Hitch recommendation for a 5th wheel?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by frank_a

By the way, I called etrailer last night, and they really wanted me to buy a regular gooseneck hitch. I mean, they really pushed it. I was one the phone with them for 20 minutes, and could only get off by agreeing with the dude. Sheesh! He contended the Andersen hitches were simply an accident waiting to happen.

The eTrailer dude was mistaken, of course, but did he give a reason? He probably just doesn't understand the product, but he might have a point that should be kept in mind to use the Andersen Ultimate safely.

Also, did the eTrailer guy suggest how to hitch an Escape to a ball in the bed of the truck, to use a "regular gooseneck hitch"? If he was pushing an extended adapter such as the Convert-A-Ball adapters or Andersen Ranch Hitch... these are not permitted with the Escape 5.0TA, as discussed in the recent thread Gooseneck Adaptor on 5.0 or 5.0TA?.

I also have to wonder if he was pushing a regular fifth-wheel hitch, rather than a gooseneck...

[frank_a]

Brian, I have notes at home as to what exactly he was pushing. Give me a few hours, I will post a link.

Frank

[D&R_SC]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I don't see how this would work. There seems to be no way of mounting it to the truck frame. B&W and similar gooseneck hitches all have kits to adapt to specific vehicle.

Maybe I am just missing something?

edit: I looked a little further and it also requires over-bed gooseneck installation brackets.
CURT Manufacturing - CURT Over-Bed Folding Ball Gooseneck Hitch #61052

Frank,

The site Jim references above offer installation instructions, which indicate the need for the installer to supply some components that may bring the cost closer to the B&W, which includes everything needed for installation.

[SFDavis50]

Friends with a horse trailer use a standard fifth wheel hitch and they often bang into the hitch and jolt the trailer while backing in to hook up. Doing that to a 5.0 TA would bother me and I would always worry about twisting the jacks. I seem to lack finesse when backing up.
https://andersenhitches.com/Products...ack-block.aspx

I use the big Anderson Jack Blocks under the electric jacks and several times have jacked up the trailer so the pin adaptor is above the truck tailgate. That way I don't worry about banging into anything while I am backing up. I use the yellow balls on magnets for alignment and location. After hooking up the trailer I then use the Jack Blocks as step stools to hook up the chains, emergency brake clip and electric connection. Then I put them in the bed of the truck for the trip. The trailer is very stable with the blocks and I don't think I need X chocks for added stability. I have some 3/8" rubber pads I put on the ground under the blocks. I tried using rubber between the jack legs and blocks but there is always a little bit of backward movement on the trailer when it unhooks from the Anderson ball and the legs slide easily on top of the blocks about 1/2 to 1" as it settles into the wheel chocks. ALWAYS LEVEL AND CHOCK THE WHEELS ON BOTH SIDES BEFORE UNHOOKING THE TRAILER.
I also use plastic bed risers, 3" stackable onto 5" under the rear stabilizing legs. My checklist in the hatch where the switches are reminds me to remove them before jacking up the trailer. One time I didn't remove them and I crushed the 3" risers sitting on top of the 5". If I had wood there I might have blown a fuse or done some damage to the BAL stabilizers. The popping sound was loud enough for me to hear over the jack noise.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

Friends with a horse trailer use a standard fifth wheel hitch and they often bang into the hitch and jolt the trailer while backing in to hook up. Doing that to a 5.0 TA would bother me and I would always worry about twisting the jacks.

Though I have never hitched to a fifth wheel travel trailer using a standard type hitch, I have with lots of other type fifth wheel trailers, and always had trailer lowered to a height where initial contact lifted the front of the trailer up taking the weight off the landing gear. Then just slide along the plate until latched. Of course, this was always with wheels chocked or air brakes disconnected.

[frank_a]

This is what etrailer recommends:

https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16546.html

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is what etrailer recommends:

https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16546.html

A really nice hitch if you are leaving it in the truck.

If I did not have a need too remove the hitch often, I might have gone with that style.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is what etrailer recommends:



https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16546.html

You previously stated you would go with 6.5 bed, you do not need a slider if you go Anderson. On our latest outing I purposely jackknifed the trailer, just to see how close I can go to cab, it will go 90 degrees without hitting the truck. It's a 6.5 ' F150. I'm a firm believer in the KISS principle. Why make it more complicated than it has to be?


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[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Chotch

You previously stated you would go with 6.5 bed, you do not need a slider if you go Anderson. On our latest outing I purposely jackknifed the trailer, just to see how close I can go to cab, it will go 90 degrees without hitting the truck. It's a 6.5 ' F150. I'm a firm believer in the KISS principle. Why make it more complicated than it has to be?


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Hi: Chotch... We only have the slider cause that's what we inherited with our GMC Sierra and 5.0SA Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is what etrailer recommends:

https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16546.html

Nice hitch for $304.00 more than the 40 lb. Anderson Ultimate and the 24,000Lb. capacity is plenty of comfort room although the additional steel needed for the slider and capacity tells me it isn't easy to install and remove. I often tow over mountain passes so total weight is important to me. Also, on another thread someone mentioned that an F 150 or any other light duty pickup, is basically a motorized wheelbarrow. I agree. My half ton pickup is good for 1324 lbs. of stuff, including the people and gas. If you are using up that capacity with hitch weight there is less room for stuff. I am thinking about removing the spare tire for local trips (after I buy a new set as my current tires have 60,000K miles on them).

