Need opinion on fifth wheel hitches....

[rjstirkkinen]

Hello,

We are getting ready for our first fifth wheel (Bighorn 3070RL) and would like some ideas on what is a good hitch. We have been looking
at the Demco-Hijacker Autoslide and the PullRite-ISR SuperGlide. Fifth Wheel is 14,000 lbs max weight and we are pulling with Silverado,
2500HD, DuraMax-Allison, standard bed. If there are other hitches that would be a better fit, we would like to hear about them. We have
just got the news that the fifth wheel is here, so we need help as soon as possible. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Risto & Judy

 

[donr827]

You mentioned that you were looking at a Demco Autoslide or the Pullrite so I presume that your truck is a short bed and you want a slider hitch. I have had my Pullrite Slider for 9 years now and have had no problems. They are expensive but it is a quality hitch,
Don

 

[RoadJunkie]

Risto, what do you mean by "better". Do you want something that will absorb shock, such as an air ride? Perhaps if you described what features you are looking for in a hitch, the readers could focus on specific elements of their recommendations. Congratulations on the new rig!

 

[driver311]

i have close to 300000 miles on my pullrite superglide. so i can say it is a very good hitch

 

[rjstirkkinen]

The Bighorn was ordered with a Moryde hitch which should give us some shock absorpion. Is it over kill if we should go with the PullRite? The
key issue for us is the movement of the trailer to the hitch. We wanted to have a hitch that absorbs movement and is easy for turning. Thanks!

 

[gebills]

Morning Risto & Judy:

This forum is beginning to look like an advertisement for PullRite. I'll add to the discussion ad nauseam by also recommending the PullRite hitch. I did take the other direction, not selecting a sliding hitch. My thought process in my hitch selection was after I was certain there shouldn't be a problem with a non-sliding hitch in my short bed Dodge, I selected the PullRite Super-5th 18K hitch to pull our BH-3455 RL, and I'm pleased with the selection. I've cranked the RV into narrow slots, evening putting the TV and a very awkward angle while backing, and nothing touches. If you wish the security of knowing your hitch is moving away from your cab, then do it with the PullRite SuperGlide. The reason for my selection of the PullRite "brand" of hitch was the type of encirclement of the RV pin that the hitch employs. I like the principle and am cofortable with it. On occasion when disconnecting the RV from the TV that if not somewhere close to level, I need to work the TV fore and aft to get the hitch to release, but nothing more than a couple movements fore and aft, and the hitch releases. Also ordered with our BH-3455, was the Moryde hitch. I am absolutely pleased with this combination while towing; no noise, no lurching. It was a good choice for us.

My 2-cents worth.... Good Luck with your selection.... G.Bills

 

[GOTTOYS]

The Bighorn was ordered with a Moryde hitch which should give us some shock absorpion. Is it over kill if we should go with the PullRite? The
key issue for us is the movement of the trailer to the hitch. We wanted to have a hitch that absorbs movement and is easy for turning. Thanks!

A Pull-Rite whether it is the std or Super Glide version has no dampening built into it. They have no shock absorbers or cushioning of any kind. They do have a very positive latching feature and are good quality products..Don

 

[mattpopp]

I am confused? If you have a Standard Bed why do you need a Slider? A standard bed is 8ft. Personally I love the B&W setup. No bed rails, No four holes, and it has one of the stronger latches that I have seen. Granted cost is around $1100 once you buy the Goose neck hitch and then the Companion hitch for it but that is half the price of a pull rite slider. Being that I also have a goose neck it is a win win. SO if you ever plan to purchase a goose neck in the future you are ahead of the game.

 

[n2snow2]

i have a pullrite auto slide very good hitch for a shortbox good idea long box you dont need it remember with auto slide you have to be perfectly straight with trailer to hook up thats the only down fall my 2 cents..................

 

[scottyb]

+1 for the B&W Companion. Besides the advanyage of having a gooseneck / 5th wheel all-in-one, the clean bed when the 5th wheel is out is excellent for people who use their truck all the time.

 

[dave10a]

I had no problems with my Reese manual slider 20k with a Trailair. The slider is a bit tricky, but with the indented so called 88degree front cap, I have not really needed it yet, but it could come in handy if I do and with some effort it does the job. I got it because 88 degrees is not 90 degrees ;-)

 

[TXBobcat]

I am confused? If you have a Standard Bed why do you need a Slider? A standard bed is 8ft. Personally I love the B&W setup. No bed rails, No four holes, and it has one of the stronger latches that I have seen. Granted cost is around $1100 once you buy the Goose neck hitch and then the Companion hitch for it but that is half the price of a pull rite slider. Being that I also have a goose neck it is a win win. SO if you ever plan to purchase a goose neck in the future you are ahead of the game.

