5.0TA: Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel, Rail vs. Gooseneck Mount? - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 06-04-2020, 03:18 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rootedoutside View Post
Very enlightening tip re: having a 7-pin connector installed in the truck bed! The truck we got has the 7-pin plug near the license plate. What potential issues are there with the plug's current location and towing the 5.0? (Newbie to towing )

Good call and reminder for buying the safety chains too! On Andersen's website for the rail version, it says "Safety chains available: parts #3249, #3230 and #3215." It looks like I would need part #3215 since it's installed into the rails, correct?

Thanks!!
The other advantage of locating plug in bed is that plug stays much cleaner, no sand, grit and much less chance of corrosion. No worries about scratching tailgate either. It’s a cheap and simple mod. The original socket stays functional also, I don’t see any downsides.
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Old 06-04-2020, 06:12 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Just that the cable from the trailer will need to be draped over the tailgate to reach the receptacle in the bumper.


Correct - #3249 is to attach safety chains to the truck with the "gooseneck" version (not your rail-mount), #3230 is the current version of the kit of chains and hardware to attach them to the coupler on the trailer, #3214 is the the parts to attach the chain to the rails. #3215 is #3230 plus #3214, so it is everything you need for a rail-mount installation.
Perfect, thanks so much for confirming!
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Old 06-04-2020, 06:21 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Chotch View Post
The other advantage of locating plug in bed is that plug stays much cleaner, no sand, grit and much less chance of corrosion. No worries about scratching tailgate either. It’s a cheap and simple mod. The original socket stays functional also, I don’t see any downsides.
Good call on less corrosion and dirt with the plug inside the truck bed. Adding to my list of future mods!
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Old 06-09-2020, 03:33 PM   #24
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Question Pin Box mounting

I'm new to hitches but I have an Anderson Ultimate gooseneck in the bed of my Ram 1500, ready for the day in late July when we take delivery of our new 5.0 in Colorado Springs followed by a month camping in Colorado.

I will have to mount the pin box on the underside of the arm on the spot before I drive off. I have tools and a torque wrench. Is there anything else I might need to know to do this? Any hidden gotchas?
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Old 06-09-2020, 05:32 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by BobbyK View Post
I'm new to hitches but I have an Anderson Ultimate gooseneck in the bed of my Ram 1500, ready for the day in late July when we take delivery of our new 5.0 in Colorado Springs followed by a month camping in Colorado.

I will have to mount the pin box on the underside of the arm on the spot before I drive off. I have tools and a torque wrench. Is there anything else I might need to know to do this? Any hidden gotchas?
Yes, get a 1/4 inch Allen socket to fit your torque wrench. The four set screws for the pin box adapter need to be torqued to 40 ft-lbs and that is hard to measure with a traditional L shaped Allen wrench. The longer the shaft on the Allen socket the better as 2 of the set screws are recessed in the housing. Congrats!
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Old 06-09-2020, 06:57 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobbyK View Post
I'm new to hitches but I have an Anderson Ultimate gooseneck in the bed of my Ram 1500, ready for the day in late July when we take delivery of our new 5.0 in Colorado Springs followed by a month camping in Colorado.

I will have to mount the pin box on the underside of the arm on the spot before I drive off. I have tools and a torque wrench. Is there anything else I might need to know to do this? Any hidden gotchas?
Do you have the safety chains and attachments for the Andersen?
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Old 06-09-2020, 07:02 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobbyK View Post
I'm new to hitches but I have an Anderson Ultimate gooseneck in the bed of my Ram 1500, ready for the day in late July when we take delivery of our new 5.0 in Colorado Springs followed by a month camping in Colorado.

I will have to mount the pin box on the underside of the arm on the spot before I drive off. I have tools and a torque wrench. Is there anything else I might need to know to do this? Any hidden gotchas?
Forgot to add pic of safety chains
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Old 06-09-2020, 08:24 PM   #28
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Now that is the kind of information I needed. Thanks so much! Yes, I do have the safety chains but how and what do they attach to?
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Old 06-09-2020, 08:52 PM   #29
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Now that is the kind of information I needed. Thanks so much! Yes, I do have the safety chains but how and what do they attach to?
When I bought my safety chains from Andersen, they included two bolts for the king pin adapter that had eyes on the end. See Cotch's photo. Shackles on the rails to secure the other end of the chains. The rail end stays attached.
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Old 06-09-2020, 08:55 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by Chotch View Post
Forgot to add pic of safety chains
Love the coffee on the tool box.
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Old 06-09-2020, 10:28 PM   #31
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Yes, I do have the safety chains but how and what do they attach to?
Just go back to post #20 of this thread.
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Old 06-09-2020, 10:30 PM   #32
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Thanks, I will.
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Old 07-03-2020, 02:45 PM   #33
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Originally Posted by Perryb67 View Post
...

