Hitch recommendation for a 5th wheel?

[SFDavis50]

I tow with a 5'5" box and the Anderson Pin Adaptor is reversed so the ball is behind the king pin. No problems. 2010 F 150 Super Crew Short Bed. Length of truck and trailer combo is 36 Ft. give or take an inch.

[Sandyb12]

I hook mine up and unhook by myself quite often. I have the Anderson Ultimate hitch set up. I love it. Very easy to use.

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by frank_a

If these trailers gross weight rating is 5500#s, I still want something that can do 11,000#s!

In 2012 your truck in 2wd mode with a 5.7 AND the tow package could do 10,100. The 4.6 in 4wd that year was rated for 6,400#s without the tow package and 7,900#s with. (From Trailer Life Tow Ratings, arguably not always spot on accurate.)

That's why I want a 3/4 ton truck. I don't want problems towing over the Rockies. All the years I've been towing stuff I have come to like tow vehicles that don't know they're towing something.

Frank

I live in Colorado and have towed my 2017 5.0TA thru the Eisenhower Tunnel on I 70 four times now. My 2010 F 150 2WD is the heavier steel body and 5.4 liter V8 with a 7400# tow limit and 1324# cargo limit.
I can maintain 60mph at around 2500 rpm until a mile or so before Loveland Pass and then it drops down a couple gears to 4300 rpm. It certainly knows there is a trailer back there and the mileage drops to 8.4 mpg but there is enough power. If I get behind a truck and have to slow down to 40 mph then it can speed back up to 60 but it is winding out above 4500 rpm and the acceleration isn't very good. Still, I just slow down and get in the right lane and do the few miles to the tunnel at 40 or 45. I always have company in the slow lane as the big rigs often are only going 35 to 40. The tow/haul mode does a good job of keeping my downhill speed at whatever I brake to and lowers the gear to slow down.
My next truck in a couple years or so will still be an F 150, probably 3.5 Ecoboost, 10 speed tranny, 2 WD, 36 gal fuel tank, 6.5 or 8 foot box and larger tow package but not a 3/4 ton truck. In the meantime I will have to tow over Loveland Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, Vail Pass and others to get to the many hot springs areas that I like to visit.

[frank_a]

This is a hitch extender: https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel...400-SW19K.html

If we go the 5.0 TA route, I'm installing my own hitch, the new Andersen Ultimate in aluminum. I don't know just yet what truck I'm getting, but it will be a used late model one with at least an extended cab.

I won't buy a truck until late 2018, and probably order the 5.0 then for Spring pickup. I really don't understand all this 5th wheel stuff, and am trying to get educated!

Thanks.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is a hitch extender: https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel...400-SW19K.html

If we go the 5.0 TA route, I'm installing my own hitch, the new Andersen Ultimate in aluminum. I don't know just yet what truck I'm getting, but it will be a used late model one with at least an extended cab.

I won't buy a truck until late 2018, and probably order the 5.0 then for Spring pickup. I really don't understand all this 5th wheel stuff, and am trying to get educated!

Thanks.

Hi: frank_a... IMHO the only time a pin extender or a hitch extender is required is on a short box pickup. Our Frontier is 6'1" as a long bed compared to 6'5" for a F150 short bed. We don't need any extension and I don't even need the EZRoller hitch I have but it came with our 5.0 and GMC combo in 2008.
I agree 5th wheel speak is a whole different language. Add into the lexicon that not many hitch makers know about 5.0TA's and their light weight and small size. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[frank_a]

Okay, thanks Alf. This 5th wheel hitch I'm looking at doesn't come on rails I don't think, so you can't lock it forward for travelling, then slide it back some and lock it when you're making a tight turn into a campsite.

These things do not look like rocket science to install, so I would probably do it myself. I've been reading up on it a lot. And guess what? I don't need to buy any new tools to do it!

Frank

[padlin]

I did mine myself and haven't lost the trailer yet. Just takes some time and careful measuring, depending on the truck you get.

[Jim Bennett]

I too installed my B&W gooseneck. It was quite straight forward.

[Chotch]

I did the rail mount set up for my Anderson Ultimate , no sweat. My wife was a bit concerned when I started drilling holes in the bed of our new F150 but all came out well. Measure twice cut once.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[frank_a]

Ha! Measure three times, cut once...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by frank_a

What size box do you have? If less than 8, do you need a hitch extender?

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is a hitch extender: https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel...400-SW19K.html

This is the Reese Sidewinder. Here's a previous discussion:
Amazing option for 5.0TA hitch
To summarize my earlier comments: this is not an appropriate solution to any problem involved in towing an Escape with a reasonable pickup truck.
Also (not discussed earlier) it would not function at all with a ball hitch system such as the Andersen Ultimate.

[frank_a]

Brian, if you're referring me to the video in post #1 in that thread, it is not available, at least on my desktop at work.

Is this it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijASq0EIcjY

Thanks,

Frank

[frank_a]

Maybe I need to re-phrase my question. If I was to install an Andersen Ultimate 5th wheel hitch (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3220.../dp/B00TAPLR1W), are there other parts necessary to hook to a 5.0 TA? It sure looks like it when I look at pics of the 5.0 TA.

