5th wheel hitch choices a 2019 Ram 3500 short bed

[Brutal_HO]

With the pivot point moved back close to where a bumper pull is, you are introducing the potential for sway with a Sidewinder or turning-point.

You wouldn't catch me using an AUH on a bet. Hell no. No way I trust that thing to hold up to an emergency situation. I've seen plenty of pics of deer strikes, emergency stops, etc that bent, buckled, and twisted an AUH or sheared off the aluminum ball. I know someone that gave up on them after going through two bent hitches and a bent up MorRyde pinbox pulling a 16K trailer. They're maybe OK for a lighter trailer, but I'm pulling 16K and would never think of using anything but a proper 5th wheel hitch or Goosebox.

I think anyone that uses the AUH and convinces others to do so are playing with fire.

 

[thestuarts]

With the pivot point moved back close to where a bumper pull is, you are introducing the potential for sway with a Sidewinder or turning-point.

You wouldn't catch me using an AUH on a bet. Hell no. No way I trust that thing to hold up to an emergency situation. I've seen plenty of pics of deer strikes, emergency stops, etc that bent, buckled, and twisted an AUH or sheared off the aluminum ball. I know someone that gave up on them after going through two bent hitches and a bent up MorRyde pinbox pulling a 16K trailer. They're maybe OK for a lighter trailer, but I'm pulling 16K and would never think of using anything but a proper 5th wheel hitch or Goosebox.

I think anyone that uses the AUH and convinces others to do so are playing with fire.

I had a sneaky feeling brutal would be, well, brutal!

I did a bunch of research before buying an AUH. Here are the most popular failure cases that are referenced.

1. Incident #1. The trailer was "rear ended HARD!" I think the hitch failed gracefully considering he was rear-ended hard.
2. Incident #2: The driver did an emergency stop to avoid hitting a stopped vehicle in front of them. The driver claims they didn't hit the stopped vehicle in front of them, but the third picture shows they pushed in the doors of the trailer in front of them, so something is fishy. To me, it looks to me like they rear-ended the vehicle in front of them..
3. Incident #3: Using an AUH with a rotoflex pin box. The picture seems to show they installed the required roto-flex lockout kit. It is unclear to me if the vehicle was involved in an emergency stop situation, although someone said the

I called Andersen and spoke to them about the failure cases. The confirmed they have only seen 3 failures in total which are the cases I referenced. They increased the strength by an additional 30%, and I've not seen any additional failures.

Here is an official statement from Andersen on the failures. I appreciate their transparency and willingness to stand behind their product with a supplemental warranty covering "other damage that might occur."

We were recently made aware of this customer’s unusual circumstance and are currently working with them. We have been looking into all of the particulars with this one so we can figure out exactly what may have caused it.

On a side note, any bending problems like this with the Ultimate Connection are extremely rare - in fact, out of all of the units we have shipped since early 2011, we have only seen this happen to 2 other units total (which equates to approximately 0.00007%). In each of these cases the trailer did NOT detach from the ball –so safety was not compromised, and damage to the truck or trailer was either non-existent or minimal. For each one we were able to get a replacement unit to the customer promptly so they could continue their trips.

We did bring each of the bent units into our engineering dept. to look them over carefully. We were happy that we did to find any defect in the part itself. Since it is not really possible to determine if the problem was caused by installation error, or other extenuating circumstances, we just went ahead and made the decision to increase the strength of the Ultimate Connection (part 3220 and 3221) by 30% to alleviate the issue in the future.

Here at Andersen Hitches we continue to stand behind our product and we will always put the customer first. Along with a lifetime warranty on the Ultimate Connection itself, we also have a $5,000,000 supplemental warranty covering the frame and other damage that might occur. We do this because we have absolute trust in our products and want anyone who owns or purchases an Andersen Ultimate Connection to be assured of their purchase. I know of no other manufacturer in our industry that does anything like that.

Please contact us at customerservice@anderseninc.com if you have further questions or comments. Thank you.

 

[Brutal_HO]

I had a sneaky feeling brutal would be, well, brutal!

I did a bunch of research before buying an AUH. Here are the most popular failure cases that are referenced.

