Anderson or 5th wheel hitch in 2008 Tundra 6.5'

[RandyT]

Looking at the pros and cons of the Anderson Ultimate or a more traditional 5th wheel hitch. I have a stock 2008 Tundra, Double cab, 6.5' bed

Anderson = No obstructions in the bed when removed, But a higher cost

Traditional = Rails in bed, But lower cost

Interested to hear which option you chose and why.

5.0 TA GCD Feb 2022

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by RandyT

Looking at the pros and cons of the Anderson Ultimate or a more traditional 5th wheel hitch. I have a stock 2008 Tundra, Double cab, 6.5' bed

Anderson = No obstructions in the bed when removed, But a higher cost

Traditional = Rails in bed, But lower cost

Interested to hear which option you chose and why.

5.0 TA GCD Feb 2022

Whether you have obstructions in the bed when the hitch is removed is a function of whether you have a rail-mounted or gooseneck ball mounted hitch, both the Andersen and conventional hitches come in both rail and gooseneck mounts. A big advantage of the Andersen is that it is considerably lighter in weight and that can be a factor if you plan to remove it from the truck bed when not towing, and also if the payload rating for your truck is marginal and you want to minimize weight in the bed.

With a 6'-5" bed you would have the space to add a toolbox in front of the hitch if desired for secure storage capacity in the truck bed. Any rail mounted hitch would allow space for a toolbox in front, while some gooseneck mounts - the Andersen in particular - have a larger base which would not allow enough space for a toolbox in the front of the bed.

So the hitch you choose depends on several factors - first decide whether rails would be in the way when your hitch is out, and if so you would need a removable gooseneck ball like the B&W turnover. Then you can separately evaluate the pros and cons of a conventional vs. Andersen hitch. Plenty of 5.0 owners have towed with just about every variety of hitch in both rail and gooseneck mounts and had great results with all of them - the 5.0 is so relatively light compared to most fifth wheels that you will find it tows easily with any hitch.

[sofmerc]

my truck (bought used) came with rails installed so I could have gone with either Andersen or a more conventional 5th whheel hitch. I had never even knew about the Andersen until I started coming on this forum. I chose the Andersen because of the removable,light weight design. My truck is my daily driver.. I wouldn't want to wrestle a heavier hitch in and out. I haven't even received my trailer yet. It won't be delivered until end of year...but got my hitch

[1200bruce]

I have the Anderson goose neck hitch ordered parts coming to my dealer that's going to put it on whenever I get my truck from the factory and it's a Tundra with the six and a half foot bed 2021.

[Ellen Harper]

Love having the Anderson hitch/turn-over ball in our 2007 Tundra. The hitch can be removed or installed in about 5 minutes. For the 2007 the “turnover” with the ball is not possible because part of the frame blocks it, so I just pull out the ball and put it in a plastic bag in the cab. It came with a rubber cap to cover the hole.
We have a 45” long x 20” deep box in front of hitch and a 6’4” long x 12” diam culvert pipe to hold our Clam pop up shelter on passenger side of bed. Still leaves room for other things in bed of truck.

[Lorraine Pittsburgh]

Ellen,
Thanks so much for this great description & especially the picture. I'm new to RV camping & ordered a 5.0. Love everything about this trailer except for the limited storage compartments. Thinking about this limitation, it seems important to figure out how the storage in the truck will work out before settling on a truck. Your post was exactly what I needed. The sewer pipe storage is genius!
Be well, Lorraine from Pittsburgh

[Mark&Elaine]

I have a 2017 5.0 TA, 2012 Tundra 6.5’ bed with a B&W gooseneck ball and an Andersen gooseneck hitch. And, yes, the gooseneck hitch has a larger footprint than the rail hitch. I prefer the clean bed when the hitch is removed. There is 22.5 inches from the base of the hitch to the front of the bed wall and 24.5 inches behind the hitch to the tailgate. I have plenty of room for what I carry! And over the four years I’ve had the trailer I’ve pared down what I carry. I load an 8x8 canopy, 3 camp chairs, 4 ft folding table, a very good plastic box 20”x36” with latching lid that holds my Honda generator and gas can, small propane campfire and spare propane tank. And still have room to spare! As to storage space on the trailer, it is certainly sufficient for what I carry as well. I fit a Weber Q BBQ, two burner Campchef stove, tools, extra hoses, cords, water filters, etc, etc! Again with room to spare! What you will quickly find is that you make do with the space you have! I have worked out room for exactly what I need and really don’t feel cramped. Here’s a picture of the bed of my Tundra with the gooseneck hitch.

[Lorraine Pittsburgh]

Hi Mark & Elaine,
Wow, this is so helpful. Being a planner, & having so much time to wait for my E5.0 to be built, I'm quite enjoying thinking through how all of this might work out. Your detailed explanation of how you use your space, & especially the measurements & pic, are just what I need to move my plan along. Of course, my plan will not survive contact with reality, but having a detailed plan is giving me the confidence to move forward with the big decisions of purchasing a truck & trailer.
Thank you so much, & may you enjoy many adventures with your rig!

[Perry Butler]

The dimensions of the rail version is 24" x 24".
The dimensions of the gooseneck version is 31 1/2" x 35 5/8".
The gooseneck version takes up considerably more bed space than the rail version.

The gooseneck version has a box around it that sticks up well over an inch that reduces the size of something you wish to sit flat in your bed. That frame can bend or break items laying on top.

In our case we have a large plastic box that sits on the drivers side of the hitch. The gooseneck frame would prevent putting that box in that location for fear that the Andersen frame would eat a hole in the bottom of the box. In other words you get less open space surrounding the gooseneck version.

In the winter we carry two folding bikes behind the drivers seat, but the rest of the year we carry a trike in the truck bed. There is no way we could carry a trike with the larger footprint of the goose neck version.

We've had rails in our trucks before and have no problems with them impeding space and this includes hauling rock, gravel, dirt and sheetrock. People make that distinction out to be way bigger than we've ever found.

Enjoy,

Perry

[1200bruce]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

I have a 2017 5.0 TA, 2012 Tundra 6.5’ bed with a B&W gooseneck ball and an Andersen gooseneck hitch. And, yes, the gooseneck hitch has a larger footprint than the rail hitch. I prefer the clean bed when the hitch is removed. There is 22.5 inches from the base of the hitch to the front of the bed wall and 24.5 inches behind the hitch to the tailgate. I have plenty of room for what I carry! And over the four years I’ve had the trailer I’ve pared down what I carry. I load an 8x8 canopy, 3 camp chairs, 4 ft folding table, a very good plastic box 20”x36” with latching lid that holds my Honda generator and gas can, small propane campfire and spare propane tank. And still have room to spare! As to storage space on the trailer, it is certainly sufficient for what I carry as well. I fit a Weber Q BBQ, two burner Campchef stove, tools, extra hoses, cords, water filters, etc, etc! Again with room to spare! What you will quickly find is that you make do with the space you have! I have worked out room for exactly what I need and really don’t feel cramped. Here’s a picture of the bed of my Tundra with the gooseneck hitch.

That looks like to be exactly what we have ordered for July 5th to be put on our 2021 Tundra with a six and a half foot bed.

[HarleyD]

We have the Ultimate rail version and find it works well. Our off season use of our 2106 F-150 4X4 EB 3.5, is as a ski vehicle. We found a rubber bed mat for about $80 that protects our skis and bindings very well. One issue that most fail to mention as an advantage is that the 5th wheel set up would make the trailer much more difficult and time consuming to steal, A security issue.
Especially with the Andersen adapter in place.
Glean it all and make your best choice.
Happing camping.
H