B&W Companion hitch

Picked this up local. It's an older model, a 3000 series I think. It slides down inside the receiver nicely. After taking my camper out for a pull, i noticed some slop in it. You can see from the picture with the black circles how much it twists. I'm not 100% certain how I can fix this. There is some play side to side in square tube that slides into the receiver, so I'm wondering if I can install some thick rubber under the side supports (looks like there was some thin rubber once before) or maybe fab up a system where I can tighten down each corner? You ever seen that before? One reason it does this is that my 5th wheel (new to me) has a swivel pin box on it, made for short bed, so when I turn it puts a lot of sideways pressure against the hitch itself. I'm in the process of selling that one and will install a typical pin box on my camper. That will take care of most of the slop I believe.

I am not familiar with the B&W installation, but my Andersen has a method to tighten the hitch down on the ball and tight to the bed.  Here is the B&W site with instruction manuals that might help.

http://www.turnoverball.com/products/single-point-attachment/companion-5th-wheel-hitch#question

When all else fails, read the directions 

B&W states not to use a swivel hitch with their hitches. I think you're seeing why.  I assume you're using a Reese sidewinder.  Suggest you ditch that heavy ass, hard to install and uninstall B&W and get a Reese.  With the rails it can with stand the twisting forces.  Now, you're putting all of that on the square tube and the receiver in the base plate. 

A suggestion to help if you want to keep the B&W. You'll need to have some braces from the frame to the bottom of the bed and then drill holes through the B&W frame and bolt it down.  That will put the twisting torque out further providing additional support for the twist you're placing on it.

Had a Reese on the last truck and a B&W on this one....cuss the B&W every time I want to take it out or put it back in.

Wi1dBi11

Wi1dBill said:

B&W states not to use a swivel hitch with their hitches. I think you're seeing why.  I assume you're using a Reese sidewinder.  Suggest you ditch that heavy ass, hard to install and uninstall B&W and get a Reese.  With the rails it can with stand the twisting forces.  Now, you're putting all of that on the square tube and the receiver in the base plate. 

A suggestion to help if you want to keep the B&W. You'll need to have some braces from the frame to the bottom of the bed and then drill holes through the B&W frame and bolt it down.  That will put the twisting torque out further providing additional support for the twist you're placing on it.

Had a Reese on the last truck and a B&W on this one....cuss the B&W every time I want to take it out or put it back in.

Wi1dBi11

Click to expand...

Thank you for the link.  That's good info.  I never dreamed it would be that kind of operation for removal. 

Wi1dBill said:

B&W states not to use a swivel hitch with their hitches. I think you're seeing why.  I assume you're using a Reese sidewinder.  Suggest you ditch that heavy ass, hard to install and uninstall B&W and get a Reese.  With the rails it can with stand the twisting forces.  Now, you're putting all of that on the square tube and the receiver in the base plate. 

A suggestion to help if you want to keep the B&W. You'll need to have some braces from the frame to the bottom of the bed and then drill holes through the B&W frame and bolt it down.  That will put the twisting torque out further providing additional support for the twist you're placing on it.

Had a Reese on the last truck and a B&W on this one....cuss the B&W every time I want to take it out or put it back in.

Wi1dBi11

Click to expand...

After reading the instructions, it is quite the effort....but no more work than an traditional hitch.  I have a Drawtite slider that came with the camper, but I don't want to loose my gooseneck or install rails in the bed.  As I said in the original post, I'm selling the rotating pin box.  I feel that a traditional pin box will not put nearly the stress as this stupid thing I have. 

Have you looked at the Andersen Ultimate?  I mounts to the Goose ball and can be installed or removed in under 5 minutes - and only weighs 36 pounds!

https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/gooseneck-mount--ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx

grashley said:

Have you looked at the Andersen Ultimate?  I mounts to the Goose ball and can be installed or removed in under 5 minutes - and only weighs 36 pounds!

https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/gooseneck-mount--ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx

Click to expand...

I hadn't until just the other day.  That is certainly a cool product.

Do you have the B&W under bed frame?  If so, torqued the bolt on top of the shaft that goes into the bed?  I have no probs with my companion but it does have runners that match the bed contour which I did not see in your pics.

Dawgfever said:

Do you have the B&W under bed frame?  If so, torqued the bolt on top of the shaft that goes into the bed?  I have no probs with my companion but it does have runners that match the bed contour which I did not see in your pics.

Click to expand...

You are correct, no runners.  I will be getting a set of those for sure.  Thank you.