First 5th wheel hitch question

[powerscol]

Hmmm, is there an “approved” list of hitches available somewhere?

No approved list. Any true 5th wheel hitch is good. Per Lippert the Anderson set up puts additional stress on the king pin or something like that. Also search Anderson Ultimate Hitch failures. Just something to consider. Give GD customer service a call for additional information.

[[email protected]]

Look at the B&W Companion or the Curt A-series. We used the B&W until we installed an in-bed refueling system, and it was solid, but the fuel tanks made it so that we couldn't turn the latches on it. We went to a Curt A25 and it's great. No issues at all. I'd recommend steering clear of the Q-series, they aren't as refined.

[Hokitect]

We have a 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali 4x4 Diesel and 6’-10” bed (with the factory gooseneck/ 5th wheel hitch prep). We pull a 2021 Reflection 150 290BH. We’re “recreational users” and selected the B&W Companion hitch (RVK3710) for the factory puck system so I can take the hitch out when not towing and use the full bed. The 290BH has the turning point hitch but it’s in the locked position and behaves like a standard pin box. In 6,000 miles and 15+ campsites (plus a few U-turns) we’ve never needed to make a full 90 degree turn. We’ve been close and I’m going to see how close I can get next time I hook up, but not having a slider hitch or a wedge on the turning point hasn’t been an issue thus far.
B&W makes a sliding version of the companion for the factory puck system if you’re concerned about getting a guaranteed full 90 without any potential concerns.


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[cdp2966]

What ever you decide to purchase, I would make sure the hitch is going to be adjustable to level your trailer based upon your tow vehicle. I went with Superglide, but I would also look to the future and if there is a possibility that this is not going to be your last 5er. Demco has a slider that is three position adjustable for the ride height. The same unit can be refitted with a larger base to accommodate a heavier trailer if you decide to purchase a different trailer down the road. For me, an auto-slider was the way to go, if nothing else, it is a huge piece of mind, never having to worry or think about having to make a tight maneuver. I seldom encounter "chucking". The trailer has the Roto-flex pin box.

[[email protected]]

I'll get to my question but first a little background...thanks in advance for you replies! I've never owned a fifth wheel or even seen one in action other than videos so it's difficult to picture how all of this works. My wife and I just sold our 175 bunkhouse TT that we pulled with a Tundra that went back on lease. We made the decision to upgrade well over a year ago and the Momentum 21g and 25g toy haulers caught my attention which brought us to Grand Design. Have since decided against the TH and we are 98% of the way there to pulling the trigger on a Reflection 150 268bh. Research on towing the bigger TT or small 5'er landed me on my new truck which is a 2020 GMC 2500 AT4 diesel with a 6'9" bed. The truck has the 5th wheel/Gooseneck prep package with the cutouts in the bed and came with a $500+ hitch package that is the ball and anchors that attach to the connection points in the cutouts for a gooseneck trailer.

Here's the question...Does anyone have this setup and what hitch did you go with, or if you had this truck with the above listed equipment looking at the 268bh with the turning point pinbox, what hitch would you recommend or what hitch are you using with a similar truck. I know there are a million options and that opinions will vary, but from what I understand, the setup on the new gen GMC is different for this year and the 268 is on the smaller side of 5th wheels. Looking for ease of use, portability, and anything that will take the best advantage of my existing equipment.

Again, thanks in advance for your response and I'm one excited soon to be Grand Design owner!

What Canyonlight said. Keep in mind that the Anderson hitch to convert from 5th wheel to gooseneck will void lippard frame warranty. You have to use the goose ball hitch to keep your warranty intact. We tried this route originally and grand design recommended calling LCI to confirm. And the I said that it places too much stress on the frame and will void its warranty.

[Bob Weatherwax]

Hmmm, is there an “approved” list of hitches available somewhere?

I have a 2020 GMC crew cab with 6'9" bed and factory puck sysyem. Had a Curt 16000# slider fifth wheel hitch ftom my 2008 GMC. Had to buy adapter for hitch to work with this truck. 2020's are different than earlyer models. Adapter came from E-Trailer. com. Fit perfectly in truck and hitch fit . Have towed trailer over a 1000 miles and very pleased. Trailer is a Reflection 150 series 230 RL also tow trailer for our RZR behind. Too much work to use Turning Point.

[SNye45]

My setup is a 2020 GD 150 series 295RL which I pull with a F250 Diesel 6.7 XLT. (6'9" bed). I had a problem with my first hitch (long story) so I ended up with the Pullrite Super 5th 16K . Its a lot cheaper than the B&W at $700 and I haven't had an issue with it at all. Nothing fancy, but it does the job with no noticeable chucking.

[Richter]

Keep in mind that the Anderson hitch to convert from 5th wheel to gooseneck will void lippard frame warranty. You have to use the goose ball hitch to keep your warranty intact.

This is not correct. More internet lore than fact. The Andersen is not a gooseneck. A gooseneck will place additional stress on the frame. The Andersen places less stress on the frame than the “approved” Lippert version. There are way too many threads on both this and the “other” forum speaking to this issue.

[Rgkeaney]

This is not correct. More internet lore than fact. The Andersen is not a gooseneck. A gooseneck will place additional stress on the frame. The Andersen places less stress on the frame than the “approved” Lippert version. There are way too many threads on both this and the “other” forum speaking to this issue.

Thank you Richter. We need to put a stop to this nonsense of the warranty being voided if you use an AUH. Thousands of posts on this topic on all different trailer manufacturers forums and I haven’t yet seen or heard of a single time this has actually happened. I think there might be 4 or 5 photos of a crumpled AUH that get shared everywhere like the boogeyman is coming to get you. People need to start thinking about the reality of this stuff, and the world, and quit living in so much fear and paranoia.


+++++++++++++++++++
2016 Ram 2500 Cummins
Andersen ultimate
2020 GD 31MB
Champion dual fuel 3500 generator
Steadyfast stabilizers
Dinosaur electronics ignitor board
MicroAir Easy-Start

[Malco1]

We have a 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali 4x4 Diesel and 6’-10” bed (with the factory gooseneck/ 5th wheel hitch prep). We pull a 2021 Reflection 150 290BH. We’re “recreational users” and selected the B&W Companion hitch (RVK3710) for the factory puck system so I can take the hitch out when not towing and use the full bed. The 290BH has the turning point hitch but it’s in the locked position and behaves like a standard pin box. In 6,000 miles and 15+ campsites (plus a few U-turns) we’ve never needed to make a full 90 degree turn. We’ve been close and I’m going to see how close I can get next time I hook up, but not having a slider hitch or a wedge on the turning point hasn’t been an issue thus far.
B&W makes a sliding version of the companion for the factory puck system if you’re concerned about getting a guaranteed full 90 without any potential concerns.


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I have a B&W Companion slider on my F250 short bed. I use the slider when entering a campground of backing into my driveway. It is no big deal to jump out of the truck and flip the locking lever, jump beck into the truck, and either pull forward or backward depending which way I want to the hitch to be. The locking lever locks automatically.
By the way if these ball style hitches are so much better, why don't we see them on semi's?