1. Incident #1. The trailer was "rear ended HARD!" I think the hitch failed gracefully considering he was rear-ended hard.
2. Incident #2: The driver did an emergency stop to avoid hitting a stopped vehicle in front of them. The driver claims they didn't hit the stopped vehicle in front of them, but the third picture shows they pushed in the doors of the trailer in front of them, so something is fishy. To me, it looks to me like they rear-ended the vehicle in front of them..
3. Incident #3: Using an AUH with a rotoflex pin box. The picture seems to show they installed the required roto-flex lockout kit. It is unclear to me if the vehicle was involved in an emergency stop situation, although someone said the

I called Andersen and spoke to them about the failure cases. The confirmed they have only seen 3 failures in total which are the cases I referenced. They increased the strength by an additional 30%, and I've not seen any additional failures.

Here is an official statement from Andersen on the failures. I appreciate their transparency and willingness to stand behind their product with a supplemental warranty covering "other damage that might occur."

I have pics of AUH failures from probably a dozen incidents. I'll agree some, but not all, are due to misuse or accidents. There are some that are clearly from, and reported by the owner as normal use. I've seen ALL those threads. How many are never seen online?

#1. I firmly believe that a conventional hitch would not suffer the catastrophic failures that AUH did from a rear end hit.
#2. "We were about 3 car lengths behind him going about 55mph due to traffic getting heavy. We were almost stopped. We felt something behind us and thought someone hit us from behind and that caused us to go forward. When we got stopped, my husband got out to check on whoever hit our camper. There was no one!!! When he got back to the truck, that is when he noticed the camper sitting on the bed. That bump we felt was when the hitch collapsed which caused us to go forward. " That's what caused them to strike the trailer ahead of them. The hitch failed and pushed the trailer into the truck which pushed the truck into the trailer ahead.
#3. Didn't anyone notice they installed the lockout kit incorrectly? FFS. the bars are supposed to be paralell with the sides of flex plate, not placed in the front and back.

Be safe. Happy trails.

P.S. Not related to my feelings about the AUH which I determined long before, I do despise the owner due to him and his family defacing a national monument.

 

[foneguy]

i would have bought the anderson if i had a short bed. but long bed rides super nice and no squatting on my 2500 CTD
our differ is gross at 12K

 

[thestuarts]

I have pics of AUH failures from probably a dozen incidents.

Do you mind sharing some of those pictures with me? I would like to know if they are failures in the 3220 or 3221 models that were strengthened by 30%. I haven't spoken with Andersen in over a year, so I will reach out to them for an update.

#1. I firmly believe that a conventional hitch would not suffer the catastrophic failures that AUH did from a rear end hit.

This may just be a difference in engineering philosophy, but in the truck, hitch, trailer relationship I want the hitch to absorb the majority of the energy in an accident. I don't want a solid-steel hitch that will transfer energy to the occupants or the trailer. Modern vehicles are engineered with crumple zones to absorb the energy. I look at my hitch similarly as a disposable crumple-zone, safety device that should absorb energy in an emergency situation. Obviously, the hitch shouldn't crumple when slamming the brakes, but I don't mind if it crumples in an actual accident. A hitch is cheap compared to medical bills or repairing the frame of the RV.

2. "We were about 3 car lengths behind him going about 55mph due to traffic getting heavy. We were almost stopped. We felt something behind us and thought someone hit us from behind and that caused us to go forward. When we got stopped, my husband got out to check on whoever hit our camper. There was no one!!! When he got back to the truck, that is when he noticed the camper sitting on the bed. That bump we felt was when the hitch collapsed which caused us to go forward. " That's what caused them to strike the trailer ahead of them. The hitch failed and pushed the trailer into the truck which pushed the truck into the trailer ahead.

The accident happened on their first day using the Andersen hitch , so Occam's Razor indicates something probably wasn't installed correctly or it was a defective hitch. The people involved in the accident had many combined years of experience with rebuilding cars, so they are mechanically savvy, but it is possible their trailer brakes were not operational, they misinterpreted the installation instructions, their torque wrench was defective, etc.

#3. Didn't anyone notice they installed the lockout kit incorrectly? FFS. the bars are supposed to be paralell with the sides of flex plate, not placed in the front and back.

The picture on the Andersen site shows the lockout bars installed in the front and back.

I do appreciate your different perspective and willingness to debate this topic which can border on religion.

 

[orlando bull]

Everyone has to decide what they are comfortable with. I am using the AUH and feel good about it. I have thoughts like this...

- If I am in an accident, I am going to have damage to things, if the hitch fails and causes more damage, who cares, I am dealing with insurance anyway.
- If it bends from normal use, Andersen has consistently replaced with no questions asked.

