5.0TA pin box

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I use the Fold-a-Cover G4 Elite tonneau cover, along with their Cargo Toolbox in the front. The back 3 sections fold onto the front one when towing the 5.0TA with lots of room to spare. The front section only folds backwards, and exposes the toolbox, and can still be accessed with the trailer hooked up with just a bit of effort.

Not cheap, but after 5 years it is still working good. I would buy it again. Never a problem with it, and in snow or rain either it stays nice and dry.

Jim. He has a Tundra Crewmax with a 5.5 foot bed. If memory serves, your F150 has a 6.5 foot bed.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by arniesea

Jim. He has a Tundra Crewmax with a 5.5 foot bed. If memory serves, your F150 has a 6.5 foot bed.

This is true, but I believe they make the covers for all 1/2 ton pickups, no?

I actually chuckle that they call my 6 1/2' bed a long box. It is the shortest I have every owned, and I have owned pickups for near 40 years now.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by ritacasita

So now my hitch is in the truck. Opted for B&W gooseneck. Love the Andersen hitch as it is so light and took about five minutes to install. Question now is bed cover. Wondering if I’m going to be able to leave it on in folded position or have to fold up blocking rear window or take it off. Any real life experience with this or even speculation?

🤔From the pic, I seriously doubt it. I’m using a Fold-a-Cover on my 6.5’ bed F150. It has a built in box, love it. When I was doing my research I found the folding covers with 3 sections just wouldn’t work with the 5th wheel. I’m guessing yours is a 3 section type.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

Arnie - appreciate any insight... I also saw a post that stated some rigs are able to do 90 degree turn with short bed. I’m just curious what camp my truck falls in... just running the numbers ��.

🤔What’s your truck? Most important bed length? I can do 90 degrees with my setup, 6.5‘ bed F150. To be honest I tried this in a parking lot just to see if it could. I’ve never come close in actual parking situations. I’m using the Anderson Ultimate hitch, rail mount version, which I also highly recommend. I would think any 6.5’ or longer would have no problem, on the shorter 5.5’ models I couldn’t tell you. And as others have stated, the pin box moves vertically, not horizontally.

[Chris R]

Originally Posted by arniesea

Jim. He has a Tundra Crewmax with a 5.5 foot bed. If memory serves, your F150 has a 6.5 foot bed.

I have the 5.5 foot bed with a F150/TA 5.0 and use the Fold-a-Cover, expensive, but works great. Best part is it does not sit against the cab when folded and is lockable when the trailer is un-hooked.

Tried retractable, but it had high maintenance factor, leaves, dirt, fir needles were continuously filling up the case and the drain hole were too small.

[Wabirkland]

I have a Silverado with a 5’9” bed... I’m thinking of going with an Andersen hitch in the aft most position on rails vs gooseneck ... and I’m trying to figure out if a tri fold bakflp G2 tonneau (or similar) will fit - assuming 2 of the 3 panels will be folded. I’ve left msgs with Bakflip for specs but I’ve not heard from them yet.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

I have a Silverado with a 5’9” bed... I’m thinking of going with an Andersen hitch in the aft most position on rails vs gooseneck ... and I’m trying to figure out if a tri fold bakflp G2 tonneau (or similar) will fit - assuming 2 of the 3 panels will be folded. I’ve left msgs with Bakflip for specs but I’ve not heard from them yet.

Don't think so, check with Fold-A-Cover.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

Arnie - appreciate any insight... I also saw a post that stated some rigs are able to do 90 degree turn with short bed. I’m just curious what camp my truck falls in... just running the numbers ��.

My tundra "could" do a 90 degree turn but practically that never happens. Even when I do the tightest of u-turns the way the trailer tracks relative to the truck, the tightest it gets is 75 - 80 degrees at best. I have no issues with the nose of the trailer touching the cab of the truck.

[Tom and Gay]

Originally Posted by ritacasita

So now my hitch is in the truck. Opted for B&W gooseneck. Love the Andersen hitch as it is so light and took about five minutes to install. Question now is bed cover. Wondering if I’m going to be able to leave it on in folded position or have to fold up blocking rear window or take it off. Any real life experience with this or even speculation?

I use a soft trifold cover (extang) on our F150 5'7" bed while towing our 5.0TA. The pin box does contact the folded vinyl while hooking up but doesn't cause damage since the support bar is further forward. However if I had a nicer hard trifold I would just lift it a little while hitching and put it back down while towing. The pinbox sits a few inches below the cover if the Andersen pin is in its lowest position. My cover overlaps the pinbox about 4 inches but yours would be less if able to mount the Andersen further aft on rails or if you attach the Andersen kingpin adapter towards the front instead of the rear. There are many variables in these setups but I think there are ways the hard trifold will work on a short bed.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

I have a Silverado with a 5’9” bed... I’m thinking of going with an Andersen hitch in the aft most position on rails vs gooseneck ... and I’m trying to figure out if a tri fold bakflp G2 tonneau (or similar) will fit - assuming 2 of the 3 panels will be folded. I’ve left msgs with Bakflip for specs but I’ve not heard from them yet.

