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Old 11-30-2015, 03:13 PM   #141
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: KC Metro, Missouri
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Interested, just started looking for a 5th wheel hitch for a RAM 1500 Eco-Diesel, with Air Suspension and Ram Boxes... Any experiences or pictures would be appreciated!
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Old 11-30-2015, 05:55 PM   #142
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Location: Olympic Peninsula, Washington
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I have that truck and have a B&W Gooseneck hitch with the Companion 5th wheel hitch attached. The hitch is great but you need to be sure of your installer and there experience level with the install. The install was terrible and I ended up having to have Dodge lift the 6'4" bed and remove and reroute the air suspension lines after they had been crushed by the hitch. I had to take the installer to court to recoup all my expenses. I like the hitch and it allows me to use the bed for other things when not towing.
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Old 03-26-2016, 03:13 PM   #143
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sorry to resurrect this thread but thought it was most relevant to question.
Ram 1500 Crew 6'4" long bed Hemi with tow package...
Question.
How many of you who pull an Escape 19 (most relevant) or 21 have WDH for use towing?
Do you feel it is really needed or it just a preference for some reason?
As a novice to rv trailer towing and looking over the WDH options on the 2017 build list...I was thinking that a full size truck like this would not really need a WDH for a 19 and not even for sway control. Just guessing a tandem axle 19 with little weight behind a full size truck has very little sway except maybe in bad weather. The crew cab with longer bed should provide better TV weight distribution inherently especially since the Ram Tow ratings are very good for that configuration, and yes fill it with a reasonable payload and certainly not maxed out.
I was also thinking the additional frame width and I assume additional wheel base width on the 2017 models would also improve its stability towing.
So what do you pros think with a full size truck and a 19 or 21..need a WDH and if so which one whether Escape option or 3rd party?
Thanks for the help.
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Old 03-26-2016, 03:36 PM   #144
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Location: Olathe, Kansas
Trailer: 2015 21ft Escape "Spirit of the Plains", 2014 GMC Sierra with max tow package
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I have pulled our 21 with both the WDH and without. What I like about the WDH is that it takes some of the bounce out and kind of makes the unit feel as one. I have the Andersen hitch in which the cone failed after about 3000 miles. Andersen sent me a new cone which I haven't use yet. If this one fails, I will grease the new one and not worry about the sway control. With or without, the only difference I could tell was the bounce and the trailer tows like it is glued to you. One little unexpected plus with our WDH was that it put the trailer a little further back which allowed the full opening of the pickup tailgate. It's a tough choice to make but I suppose If I was doing it over, I would get the WDH. I don't know what ETI offers for a WDH now. Loren
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Old 03-26-2016, 04:32 PM   #145
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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Trailer: 2015 5.0 TA, 2014- RAM HEMI 8 spd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinman.kc View Post
Interested, just started looking for a 5th wheel hitch for a RAM 1500 Eco-Diesel, with Air Suspension and Ram Boxes... Any experiences or pictures would be appreciated!
Here are some photos of my Andersen towing with a RAM 5.7 Hemi. I love the Andersen, it it light and works well for me...
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_0082.jpg   IMG_0083.jpg   IMG_0085.jpg  
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Old 03-26-2016, 04:57 PM   #146
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freespirit View Post
sorry to resurrect this thread but thought it was most relevant to question.
Ram 1500 Crew 6'4" long bed Hemi with tow package...
Question.
How many of you who pull an Escape 19 (most relevant) or 21 have WDH for use towing?
Do you feel it is really needed or it just a preference for some reason?
As a novice to rv trailer towing and looking over the WDH options on the 2017 build list...I was thinking that a full size truck like this would not really need a WDH for a 19 and not even for sway control. Just guessing a tandem axle 19 with little weight behind a full size truck has very little sway except maybe in bad weather. The crew cab with longer bed should provide better TV weight distribution inherently especially since the Ram Tow ratings are very good for that configuration, and yes fill it with a reasonable payload and certainly not maxed out.
I was also thinking the additional frame width and I assume additional wheel base width on the 2017 models would also improve its stability towing.
So what do you pros think with a full size truck and a 19 or 21..need a WDH and if so which one whether Escape option or 3rd party?
Thanks for the help.
I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Quad Cab Hemi V8- 3.92 rearend towing a 17 ft Casita . I have and use a WDH . In my opinion it tows better with the WDH .
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Old 03-26-2016, 05:00 PM   #147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinman.kc View Post
Interested, just started looking for a 5th wheel hitch for a RAM 1500 Eco-Diesel, with Air Suspension and Ram Boxes... Any experiences or pictures would be appreciated!
When shopping for a hitch, both the air suspension and ram boxes interfered with the 5th wheel hitch install.
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Old 03-26-2016, 05:10 PM   #148
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freespirit View Post
sorry to resurrect this thread but thought it was most relevant to question.
Ram 1500 Crew 6'4" long bed Hemi with tow package...
Question.
How many of you who pull an Escape 19 (most relevant) or 21 have WDH for use towing?
Do you feel it is really needed or it just a preference for some reason?
As a novice to rv trailer towing and looking over the WDH options on the 2017 build list...I was thinking that a full size truck like this would not really need a WDH for a 19 and not even for sway control. Just guessing a tandem axle 19 with little weight behind a full size truck has very little sway except maybe in bad weather. The crew cab with longer bed should provide better TV weight distribution inherently especially since the Ram Tow ratings are very good for that configuration, and yes fill it with a reasonable payload and certainly not maxed out.
I was also thinking the additional frame width and I assume additional wheel base width on the 2017 models would also improve its stability towing.
So what do you pros think with a full size truck and a 19 or 21..need a WDH and if so which one whether Escape option or 3rd party?
Thanks for the help.
I have the same truck in fact I had a 2009 and towed both a 19 and 21 Escape and tow the 21 with the newer 2014 Ram. I have the quad cab with the 6.4 bed, I always thought the crew cab had the smaller 5.5 bed?
The 2009 had the 5 sp auto and 3:55 rear end, averaged 12 mpg towing or not. The newer 2014 has the 8 sp auto and 3:21 rear and average 13-15 towing. Both trucks handle the trailer fine without w/d set up, I even used a longer stinger to allow the tailgate to open without issue. That said, I feel more secure with the Andersen set up on the cross country trips, but for trips less than 500 miles I tow without any w/d. The truck handles well without it. The issue with the Ram is the capacity, it is somewhere around 13-1400 lbs. With 4 passengers and 500 lbs tongue weight and a full bed of stuff you are at capacity. I installed a fiberglass cap on my 2009 and with the weight it squatted a little so I installed after market air bags to level the set up. Have not need that with the 2014 set up which does not have the cap, just a tonneau cover.
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Old 05-20-2016, 04:26 AM   #149
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Location: Signal Mountain (Chattanooga), Tennessee
Trailer: Escape 21 November 2014; 2022 GMC 1500 3.0L
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rscovell View Post
Mark,
You will love the new EcoDiesel, ours is a Black 2014 Crew Cab Laramie 4wd . Sue and I have put on 20,000 miles in six months traveling around the country and approx 50% of those have been towing our 21 5.0 TA. Without the trailer our mileage is usually 26-27mpg and pulling the trailer we get 17-18mpg. Use the Tow/Haul button in the hilly country and you will be amazed at how the transmission works.