The "hard stop" issue is the only one that mildly concerns me, but, I try to keep a very safe distance and hope to avoid those situations when towing, sometimes it can't be avoided, so, I guess I will have to deal with it if it happens, but, it's a risk I take I guess. I also would love to know if the camper's brakes failed, or, were they adjusted properly. All things equal, if the RV brakes are functioning and adjusted properly, it should be stopping itself at the same rate the truck is stopping, so, there shouldn't be a major difference in momentum at the connection point. I'm sure there is some, but, I wonder how the brakes worked on this specific failure. Maybe wet road, trailer brakes lock, truck anti-locks end up trying to stop a skidding RV... who knows.

I haven't seen reports of major issues that are safety concerns, if there were dozens of reports of the thing flying off and runaway campers, it would be a problem.

Having said that... how many stories/photos/etc are out there of people not getting their standard hitch locked in properly and dropping their RV on their truck as soon as they move? If we're talking about potential user-error property damage, it can happen with a conventional hitch as well.

I am neither pushing the AUH or bashing a conventional setup. I just try to give my experience/rational, which has been positive with my AUH. If someone chooses to use a conventional hitch, that is great for them. Pullrite has a good setup similar to the AUH as well. There are also many RVs out there with "unsanctioned" gooseneck conversions that people tow all over the place with no issues I am sure. Personally, if I decided to try something other than the AUH in the future, I would be looking at the reese goosebox. I was between the 2 when I decided to go with the AUH. If I had a B&W gooseneck hitch, I would have gone with the goosebox and a 4" offset ball most likely. Can't do an offset ball with my factory gooseneck hitch.

 

[Huskerz1]

Ah, sorry! The hitch coupler that attaches to the king pin is held in place with two very large bolts that thread across the king pin. The 4 allen screws just apply pressure to keep it from rattling. I've never had any problems with them loosening, and even if they fell completely out the hitch coupler would still be attached to the king pin.

Thanks for the vids. I've also seen some really good videos of the Anderson. If the 4 allen screws backed out and loosened up would the hitch coupler turn/spin off center when the truck is making a turn?

 

[Brutal_HO]

The picture on the Andersen site shows the lockout bars installed in the front and back.

I do appreciate your different perspective and willingness to debate this topic which can border on religion.

You're right and I stand corrected. I was actually throwing a bone and got that factoid wrong.

I'm always willing to debate my position rationally, particularly when I'm passionate about something.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Do you mind sharing some of those pictures with me? I would like to know if they are failures in the 3220 or 3221 models that were strengthened by 30%. I haven't spoken with Andersen in over a year, so I will reach out to them for an update.

I don't know specifics in all cases and granted, some of these are accidents, but you asked and here are the ones I had handy.

I had some of a user that pulled their toyhauler through a shallow ditch and trashed the AUH but can't locate them at the moment.

If I had the need for something besides a beefy conventional hitch, I'd only consider a goosebox or a pullrite.






Reported as normal use:







Normal use with a MorRyde pinbox. Hitch replaced twice by Andersen: MorRyde had to be repaired due to AUH adapter bending bottom plate. I have spoken directly to this owner.

 

[1FastHemi]

I don't know specifics in all cases and granted, some of these are accidents, but you asked and here are the ones I had handy.

I had some of a user that pulled their toyhauler through a shallow ditch and trashed the AUH but can't locate them at the moment.

If I had the need for something besides a beefy conventional hitch, I'd only consider a goosebox or a pullrite.

Reported as normal use:

Normal use with a MorRyde pinbox. Hitch replaced twice by Andersen: MorRyde had to be repaired due to AUH adapter bending bottom plate. I have spoken directly to this owner.

Run Forrest, Run ! ! ! To me, they look like they are made out of galvanized fence posts.

 

[thestuarts]

@brutal Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures.

4 of the pictures are from the same incident. Picture #1, picture #2, picture #6, and picture #8 are all from the same incident which is incident #2 in my list of incidents. There are inconsistencies in their story. First, notice the truck is stopped on grass which is inconsistent with their story. They said that they slammed on their brakes on the highway and got pushed into a trailer in front of them. Second, notice the reflection in the paint. The reflection shows the truck is in a ditch. I don't know what actually happened, but it doesn't align with their story. It looks like they had to go down a steep embankment into the ditch in an emergency maneuver, or maybe they moved the truck before they took those photos.





In the picture with the MorRyde pinbox, the ball is supposed to be closest to the tailgate, not the cab. The force is being applied in the wrong direction.



Picture #5 is from incident #3 in my list of incidents.

Overall, you did make me aware of a few new incidents. Thanks.

