B&W gooseneck hitch 4-inch extender

[TahoeJoe]

Finally found my escape! It's a 2017 5.0 and it's coming with the Andersen Ultimate hitch with gooseneck connection. Just yesterday I had the B&W gooseneck installed on my TV, which is a Silverado 1500 with the 5 3/4' bed. The installer gave me both the standard turnover ball, and the offset ball that extends 4" closer to the back of the bed. He told me I can return whichever one I don't end up using. The offset ball gives more turning clearance, but is there a downside to consider? The ball's weight rating drops from 30k to 20k, which is obviously not an issue for me. But I am wondering about the weight being shifted 4" further back, and what (if any) kind of difference that would make for my setup...in theory it is not a ideal as having the weight further up, but with the weights involved here, would I even notice? Anyone else out there using the 4" extender?

[Centex]

Congrats on your new-to-you 5.0 and for finding an installer that's given you the 4" offset ball for 'testing' with return ability!

The latter gives you a nice opportunity for hands-on experimentation with your rig, I'd take advantage of that by doing some careful 'testing', installing each in turn and ...

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

.... The offset ball gives more turning clearance, but is there a downside to consider?

You'll want to look at the clearance between the tailgate and the rear edge of the pin-box which will be reduced by that same 4"; remember that the pinbox may be above the tailgate when all is on level-ground, but that could change on humps/driveway ramps where the trailer is lower than the truck.

Also, IIRC the top of the ball with the 4" offset adaptor is a bit higher relative to the bed floor than the 'straight' turnoverball insert ... probably not an issue but make sure that the 'post' on the Andersen doesn't 'bottom out' before you achieve the required torque anchoring it to the bed floor.

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

... But I am wondering about the weight being shifted 4" further back, and what (if any) kind of difference that would make for my setup...

Were it me with this opportunity, I'd

• First verify that the tailgate clearances are OK with the offset ball, and if that's attractive to you ...
• Compare the 'static sag' measurement at both the front and rear axles of your truck with and without the offset with your loaded 5.0 hitched on level ground; that should give you some indication of your rig's 'sensitivity' to the difference in the loading point between the two; if the rig (truck and trailer) are both within what you consider an acceptable range of 'level' when parked (you might need to adjust the Andersen ball-height to level the trailer if the sag difference is significant between the two) ...
• Go for an extended same-route test-drive on various road conditions (smoother and with more bumps) to check-out the 'feel' with each.

Yeah, that's a bit of work, but I'd find all of that interesting fun (YMMV). If you do any of those tests yourself, please do keep us posted on your findings, and Have Fun!

(a CAT scale visit with each configuration would quantify the difference in truck axle-loading between the two load-point options; I might be curious to spend the few bucks for that after all of the above if it all seems to be an either/or conclusion, but I'm a geek and perhaps that's taking the comparison a bit too far, lol)

(Don't have my 5.0 yet but my F150 has had the turnoverball with straight ball for years for other uses; just got my Andersen hitch a few weeks ago in preparation for the Big Day in August)

[UncleTim]

I don't know if this is helpful or not.

I do have the B&W offset. 1 BW_4585 B&W 4" Offset Ball for B&W Gooseneck hitches.

Mine is mounted towards the back. My King Pin offset is also located to the back. This is how they set it up at the factory.

I can't show you the offset but here is the king pin attachment. It works fine. I have the short bed.

[nepaweb]

I don't have the B&W or the Andersen hitch but I did offset my rails towards the rear of the truck when I installed them. When hitched the kingpin is 4" behind the axle.
So far I have had no ill effects from towing with this setup and am pleased with the way the trailer handles.

As long as you have 33" or more between the kingpin and the tailgate you should be good.

Compared to towing the Casita with the bumper hitch the 5.0ta just tows and handles better.

Congratulations on finding your Escape. I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of it.

[Tom&Joan]

UncleTim, What is your box length?

[UncleTim]

Box length is 65" long. That is 5'-7". Here is a shot in morning light.

[TahoeJoe]

Thanks guys, this is all good info. Yes I think the right idea is to play around and test both. For now, on my maiden voyage home, I am just using the straight ball...I actually tried to connect the Andersen to the turnover ball, but it wouldn't tighten down enough, just like you suspected Alan, because of the height. Perhaps all that's needed is a longer tightening bolt?

[Centex]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

...I actually tried to connect the Andersen to the [edit - offset] turnover ball, but it wouldn't tighten down enough, just like you suspected Alan, because of the height. Perhaps all that's needed is a longer tightening bolt?

