Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > GENERAL DISCUSSIONS > General Discussions about our Montanas
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-16-2020, 06:41 PM   #41
Mikelff
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Keller
Posts: 500
M.O.C. #26851
B&W

Have a B&W slider with an Air Ride pin. Love it. Hooks up with ease. Have a block and tackle mounted to ceiling studs in my garage. Lifts that hitch out like its a feather. Stays high enough I can drive under it no problem. Comes down just as easy. Otherwise, pull the pins and comes off in two pieces. I have a few at the storage place that pull theirs out with the RV front jacks and let the hitch hang. Not for me.
 
Mikelff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 09:34 AM   #42
GeorgeP.
Established Member
 
GeorgeP.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Delta
Posts: 19
M.O.C. #21730
When people spend up to 100,000 on a trailer and 80,000 on a tow vehicle( I’m Canadian everything costs more here) why would you cheap out on the one thing that keeps the two together, buy a good quality weight rated hitch!
GeorgeP. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 10:47 AM   #43
Randy E
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Hermitage
Posts: 136
M.O.C. #21626
I have a PullRite OE Series Super 5th 25K Hitch and I love it. Made in the good Ol USA, and has 1 piece locking jaw around the back. It has never given me one issue.
__________________
Randy & Tracy Elsey
Hermitage Pa.
2017 3791RD
2016 Chevy DD 4x4
Randy E is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 10:53 AM   #44
sohclover
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Charlotte
Posts: 9
M.O.C. #22429
I have a Curt 20k for four years now. Flawless so far. First year had a Weekend Warrior(18500), no issues and now have 2018 Montana Toy hauler. The Curtis perfect for me. I have a 2013 GMC 2500 with 6 1/2’ box.
sohclover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 11:38 AM   #45
Charlie North
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Red Oak
Posts: 1
M.O.C. #26570
Best 5th wheel hitch

I guess I am a little surprised no one here is using any of the Air Safe hitches. We have an Omni 20. The air bags on the floating hitch base provide the best pulling experience we have had in our 12+ years dragging a 5th wheel over some of the worst US highways. Downside - the hitch is quite heavy, definitely a 2 man lift to get it in or out (we leave it in) and it is on the pricey side. Their website is https://airsafehitches.com/5th-wheel-hitch/

Name:  5w20_srcset-large.png
Views: 233
Size:  22.6 KB
Charlie North is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 11:47 AM   #46
Dan Giacalone
Established Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: west dundee
Posts: 20
M.O.C. #24705
hitch

Love my curt. Simple and safe !!
Dan Giacalone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 03:07 PM   #47
Rick Leary
Established Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Blacksburg
Posts: 13
M.O.C. #20075
Send a message via AIM to Rick Leary Send a message via MSN to Rick Leary Send a message via Yahoo to Rick Leary
My two cents.. I was a B&W Companion hitch fan and user for a number of years. At least until I rear ended a Jeep Wrangler at 20 MPH. My fault. But that's an interesting story for a different day. Near pristine 2001 F350 Lariet Crew Cab DRW 7.3 Pulling a 36' Heartland 5th. I believe the B&W should have faired better but the rail on either side of the hitch rolled up, front and rear, and looked like a rocking chair. The hitch damage was substantial and only a few hundred dollars less than the minor damage to the truck. I still like the B&W line.. alot.. but perhaps the companion design just wasn't robust enough for me . I have a Curt now and so far so good.
Rick Leary is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 06:56 PM   #48
sourdough
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Lamesa
Posts: 621
M.O.C. #26010
This is not to resurrect the discussion about the Andersen being "not what it's cracked up to be" or "too light", just some observations.

Post 18 posts some unclear pictures of an accident involving a guy that ran into a stalled car - mistake. There are unclear pictures of some of the damage including damage to the Andersen hitch. It would be easy to then say "it's too light" or "not what it's cracked up to be" but I would say there is more to the story than what the guy that had the accident said.

If you pull up the facebook post he made with much better pictures it is clear that the ball did not shear; neither the bottom or the top. It is clear the bottom of the hitch pulled off the ball in the bed. It is also clear that the red adapter on the king pin pulled off the top ball. Hitch failure? Owner failure? There is a very robust lock pin that goes in the bottom connection, just like a Demco or other brand. There is also a locking pin that has to be activated to lock the adapter to the kingpin. A failure to do either would result in what those pictures show (actually probably the bottom pin). So hitch failure? Owner failure (after the failure to observe/stop for the stalled vehicle)? I've seen pics of accidents much worse than those facebook pics and the Andersen held so I'm going with the latter.