Pin weight = 650 to 750lbs.
Me and wife = 300Lbs.
Anderson hitch, rails and mounting brackets. ~ 105 Lbs.
Full tank of gas ~ 200 Lbs.
Little to no room remaining for additional passengers, supplies, tools, etc.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

Full tank of gas ~ 200 Lbs.

No need to use this in the calculation, as payload weight already assumes full fluid levels.

If you got the same truck with the large gas tank vs the small tank, you would have less payload capacity.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

No need to use this in the calculation, as payload weight already assumes full fluid levels.

If you got the same truck with the large gas tank vs the small tank, you would have less payload capacity.

Hi: Jim Bennett... I've got enough room in my capacity for some Lite Beer and my wife's Slim Fast. Every pickup needs a driver as well as gas!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

Nice hitch for $304.00 more than the 40 lb. Anderson Ultimate and the 24,000Lb. capacity is plenty of comfort room although the additional steel needed for the slider and capacity tells me it isn't easy to install and remove. I often tow over mountain passes so total weight is important to me. Also, on another thread someone mentioned that an F 150 or any other light duty pickup, is basically a motorized wheelbarrow. I agree. My half ton pickup is good for 1324 lbs. of stuff, including the people and gas. If you are using up that capacity with hitch weight there is less room for stuff. I am thinking about removing the spare tire for local trips (after I buy a new set as my current tires have 60,000K miles on them).



Pin weight = 650 to 750lbs.

Me and wife = 300Lbs.

Anderson hitch, rails and mounting brackets. ~ 105 Lbs.

Full tank of gas ~ 200 Lbs.

Little to no room remaining for additional passengers, supplies, tools, etc.

If you do your homework you will find that you can get a F150 capable of towing over 12000lbs and get payload capacities of over 3000lbs.
Hell of a wheelbarrow. These ain't your grandpas pickups.
By the way fords payload specs already allow for a 150lb driver, which I will say is a little light in today's world.


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[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by frank_a

By the way, I called etrailer last night, and they really wanted me to buy a regular gooseneck hitch.

I suspected this might not be quite what they said...

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I also have to wonder if he was pushing a regular fifth-wheel hitch, rather than a gooseneck...

That appears to be the case:

Originally Posted by frank_a

This is what etrailer recommends:

https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel/Curt/C16546.html

Being somewhat cynical, my initial impression is that the eTrailer rep is simply promoting the most expensive product they have which might be pushed on the customer. The fact that this is the heaviest and most expensive Curt fifth-wheel for the lightest fifth-wheel RV trailer sold on the continent supports that suspicion.

He is also likely ignoring the relatively narrow front body of an Escape, so he assumes the pin needs to be further back from the cab than it really needs to be. Setting the pin that far back with a ton (literally) of pin weight would not acceptable, and he is ignoring the actual pin weight of the Escape, so that leads to a slider.

There are actual advantages of the Q20 (US$749 @eTrailer) over the A16 (US$547 with slider @eTrailer), but they have nothing to do with safety. Did he explain that? Probably not. Specifying a Q24 (US$844 @eTrailer) rather than a Q20 (US$749 with slider) simply increases the rep's sales volume.

To be fair, eTrailer has much more expensive sliding fifth-wheel hitches (up to US$1832)... so I suppose that either they are overstocked with Curt, they have a better profit margin on Curt product, or they have a target price that a customer is likely to accept.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Chotch

fords payload specs already allow for a 150lb driver, which I will say is a little light in today's world.

Ha ha ha, sure is light for this driver! I only wish!

Frank

[akmacs]

I know this thread is a bit old but I'm interested in the anderson ultimate hitch for our 5.0 on order and had some questions...

I have an 2010 F150 with the 6.5' bed and really want a clean bed when I'm not hauling the 5.0 so I'm considering the underbed ball mount. These are the ones I'm looking at and wondered if anyone else has either system:

Turnoverball® - Gooseneck Hitch | Gooseneck Hitches | THE B&W ADVANTAGE

CURT Manufacturing - CURT Under-Bed Gooseneck Installation Brackets #60641

https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/...onnection.aspx

I would rather not have to screw the remote latch cable to the trailer but the advantages of a clean bed is important to me.

Anyone advice on the pros and cons would be appreciated. I lean towards trademasters for purchase and install but it doesn't look like they carry the anderson line of hitches.

[D&R_SC]

We had the B&W Turnover ball Gooseneck Hitch installed on our 2017 F150 6-1/2' bed and use the Andersen Ultimate. We like the setup very much. The bed is totally open with the ball turned down. The safety chain u-brackets are spring loaded and pull down flush, in between the bed's ribs. The Andersen is easy to remove and re-attach.
I think I've read that Trademasters installs this setup. Don't know if they sell them, but some people supply their own and Trademasters installs them. We bought our B&W from a local truck service shop and they installed it. I installed the Andersen, which is pretty easy.
Hope this helps,
David

[frank_a]

If we buy a 5.0 TA down the road, I'm getting the set-up Dave describes. Only difference is I would install the B&W Turnover ball Gooseneck Hitch myself. I have a decent shop and could do it pretty easily. Measure three times, drill once! These B&W's may just use existing frame bolt holes? No biggie, I've installed lots of frame mounted hitches over the decades.

Frank

[akmacs]

Appreciate the info David! Now for a dumb question...I assume the anderson base shift when you are hooked up. I assume it is torqued down pretty well to the B&W ball to prevent any movement.

[Chris R]

I used the Curt undermount kit because it was cheaper than the B&W, similar rating and just as easy to install. The Curt link in your post is only for the brackets, does not the undermount ball.
I use the Andersen aluminum hitch with chains, it is easy to install, stable and weights way less than standard 5th wheel setups.