5th Wheel Hitches.. Newbie Needs Advice

LeeB · 01-12-2008, 06:42 PM

I am seriously thinking about selling my MH and buying a Used (almost new) Truck and a 30ft + or - 5th wheel. I don't have a clue about hitches.

1. What kind should I get?
2. What should I watch out for?
3. What will it take to tow with a short bed 3/4ton?

Thanks for your help...

LeeB · 01-12-2008, 06:42 PM

I am seriously thinking about selling my MH and buying a Used (almost new) Truck and a 30ft + or - 5th wheel. I don't have a clue about hitches.

1. What kind should I get?
2. What should I watch out for?
3. What will it take to tow with a short bed 3/4ton?

Thanks for your help...

Wrenchtraveller · 01-13-2008, 03:46 AM

Check out this brand of hitches.
http://www.hijacker.com/

One big advantage of hijacker hitches is the fact that a flat bar slides in front of your Fifth wheel's hitch pin and it is very easy to see that your hitch is locked. Some brands with the locking jaws are very difficult to tell if indeed the hitch is locked on and these brands will tell you that you must do a little pre-pull before you raise your trailer landing gear.
So many people have dropped their trailers down on the box of their trucks that a bracket called a bed saver has become very popular.
Lot's of good hitches on the market, good luck and with a SB, you probably want a slider. Auto sliders are expensive but many feel they are the only way to go. I have a long box and have installed my Hitchhiker hitch on my last 3 trucks. Their website gives excellent instructions to make sure you do it right.

TXiceman · 01-13-2008, 05:50 AM

With the short bed truck you should get a slider hitch. There is a strong possibility of getting into a tight situation and having the corner of the trailer either mash the corner of the truck or break out the rear window. A long bed truck is not nearly as prone to this problem.

Some trailers claim to be designed to tow with a short bed, but you still need to be aware of the problem.

There are a number of good hitches on the marker as sliders. The manual slides are less $$$ and the auto slides are more, but much more convenient since you do not have to stop and unlock it and then slide it.

Have fun with the new toys.

Ken

**NLOVNIT** · 01-13-2008, 11:49 AM

LeeB,

The type & rating of hitch you will need will depend on several factors, a few are:
weight of 5-r
short or long bed truck
position of pin box
ease of removal from truck bed

Those are by no means the only ones, but just some we considered when we were in the market for our 5-r a few years back.

We had a short bed Chevy & could have gone with a slider hitch (i.e. PullRite). However, we had an extended pin box on the 5-r, so we felt comfortable with a non-sliding hitch (ours was a Reese). In the 2 seasons we used this combo, there was only 1 instance where we got into a tight turning spot where the nose of the 5-r "kissed" the truck cab. Luckily, no damage, just a scuff on the truck cab. That was a risk we were willing to take.

Having an air-ride hitch (i.e. TrailerSaver) is something to consider if you will be on the road a lot. Something like this will greatly help with the up & down & back & forth jostling of hitch pin which will make your ride more comfortable.

We also used our truck for hauling items other than our 5-r. