B&W Hitch Question

[geotex1]

I watched a couple of youtube videos of how to install the turnover gooseball hitch on my type of truck. It's doable, but I think it would take me 8-10 hours. Part of me wants to do it myself because I watched other videos of how installers screw up the install and it made me sick to see how half-assed these hitch installers are. If I could find an installer I trust to not do a sloppy job, I'd be fine with the extra cost given that it's not trivial amount of work.

8-10 hours? Few less brews and surely it will take half the time! Lol.

I'd DIY if you're comfortable with the business end of tools. If not, you really need to search out a good shop or find that friend or friend of a friend that'l has the skills!

[Cenerus]

8-10 hours? Few less brews and surely it will take half the time! Lol.

I'd DIY if you're comfortable with the business end of tools. If not, you really need to search out a good shop or find that friend or friend of a friend that'l has the skills!

You lost me at "few less brews"

[geotex1]

You lost me at "few less brews"

Lol! I know, the thought of saving the cold ones till the job is done is not very palatable!

[Cenerus]

After the great advice from this thread, I pulled the trigger on a B&W turnover gooseneck hitch and a B&W companion 5th wheel hitch. Just got them installed in the Chevy today. Now I'm ready to tow that Reflection when it finally arrives in 2 weeks or so.

[pjglaude]

I just went with the B&W turnover in my 2019 f350 LB. Went with it because I too did not want the rails and the option for gooseneck car trailer. Installed myself, helps to have another set of hands for passing tool's and the like. Good luck.

[Cenerus]

Good for you pjglaude for installing it yourself. How long did it take to install it?

[pjglaude]

Probably 4-5hrs. Referring back to instructions alot...kinda like "measure twice cut one". I'd probably pay $300 to have installed but much more than that I'd do it myself again.

[Boogiejack75]

After the great advice from this thread, I pulled the trigger on a B&W turnover gooseneck hitch and a B&W companion 5th wheel hitch. Just got them installed in the Chevy today. Now I'm ready to tow that Reflection when it finally arrives in 2 weeks or so.

Beautiful system. Pricey, but top notch quality. Had the same system in my old 250. New 350 DRW came with pucks. Enjoy and have fun. You made a sound choice IMO.

[fez111]

Hi. When we bought our very first 5th wheel a few years ago I spent an entire day online researching hitches for our new-to-us 2006 F250 Super-Duty Diesel 8-foot bed. What I discovered was that everyone who pwned a B&W hitch loved it. Other than the somewhat higher price, there were no detractors. Now, every time I have been near hitches with rails there is always a lot of mechanical noise meaning the something is moving around. If something is moving it will only start moving more!

I wanted a complete flat should I remove the hitch to haul something, like 4 x 8 plywood. I bought the B&W Turnover Ball unit with a Companion hitch (non-slider). Dealers wanted half again more than the hitch cost to install it. My brother and I installed the Turnover Ball part in about 3 hours. The most tense moment was cutting a 3-inch hole in the bed of the truck with a hole-saw. A larger 1/2 inch drill is required to drive this hole-saw. It is critical to measure for the hole precisely. We ran the rear of the truck up ramps for room underneath for us fat people. Other than removing the "snubbers" from the axles and reworking one of the exhaust clamps, it went pretty well.

All that being said, we pull a 2016 Solitude 379FL to Florida and back each winter, along with a couple of vacations in between. I can honestly say there is NO, NONE, NADA noise from this hitch while pulling. A squirt of lithium grease on the rubber parts and between the gasket and the hitch plate makes it good to go. The Companion hitch is adjustable up and down about 4 inches and comes out of the truck in two pieces which makes it much easier to remove by yourself. Also, it comes with the snap-in ball for a gooseneck. If I ever get another truck I guarantee it will get a B&W hitch!

[wjpatter]

I've got the factory prep for my bed, which has the option to use the gooseball and I did a little research about the pros and cons to see if I should dump my curt hitch. One of the videos I watched gave a pretty good explanation of tow point stresses from towing high or low. In passing, the "talking head" mentioned that some 5th wheel manufactures void the structures warranty if pulled by a goose neck hitch. Have you talked to GD customer service? That said, I did very little research and have very little experience with towing but I am interested in knowing how this turns out. I would love to regain my bed.