I do not want to start the previous conversation on these hitches, everyone likes what they like. I would just encourage folks to not jump to conclusions based on blurry pictures or any other preconceived perceptions and think through a situation. JMO
__________________
Danny and Susan wife of 55 years
2019 Ram Laramie 3500 6.4 4x4 CC 4.10 SRW
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2020, 06:59 PM   #49
mlh
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,528
M.O.C. #2283
Today I did a little research to see if the Andersen hitch was more likely to fail than, say a B&W. Anderson designed this hitch to be as light as possible using as little material as possible. It uses a lot of off the shelf material with as little welding and forming as possible. This makes it cheap and easy to make. The problem with the original was the top is weak. On impact it will bend and when that happened it collapses. He probably knew he had a problem and redesigned it by adding 2 triangle pieces of thin sheet aluminum from the bottom of the center post to the bottom frame. That didn’t add much strength. Is it as strong as a B&W? No way. Is it strong enough? Yes probably until you are involved an accident or stress it some other way.
Lynwood
__________________
www.harrellsprec.com
Lynwood Harrell
323 RL HC 2008 F250
mlh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2020, 06:16 AM   #50
Anatnom
Established Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Monroe
Posts: 29
M.O.C. #23514
I have a Reese Elite. Ford uses these as well but I bought mine before Ford came out with theirs. Easy to install the top plate can be removed easily and that means the base is not so heavy. I also bought a Gooseneck plate. that is from Reese and it fits into the Same braces. I can use that easily for gooseneck trailers. But the regular Reese hitch fits well and clamps down on the king pin securely. I'm very happy with it Reese has a facility nearby where I can get parts if needed. When I first bought mine I did that but not needed anymore. I like the adjustments this hitch can make and I keep it greased up with synthetic grease
Anatnom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2020, 02:26 PM   #51
Bro. Paul
Established Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: La Grange
Posts: 27
M.O.C. #24531
We have the Andersen system and really love it. I use the bed of my truck a lot do need something to remove and put back.
Bro. Paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2020, 10:23 PM   #52
Sparatacus
Montana Fan
 
Sparatacus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Lakewood
Posts: 386
M.O.C. #24110
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bro. Paul View Post
We have the Andersen system and really love it. I use the bed of my truck a lot do need something to remove and put back.

Hello Bro. Paul, I see that you are in La Grange so what state?
Sparatacus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2020, 05:54 AM   #53
Bro. Paul
Established Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: La Grange
Posts: 27
M.O.C. #24531
La Grange, Calif.
Bro. Paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2020, 08:21 AM   #54
mtlakejim
Montana Master
 
mtlakejim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bee Branch
Posts: 2,620
M.O.C. #20693
We run a Curt since it is what Ram provides from the factory (under Mopar branding). It has been a flawless hitch for us. A good number of folks on here are B&W fans too. Only issue is they are heavy hitches. Being an oilfield hand I am used to overbuilt heavy equipment and will always tend to go that way. It also doesn't hurt that I have a tractor to remove the hitch when I need the flat bed (which is often with a woodworking hobby).


I don't think you would go wrong with any of the top three or four hitches that folks recommend on here. It's akin to the "which brand truck is best" debates. Any of the top three are good, just depends on your tastes and brand loyalty.


Only thing I think most of us would agree on is don't go cheap on the hitch! It is a safety critical piece of equipment!
__________________
James & Irene Wilson
Bee Branch, AR.
2017 Ram 1 ton diesel duallyCrew Cab/Long Bed
2018 Montana High Country 381TH Garage Full of Toys
mtlakejim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2020, 08:47 AM   #55
BB_TX
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,133
M.O.C. #6433
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparatacus View Post
Hello Bro. Paul, I see that you are in La Grange so what state?
When I saw that my first thought was thinking La Grange, Texas. Then I found out that there is a La Grange in at least 12 states.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
BB_TX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2020, 07:51 AM   #56
bshgto
Montana Master
 
bshgto's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Hagerstown
Posts: 861
M.O.C. #16013
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlh View Post
Today I did a little research to see if the Andersen hitch was more likely to fail than, say a B&W. Anderson designed this hitch to be as light as possible using as little material as possible. It uses a lot of off the shelf material with as little welding and forming as possible. This makes it cheap and easy to make. The problem with the original was the top is weak. On impact it will bend and when that happened it collapses. He probably knew he had a problem and redesigned it by adding 2 triangle pieces of thin sheet aluminum from the bottom of the center post to the bottom frame. That didn’t add much strength. Is it as strong as a B&W? No way. Is it strong enough? Yes probably until you are involved an accident or stress it some other way.
Lynwood
Total destruction of camper and truck from a head on collisions not caused by the hitch and people are criticizing Andersen for folding up or bending.
"Damn I was going to transfer that hitch to my new rig when the insurance paid off, but not now the piece of junk it bent".
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	camp a.jpg
Views:	50
Size:	86.6 KB
ID:	7750  
__________________
2018.5 3791 Rear Den Montana, on the lake no 3rd A/C, Mini Split, just do it
Electric Brakes ..... Disk Brakes, it`s the only way
F350 Ford Dually 4:10`s w/bags (payload 5595 lbs) Sumo Springs 63 gal aux tank
Reese Goosebox Mor/Ryde SRE 4000 X Factors Monroe shocks.... real smooth ride
bshgto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2020, 08:13 AM   #57
Ren
Montana Fan
 
Ren's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North Port
Posts: 271
M.O.C. #10954
WOW.

I hope everyone is okay after that!
__________________
2021 Montana 3121RL w/ Cobalt Paint
2019 F-450 w/ airbags and 25k BW Companion
Ren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2020, 08:30 AM   #58
beeje
Montana Master
 
beeje's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,318
M.O.C. #17894
That kind of accident is a rarity don't think any hitches going to survive that. However hard to tell from the pic but it looks like whatever hitch it is is still connected to the Kingpin.
beeje is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2020, 05:30 PM   #59
Bro. Paul
Established Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: La Grange
Posts: 27
M.O.C. #24531
Quote:
Originally Posted by BB_TX View Post
When I saw that my first thought was thinking La Grange, Texas. Then I found out that there is a La Grange in at least 12 states.
Our home address is in La Grange Calif. In the foothills below Yosemite.
Bro. Paul is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:20 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.