Feedback wanted on new Pinbox and Hitch selections

dykesj11 said:

Here's what Andersen told me when asked about chain requirement: "This is kind of a grey area. We were tested as a fifth wheel hitch and are approved as a fifth wheel hitch. According to DOT regulations because it is a fifth wheel hitch we does not need safety chains. However we do utilize a gooseneck ball to secure the fifth wheel hitch into place creating a solid base with no moving points. On conventional gooseneck trailers chains are required due to the latching mechanism on the gooseneck trailer. The Andersen Ultimate Connection does not utilize a latch nor does it pivot at the point of the ball. Our unconventional setup is much like the OEM puck system that is utilized to accept fifth wheel hitches sold in the newer trucks today. Unfortunately it is up to the DOT office to interpret the regulations and laws. We have only heard of one case, out of the 40,000 units that we have on the road today, where the DOT officer insisted on having the customer add safety chains to his setup. For this reason we do offer safety chains (part # 3230) for our Ultimate Connection."

I had the Companion hitch and other than weight, it was great. I had the gooseneck version so just dropped it in, latch it, tighten the top bolt and take off. Other than weight, it as easy as the Andersen. But if you move it in and out a lot, that weight becomes a big pain (and seems bigger the older I get). You don't need chains for sure with the Companion if that's important.

Might be that you could do trial runs with each for a comparison. That's nice about either of these two systems - they go in and out easily. Welcome to use try my Andersen but it's the gooseneck version. As many folks as you know and see, I'm sure someone would let you check'em out.

This what the bed looks like empty. Nice and clean and flat.

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jbeletti said:

I've never had a gooseneck ball in a truck bed, but I don't fear it either. It's the dang chains that I'd prefer not to have dragging and banging all over plus scratching the paint on the hitch.

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jbeletti said:

So - let's say that I get a Lippert Flex Air pinbox (link) - there's no way I'd want to lock-out/defeat any of the features of it in order to use the Andersen hitch. Am I thinking right on this?

In that case, I'd skew to the B&W hitch. Flex Air / B&W configuration. Anyone like that?

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jbeletti said:

So - let's say that I get a Lippert Flex Air pinbox (link) - there's no way I'd want to lock-out/defeat any of the features of it in order to use the Andersen hitch. Am I thinking right on this?

In that case, I'd skew to the B&W hitch. Flex Air / B&W configuration. Anyone like that?

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BigGuy82 said:

This thread is too long to read the whole thing, but I'll just step in with my two cents quickly then slip out. The back and forth about gooseneck vs fifth wheel hitch on this forum is endless.

I have a Flex Air with a Reese Elite attached using the puck system on my Ford (I like the Reese Elite because it removes easily in two parts). I also have AirLifts. I've read the multiple threads about Andersen and all other goose neck type rigs and just don't see how they offer any type of advantage. Frequent complaints seem to be height (hitting the truck side rails), safety chains and finding the ball (an admittedly small target). I'm sure I'm missing the positive points of a gooseneck, but I just don't get it.

On the other hand, the Flex Air setup provides me with extreme hook up ease (literally, I just can't imagine how hooking up could be simpler), superb load control and a ride that frankly would be hard to improve upon.

In short and since you ask, I like the Flex Air/B&W. Top quality products = top quality performance.

Finally, I'm not sure you can "lock out" any features on the Flex Air - I don't see any way to do tat.

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porthole said:

...If I was in that predicament, with some time to spare I'd try and get MOR/ryde to make a new bottom plate and try the Anderson.

But I also want some type of air bag, either in the pin box or in the hitch. I like being able to raise or lower the trailer nose as needed. And with a toy hauler, which is seldom loaded the same from trip to trip, it makes adjusting the ride easier.

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porthole said:

Haven't seen the 5th Airborne mentioned on this thread. I've never tried one, but those that have it seem to like it.

I'd like to see how much lift there is from 0 air to 100 psi in the bag of that hitch.

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BigGuy82 said:

This thread is too long to read the whole thing, but I'll just step in with my two cents quickly then slip out. The back and forth about gooseneck vs fifth wheel hitch on this forum is endless.

I have a Flex Air with a Reese Elite attached using the puck system on my Ford (I like the Reese Elite because it removes easily in two parts). I also have AirLifts. I've read the multiple threads about Andersen and all other goose neck type rigs and just don't see how they offer any type of advantage. Frequent complaints seem to be height (hitting the truck side rails), safety chains and finding the ball (an admittedly small target). I'm sure I'm missing the positive points of a gooseneck, but I just don't get it.

On the other hand, the Flex Air setup provides me with extreme hook up ease (literally, I just can't imagine how hooking up could be simpler), superb load control and a ride that frankly would be hard to improve upon.

In short and since you ask, I like the Flex Air/B&W. Top quality products = top quality performance.

Finally, I'm not sure you can "lock out" any features on the Flex Air - I don't see any way to do tat.

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dykesj11 said:

If you are going away from Andersen, the Flex Air/B&W would seem the best answer.

