Andersen Gooseneck Hitch and Truck Suggestion

[ebds2019]

Hi again folks. We just bought our Montana 3810MS 5th wheel. Now I need to trade in my my almost new 1/2 ton for something that can handle 2800lbs of pin weight and can tow 15-16K pounds.

So....... two questions:

1. Suggestions for a truck that has sufficient payload rating to handle 5 people, the 2800lb pin weight, and pull a 15 or 16K lb 5th wheel safely and pretty much anywhere in the continental US you can drive an RV?

2. I am interested in the Andersen Aluminum gooseneck hitch. I want to be able to remote it when we're not towing and have the use of my truck bed. I am interested in hearing from anyone who uses one and I am also interested in knowing what a fair price would be to installed the gooseneck ball in a truck if the truck does not already have one. Also, Andersen says their hitch works with a short bed truck. I would like to acquire a short bed truck but I am interested in getting assurance that I won't run into a problem.

Thanks everyone,
Rob

[Last2Die]

Love my Anderson. Works great no chucking weight 38lbs. I use it in my long bed so I can turn it any direction. Short bed you only have 1 choice.

As far as the truck I perfer towing with my 1989 1500, bet that will get the weight police buzzing !! Anyway with 5 people I would at least get a 350 or 3500

[ebds2019]

Originally Posted by Last2Die

Love my Anderson. Works great no chucking weight 38lbs. I use it in my long bed so I can turn it any direction. Short bed you only have 1 choice.

As far as the truck I perfer towing with my 1989 1500, bet that will get the weight police buzzing !! Anyway with 5 people I would at least get a 350 or 3500

What do you mean by "short bed you only have one choice"?

[Mtncrash1]

I have no experience with the Anderson hitch so can’t answer that question. As to the truck you need...... at a minimum in my opinion you need a 350/3500 long bed single rear wheel. The pin weight you gave is dry weight. In other words no propane,batteries or cargo in the trailer. Start adding all that and, the pin weight goes up. You also need to figure the weight you will have in the truck. The 5 of you and, any stuff you may carry there. I was looking at the payload on a 2017 F350 long bed single rear wheel the other day and, it was at 3850. This question is going to bring many opinions. Some will tell you that a 3/4 ton will be fine and others will say only a dually. The best choice you have is to look for a truck with the payload that is above the listed dry pin weight plus all cargo you will carry in the trailer and truck. A dually will obviously be the best but, the 1 ton long bed will do it in my opinion. Good luck. Now it’s time for me to sit back and watch the fun begin.

[PNW Fireguy]

Heavy full timer and we love the Anderson. There are a few folks on the forum that have them and like them. There are even more folks that don’t have them but have opinions. Is your 2800 lb pin weight the factory empty weight? If so you are likely to be significantly heavier once you load up. Keep that in mind when you determine the truck that meets your needs. For our weight a dually was the only choice. Our factory empty weight was around 2750. Once we loaded the rig headed for the car scales and we are about 4200lbs. The weight adds up quick.

[Mike3387]

I have the 2018 3810MS, with the Andersen hitch, towing with a Chevy 3500. Great setup, no chucking. When loaded, the truck lowers maybe an inch if anything. Lots of power up steep hills. We absolutely love our 5th wheel and congrats on your new purchase.

[jsb5717]

My 5er is lighter than yours but the Andersen hitch will handle it. I love mine. If your truck isn't already prepped for a hitch you can go with either a turn over ball or standard 5th wheel rails. Andersen makes a hitch for both applications.

The 5" set back of the ball helps in tight turns with a short bed but doesn't guarantee 90 degrees. It really depends on the nose design of your 5er.

I love the weight of the Andersen so easy to remove/reinstall. I love the smooth pull it provides with no noise, lurching, or chucking

[Last2Die]

Originally Posted by ebds2019

What do you mean by "short bed you only have one choice"?

There is a long side and short side to the hitch. For a long bed it can be positioned either way, for a short bed it should be facing only one way, which is the long side towards the cab so there is room for tighter turns.

[DQDick]

With what you are planning on doing you need a dually. Just look at the weight rating on the best truck tire you can find and you'll understand why I say that. Doesn't matter what the truck is rated for if you can't buy tires to handle the weight.

[jetskier]

For the OP.... I wouldn't do tow anything heavy with a 250 or 2500 even if you add airbags.....


If you are shopping for a new tow rig. Just get a dually.