Methinks the solution for that situation is a shorter Coupler Tube to accommodate the too-high offset ball in the bed. See this page on the Andersen website, scroll-down and click the link to the Coupler Tube Chart which shows the range of ball-height above the bed floor that each length Coupler Tube will accommodate for each model of Andersen hitch. I'm assuming the Andersen hitch you have is the 3220, but it might be a different model?

If you unscrew the adjuster bolt all the way the Coupler Tube will drop-out, allowing you to measure the one you have and then select the next shorter one accordingly.

If you set your hitch over the offset turnoverball without the Coupler Tube installed, you can drop the tightener-bolt in the top and I suspect you'll see that it does not hit / interfere with the top of the higher offset ball. I suspect you'll see that the bolt-length isn't the issue, it's the too-long Coupler Tube bottoming-out (or perhaps I should say 'topping-out'?) before the pin that grabs the turnoverball is lifted high enough off the bed floor to pull the Andersen down tight to the bed.

Hope that helps, Congrats Again On Getting Your 5.0, Have Fun!

[TahoeJoe]

Originally Posted by Centex

The solution for that situation is a shorter Coupler Tube to accommodate the too-high offset ball in the bed. See this page on the Andersen website, scroll-down and click the link to the Coupler Tube Chart which shows the range of ball-height above the bed floor that each length Coupler Tube will accommodate.

If you unscrew the adjuster bolt all the way the Coupler Tube will drop-out, allowing you to measure the one you have and then select the next shorter one accordingly.

If you set your hitch over the offset turnoverball without the Coupler Tube installed, you can drop the tightener-bolt in the top and should see that it does not hit / interfere with the top of the higher offset ball (the bolt-length isn't the issue, it's the too-long Coupler Tube bottoming-out before the pin that grabs the turnoverball is lifted high enough off the bed floor).

Hope that helps, Congrats Again On Getting Your 5.0, Have Fun!

That does help, thanks! And yeah that makes a lot more sense than my guess...I was hooking it up in Los Angeles, and I was in a rush to hit the road before traffic got too bad, so I didn't spend much time investigating. The straight ball is working great so far, I haven't tried any really tight turns yet, but the ride is smooth, and best of all...getting 18 mpg!

[GregWCIL]

Fun to follow along on your maiden voyage.
If the straight ball gives you the clearance you need I'd definitely stay with it. Since the Anderson pulls up on that ball to clamp itself down, that force is cantilevered back and would not be as strong. Also moving your tow point back (possibly behind the axle) will not be as stable for the truck.
I assume you checked the clearance of the pin box to the side bed rails when you turn short. That's another question I have for you when you get a chance to check things more since I have the same truck and trailer on order as you. One advantage of the Anderson is if you can turn it backwards it effectively shortens your pin box length and gives more clearance inside the bed rails. On the negative side it might reduce your turning clearance between the trailer front and the rear bed corners and also possibly make the lowered tailgate hit when hooking up.



Bet I'm not the only one following your first trip. Good luck.

[UncleTim]

If you have a chance, pull in to a parking lot and check your turning ability before you need it. If you wait until you need it, you may go too far before realizing it.

I did!

[TahoeJoe]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

If you have a chance, pull in to a parking lot and check your turning ability before you need it. If you wait until you need it, you may go too far before realizing it.

I did!

Yikes, what happened when you went too far?

My plan is to order the other coupler, then go to a big parking lot (or a salt flat in the desert nearby) and have some fun testing, not just turns and clearance but also weight differences and towing feel. I'll make sure to report back with results and pics!

[TahoeJoe]

Originally Posted by Centex

Methinks the solution for that situation is a shorter Coupler Tube to accommodate the too-high offset ball in the bed. See this page on the Andersen website, scroll-down and click the link to the Coupler Tube Chart which shows the range of ball-height above the bed floor that each length Coupler Tube will accommodate for each model of Andersen hitch. I'm assuming the Andersen hitch you have is the 3220, but it might be a different model?

If you unscrew the adjuster bolt all the way the Coupler Tube will drop-out, allowing you to measure the one you have and then select the next shorter one accordingly.

If you set your hitch over the offset turnoverball without the Coupler Tube installed, you can drop the tightener-bolt in the top and I suspect you'll see that it does not hit / interfere with the top of the higher offset ball. I suspect you'll see that the bolt-length isn't the issue, it's the too-long Coupler Tube bottoming-out (or perhaps I should say 'topping-out'?) before the pin that grabs the turnoverball is lifted high enough off the bed floor to pull the Andersen down tight to the bed.