I agree. I have had the B&W since 2006 and have had no problem pulling, turning, connecting, or disconnecting. I have seen one trailer saver on a B&W but it seems to be our quite a bit to help. With the B&W you can see the big jaws around the pin.

BC

 

[sjs731]

+3 for the B&W Companion. Easy to hitch and unhitch. Also easy to remove and no rails in the truck box.


Steve
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

++4. Very happy with our b&w hitch. Our 2008 dodge already the turnover hitch installed. The only thing I had to do was find a companion hitch. found one on line for 500 buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lduguay]

Gotta throw the Curt Q5 into this pull rite ring......I have the Silverado with standard bed and have NO problem making the "U" turn in our cul-de-sac....no slider needed in our 2 years of ownership.

Check out this link for more info: Curt Q5

 

[ILH]

I had a Hensley BD3 hitch installed with built-in air bags. Very nice unit - although quite heavy to remove (about 200lbs if you leave it in one piece). Fortunately I have a ceiling hoist in my garage.

 

[tonytbill]

For those of you considering a B&W Companion for your new Ford truck there is something you should know beforehand. The Companion does not line up with the bed ridges on these new trucks and could potentially cause serious damage to your bed if you do not install a "spacer kit". I found this out after purchasing my hitch and had to contact the company for the kit. It was free but their solution is definately a low budget fix that was obviously designed to save them money by not modifying their hitches to fit the new trucks. In my opinion, they have been pretty deceptive about this issue. It's not mentioned anywhere in their marketing material and I can't see where it's on their website either. I used one of their listed dealers to install the thing and when I pointed out that it didn't line up with the bed ridges, they agreed but said they never heard of the "spacer" solution. They just didn't know. B&W has offered to buy back my hitch but in order to use it you have to install their "turnover ball goose neck". The holes you need to drill in your truck bed are unique to these B&W products so buying back the hitch is not a viable option...unless they want to buy back my truck too.

Although B&W has been very polite about all this, they haven't offered any alternatives and they don't appear to be working on any long-term solution...or at least they didn't mention it to me. So, if you buy a new Ford and you want a B&W Companion because everyone talks so well of them, be advised. They don't fit on the 2011 and newer models without this completely unacceptable "spacer kit". Spread the word. It might save someone the disappointment I have experienced with this product.

Thanks for listening.

Tony

 

[danemayer]

completely unacceptable "spacer kit".

Hi tonytbill,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You'll find a lot of useful information here along with a great group of people willing to share what they've learned.

Maybe you could explain why you find the spacer hit completely unacceptable. Do you expect something bad to happen as a result of using it?

 

[dfowler]

I had a "regular" stationary hitch installed on my 2006 Dodge 2500, 6.5 ft. bed, when I bought my 2012 Sundance 5th wheel. First time out, while making a sharp turn while backing, the RV came in contact with the truck, near the rear window. A good sized dent in the truck was the result. (The Sundance was OK!). I then had a Pull Rite slider hitch installed, using the rails that were already installed. I haven't had any trouble since, even on 90 degree turns. The Heartland 88 degree promo would probably work on a long bed truck.

 

[scottyb]

For those of you considering a B&W Companion for your new Ford truck there is something you should know beforehand. The Companion does not line up with the bed ridges on these new trucks and could potentially cause serious damage to your bed if you do not install a "spacer kit". I found this out after purchasing my hitch and had to contact the company for the kit. It was free but their solution is definately a low budget fix that was obviously designed to save them money by not modifying their hitches to fit the new trucks. In my opinion, they have been pretty deceptive about this issue. It's not mentioned anywhere in their marketing material and I can't see where it's on their website either. I used one of their listed dealers to install the thing and when I pointed out that it didn't line up with the bed ridges, they agreed but said they never heard of the "spacer" solution. They just didn't know. B&W has offered to buy back my hitch but in order to use it you have to install their "turnover ball goose neck". The holes you need to drill in your truck bed are unique to these B&W products so buying back the hitch is not a viable option...unless they want to buy back my truck too.

Although B&W has been very polite about all this, they haven't offered any alternatives and they don't appear to be working on any long-term solution...or at least they didn't mention it to me. So, if you buy a new Ford and you want a B&W Companion because everyone talks so well of them, be advised. They don't fit on the 2011 and newer models without this completely unacceptable "spacer kit". Spread the word. It might save someone the disappointment I have experienced with this product.

Thanks for listening.

Tony

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am trying to figure why the hitch doen't line up with the ridges. Mine spans two ridges on each side. Does your Ford have the factory 5th wheel prep installed, and is this Companion retro-fitted to match the sockets, or is it just the standard Companion that sits on the bed? I know that B&W supposedly had one specifically to fit the factory prep. The reason I ask is because a F-450 is definitely a possibility in the near future.