We have the lift package. It puts the bottom of the trailer 2 1/2" higher and it's easier to crawl under the trailer to inspect. Our 2020 F150 has the heavy duty leaf springs in back so it's over 1/2" taller than the 2015, so we have more bedside clearance. We sometimes go in places others dare not to tread, such as getting through the wash into Cochise Stronghold.

We also have a large, adjustable step to go on the ground making exit/entry natural. I would have that step even if we didn't get the lift kit.
...
Perry
Hello Perry,

What is your experience with the high lift axle? Does it worsen the towing characteristics? We are thinking about this option. While we aren’t buying it for heavy off-road usage - the ground clearance is always a concern in the areas we like. So, quite interested but not sure if it makes towing difficult. It’d be great to learn from your experience.
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Old 07-03-2020, 04:48 PM   #34
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Hello Perry,

What is your experience with the high lift axle? Does it worsen the towing characteristics? We are thinking about this option. While we aren’t buying it for heavy off-road usage - the ground clearance is always a concern in the areas we like. So, quite interested but not sure if it makes towing difficult. It’d be great to learn from your experience.
Our 5.0 tows perfectly with either our 2015 or our current 2019 F150. We have had an adjustable step for 15 years and have go problems stepping into or out of our 5.0. I feel our bed rails are just too high without the lift kit, and Escape agreed.

With over 23,000 miles towing, it's towed great!

Enjoy,

Perry
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Old 07-03-2020, 06:23 PM   #35
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We got the high lift axle for driveway clearance, we have a big hump to back over going down into our driveway. With the high lift axle I have 9" of clearance to the bed rails and need almost every bit of it. Very happy with it, tows like a dream. The extra height does not bother us on the front step, but now they offer a two-step option to make that easier if desired.
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Old 07-03-2020, 07:15 PM   #36
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Perryb67, DavidMurphy02 - Thank you so much for the responses. They helps a lot! When we were talking with Escape, the higher center of gravity And greater wind resistance came up in context of the high lift axle. But, the practical impact of that was not clear to us. Your responses (and UncleTim’s on my intro thread) are very reassuring. Seems like we can order it without concern.

Thanks again!
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Old 08-01-2020, 12:43 PM   #37
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For anyone with the specific combination of B&W Turnover Ball + Andersen Ultimate Gooseneck Mount ...

Are you able to access and use the pull-up safety chain loops that are part of the B&W Turnover Ball assembly, or does the base of the Andersen Ultimate interfere with use of those in some way?

Thanks In Advance
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Old 08-01-2020, 01:40 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by Centex View Post
For anyone with the specific combination of B&W Turnover Ball + Andersen Ultimate Gooseneck Mount ...

Are you able to access and use the pull-up safety chain loops that are part of the B&W Turnover Ball assembly, or does the base of the Andersen Ultimate interfere with use of those in some way?

Thanks In Advance
The Anderson Ultimate in no way interferes with the use of the spring-loaded retractable chain loops (U bolts) that are a part of the B&W turnover ball hitch.
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Old 08-01-2020, 02:19 PM   #39
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The Anderson Ultimate in no way interferes with the use of the spring-loaded retractable chain loops (U bolts) that are a part of the B&W turnover ball hitch.
Nope ... no interference.
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Old 08-01-2020, 02:34 PM   #40
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Thumbs up

Thank you SWCO and ritacasita

I am the original owner of a 2005 F150 5.4l XLT Supercab, 6.5' box, 2WD, 3.73 Limited Slip, 1729# payload, HD towing package, with a B&W Turnoverball and Firestone airbags long ago installed. At ~130k miles it's in great shape mechanically and inside / out cosmetically. Contrary to some, the 5.4l has been very good to me, sparkplugs and cam phasers have not been an issue. Most of it's miles have been dedicated to trailer towing (my Casita and a variety of tractor, hay, and utility trailers). Back in 2005 Ford didn't provide 5th-wheeol ratings for F150s, mine is 'rated' for up to 7k# bumper-pull.

While I'd initially been thinking in terms of upgrading from my Casita to a larger bumper-pull behind my newer '19 Honda Ridgeline, I'll admit that the notion of a 5.0TA + old-trusty F150 is very seductive.
  • My existing turnover ball is 4" in front of the axle CL
  • That'd put the Andersen ball 1-3/8" behind Axle CL, 39-1/4" to the cab, 40-1/4" to the tailgate
  • I could experiment with forward vs reverse position for the Andersen kingpin coupler block, but in any case I think I'd be in fine shape with that '05 F150 + 5.0TA rig?
Any thoughts / cautions / considerations always appreciated.
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