Goosneck Hitch to Fifth Wheel Adapter for 2011 Dodge Ram 3500

Question:

Military guy, fresh out of a divorce, just sold my house, looking at towing a fifth wheel to recuperate my finances a bit for the next 2-3 years. I have a 2011 3500 Dodge Ram Mega cab 6'4" bed with a 3 inch lift, and 33 inch tires factory was 31.5 tires. I have the B&W turn-over-ball set up on the truck and was looking at the Anderson gooseneck conversion hitch. Any help or advice in regards to worries you all could forsee with angle, bed side clearance, or height in reference to level towing. I know the 5th wheel pin is adjustable a few inches, in addition to the Anderson hitch ball. The 427 appears to also already have flipped axles from the factory, and is 133 inch tall. Thank you!

asked by: Steven T

Expert Reply:

Sorry to hear about that, but I'm sure we can get you set up with what you need. An adapter such as the Andersen # AM3139 for using your gooseneck hitch with a fifth-wheel trailer may work depending on your measurements, but it should be considered more of a temporary solution instead of one that you would want to use for a number of years; these adapters may void the warranty on your trailer due to the stress it puts on your frame. If you were determined to use one, then there are measurements you would want to take.

First, the Andersen # AM3139 works with a standard or extended pin box up to 24" long (measured diagonally).

You would then measure the following way:
- Back your truck into position as if you were hooking up your fifth-wheel trailer, making sure that the truck and trailer are level.
- Measure from the pin plate (the bottom of the pin box) down to the top of the ball in the bed of your truck.
- The measurement should fall between 11-3/4" and 14-3/4". (The adapter is 11-3/4" tall when fully compressed and 14-3/4" tall when fully extended.)

What I recommend doing is using the great set up you already have, the B&W Turnover Ball, to get what many consider to be the best fifth wheel on the market, the B&W Companion # BWRVK3400. It features dual jaws which are a full 1" thick to provide complete contact with your king pin so you can have faith that your connection is completely secure. I've added a picture of the jaws so you can see for yourself how impressive they are. The Companion is also going to give you a much quieter ride with less rattling than other fifth wheels due to that secure connection, along with the polyurethane bushings it has. It has a pivoting head to make hooking up easier, a cam-action latch to deter binding, and offers three different height settings to ensure you are level with your fifth wheel.

This is certainly a premium option, but in the long run is going to be the best overall solution for you. I've added links to some review videos for you to take a look at.