 

[Brutal_HO]

@brutal Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures.

4 of the pictures are from the same incident. Picture #1, picture #2, picture #6, and picture #8 are all from the same incident which is incident #2 in my list of incidents. There are inconsistencies in their story. First, notice the truck is stopped on grass which is inconsistent with their story. They said that they slammed on their brakes on the highway and got pushed into a trailer in front of them. Second, notice the reflection in the paint. The reflection shows the truck is in a ditch. I don't know what actually happened, but it doesn't align with their story. It looks like they had to go down a steep embankment into the ditch in an emergency maneuver, or maybe they moved the truck before they took those photos.





In the picture with the MorRyde pinbox, the ball is supposed to be closest to the tailgate, not the cab. The force is being applied in the wrong direction.

View attachment 5021

Picture #5 is from incident #3 in my list of incidents.

Overall, you did make me aware of a few new incidents. Thanks.

Above pic is cab right, tailgate left. Here's the original thread and a pic from the other side. "Tailgate on the left, cab on the right. "

For you Anderson Hitch haters - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Fifth Wheel & Gooseneck RV Towing - For you Anderson Hitch haters - Here's your chance to say I told you so - as you can see the top ball/post tipped forward and now can't just freely be pulled out. For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right. The dealer (and /or...

www.ford-trucks.com

For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right.


I had time to pull another link I had stashed away. Unfortunately, there's a few threads on FB RV groups that I had saved that have been deleted. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks Andersen may be scouring the posts and pressuring group admins to remove them. There's really no reason for the original poster to be deleting 2 year old posts.

Damage to pinbox and bed: https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29055614/print/true.cfm

Seems the AUH adapter also has a propensity to deform pinbox plates and perhaps the base to damage these new flexy beds. Just one more reason I'll avoid it and stick with a conventional hitch that's puck mounted. I wouldn't even use a pullrite unless they offered a direct puck mount.

 

[thestuarts]

For you Anderson Hitch haters - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Fifth Wheel & Gooseneck RV Towing - For you Anderson Hitch haters - Here's your chance to say I told you so - as you can see the top ball/post tipped forward and now can't just freely be pulled out. For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right. The dealer (and /or...

www.ford-trucks.com

For pic orientation the truck cab is on the left, the tailgate to the right.

I can't reconcile the geometry in my head because, if that's true, the pinbox is angled way beyond 90 degrees in the direction of the cab. The pinbox is facing 180 degrees opposite of the tailgate which would put the RV inside the cab. Also, the shadow on the right would seem to indicate the cab is on the right and the bright sunlight light on the left seems to indicate it is open to the sky where the tailgate is located. The damage is also consistent with the hitch being installed backwards. I'm not calling the guy a liar, but it is suspicious.

EDIT: I think I know what is throwing me off. I suspect he installed the ball receiver on the pinbox in the rear orientation (which is a supported configuration). That would explain the shadows, so the claim is probably valid.

My trailer GVWR is 13.6k. I feel safe pulling my trailer with an Andersen, but if I got a larger trailer I would probably get a more traditional hitch and a dually truck.

Thanks for following up with with more details.

 

[Thomas T.]

Has anyone compared the GEN Y torsion flex goose neck vs the Reese Goosebox for the 6'4" bed. I have looked at them both and like the latch better on the Goosebox as you don't have to climb into the bed to latch and unlatch. My 2020 Ram 2500 Laramie should be waiting on me when I return from Iraq in a couple of months and wanting to find the best 5th wheel hitch assembly. I have also looked at the SuperGlide and the Reese Airborne sidewinder but with those it seems that the combination of the 5th wheel and the pin box can get expensive quick.

 

[Tsys100718]

Has anyone compared the GEN Y torsion flex goose neck vs the Reese Goosebox for the 6'4" bed. I have looked at them both and like the latch better on the Goosebox as you don't have to climb into the bed to latch and unlatch. My 2020 Ram 2500 Laramie should be waiting on me when I return from Iraq in a couple of months and wanting to find the best 5th wheel hitch assembly. I have also looked at the SuperGlide and the Reese Airborne sidewinder but with those it seems that the combination of the 5th wheel and the pin box can get expensive quick.

I had a Reese Sidewinder for my old 1500. Worked great with the 5'7" bed of the Bighorn CC, since that was the only bed size available. Pulled a 39+' Puma Unleashed toyhauler over 20k miles with that setup and never an issue! No extreme sway issues, a couple panic stops without issue. In fact, the only real problem with it was you had to connect at almost the same angle you disconnected with. Since it uses a wedge that keeps the pivot point set back. If you don't maintain almost the same angle when unhitching and hitching, it can be a bit of a pain. When I upgraded to a 3500 with an 8' bed, I removed the Sidewinder and put the original pinbox back on the Puma.