"BigGuy" must be the operative part of your name since the 18K Reese weighs 140 odd pounds all together or guessing 40-50 pound coupler and 100 pounds for the base. The 20K Companion is 130 pounds for the base and 75 pounds for the coupler. The Andersen Ultimate weighs 35 pounds all together. Unless you can do 100 pound curls with one arm, this one will always be easier to move. With that said, other than the weight, the B&W Companion was great. Served us well for 15000 or so miles. If you aren't taking it in and out very often, excellent choice. But with about 5600 miles on the Andersen, I'm addicted to ease of removal/installation.

Based on everyone's positive comments, I'd like to know more about the FlexAir and why it can/can't work with the Andersen. We're planning 20-30K of travel in 2018 and we need every bit of smoothness we can get. IS is already in the budget and seems like pinbox is the last item to take care of.

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dewwood said:

I have a comment on the lock bars to be used with the Andersen hitch. In the link provided the lock bars were for the Trail-air roto-flex pin not the flex-air pin box. On another note, I have the B&W with the companion with a Trail-air Tri-glide(no longer available, the flex-air is the replacement) and the ride is great. The nose of the fiver just floats up and down as you go down the road. As others have noted the B&W is two parts which are not light in weight but are manageable to put in and remove.

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Bones said:

I've had the Reese airborne and I switched to the Morryde. The Morryde does a better job than my airborne did.

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porthole said:

Apples to oranges - does a better job of what?

The MOR/ryde pinbox allows back and forth and side to side rubber cushioned movement. Most likely even a somewhat circular movement.
The 5th Airborne has an airbag for an air cushioned ride. And by nature of the hardware allows a somewhat back and forth movement as the lower and upper halves move. Same with the goosebox. With the goosebox I can see the forward and aft movement and feel it with hard acceleration or stopping.

On any of the "swinging plate" designs, flex air, roto flex tri-glide, demco etc, their use on a hitch like the PullRite Superglide could be annoying.

We had a Tri-glide (which had it's own special issues with maintenance) and on certain maneuvers the movement was downright uncomfortable and gave an uneasy feeling of lack of longevity.

In particular high load, sharp turns such as pulling out of a side street slightly uphill. The acceleration and load allowed the tri-glide to hammer hard when the SuperGlide's saddle started to rotate (12-13 degrees off center). Enough so that after the first trip the MOR/ryde pinbox went back on.

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• Feedback from users who are using the Flex Air
• My personal experience using the Trailair in the past as well as the Trailair with Tri-Glide
• My strong desire to have some some of air ride / air cushioning in the pinbox / hitch area (since deciding to move away from the Trailersaver TS3 air hitch
• Lippert will sponsor my evaluation unit

jbeletti said:

Decision made: Lippert Flex Air pinbox.

So I'm now 100% decided on using the Lippert Flex Air pinbox on the current coach, swapping out the MORryde pinbox. This decision was driven by the following factors:

• Feedback from users who are using the Flex Air
• My personal experience using the Trailair in the past as well as the Trailair with Tri-Glide
• My strong desire to have some some of air ride / air cushioning in the pinbox / hitch area (since deciding to move away from the Trailersaver TS3 air hitch
• Lippert will sponsor my evaluation unit

Decision 75% made on Hitch selection

If I go with the Andersen hitch, I will need to lock-out the lower jaw of the Flex Air (per Andersen and confirmed by Jamie W). Not sure I want to lock-out a feature of the hitch. Like Duane, I used the Trailair hitch with Tri-Glide. When it worked, it was one amazing hitch. But it was a maintenance nightmare. By combining the Trailair with their Roto-Flex, this "could" offer similar performance to the Trailair with Tri-Glide but without the bearing maintenance (and failure).

As such, I'm 75% certain I will go with the B&W 5th Wheel Companion hitch and use the gooseneck square shaft to connect it to the Ford bed 5th Wheel / Gooseneck Trailer option.

Thoughts on my pinbox decision and hitch "plan"??

Click to expand...

jbeletti said:

Decision made: Lippert Flex Air pinbox.

So I'm now 100% decided on using the Lippert Flex Air pinbox on the current coach, swapping out the MORryde pinbox. This decision was driven by the following factors:

• Feedback from users who are using the Flex Air
• My personal experience using the Trailair in the past as well as the Trailair with Tri-Glide
• My strong desire to have some some of air ride / air cushioning in the pinbox / hitch area (since deciding to move away from the Trailersaver TS3 air hitch
• Lippert will sponsor my evaluation unit

Decision 75% made on Hitch selection

If I go with the Andersen hitch, I will need to lock-out the lower jaw of the Flex Air (per Andersen and confirmed by Jamie W). Not sure I want to lock-out a feature of the hitch. Like Duane, I used the Trailair hitch with Tri-Glide. When it worked, it was one amazing hitch. But it was a maintenance nightmare. By combining the Trailair with their Roto-Flex, this "could" offer similar performance to the Trailair with Tri-Glide but without the bearing maintenance (and failure).

As such, I'm 75% certain I will go with the B&W 5th Wheel Companion hitch and use the gooseneck square shaft to connect it to the Ford bed 5th Wheel / Gooseneck Trailer option.

Thoughts on my pinbox decision and hitch "plan"??

Click to expand...