I don't have anything to say about Anderson Hitch. I don't have one, but have helped family and friends hook up and I choose to use the 20k B&W fifth wheel after seeing the setup. I had the Goosebox on my previous trailer and it was great for bed space. It sucked with electric jacks, but would pair nicely with the faster hydraulic jacks. The Goosebox gets the load lower in the bed and lowers the overturning moment felt on the truck from the trailer during crosswinds.

Originally Posted by DQDick

Doesn't matter what the truck is rated for if you can't buy tires to handle the weight.

There are many tire options, especially in the 18 & 20" variants, with enough load capacity without going to a DRW configuration. I discussed this in another post recently. Most tire manufacturers (Michelin, Nitto, Toyo, Goodyear) have LT295 tires in 18" & 20" that are 129 load rated (4080# per tire @ 80psi). Payload stickers aside and, that's 8160# for the rear axle. Even if you had a 4000# pin, that would be within the capabilities of a 3500 or 350 SRW with upgraded tires. I have the heavy 3790RD with the 5500W Onan, four GC-2 batteries loading the front of the trailer. In the truck bed, I have a 30 gallon toolbox/fuel tank and usually carry 35 gallons of gas for the watercraft at the tailgate. I rolled over the CAT scales numerous times at 7600# on the rear axle. Well within the limits of my tires. The truck suspension drops about 2" with no help from air bags. The LT295 tire is less than 3% larger than the stock LT275. It tows great.

[jeffba]

2800 pounds unloaded pin weight + 800 pounds for 5 adults =3600 pounds. That is the over the limit of most if not all 1T SRW diesels. and you have not put anything in the 3810MS yet.

[Pops8]

I love my Andersen hitch. So easy to install/uninstall and it pulls great. My granddaughter usually does it for me & I don’t even have to get into the bed. She was 14 when I got the hitch My first truck was a F350 srw short bed. Tightest turn I’ve had is backing my own driveway. It’s almost a 90 degree angle & I haven’t had a problem.
I now use the same hitch with my new truck & it’s just as good. Best deal I found 2 years ago was Amazon with 12 months interest free financing.
As for the right truck most of that is personal preference but get one with the factory pucks.

[DQDick]

Pullrite makes a similar hitch and will be presenting at the National Rally this fall.

[mtheo]

I have a friend here in the Central Valley, CA. with one for sell. PM me if interested.

[ebds2019]

Hi all. So I figured some followup was in order. This past Monday I traded in my 6 month old Ram 1500 for a brand new 2019 Chevy Silverado 3500 diesel dually. Payload rating just under 5000lbs. What a beast.

Now I'm worried about something else. I ordered A curt puck kit and the Andersen gooseneck hitch. But I've been reading about people having issues with 5th wheels and clearing the truck bed rails with decent clearance. I don't have the RV yet, only the truck.

Since the Andersen gooseneck hitch is not height adjustable, is it possible I will have a problem? My 5th wheel is a 2018 3810MS.

[jsb5717]

It is height adjustable. There are 3 height settings for the ball itself...you should be fine in getting the trailer to ride adequately above your bed rails. I have about 6" clearance on mine on the lowest setting.

[Theunz]

The Andersen is adjustable. The ball has three holes to adjust its height. The pin box on your trailer will also be adjustable. You should be fine. Be aware that some states will require you to use safety chains with an Andersen as it in essence converts your 5th wheel hitch to a ball hitch. Andersen sells a safety chain set that adds eyelets to the bolts that hold the adapter to your kingpin. Be aware also that those eye bolts may just straighten out in the event of a trailer disengagement, they look pretty wimpy considering the weight of most Montanas. On the other hand having 16,000 or so pounds slamming back and forth against your truck doesn't sound like much fun. You can go to your local Fastenal store and buy some eye nuts to replace the nuts supplied by Andersen that come with the hitch, or do as I did and weld some heavy duty D rings to your pin box. Trailer supply houses should have the D rings and pre cut lengths of chain with snap hooks rated for 15,000 pounds each. Either route will cost about the same.

[jsb5717]

On my last trailer, as well is this new Monty, there are holes in the pinbox that work great for attaching the chains. I'm actually using heavy duty recoil cables that do the same thing but pull back out of the way when detached.

The likelyhood of having the hitch come loose and actually needing the chains is extremely remote given the very positive locking of the Andersen pin under the ball when connected. I still connect my chains but it's not a big deal to do so.

[Theunz]

I agree with you Jeff, and I also think that the chances of getting stopped for not having the chains is small. I think most of us use the chains just so that some Barney Fife can't ruin our vacation.

[jsb5717]

Ha! I love Barney! He's got a job to do. But all is good. Connect the rig using the Andersen Hitch, connect the chains, go camping. It makes for a smooth and quiet pull.