B&W with the Companion Hitch - User Report

[RJOL]

I installed my B&W hitch, with the Companion 5th Wheel adaptor, over a year ago. I have been very pleased with this setup, but I wanted to pass on a couple of areas to see if others have experienced this.



First. Hitching and unhitching go very smoothly except for the following circumstance. I recently pulled into a site that was not level from side to side (3-4" off level). I pulled the trailer up onto levelers and the hitch would not release. I ended up releasing the head (using the two pins that hold the head to the base) and releasing it that way.



Second: I have used a "lube plate" on my hitch, in the past, to avoid having to use grease on the hitch head and kingpin flatplate. With a standard plate, from camping world, the hitch will not engage even on level ground.



I emailed B&W and here is what they said: The locking jaws are thicker then standard hitches. This provides more strength and also helps prevent movement of the kingpin when locked up.



I can live without the lubeplate, but I don't like the problem of not releasing when not level side to side. I still feel that this is a superior hitch, compared to the hitches I've used in the past, but just thought I'd throw this out for others to comment on...

 

[RustyJC]

I use the Teflon lube plate and have not had a problem hitching or unhitching, nor have I had a problem on unlevel terrain (the side-to-side pivot feature should take care of that). Where I have run into difficulty is if I raise the front of the 5th wheel too far before unhitching - this will side-load the jaws and make them very difficult to open.



Rusty

 

[RJOL]

Rusty... I tried adjusting moving the trailer up and down to see if it was bound up, but it just would not release. The lubeplate definitely doesn't work. I wonder if my kingpin head is smaller on the inside than my last trailer. It measures just under 1 1/2" on the inside, where the jaws wrap around. I didn't have this problem on my last trailer...

 

[Silver600]

I also use a lube plate without a problem. As far as the un-hitching when it is not perfectly level, I had the same problem but solved it doing what RustyJC suggested. As long as I leave a slight amount of weight on the hitch the jaws will disengage. I usually leave enough pin weight that my truck will rise 1-2 inches when I drive out from under it.

 

[RustyJC]

I wonder if my kingpin head is smaller on the inside than my last trailer. It measures just under 1 1/2" on the inside, where the jaws wrap around. I didn't have this problem on my last trailer...

If you have another 5th wheel to measure for comparison, I'd be looking at the dimension between the 5th wheel pinbox loadplate and the top of the lower lip of the kingpin groove - it sounds like it might be a little too tight. That, of course, is assuming the same hitch head worked fine on your previous 5th wheel as you seem to state.



Rusty

 

[JRMora]

Count me as another who uses a lube plate with no problems. The only time I have ever had a problem was once when I was in a spot that that was nose low. we had a lot of rain that nght and the landing gear sank into the ground. I didn't have enough extension in the jacks to get the nose high enough so I had to tip the hitch back and try to push the truck under the kingpin.



That didn't work.



But it did unload the jacks enough to drop the legs another hole or two and re-hitch.

 

[ChrisTucker]

I haven't used mine yet but I did buy the lube plate and install it on the pin, I then took the head off the hitch and slid it onto the pin and it locked no problem.

I read on rv.net that someone had a problem hooking up with the lube plate so they cut the bottom out of a 5 gal plastic bucket using the lube plate as a template and used the bucket bottom as a lube plate. (its thinner)

 

[RJOL]

If you have another 5th wheel to measure for comparison, I'd be looking at the dimension between the 5th wheel pinbox loadplate and the top of the lower lip of the kingpin groove - it sounds like it might be a little too tight. That, of course, is assuming the same hitch head worked fine on your previous 5th wheel as you seem to state.



Rusty

Don't have another one to compare it to but here is what it looks like:

 

[RJOL]

Another note: The stock lubeplate I got from Camping World definitely does not work with my setup It is the round white one they sell with the plastic fingers that hold it on the kingpin. I can't find it to measure it's thickness as I took it off and put it away somewhere. All I can say for sure is that the hitch would not close, on level ground, with the plat in...

 

[RustyJC]

That's why it sounds like the groove in your kingpin is riding "high" relative to the loadplate on the pinbox.



Rusty

 

[CumminsPower98]

I have pulled piles of different trailers all using my 3/16" thick lube plate. It's the standard round white one. The only time I had trouble hooking up was my first hook up for a driver test (RV transporter) and I didn't have the lube plate. I had trouble getting the jaws to close. The only other trouble I sometimes have is if there is a little pressure either forward or back on the jaws, they sometimes don't like to spring open. I love the hitch though and have never had any trouble with it.

 

[RJOL]

That's why it sounds like the groove in your kingpin is riding "high" relative to the loadplate on the pinbox.



Rusty

What are the measurements of your's???

 

[RustyJC]

Unless something comes up, I'll go out to the RV storage lot after work today and get them.



Rusty

 

[Dieselnerd]

Ditto on the lube plate. My B&W works fine with a Camping World plate. Mine is also hard to unhitch if I lift the trailer too high. Just enough to unload, no gap. I raise it until I have a slight gap and then down to just close the gap and the jaws open right up. It would probably work better without the lube plate but then I would have to grease it. Those jaws are thick but that makes them strong.

 

[RustyJC]

I pulled the lube plate and took the following measurements from the load plate of the RV's pinbox:



To top of kingpin groove: 1-5/16"



To bottom of kingpin groove: 2-13/16"



To bottom of kingpin: 3-9/16"



The "track" where the jaws ride in the kingpin groove, again measured with the lube plate removed, is from 1-1/2" to 2-5/8". The "track" was established with the lube plate in place, however.



Hope this helps.



Rusty

 

[RJOL]

Thanks for the measurements... Rusty.



It looks like my kingpin is slightly different than yours. You have an additional 1/8" from the top plate to the top of the first grove on the kingpin. You have about 1/16" more gap in the kingpin grove. Your overall length is 3/8" more than mine. I can see why my lube plate doesn't work as you essentially have 1/8" more space to the kingpin grove than I do... Doesn't sound like much, but I guarantee you that my lube plate does not work with this hitch. That's why I took it out.



I had the chance to have this hitch put in when I bought the trailer:



http://www.glide-ride.com/



I decided against it as it was a $700 option and I just didn't think it was worth it. I may reconsider that decision...



Does anyone else want to post their measurements???

 

[Silver600]

Does anyone else want to post their measurements???

I won't be near my trailer for a few days but I will try to remember to measure it.