B&W Hitch questions

[Garypowell]

Buying a new truck (2015 Silverado 3500 short box) and it is a good time to evaluate my hitch.

I won't ever complain about my Curt Q20 and the company has taken good care of me under warranty but it is the finickiest hitch I have every used. If not perfectly aligned you try again.....and again....and again.

Looking favorably at the B&W 20K unit. I have even spoken to Etrailer and they say they will install it for free if they can video tape the installation. I am going to be in the St. Louis area for 10 days starting next week....and why not. I might never be famous....but my truck can be a star!

But I have a couple of questions:

1. When you pull the disconnect handle (that's in the wheel well) to remove the hitch....I guess that post (on the hitch) that goes down into the receptical under the truck pulls out? Not that I am overly concerned about it not sitting square on the garage floor but that post puts it up at an angle....right?

2. And back to that disconnect handle in the wheel well....this truck has wheel well "guards/coverings". Does the handle stick out far enough to make it through the wheel well covering?

3. I am also curious for comments if you simply only changed to this hitch if your ride quality improved.

And anyone can chip in with what a wonderful decision I am making......nor NOT.....

Thanks,

 

[BLHFUN]

Buying a new truck (2015 Silverado 3500 short box) and it is a good time to evaluate my hitch.

I won't ever complain about my Curt Q20 and the company has taken good care of me under warranty but it is the finickiest hitch I have every used. If not perfectly aligned you try again.....and again....and again.

Looking favorably at the B&W 20K unit. I have even spoken to Etrailer and they say they will install it for free if they can video tape the installation. I am going to be in the St. Louis area for 10 days starting next week....and why not. I might never be famous....but my truck can be a star!

But I have a couple of questions:

1. When you pull the disconnect handle (that's in the wheel well) to remove the hitch....I guess that post (on the hitch) that goes down into the receptical under the truck pulls out? Not that I am overly concerned about it not sitting square on the garage floor but that post puts it up at an angle....right?

2. And back to that disconnect handle in the wheel well....this truck has wheel well "guards/coverings". Does the handle stick out far enough to make it through the wheel well covering?

3. I am also curious for comments if you simply only changed to this hitch if your ride quality improved.

And anyone can chip in with what a wonderful decision I am making......nor NOT.....

Thanks,

1. Correct

2. When it's pushed in, it's almost flush against the side. You would leave in the position regardless of use.
3. Love mine. Super easy to use, install and remove. This is my second hitch from B&W with zero issues

 

[HornedToad]

I'm on my second B&W hitch, first a Patriot rail mount and now I have an OEM Companion puck mount and have had good experience with them both. I considered the gooseneck turnover but after an in store demo thought it was more than I needed because I'll never tow a horse / hay trailer.

I was going to start a new post to correct a misunderstanding I had about the B&W hitch but this will be a good thread to add to...

Somewhere, I think it was here and as I remember also on the B&W website, although I couldn't find it today, I read that the B&W Hitches have a positive locking cam that locked from the weight of the trailer even without the lever latched???

This must be true as one of my tailgate neighbors with a B&W Hitch left Midland and towed over 50 miles before he hit some road construction and a huge bump in the road caused the trailer to come off the hitch because he didn't lock the hitch lever. He got lucky and the king pin caught on his truck tailgate and he was able to stop with the trailer in tow, no damage to the trailer but the tailgate was trashed and one side of the truck bed crumpled.

I guess I shouldn't let this positive locking cam give me a false sense of security... I think I'll start using a small padlock.

PS He missed the best college football game this weekend, Tech lost, but after the beat down we took from TCU last year I'm going to count a close game against the #3 team in the nation as a win!!!

 

[happykraut]

Looking favorably at the B&W 20K unit. I have even spoken to Etrailer and they say they will install it for free if they can video tape the installation. I am going to be in the St. Louis area for 10 days starting next week....and why not. I might never be famous....but my truck can be a star!

