I run a GooseBox with a BakFlip with no clearance issues at all. I love that when I unhook all I have in the truck is the goose ball, no fifth wheel hitch to deal with. At home it isn’t much of an issue, but there’s been a few times when I was on the road that I needed the bed and I’d have to take the hitch out and even with my Andersen that was more of a pain than I wanted, never mind an actual fifth wheel hitch. That said if you want to go the traditional fifth wheel route you can’t do better than the B&W Companion. It’s just a beast for moving in and out.

You'll probably get a lot of opinions on this as we all have our favorites. I use the B&W companion for Ford's puck system and had my Solitude converted over to the MorRyde cushioned pin box. It tows much smoother than the Rotoflex cushioned box and the hitch is easy to remove if needed. It comes apart in 2 pieces that weigh about 65 pounds each. I have the Retrax brand metal sliding tonneau cover and after using Bakflips for years this is much better. The MorRyde box easily clears the side rails of the cover and I can turn to almost 90 degrees with no contact. The gooseneck ball setup would be nice but I only use my truck for towing so I rarely remove the hitch.

I wish. Base weighs 131 lbs, and the coupler weighs 73 lbs, for a combined weight of approximately 204 lbs

Haha that must be the turnover ball model B&W fifth wheel hitch? I had that in my F250 for the prior Reflection. Yes it is a heavy beast, the puck model base is MUCH lighter.

Yup. I didn't realize they'd lightened it up. My hitch is 8 years old now. Still a great hitch. And I still haul it in and out by hand and back!

-Steve

Openrangowner, What did you ultimately do for your hitch? How do you like it?

John

I went with the B&W Companion with the puck mounts for my Ford F350. I also purchased the MorRyde Pinbox. It tows great. There are no issues with interference and the Bak Revolver X4 tonneau cover. Over smooth roads I forget I am towing (very smooth). On rough roads I do notice the camper at times, but it is smoother than my prior camper, truck, hitch, inbox setup (that was a 2005 Chevy Duramax 1 ton CCLB 9900lb GVWR with a Reese 18K Signature series puck mount hitch, a Demo GlideRide pinbox on a 2010 Open Range 399BHS. Towed that combo for 9 years all over the country - it was pretty well matched although at the top end of the truck's CC.

The only issue so far is getting used to hitching since the hitch plate has a smaller opening than my previous Reese. Also, with the tonneau cover rolled up, I loose some of my read vision so I rely on the CHMSL-bed camera. Still getting used to hitching this combo. The hitch locks positively and unlatches much easier than my previous combo. The first time I hitched up I was doing it blind and listening to the salesman tell me to keep backing up when I had a thought that the trailer was a bit low - left a big scrape in the hitch plate (not a big deal, now I use the leveling system to raise the camper a bit more as I back up, then lower it as I start to make contact with the pin so I am not high-hitched). One would think after owning 5th wheels for 15 years I would be better, but each new camper/truck/hitch/pinbox takes time to get used to.

The ride quality of the truck while towing is excellent. I did replace the stock shocks with Bilstein 5100's. The MorRyde pinbox definitely cushions things nicely, and the weight of the truck (8400 lbs not towing) helps as well. The camper tracks very well and stops very well.

Overall I would recommend the combo I ended up with except when I decide to remove the hitch from the bed (with the tonneau cover that is not necessary unless I need to haul something in the bed) - then I will probably wish I had the Reese Gooseneck

I installed the B&W myself and the installation was very easy. The hitch base and head are very heavy even when seperated. I can still fit a mountain bike behind the hitch and another in front of it with the tonneau cover closed, so very little need to remove the hitch.

I run the Goosebox.

Things I like:

• Very simple to operate- Either locked or not. Can't pull away thinking it's locked and drop the camper on your bed rails.
• No hitch to drag out of the truck and store, clean bed all the time
• Soft ride with the built-in air bag
• Easy to hitch at any angle

Things I don't like:

• Difficult to get locked and unlocked. You really need to crawl into the bed to get the lock off and pull the cable back to unlock. Not much room with a camper in the way.
• Limitation of trailer weight. I got the 20K lb version which is enough for my trailer.
• The air bag on the hitch will let air out on heavy bumps. It also needs to be adjusted based on cargo placement.
• You lose bed space since when towing since the pivot point is so low.

I originally got it since I didn't have a puck system and it was much easier to install just a gooseneck on my last truck. I have been pleased overall. If I had a dually I would say it's near impossible to jump into the bed and hook everything up, vs a traditional 5th wheel you can grab the handle and operate everything while standing on the ground. Being a SRW it's easier for me to get into the bed, and I am still somewhat limber at my ripe age of 38.

Yeah I'd agree with all this, I extended the release cable so it was easier to access when hooked up.