Fifth Wheel Hitch Recommendation for Truck with B and W Gooseneck to Replace Andersen Ultimate

Question

Question:

I have a 2006 GMC 2500 crew cab, short 6.5 bed, and I tow a Open Range Roamer 337 RLS. Currently I am using the Anderson Ultimate 5th wheel connection, for the BandW turnover ball connection. The hitch is great, but the trailer will still contact the truck cab fairly easily if I am not careful. I am considering the CAB-C5GX1216 offset goose neck adapter, but am concerned about contacting the sides of the truck bed. I do not believe the trailer will be anywhere near level when towing, if I raise it enough to go above the bed rails. I included a picture of it connected with the Anderson. The Anderson Ultimate uses an adapter that goes over the king pin, and the adapter sits down over the 2 5/16inch ball at the top of the Anderson hitch. That adapter is reversible, and will either shorten your effective pin box by 4inch or lengthen it by 4, depending on how you install it. I tried it first that made it lengthen the pin box 4inch and it hit the side of the bed rails the plates on the trailer frame that the pin box bolts to, is what hits the bed rails. So now I have it so that it shortens the pin box 4, but now it will hit the cab. I cant win. How do your customers usually handle this situation using the CAB-C5GX1216? I do not know the length of my pin box, but I believe its pretty standard. This is my second 5th wheel, and this pin box is shorter than the first trailer we had. I also fear that if I DID raise the trailer where the pin box was above the bed rails, it could easily crush them from above when maneuvering in off camber areas, where the truck and trailer are angled differently.

asked by: Scott L

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Expert Reply:

It looks like you have one of the trailer noses that Open Range puts on their trailers that is supposed to allow you to make tight turns with a short bed truck without cab interference.

Ideally with your setup you would have been able to use the 4 inch extension section of the Andersen Ultimate to allow it to give you additional clearance, but since that puts the pin box too close to your bed rails around turns you can't do it. Since you are having to use the adapter in the position where the trailer is 4 inches closer to the cab of the truck that would most likely indicate that if you had a standard fifth wheel hitch with the jaws above the rear axle without being moved forward you would have turning clearance.

So since you have a B and W Turnover Gooseneck hitch I have a couple better options than the Convert a Ball for you to consider. You could go with the stationary Companion fifth wheel that will fit the gooseneck hitch you have, part # BWRVK3500. Whether or not this would give you turning clearance will be based on whether or not you think your setup would have the clearance needed with 4 inches more clearance than your current setup.

Or for the solution that I can guarantee will give you enough clearance you would want the Slide Companion # BWRVK3400. Since this hitch can be slid back for additional clearance when needed it would be the solution that would be the best.

You don't want to raise the pin box to try and gain clearance either. You want to adjust everything so that the trailer is perfectly level and you have at least 6 inches of clearance between the bed rails and the truck overhang.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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