Quote:
Originally Posted by dfryk
I've been following this thread for a while. Now we will soon be buying a new Ram with 8' bed and considering either the Ultimate or the B & W Companion. Anybody with comparative experience?
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Here is what I know about the difference between the Andersen rail mount , and a conventional hitch. In my case,I tow with a short bed Ram 3500, so it doesn't apply to you, but obviously its not a slider, but does let the fifth wheel sit further back, and no clearance problems with my setup. Thats the big difference for someone with a short bed .I also tow with a conventional 18K slider.
The towing is the same for me, I can't tell the difference between the two. I switch off towing with both ,depends on the trip. Only thing about the Andersen ,is that its at least 3-4 inches you have to raise the fifth wheel further to get it on , off the ball. just takes a bit more time ,and a bit annoying.
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IMO , other then the ease of getting the hitch in ,and out of the truck, I see no advantage to the Andersen , actually a bit more hassle, some states require chains. Having as said to raise it higher . and with the aluminum gooseneck mounted Andersen, there is a chance of bed damage. If I was starting from scratch, the B&W hands down the better choice, or for that matter any good quality conventional fixed hitch.