Gary I bought my 24K Companion at Etrailer and yes they did take a video of the installation. It can be seen on the internet. They will only video the installation if they have never installed that hitch on your model truck. I live only a few miles down the road.

 

[Hastey]

Love mine. It lets me change goose neck to the Companion with ease. I leave the companion on the pin when not in use. It's a great place to store it.

 

[IronJ]

I'm on my second B&W hitch, first a Patriot rail mount and now I have an OEM Companion puck mount and have had good experience with them both. I considered the gooseneck turnover but after an in store demo thought it was more than I needed because I'll never tow a horse / hay trailer.

I was going to start a new post to correct a misunderstanding I had about the B&W hitch but this will be a good thread to add to...

Somewhere, I think it was here and as I remember also on the B&W website, although I couldn't find it today, I read that the B&W Hitches have a positive locking cam that locked from the weight of the trailer even without the lever latched???

This must be true as one of my tailgate neighbors with a B&W Hitch left Midland and towed over 50 miles before he hit some road construction and a huge bump in the road caused the trailer to come off the hitch because he didn't lock the hitch lever. He got lucky and the king pin caught on his truck tailgate and he was able to stop with the trailer in tow, no damage to the trailer but the tailgate was trashed and one side of the truck bed crumpled.

I guess I shouldn't let this positive locking cam give me a false sense of security... I think I'll start using a small padlock.

PS He missed the best college football game this weekend, Tech lost, but after the beat down we took from TCU last year I'm going to count a close game against the #3 team in the nation as a win!!!

Hey! gunz up!..that was a crazy good game....broke my heart to watch ending like that.....what lot do you tailgate in?.I'll look for ya next time!!..
Anyway


As for the companion, it came un latched WITH THE pin in??..or he didn't have the pin in??..I'm hoping he didn't otherwise that's all bad news! ??

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

 

[GOTTOYS]

Can't speak for the Companion model as I have a Patriot rail mounted version which uses pretty much the same hitch mechanism. I can say that this is the easiest and smoothest operating hitch I've ever seen. Compared to the Super Glide I had before, this is a dream to hitch and unhitch. No reason to look at any others in my opinion...Don

 

[HornedToad]

Hey! gunz up!..that was a crazy good game....broke my heart to watch ending like that.....what lot do you tailgate in?.I'll look for ya next time!!..
Anyway


As for the companion, it came un latched WITH THE pin in??..or he didn't have the pin in??..I'm hoping he didn't otherwise that's all bad news! ??

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

We're in RV lot S1 space 11 on Tech Pkwy across from the hospital. Stop by... except we'll be gone to Mexico, to marry off my daughter, for the OSU game.

He did not have the pin in!!! The cam will lock from the weight of the trailer and let you pass a pull / tug test and drive off...
but if you forget to latch the lever apparently a hard bump in the road will take the weight off the hitch and let the cam open.

I was mistakenly under the impression that is positive cam lock feature would keep the trailer hitched if you forgot or someone messed with the hitch lever latch pin...
I knew it locked by the weight of the trailer, but didn't realize that hard chucking could let it disengage???

 

[IronJ]

Re: B&W Hitch questions

We're in RV lot S1 space 11 on Tech Pkwy across from the hospital. Stop by... except we'll be gone to Mexico, to marry off my daughter, for the OSU game.

He did not have the pin in!!! The cam will lock from the weight of the trailer and let you pass a pull / tug test and drive off...
but if you forget to latch the lever apparently a hard bump in the road will take the weight off the hitch and let the cam open.

I was mistakenly under the impression that is positive cam lock feature would keep the trailer hitched if you forgot or someone messed with the hitch lever latch pin...
I knew it locked by the weight of the trailer, but didn't realize that hard chucking could let it disengage???

Ouch...yeah...the pin is there for a reason ...and given how easily\smoothly a companion opens even when in a bind I would expect it to open un pinned....

And your rv spot is better than ours we been using....so why don't u sell me your spot for the osu game? ..lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk