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Choosing fifth wheel hitch for first time

Wileykid said:
Wonder if anyone has anything to say on the Demco 5th wheel hitch that uses the gooseneck on the truck.

(https://www.demco-products.com/rv-t...k-recon-dbl-pivot-for-goose-neck-ball-mount-1)
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Haven't used it. But from my experience the gooseneck hitches tend to rotate a bit... no matter how much you tighten the risers down.. had that issue on a previous B&W. I like the four points on contact but I'm an overkill guy.

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HORam said:
Haven't used it. But from my experience the gooseneck hitches tend to rotate a bit... no matter how much you tighten the risers down.. had that issue on a previous B&W. I like the four points on contact but I'm an overkill guy.

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Just to be clear...never had an issue just saw the uummph degree of twist and never sat right with me.

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foneguy said:
a lot of people are moving to the anderson....those are aluminum weigh only 40 lbs.
I have a long bed with a curt. if i would do it over i likely would go with the anderson
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Absolutely no possibility of me ever considering an Anderson.
 
i would consider the anderson ...lightweight and it is offset enough to not need a slider. if would have dug deeper i would have done that
 
Brutal_HO said:
Dig deeper and you'll see why many of us would never use an AUH.
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Yup. That is exactly right. Frankly, I can't understand why anyone who understands the physics of pulling would ever mount one. I mean, to each his own, but there is absolutely zero doubt that using the Anderson at a bare MINIMUM should factually derate the load capacity of the truck to to it's design. We can argue all day long about whether or not it is solid enough. However there is not the slightest possibility of debate as to the fact that the Anderson displaces pin weight to the rear of your axles.
 
i would only consider it due to the weight for me to remove from the bed, compared to my curt at 200 lbs
 
foneguy said:
i would only consider it due to the weight for me to remove from the bed, compared to my curt at 200 lbs
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OK, while I absolutely disagree with your reasoning, I'll go there. But actually you're adding weight to the bed. Pin weight. Because the Anderson moves the weight distribution of the pin to at least measurable behind your rear axle, it's far more likely that when you're pulling, you've added far more than 200lbs to your bed. And the bad thing is, that you've added that weight to a substantially weaker (OK, I'm my opinion) structure.

If you're talking about the weight to mount it and remove it from your bed, I get it. But the safety and design of my towing rig is far far far more important to me than that. Like I said - if people really look at the dynamics and physics of towing, then it's crazy to me to see how they don't understand this. At a minimum, it should legally derate the towing capacity of the vehicle. But a measurable percentage. The crazy thing is that the people most likely to end up technically illegal will be 2500 owners and SRW Cummins 3500 owners.
 
You can spin the adapter on the Anderson to put the kingpin within an inch of being over the gooseneck ball. That isn’t really an issue either way though. The Anderson still passes the trailer weight through the factory gooseneck location. You would have to move the gooseneck location on the frame or behind the axle in order to change the fulcrum. The Anderson essentially makes the lever longer which would have the opposite effect of what you describe.
 
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Spedly said:
You can spin the adapter on the Anderson to put the kingpin within an inch of being over the gooseneck ball. That isn’t really an issue either way though. The Anderson still passes the trailer weight through the factory gooseneck location. You would have to move the gooseneck location on the frame or behind the axle in order to change the fulcrum. The Anderson essentially makes the lever longer which would have the opposite effect of what you describe.
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Actually you are quite wrong and don't understand it. Look at the actual structure. The anderson DOES make the lever longer. The lever behind the axle. Unless you're saying that the entire hitch assembly never touches the truck behind the normal GN ball area....
 
Spedly said:
You can spin the adapter on the Anderson to put the kingpin within an inch of being over the gooseneck ball. That isn’t really an issue either way though. The Anderson still passes the trailer weight through the factory gooseneck location. You would have to move the gooseneck location on the frame or behind the axle in order to change the fulcrum. The Anderson essentially makes the lever longer which would have the opposite effect of what you describe.
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Here's a way to prove it to others. Show me a pic of a gooseneck or 5W trailer hitched to the Anderson with no jacks down, and your finger underneath the Anderson structure behind the rear axle. You might need a before and after. You know, before, while finger is still attached, and after with the severed finger.
 
Another Andersen user here. I contemplated this hitch a long time and seen a lot of people here in Texas buying the Anderson. I installed my own rails on my Ram and decided to go with the Andersen hitch also. I have the steel hitch bracket as apposed to the aluminum one. I love being able to offset it with my short wheel base truck and also being able to store it out of the way when not using it. I have seen the pictures of the Andersen failures and have seen plenty of wrecks with regular heavy duty hitches also. I believe most wrecks could be avoided if people would slow down and not follow to close. Probably open a can of worms here but that's my belief. I have drove approx. 9000 miles with it on and make a point of inspecting every nook and cranny prior too and during use. Never a problem. I guess just like anything else it boils down to what each person sees fit.
 
purebred said:
Another Andersen user here. I contemplated this hitch a long time and seen a lot of people here in Texas buying the Anderson. I installed my own rails on my Ram and decided to go with the Andersen hitch also. I have the steel hitch bracket as apposed to the aluminum one. I love being able to offset it with my short wheel base truck and also being able to store it out of the way when not using it. I have seen the pictures of the Andersen failures and have seen plenty of wrecks with regular heavy duty hitches also. I believe most wrecks could be avoided if people would slow down and not follow to close. Probably open a can of worms here but that's my belief. I have drove approx. 9000 miles with it on and make a point of inspecting every nook and cranny prior too and during use. Never a problem. I guess just like anything else it boils down to what each person sees fit.
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Well, the post above yours was a spammer... But he's gone now.
 
Lary0071 said:
Screw those 250 LB bed hogs.
Reese Goosebox and done. Your bed is free and open and all you have a simple 8 lb ball to insert or remove.
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Which gooseneck ball are you using and do you have safety chains? Thanks
 
Jnrcarson said:
Which gooseneck ball are you using and do you have safety chains? Thanks
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I have the Curt ball and safety chain loops. Curt is who makes the ones resold by Ram, same thing. It's a 30k rated ball. I also bought the Reese safety chains for the Goosebox. It all drops easily into the factory holes in the bed.

2022 Patriot Blue 3500 Dually Limited Longhorn 6.7L with 4.11 gears.
 
Bozo said:
I understand that they do work, and there is a market. I looked at them but couldn’t bring myself to go that route. 60-80k trucks and 60-150k 5th wheels , a few hundred saved on AUH doesn’t make sense To me.
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My idea of using the AUH isn't cost related at all. It boils down to simplicity, weight, and ease of use. Like I said 9000 miles and no problems, take your time slow down . I worked for Lowe's as a commercial driver for years and seen plenty of wrecks because of stupidity. I pulled doubles and singles and the key to safe driving is slow down and following to close not fifth wheel design. The AUH hitch is safe when common sense is applied.
 
purebred said:
My idea of using the AUH isn't cost related at all. It boils down to simplicity, weight, and ease of use. Like I said 9000 miles and no problems, take your time slow down . I worked for Lowe's as a commercial driver for years and seen plenty of wrecks because of stupidity. I pulled doubles and singles and the key to safe driving is slow down and following to close not fifth wheel design. The AUH hitch is safe when common sense is applied.
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This is why I don't like to see AUH brought up in threads. There's plenty of first hand accounts of failures due to panic stops and Andersen just buries them. That's all I'm going to say on the subject and will not respond further.
 
I've always used b&w companions.
A slider is up to you. Most newer fifth wheels are cut and front of cap. I've never had an issue with a newer trailer and shortbed without a slider.

That said. My current pinbox won't accept a goose box. But if I did it over again I would 100% just go that route.
 
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