B&W Turnover Ball - Installation Question

rvnovice

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Joined
May 3, 2024
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Sequim
We will be getting a B&W turnover ball installed later this month to use with an Andersen hitch for our Escape 5.0 TA. We are considering skipping the slots in the truck bed for the B&W safety chain loops, instead using a safety chain plate from Andersen (see link below). Our thinking was to avoid the two extra slots in the truck bed. Has anyone done this? Is there any reason not to go this way? The truck is a 2024 Ford F-150.

https://andersenhitches.com/product/ultimate-connection-safety-chain-plate-only/
 
We chose to have the spring loaded chain loops installed. So far they have worked great with no binding and do not interfere with keeping the bed flat since they are located in the the bed channels. The only issue is they are somewhat hidden by the side plates on the hitch. So you need to connect the chains to the loops first, then install the hitch. Aside from that, no other issues. I would go with that install again over the plate.
 
Just FYI, the safety chain loops require 2 holes each, not a slot in the bed (the holes are drilled from below, the loops installed from above through the two holes for each loop and sit in a 'trough' in the bed corrugations).

I had the Turnoverball in my 2022 F150 installed by B&W at their headquarters / factory in Humbolt, Kansas. They offered with-or-without safety chain loops installed, owner's choice, no worries either way. Perfect installation by the absolute pros.

I chose 'no loops' and use the safety chains on the plate that drops over the GN ball before the Andersen Ultimate base is installed. I like the arrangement, same as I had in my 2005 F150 (DIY Turnoverball installation), YMMV.
_____________

Why installation at the B&W factory?
  • It was a convenient first stopover on the leisurely 3-day trip between Granger, Iowa where I got my new truck and my home in TX
  • The price for the hitch (below MSRP) and installation was great
  • They offered a 9AM appointment and promised I'd be on my way in 2 hours
  • They delivered on all promises, and I got a fantastic tour of the factory while the hitch was being installed
  • Great folks at B&W, a nice experience dealing with them :thumb:
Within a week I had Line-X sprayed in my bed, another good experience at my local Line-X dealer.
 

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If you go with the OEM chain loops, you will want to attach the safety chains before you place the Andersen hitch because it less than convenient to attach the safety chains with the hitch already in place. The sloping side plates of the Andersen hitch make it tight quarters to attach the chains. You need two hands to do it and almost have to kneel down partly within the the hitch which is awkward at best but it is doable. With the using the safety chain plate that Alan described above it does make it easier to attach the chains if the hitch is already installed. So if you go with the OEM loops just attach the chains first. The chains come with Clevis chain hooks only on one end. I bought a 2nd set and have the hooks on both ends.
 
I have the chains 'permanently' fixed to the plate as pictured. Before backing to the trailer for hitching I lay them out adjacent to the bed rails on each side. When the trailer is hitched, I reach over the bedrails and clip them to the coupler block. Similar for my breakaway cable with which stays with the in-bed hitch and clips to a loop on the breakaway switch.

My umbilical socket is also inside the bed on the driver's side bedrail.

I'm never stretching to reach or climbing inside my bed or working in the cramped space between the truck and trailer when hitching and unhitching. My F150 has aftermarket wheel-to-wheel running boards which provide these old-bones all the 'leg up' needed to comfortably reach everything (helpful when scrubbing bugs off the windshield, too).

It's all arranged to make hitching / unhitching as easy as possible for me.
 

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