Good Luck
We just got our EcoDiesel recently, and the trip to Osoyoos is our first towing of our 21 with it. Mileage results are identical to Bob's.

I love discussing the truck, so if anyone is interested in my thoughts, be sure to stop by at the rally anytime.
Bill
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Old 05-20-2016, 03:56 PM   #150
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is the Andersen removable? Attaching to a ball on the truck bed? I'm referring to the Andersen that is for the 5th wheel.
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Old 05-20-2016, 05:00 PM   #151
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Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection information

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt View Post
is the Andersen removable?
In the photos in Scuba55's post, you can see an aluminum block around the trailer's pin - this is the coupler (socket and latch) which is installed once and left on the trailer, but removable if you want to stop using it; there is no modification of the trailer.

The pyramid-shaped frame and the adjustable-height ball sticking out of it are installed in the truck bed like a fifth-wheel hitch, in this case by clipping into rails which are permanently installed on the truck bed floor. You can install and remove it whenever you want - for each trip, or leave it in for the trailering season, or whatever. The light weight of this part of the system is a reason that some people prefer the Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt View Post
Attaching to a ball on the truck bed?
Scuba55's Andersen Ultimate is the "rail mount" version; it does not use a ball in the truck bed. The other choice is what Andersen calls "gooseneck mount". In that version, the pyramid frame sits on the bed floor anchored by a clamp that pulls on a ball mounted in the floor of the truck bed. Jim Bennett has this version, and showed it in a forum post. Jim's truck is an F-150 (not a Ram) but that doesn't matter to the hitch.
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