 

[Thomas T.]

I had a Reese Sidewinder for my old 1500. Worked great with the 5'7" bed of the Bighorn CC, since that was the only bed size available. Pulled a 39+' Puma Unleashed toyhauler over 20k miles with that setup and never an issue! No extreme sway issues, a couple panic stops without issue. In fact, the only real problem with it was you had to connect at almost the same angle you disconnected with. Since it uses a wedge that keeps the pivot point set back. If you don't maintain almost the same angle when unhitching and hitching, it can be a bit of a pain. When I upgraded to a 3500 with an 8' bed, I removed the Sidewinder and put the original pinbox back on the Puma.

That is the 5th wheel I'm looking to get. The Puma Unleashed 382 toyhauler.

 

[Tsys100718]

That is the 5th wheel I'm looking to get. The Puma Unleashed 382 toyhauler.

I have the 381-FTB and it has the patio option for the ramp. Nice use of a often under-utilized area and my wife loves it! Nice RV, but the ass end of my HD Tri-glide is so low that the aftermarket exhaust scraped when I tried loading her the first time. I actually had to make three small ramps to alleviate the problem. I used PVC boards to keep the weight down. So, my advice since I don't know what you're going to use the garage area for, is to TEST load your 'toy' before making a purchase. I didn't and had to scramble to figure out a work-around. Just my 2 pennies worth! And I neglected adding that those miles were with my old RAM 1500 Bighorn with the Hemi.

 

[Thomas T.]

I have the 381-FTB and it has the patio option for the ramp. Nice use of a often under-utilized area and my wife loves it! Nice RV, but the ass end of my HD Tri-glide is so low that the aftermarket exhaust scraped when I tried loading her the first time. I actually had to make three small ramps to alleviate the problem. I used PVC boards to keep the weight down. So, my advice since I don't know what you're going to use the garage area for, is to TEST load your 'toy' before making a purchase. I didn't and had to scramble to figure out a work-around. Just my 2 pennies worth! And I neglected adding that those miles were with my old RAM 1500 Bighorn with the Hemi.

I will be hauling a 18 Polaris General Deluxe with 13" clearance. My concern will be the height of the rear opening. It just barely makes it through my 7' garage door at home. I am trying to find the right hitch so I don't have to buy multiple times.

 

[Tsys100718]

I will be hauling a 18 Polaris General Deluxe with 13" clearance. My concern will be the height of the rear opening. It just barely makes it through my 7' garage door at home. I am trying to find the right hitch so I don't have to buy multiple times.

I do not know the exact dimensions of your Polaris, but I don't think height will be an issue. With my optional 3rd bunk raised all the way up and locked in position, there is a bit under 7' clearance. I also added a much thicker mattress to the upper bunk for comfort, so that may cause the lowered height. With that being said, you may have to lay the rear couches flat against the wall instead of leaving them flat under the upper bunk. Of course, I cannot speak to not getting the upper bunk option.


I have a regular Reese 20K, and have used it on both trucks. Both with and without the Sidewinder pinbox. I've had no issues in either truck. I'm not keen on goosenecks and a small ball inside the bed, but that is a matter of personal preference. The new 3500 came with the puck system already in the floor and a Demco adapter plate works well. I replaced the four innermost, on the Demco adapter, bolts with 4 hooks and two lengths of chain which will permit me to lift the entire unit out and reinstall it with minimal effort on my part. That total cost was less than $20 and I can remove or reinstall the complete hitch in less than 5 mins.

 

[Thomas T.]

I do not know the exact dimensions of your Polaris, but I don't think height will be an issue. With my optional 3rd bunk raised all the way up and locked in position, there is a bit over 7' clearance. With that being said, you may have to lay the rear couches flat against the wall instead of leaving them flat under the upper bunk. Of course, I cannot speak to not getting the upper bunk option.

Thanks, If I can get 7' I will be fine. I think it runs about 6'8" tall with the tires and lift. it is 65" wide and 108" long. The only concern I had was the height and I figured I could lay the couches against the wall. I have also read where that camper has the cut outs on the corners for tighter turns with short bed trucks. I think I will be fine with the super glide single point for the lighter weight or the B&W for standard hook up. Which hitch do you run with yours?