Hope that helps, Congrats Again On Getting Your 5.0, Have Fun!

I just confirmed my hitch is the 3220, which comes with the default 8 1/2" coupler tube. That works fine for my straight ball which is 4 3/8" above the truck bed. The extender ball is 5 3/4" above the bed, so according to the chart I need to order the 7 1/8" tube. Ordering now!

[UncleTim]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

Yikes, what happened when you went too far?

I put a dent in my cab. No biggie, but I wish I had not done it.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

I just confirmed my hitch is the 3220, which comes with the default 8 1/2" coupler tube. That works fine for my straight ball which is 4 3/8" above the truck bed. The extender ball is 5 3/4" above the bed, so according to the chart I need to order the 7 1/8" tube. Ordering now!

Just as you did I'll make my August pickup run from Sumas with the straight-shank turnoverball I've long had for gooseneck trailer towing (I'll be checking turning clearance at Bob's Burgers, space allowing ). But once back home I'll study to see if the offset might be of interest to me for increased dropped-tailgate clearance with the 'truck hugging' 5.0 (and a tad more turning cab-clearance would probably be nice, too).

Turning and tailgate clearance were never an issue at all with the 'narrow-long snout' gooseneck flatbed utility trailers I pulled in the past.

So, I'm continuing to follow your thread with interest, and glad that it brought forth mention by others of using the offset turnoverball with no ill-effect.

Now I'm sure you are having fun, good for you!

[UncleTim]

Here is a picture of Bob's Burgers parking lot. You can check things out here but it's not the greatest place. There may be some cars parked in this area too.

They use the left hand area for the drop off and it is brutally short. Then the drivers leaves and you are alone with a 5,500 pound monster.

I want to say yet again that the Lyden KOA (13 miles) is a GREAT place to drive to and take stock of what you have. They don't have a lot big enough to check out your turning but there is one close by. I was really glad for this option.

Congrats guys, you will love your campers!

[Centex]

Thanks again for sharing the info and experience UncleTim, it's very much appreciated (along with everyone's contributions here ).

Lyden KOA noted, that sounds like the perfect nearby destination for night #1 at least; maybe 2-3 nights for some relaxed 'get-acquainted time', especially if my long-shot hopes for an open-border / pre-delivery orientation in Chilliwack are not realized by mid-August.

In the meantime, back to calmly waiting for more reports on TahoeJoe's turnoverball arrangement fun (calm waiting is the story for my Escape adventure these days, no worries!)

[TahoeJoe]

I did some testing turns yesterday, see pics attached. I increased the turn angle until I was less than 1" from hitting the cab (first pic). So basically that's the max turn I can make. Note there's no issue anywhere else (see pic 2). The last 2 pics show how tight of a turn this is. I'm thinking I would like to be able to go a bit more, and if that's the case than the extender Turnover Ball is warranted. I had to order a new coupler from B&W for that, it hasn't arrived yet. Once it does and I install it, I'll perform this test again and report back. It's interesting to note the height of where the trailer is about to hit the cab. The extender ball will also raise the trailer relative to the cab about 1 1/8", so presumably I'll also benefit from the curvature of the trailer as the "point" will be above the cab piece that juts out there...

[Centex]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

.... The extender ball will also raise the trailer relative to the cab about 1 1/8", so presumably I'll also benefit from the curvature of the trailer as the "point" will be above the cab piece that juts out there...

The 'higher' offset turnoverball adaptor won't change the height of the trailer - the Andersen Hitch Base will still sit flat against the bed floor, and the same 3 available Andersen Ball-adjustments are what will determine the 'height' of the front of the trailer relative to the truck bed&cab with-or-without the offset adaptor (the Andersen Ball height should be set for 'level-trailer' when your rig is parked on flat level ground).

[TahoeJoe]

Originally Posted by Centex

The 'higher' offset turnoverball adaptor won't change the height of the trailer - the Andersen Hitch Base will still sit flat against the bed floor, and the same 3 available Andersen Ball-adjustments are what will determine the 'height' of the front of the trailer relative to the truck bed&cab with-or-without the offset adaptor (the Andersen Ball height should be set for 'level-trailer' when your rig is parked on flat level ground).

Ah, I didn't realize that only the ball adjustment holes will raise it or lower it, but yes it makes sense now that I look at how the coupler works. Thanks for clearing that up!