B&W Companion - short bed 2500 Help

[brewmark]

I saw a thread from 2011 where a couple of people used the B&W Companion 5th wheel hitch with their B&W turnover ball hitch with a newer rounded front end trailer and was wondering if anyone in the forum that has done this could measure from the B&W ball/hitch connection to the back of the cab. Mine is 36 inches and I am trying to decide if I need the Companion slider or not. Would rather not use the slider if possible but don't want to damage the truck or the trailer. Looking at TMRoper1669's pics his hitch looks to be a bit farther from the cab than mine so that concerns me.
Thanks for any help.

Mark
2005 Dodge Ram with Cummins Turbo Diesel

 

[Wingate]

I can measure mine if needed. I have a 2013 Jayco 33.5 RETS and the nose of it is "rounded".
I found out about the B&W Companion Slider back in early 2013, and ordered and paid for one, never received it. Finally got the dealer that I ordered from to let me use a standard B&W as a loaner since we could NOT get an answer from B&W. Ship dates kept getting moved..etc.. I was very cautious at first, I had heard and read all the horror stories of short bed trucks and 5ers. Thats been almost a year ago and I have put my rig in all types of situations and have never came close to getting the cab.
Heres a link to the thread talking about it. The Slider shows to be on the B&W site, but I couldnt find it on Tweetys... Have they ever started shipping them?
https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?242160-B-amp-W-Companion-SLIDER-Hitch

 

[Cummins12V98]

I am no expert but from what I have read if you have an extended kingpin and a rounded front you don't need a slider.

 

[brewmark]

Thanks for the feedback. Now I am leaning towards the companion.
So I have another question on your companion. How heavy is it and can you remove it from the truck yourself or does it take two people as the companion slider says?

If you could measure yours that would be great.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[brewmark]

Ok. What is the definition of an extended kingpin?
We are getting a Heartland Sundance XLT 278TS.
Tried to upload a pic but not sure where it went.

 

[Wingate]

yes you can, its much easier if you pull the two pins and remove the head and the base as two separate pieces. I leave mine in place and have ran a piece of chain from the left side of the companion head down thru the base into the left safety chain loop thats in the bed of my truck for the GN Turnover ball system. I dont want to worry about thieves if I want to drive my truck to Walmart in an unfamiliar town.
When I use the GN ball, I just pull the Companion and slide it up to the front of the bed. Dont have to pull it completely out of the truck.
Ill measure and report back when my wifey decides to bring my truck home from town... hahahaha

 

[Wingate]

heres mine on a standard Companion but BEFORE the RoadMaster Active Suspension springs, as you can see, she was sagging a little.

 

[Cummins12V98]

View attachment 87969
Ok. What is the definition of an extended kingpin?
We are getting a Heartland Sundance XLT 278TS.
Tried to upload a pic but not sure where it went.

In my opinion the Companion should be fine with this RV. It has an expended kingpin. If it did not the expended part would not be there and the kingpin would be underneath the front cap.

The Companion is easy to remove by one person. It is a two pc system.

 

[Cummins12V98]

heres mine on a standard Companion but BEFORE the RoadMaster Active Suspension springs, as you can see, she was sagging a little.
View attachment 87970

I can't see your whole truck but it looks to be sitting level. I don't see a problem. The problem I do see is your RV appears to be nose low. The bed clearance could be more also.

Could be all washed up!

 

[Wingate]

I think its a camera trick...that pic was taken the day we brought it home so it was completely unloaded/empty but the nose was high and the back end was low on the truck. By the time the wifey got all 8K lbs of crap packed into it, the rear springs were screaming! Ive got between 5 and 6 inches of clearance between the camper and bed rails and the truck and camper sit level.
And it DEFINITELY needs washed! When should I expect your arrival with soap bucket in hand?? hahaha

 

[brewmark]

Thanks for the picture. That is a beautiful rig. And it makes me think I will be OK with just the companion.
I have an 05 two tone same color, same off road 4x4 stickers.
I ordered and received but have not installed the firestone air bags.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I have the Companion 3500 and can bolt up the arms to be 1" ahead of the socket post or as much as 7" behind the post.

 

[JJPage]

Thanks for the picture. That is a beautiful rig.

I agree with brewmark, from what I can see, that is a gorgeous rig Wingate. How about a pic of the whole setup?

 

[Wingate]

Thanks! with any luck, we will be heading to the lake this weekend. I'll try and snap a pic of the whole rig.

 

[brewmark]

Take picture and take a measuring tape too. Just to see what your distance from ball to cab is.
Thanks,
Mark

Thanks! with any luck, we will be heading to the lake this weekend. I'll try and snap a pic of the whole rig.

 

[Wingate]

ok.. walked out and took a quick pull of the tape from centerline of the pin location in the hitch to the lead edge of the bed. Exactly 36". I will take a pic of it Friday when we get to the lake before I unhook with some measurements. Our camper is a 96" wide. I have hooked onto an older wider square nosed 5er with a short hitch for a friend. I think it was closer to a 102 wide... He couldnt get it into his driveway with his cc dually 2wd
I had to be careful with that one. between the short hitch on the camper and the wide/square nose, I had to have a spotter watching the cab clearance cause we were really having to twist it into his driveway. Just REALLY extreme situation that one would never run into in normal situations.

 

[brewmark]

Well I thought I had 36 but I was wrong. If I measure from the center of the turn over ball to the inside of the bed I am at 30 inches and if I go from the cab to the center of the turn over ball it is maybe 32 inches. Now I wonder how far back from the turn over ball location would the kingpin/jaws be if you set it up for a shortbed as one guy described in the video I saw????

Wingate thanks for making the measurements. I don't see the post here but got it in an email.
Thanks. I was thinking it would work but now still wondering since you have 36 but that is from the edge of bed closest to the cab to the centerline of where the kingpin would latch to the hitch correct?
Thanks of all your help.

Mark

 

[Wingate]

Well I thought I had 36 but I was wrong. If I measure from the center of the turn over ball to the inside of the bed I am at 30 inches and if I go from the cab to the center of the turn over ball it is maybe 32 inches. Now I wonder how far back from the turn over ball location would the kingpin/jaws be if you set it up for a shortbed as one guy described in the video I saw????

Wingate thanks for making the measurements. I don't see the post here but got it in an email.
Thanks. I was thinking it would work but now still wondering since you have 36 but that is from the edge of bed closest to the cab to the centerline of where the kingpin would latch to the hitch correct?
Thanks of all your help.

Mark

Yes, the 36" measurement is from the bed rail to the centerline of the kingpin. I believe you will be ok. I'll take a few pics this evening.
I believe my turnover ball point is much closer to the cab, but the Companion offsets that toward the rear which increases it to 36".

 

[Wingate]

OK.. gonna try this... Hopefully this is a link to a Photobucket account. BrewMark, there should be some photos in there that may help.

http://s1364.photobucket.com/user/r...3&page=1&_suid=139346113357703038123378027045

 

[brewmark]

OK.. gonna try this... Hopefully this is a link to a Photobucket account. BrewMark, there should be some photos in there that may help.

http://s1364.photobucket.com/user/r...3&page=1&_suid=139346113357703038123378027045

Thanks Wingate. Pictures were great. I think that one picture shows the post that goes in the turnover ball hole being at the back (point closest to the cab) of the companion. Looks like there is maybe 6 inches from center of that to center of kingpin plate.
So that helps. Thanks. Also answered another question. Was wondering if a spray in bed liner would be an issue with mounting the companion. That picture tells me it shouldn't be.
Thanks again.

Mark