Thanks,

frank

[Ian and Sue]

Frank,
I have the Anderson in my Toyota Tundra double cab 4x4 all you need is to install the 5th wheel rail system(I got a custom bracket set which was a bit of a PITA but no holes drilled) or a gooseneck set up and you should be good to go. The only other thing to worry about is the clearance of the camper part of the hitch and the top of the bed rails on your truck. Mine just touches when I am at off angles and almost jackknifed. I may convert my trailer to the high lift axle. But Reece can help you with this stuff. Get the Anderson it is great and light too.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

Frank,
I have the Anderson in my Toyota Tundra double cab 4x4 all you need is to install the 5th wheel rail system(I got a custom bracket set which was a bit of a PITA but no holes drilled) or a gooseneck set up and you should be good to go. The only other thing to worry about is the clearance of the camper part of the hitch and the top of the bed rails on your truck. Mine just touches when I am at off angles and almost jackknifed. I may convert my trailer to the high lift axle. But Reece can help you with this stuff. Get the Anderson it is great and light too.

I hate to belabor this, but if I installed this Andersen hitch, the 5.0 TA would mount to the ball on the hitch? Of are there other "things" required between the trailer and the hitch?

Thanks,

Frank

[Ian and Sue]

No Problem! When you buy the Anderson hitch get the safety chain kit (extra) and the hitch kit comes with the adapter piece that bolts to the kingpin on the trailer to convert to a ball as well as the latch mechanism. It depends on what you are doing in your truck if you do a gooseneck ball you need that type of Anderson hitch and if you do 5th wheel rails you need that kind of Anderson hitch. Look at their website...https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/...onnection.aspx or call them up they are pretty good.

[SFDavis50]

The Anderson has a king pin adaptor which bolts to the trailer kingpin. Escape Trailer Industries will install this on the trailer at pickup for a $50.00 or so charge. They then hook the trailer to your truck and make sure everything works, lights, brake, the trailer is level. Then they will unhook your truck and hook the trailer up to their truck and tow it to Sumas, WA. You will meet them in a parking lot and Dennis will help hook up your truck to the trailer.
I have a short bed F 150, 5.5' bed with a Reece rail kit which I installed myself. The center between the rails is 2 1/4" in front of the axle. The Anderson hitches have a 5" offset so the ball is 2 3/4 aft of the axle centerline. The kingpin adaptor is 4" offset, it attaches to the kingpin and the hole for the ball is either 4" forward of the kingpin or in our cases it is 4" behind the kingpin. I was worried about this but everything works well. I also have the High Lift option and the widest part of the trailer is slightly above the cab of my truck.
The rail hitch is made of steel but it weighs 40 Lbs. so it is also light enough to carry. I also have the safety chain kit but I have made several trips without using it.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

No Problem! When you buy the Anderson hitch get the safety chain kit (extra) and the hitch kit comes with the adapter piece that bolts to the kingpin on the trailer to convert to a ball as well as the latch mechanism. It depends on what you are doing in your truck if you do a gooseneck ball you need that type of Anderson hitch and if you do 5th wheel rails you need that kind of Anderson hitch. Look at their website...https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/...onnection.aspx or call them up they are pretty good.

Part of my problem is I do not have a truck yet. I like F150's and especially their 6 cylinder ecoboost models, but their super crew cabs only come with a 5.5 or 6.5 box. I need at least a 6.5 box don't I?

You're saying the Andersen hitch comes with the adapter piece that bolts to the kingpin on the trailer, no extra charge? I plan on buying the safety chain kit.

Thanks for the help.

Frank

[SFDavis50]

I paid $505.00 for the Anderson Rail Mounted Hitch which included the red Kingpin adaptor box and a little sample bottle of bug remover. The chain kit includes two large eye bolts which replace the mounting bolts which come with the kingpin adaptor. If you want to use chains the Anderson set is important as there is no good place to attach chains to the kingpin assembly on the trailer so you need the strong eyebolts. ETI mounted the red adaptor to the trailer, torqued everything to the correct specs. and mounted the handle to the top of the pin box on the trailer then showed me how to use it. Dennis also reminded me to REMEMBER to open (and close) the pin and not try to lift the truck up with the electric jacks as it will quickly blow the fuses. Well worth the money.
I and many others are using a 5.5 box with no problems at all. Still, my next purchase of an F 150 in a couple years, will be with either a 6.5' or 8' box because I will want more room to carry stuff. Right now I have a very long wheelbase recumbent bicycle, "Rans Stratus XP" and it won't fit on any bike racks that I have found yet. I can take off the front wheel and get it into the trailer so I might just haul it that way.
P.S. I bought the Anderson hitch off of Amazon and used Prime so I got free shipping.

[frank_a]

I think I'm getting it now, thanks to all the help. Thanks all!

So if I wanted a complete set up that would hook me up, this would do it in aluminum:

https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-Hitc...9V5CKQFM03M2DG

This would do it in steel:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BSD9PVI...a-317944220587