5th wheel or gooseneck?

[TravelinDog]

Do you guys have any preference for one or the other and why?
Exploring my options for our future 5er.

[TxGearhead]

Be aware that Andersen recently announced they will not continue to provide a "warranty" for Lippert frames that are damaged.
I started with a Curt Q20. I had a couple failure to hitch issues, them went to a PullRight. Used that a few years then went to the Reese Goosebox 20K model. So far I've done a 4,000 mile trip and am completely satisfied. The air bag and shock absorber snub the jerks down very well. Hooking up is sometimes an issue but I'm getting better at it.

[Cummins12V98]

I must be a Tractor and a hoist. 😉

[johndeerefarmer]

I have had: B&W Companion, B&W Patriot slider, Pullrite autoslider, Blue Ox slider, AUH and now a Goosebox.
B&W products are heavy and take a tractor or hoist to put in the truck. They also take up a lot of bed space but they work good.
The Pullrite autoslider was junk- if you weren't nearly perfectly straight you couldn't get it to unhitch and second the locking arm that wraps around the ball had to be replaced several time from it getting bent when I would back in.
Blue Ox slider works great but is a pain in the butt to install. You have to get in the truck and torque three bolts
AUH worked ok but doesn't give a good enough turning radius while backing
The Goosebox works great. Ride is good. To hitch up I put a long piece of yellow tape down the center of the hitch and I stick one of those telescoping magnetic balls from Harbor Freight on the gooseball to aid in backing. This hitch gives me the most freed up bed space, also all I gotta do is install the extended B&W gooseball and hitch up. Only downfall is the turning radius backing even with the extended ball isn't as good as one of my previous hitches that had a transport and "backing" position.
From having all of these the Goosebox wins for convenience. Now if it ding the truck from backing up too sharp I might wish I still had my slider.
BTW a gooseneck adapter is NOT what you want. That's a good way to tear up your RV. You want a Goosebox by Reese. There is another company making one but can't remember the name. Good luck

[Ron3rd]

cummins2014 wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Just to be clear, I'm referring to the aluminum Andersen, not the steel one.

I'm not a fan of the aluminum Andersen though a lot of people use them and like them.

Same here ,no fan of the aluminum Andersen . Just guessing there are a lot more of them then the steel Andersen that I have.

The comment from a previous post , the ones that understand the Andersen buy them, that sums it up the best "UNDERSTAND". As usual when the Andersen subject comes up ,there are a couple non owners that are the quickest with their negative comments, and never towed an inch with one .

I will agree on the adapter , not a great fan of it , although they are very easy to install on the Andersen ,recently had some truck issues, had a friend come ,and tow my fifth wheel back to the RV park where we had just left in Arizona. Had to remove the adapter so he could tow it . I carry the tools for it, so is was not an issue. I would suggest to anyone with the Andersen to be prepared to remove the adapter.

Not worried about having to remove the adapter; 4 Allen bolts and 2 larger bolts and it's off. 60 seconds if you're real slow 🙂

But you're right; it's smart to carry the tools.

[cummins2014]

Ron3rd wrote:

TravelinDog wrote:
What do you guys think about the Anderson hitch with the kingpin coupler? Seems like it would put no more strain than a traditional 5th wheel hitch on the frame of the 5er.
I like the fact that it only weighs 40-45lbs and is easily removed when not needed.

The Andersen is a great option. People that understand it often end up buying it.

Best post to date on the Andersen :C

[cummins2014]

Ron3rd wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Just to be clear, I'm referring to the aluminum Andersen, not the steel one.

I'm not a fan of the aluminum Andersen though a lot of people use them and like them.

Same here ,no fan of the aluminum Andersen . Just guessing there are a lot more of them then the steel Andersen that I have.

The comment from a previous post , the ones that understand the Andersen buy them, that sums it up the best "UNDERSTAND". As usual when the Andersen subject comes up ,there are a couple non owners that are the quickest with their negative comments, and never towed an inch with one .

I will agree on the adapter , not a great fan of it , although they are very easy to install on the Andersen ,recently had some truck issues, had a friend come ,and tow my fifth wheel back to the RV park where we had just left in Arizona. Had to remove the adapter so he could tow it . I carry the tools for it, so is was not an issue. I would suggest to anyone with the Andersen to be prepared to remove the adapter.

[Cummins12V98]

"The Companion is heavy, I don't like taking it in and out at all. I leave it on most of the time."

Simply leave it hooked to the RV.

[Sagebrush]

I've had real GN RV trailer that was a solid mount, no air or any shock absorbers. My KZ New Vision was a GN framed toy hauler from the factory. I don't know about the goose box personally, but it does look very desirable if you want a GN hook up.

My KZ GN trailer did buck a good bit compared to the air pin on the Day Dreamer. i pulled the Day Dreamer with a Companion hitch and it was very smooth. I liked the convenience for sure of the GN, but a 5th wheel is easy to hook up and there are no safety chains to deal with.

If I needed a flat bed most of the time I would do the B&W GN hitch with the Anderson set up, it is easier to hook up because you can see the ball. But you still need to store the bed mount somewhere and install it. Turn Over ball is very easy to pull out and have a clean bed.

The goose box is very nice, but its like a conventional GN hook up, hard to see from the drivers seat without cameras or something or getting out and looking. I have a large fuel tank and box combo in the bed, so I prefer the raised position of the Anderson system or my B&W Companion.

I can see my Companion in the rear view mirror. No safety chains, very easy to hook up. Going conventional with my 3500 lets me hook up to various 5th wheel trailers, but if I was starting over and just pulling my personal trailer the Anderson would be tempting. The Companion is heavy, I don't like taking it in and out at all. I leave it on most of the time.

[Ron3rd]

fj12ryder wrote:
Just to be clear, I'm referring to the aluminum Andersen, not the steel one.

I'm not a fan of the aluminum Andersen though a lot of people use them and like them.

[fj12ryder]

Just to be clear, I'm referring to the aluminum Andersen, not the steel one.

[Njmurvin]

fj12ryder wrote:
Andersen vs "TOG"(The Other Guy) threads tend to become pretty contentious at times.

I'm a B&W fanboy, but IMO if you stick to 5th wheels of 10,000 lbs. or less, the Andersen is an adequate hitch. But as I said, JMO.

The Andersen is rated at 24000lbs trailer/4500lbs hitch. I probably would look for something beefier at those numbers. But, I feel very confident pulling my 12K lb AF with it.

[Ron3rd]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I like the Pullrite mentioned but don't like the fact you need some sort of adapter.

Cummins, that Pullrite is very similar to the Andersen but they reverse the ball and the cup. It fits industry standard rails. The adapter would go on the pinbox similar to the Andersen but the ball is on the pinbox. The thing I liked about the Andersen was that it eliminated the need for a slider hitch on my SB Ram because you can mount the ball mount facing forward for SB trucks or to the rear for LB trucks. So far I'm very satisfied with the Andersen. I was about to pull the trigger on a Superglide.

[Cummins12V98]

I like the Pullrite mentioned but don't like the fact you need some sort of adapter.

[JIMNLIN]

Pullrite ISR 52 lb hitch
PullRite has the same GN ball style hitch as a Andersen...weighs 52 lbs and 20k lb draw /4k lb load rated. Check them out
Hitch brands are like truck or trailer brands...everyone has their favorite and mine is the best.