I am looking at getting a fitfth wheel camper and bought my 2015 with the prep option but not the Reese hitch. What are your opinions on these? I see B & W makes a hitch that uses the puck system in these trucks and it's probably the one I'm leaning towards most just because it's a b & w and I've never heard of someone being diappointed. That and it's American made and has some nice features. That being said is there any reason I should pay $300 more for the Reese/ford accessory kit?

 

In this case the Reese will be lighter.


You can buy it online or something. You don't have to buy it from ford.


Try that route and see if the price point is better.


I know the 18K reese I have for mine is light enough I can install/remove it myself.

 

The B&W, now rated for 20K, will break down into a head assembly and a base assembly. Each weigh in about 70 pounds. As far as the in and out in the truck bed - that takes me about 5 minutes including finding the keys for the locks I've added. It is easily done by one person.

The complete assembly


The base

 

I chose another route with my truck. I had a B&W OEM Companion and sold it. My king pin on my 5th wheel had some rust that I didn't like the looks of, so I removed it and replaced it with a Reese GooseBox. I love it! I can now unhitch and throw the ball under the back seat and have a flat bed. The GooseBox also has an integrated airbag and shock. The GooseBox also cost less than the B&W.

 

Those look nice and probably work as well but the potential problem is if it extends the pin length and if so, many new 5er frames just aren't heavy enough for the added lever arm load and warrantys may be voided (can you spell L-i-p-p-e-r-t )

 

I can and the Goosebox is backed by Lippert. That is one of the only reasons I gave it a shot.

http://www.cequentgroup.com/download...ndorsement.pdf

 

Looks like a decent alternative to me with that information. Lippert hasn't had the best reputation, especially with frames made a few years back

 

I have the B&W and I like it just fine. I used the shop crane a couple of times to put it in and take in out but it's more trouble and takes longer than breaking it down and lifting it out. 2 pieces in and out is a snap. One word of caution: if you have a short bed (like me) you might need a sliding hitch. We pull a '13 Jayco Eagle 351 RLTS and the front cap will hit the back of the cab in a full-lock U-turn. My insurance Co spent $500 for me to learn that. I still use the B&W but am super cautious when making tight turns.


Ireland,
I'd be interested in how you set up your locks. I can see a cable exiting the hand-hold hole but can't see the details.

 

I agree. For anybody on the fence about going gooseneck this may be one of the best options available.

 

Thanks for the insight guys. I checked out the goosebox and thought it was pretty cool, definitely adds something to the list. I have to admit the first thing I thought wheni heard gooseneck was hard to reach hook up and unhooking, but this looks like it has the cure with the cable routed to the back. Am I right in thinking this is easier to reach than a standard gooseneck and possibly fifth wheel latch? I am also skeptical on how secure the cable is. It looks like it could get pulled by accident fairly easy. One final question and it seems like, I. may just be in the dark but what is the lippert everyone is talking about? I would assume a rv chassis or hitch company.

 

I also have the Reese Goosebox, and absolutely love it. My tow vehicle is a '94 F350 CC 4x4 with a 7.3 PSD. My truck had a gooseneck ball, and no fifth wheel when I bought it. Instead of spending the money for a fifth wheel hitch, I bought the Goosebox for my 2013 Puma Unleashed 356 QLB toy hauler. It is the only gooseneck hitch approved by the frame manufacturer Lippert. I've had it on my camper since new, and wouldn't have anything else. That airbag built in, is the cats meow.

 

Correct me if wrong, but that Goosebox while seems to be a very good alternative to the conventional pin box and hitch arrangement, does seem to have a drawback. If, for whatever reason your trailer needed a tow by another vehicle, it would require a truck with a goose neck hitch. I can think of two occasions in my trailering history where floods in a campground had trucks other then the RV owners pulling 5ers to higher ground - the Susquehanna and Battenkill rivers during mega rainstorms when owners were not present.

 

Ireland, you do have a valid point. Personally it's not an issue for me. I live in rural ND, and the majority of my camping is within about 100 miles from my home. Agriculture and oil are both big here, most farmers and ranchers have gooseneck hitches in their trucks, along with all the roustabouts and roughnecks in the oil industry. Plenty of other people in this area also have their campers set up gooseneck style.