I’ve never seen a product with such a rabid fan/cult-like following like I have with the B&W fifth wheel hitches. And, I’m not ashamed to admit – I’m one of those people when it comes to singing the praises of my B&W Turnoverball and Companion Fifth Wheel Hitch.
Cost
My setup was a fair amount more expensive than other hitches because you’re installing a gooseneck hitch and then buying a fifth wheel hitch that mounts to that (versus an all-in-one product).
I did pay to have an installer install the Turnover Ball gooseneck hitch and he did the initial setup of the Companion in the middle settings. I don’t have rave reviews for him- but he got it installed and fixed his mistakes when they occurred.
Benefits
A few of my favorite things about this hitch are:
- Completely empty bed without the hitch – there are no rails (shown above). It’s a fully under-the-bed mount.
- Installing and removing the Companion Fifth Wheel hitch is a 5-10 minute activity and requires a bare minimum of tools (torque wrench and a set of deep sockets).
- Seriously, this is one of those classic – if I can do it, anyone can do it! My 9 year old daughter regularly helps.
- The Companion is 2 manageable parts – the base (shown above) and the coupler. Using a furniture dolly, I’m able to move the base around easily. Neither is too heavy that I can put it into or take it out of the truck by myself. Together- it would be unmanageable without rigging something up (hoist, winch, etc.).
- The thick meaty jaws won’t let you high-hitch and are solid. Short of simply forgetting to latch the handle closed, I can’t see how you could incorrectly hitch and drop your fifth wheel onto your truck. (Though, I still do a pull test every time I hitch.)
- Their customer service has been AWESOME each time I’ve contacted them for some reason.
- It’s made here in the U.S.A.
Cons
All good products have their downsides, I suppose:
- It’s minor, but one of the rubber feet on the Companion Base has slide off.
- Don’t know if this is an installation issue or the companion with the 2012 Ram 3500, but the handle for the goosneck latch is behind a shield and a bit awkward to get to (shown above).
- Really, I’m having a hard time coming up with “Cons”…
Final Word
If you’re considering a fifth wheel hitch and aren’t looking for an air hitch, the B&W is a beautiful hitch that I can easily and strongly recommend.
You got me intrigued on that hitch. I remember my old FW had rails where the hitch slid into and locked down. Made a pain in the posterior with Mulch and not. What is it like when the hitch is out? What is left in the bed? I bet if I Googled it, I would find out….
Matt – I've added pictures of the empty bed. There is a 4" round hole that gets filled with the inverted gooseneck ball (though, I could just as easily buy a cap for it) and then the 2 chain-tie down points (if I were pulling a gooseneck trailer). The chain-tie downs are a tiny bit higher than the surrounding ribs (I've heard stories about being careful with drywall/sheetrock being on the bottom layer). Otherwise, it's empty and clear.
Just bought the companion slider hitch, and really like it so far. The only down side is its bigger than the original companion and it requires a couple people to install and remove. Seems to be built really well.
I'm curious how the slider comes apart, if at all. The fixed Companion- the base separates from the head and you can carry the 2 pieces separately and neither is terribly heavy.