For those of you considering a B&W Companion for your new Ford truck there is something you should know beforehand. The Companion does not line up with the bed ridges on these new trucks and could potentially cause serious damage to your bed if you do not install a "spacer kit". I found this out after purchasing my hitch and had to contact the company for the kit. It was free but their solution is definately a low budget fix that was obviously designed to save them money by not modifying their hitches to fit the new trucks. In my opinion, they have been pretty deceptive about this issue. It's not mentioned anywhere in their marketing material and I can't see where it's on their website either. I used one of their listed dealers to install the thing and when I pointed out that it didn't line up with the bed ridges, they agreed but said they never heard of the "spacer" solution. They just didn't know. B&W has offered to buy back my hitch but in order to use it you have to install their "turnover ball goose neck". The holes you need to drill in your truck bed are unique to these B&W products so buying back the hitch is not a viable option...unless they want to buy back my truck too.
Although B&W has been very polite about all this, they haven't offered any alternatives and they don't appear to be working on any long-term solution...or at least they didn't mention it to me. So, if you buy a new Ford and you want a B&W Companion because everyone talks so well of them, be advised. They don't fit on the 2011 and newer models without this completely unacceptable "spacer kit". Spread the word. It might save someone the disappointment I have experienced with this product.
Thanks for listening.
Tony