I have the "Under Cover" Elite which is a try-fold cover. I cannot use it with my Anderson hitch as it does not clear the pin box when folded to the 1/3 flat position. The "Fold-A-Cover" has 4 panels so when folded flat, it has more clearance between the cap and the hitch. My truck bed is 5'5' so perhaps the extra 4" of clearance in your bed would be enough but it would be vey close.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

I’m thinking of going with an Andersen hitch in the aft most position on rails vs gooseneck ...

What do you mean be "the aft most position"?

If you mean turning the coupler around, I'd recommend doing more research as I have read on this forum that is hasn't worked for those who have tried that (will hit the trucks side rails I think).

[ritacasita]

Still seeking guidance on mounting this pin coupler to trailer. I know there are measurements to be made but what are you doing. Hole toward the truck or toward the trailer? I’m told there are also towing ramifications based on how you mount it?

[Wabirkland]

The Anderson hitch ball is offset about 4” so it can be installed that distance forward or turned 180 degrees (aft). Another way to describe it, it would either be 4” in front of the axel or 4” behind. In addition you have the position of the king pin adapter as well - providing an additional 4” depending on the position it’s attached.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by ritacasita

Still seeking guidance on mounting this pin coupler to trailer. I know there are measurements to be made but what are you doing. Hole toward the truck or toward the trailer? I’m told there are also towing ramifications based on how you mount it?

Pics help?

[Wabirkland]

Thanks!! And worth a thousand words!!

[ritacasita]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

The Anderson hitch ball is offset about 4” so it can be installed that distance forward or turned 180 degrees (aft). Another way to describe it, it would either be 4” in front of the axel or 4” behind. In addition you have the position of the king pin adapter as well - providing an additional 4” depending on the position it’s attached.

Ok guys, I get that. But the question is what is the recommended position of the king pin adapter ... forward or back. The one in pic below is back I see that but I’ve also seen it the other way.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by ritacasita

Ok guys, I get that. But the question is what is the recommended position of the king pin adapter ... forward or back. The one in pic below is back I see that but I’ve also seen it the other way.

I just replied to PM. The main reason for it in the back position is to clear the side rails of the truck. Then the angle of the pin box has the most clearance above the the side rails on turns. Since you have the high-lift option, you may be able to still have the clearance you need if the coupler was installed 180 degrees so it is forward. The Anderson ball would also be in the highest setting.

In the forward position the trailer will react slower when backing up. It will increase the over all length of the truck / Trailer rig so on turns, the inside wheels of the trailer will track a bit more inside than with the coupler in the rear position. However it is a pretty nimble set up to begin with so it would just need some getting used to.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Wabirkland

The Anderson hitch ball is offset about 4” so it can be installed that distance forward or turned 180 degrees (aft).
...
In addition you have the position of the king pin adapter as well - providing an additional 4” depending on the position it’s attached.

The offset of the Andersen Ultimate ball from the centre of the hitch frame (the pyramidal frame mounted in the truck) is about 6", not 4". The offset of the ball socket of the coupler block (the part the clamps onto the king pin) is 4".

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by ritacasita

Ok guys, I get that. But the question is what is the recommended position of the king pin adapter ... forward or back. The one in pic below is back I see that but I’ve also seen it the other way.

Don't put too much effort into this as ETI mounts this for you, they will set up your hitch so you should be good to go or at least I was good to go. They will set it up as Chotch's picture shows. Unless you are mounting your Andersen differently than most I wouldn't worry about the coupler. If you are thinking of turning it forward I would do more research as other have said - you run the chance of hitting your side rails. If you have a short bed you may want to investigate mounting your andersen further back.

[Hawkeye Ed]

When the ball socket on the Andersen coupler is in the rear position, the trailer is closer to the rear of the truck. Besides making the overall length of truck and trailer a bit shorter, the pin box hanging down from the front of the 5.0TA is less likely to strike the side of the bed in sharp turns. The disadvantage of the coupler in the rear position is that you may not be able to open the truck tailgate all the way when the trailer is hooked to the truck. This is how Bob at Escape configured my coupler on my 2011 F250 with a 6'9" bed. The tailgate does open all the way but only if the truck is exactly in line with the trailer. If the truck is turned to one side or the other with the tailgate down, the tailgate would hit the trailer frame. This means hooking and unhooking need to be done carefully but so far no problem.