences. If weight is an issue - either due to truck payload capacity, or the need to move the hitch in and out of the truck often - the Andersen Ultimate is much lighter than conventional hitches. If having a perfectly flat bed when you're not towing matters, the B&W turnover ball mount offers that but at a much greater cost than rails. The Andersen and some other hitches are available in either a rail mounted or gooseneck mounted base.

[trainman]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

My understanding is that the Q-16 has been renamed the A-16, it is the higher end hitch and the E-16 is the basic one.

I have also been checking on 5th wheel setups for my new 2019 Ram 1500 4x4. This place as recommended to me, Jeff England Motor Co, in Cleburne, Texas. I talked with them and they have installed several of the under bed 5th wheel/gooseneck mounts, they said that BK had the mount for the new Ram that fits correctly and the hitch that fits down into the square hole where the gooseneck ball goes. Sorry I didn't write down the model numbers for each, but they sure seemed to know what they were talking about. There 5th wheel BK hitch was the sliding type, instillation was $150 for the under bed hitch part, I thought was very reasonable. I didn't ask for a total price, but just figuring it's in the $2000 range. I personally don't want to go with the ball type conservation on the trailer and would rather stick with the 5th wheel pin type, but looks like the cost is much more to do it this way. Can't say we are going with the 5th wheel Escape yet, as we are still looking at the Escape 21, Oliver, and Bigfoot.

trainman

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by trainman

I talked with them and they have installed several of the under bed 5th wheel/gooseneck mounts, they said that BK had the mount for the new Ram that fits correctly and the hitch that fits down into the square hole where the gooseneck ball goes.

BK? That sounds like B&W's Turnoverball in-bed hitch and the Companion fifth-wheel hitch that anchors into it. Jeff England is a B&W dealer. Yes, B&W's website says the GNRK1319 Turnoverball fits the 2019 Ram 1500.

The MSRP of the GNRK1319 is US$538 and the MSRP of a Companion RVK3500 is US$1017, so with US$150 installation that would be US$1555 plus taxes.

B&W's Companion fifth-wheel is designed specifically to work with the Turnoverball, in contrast to the Andersen Ultimate "gooseneck"-anchored system which works with any bed-mounted ball, but just hooks around it like a coupler.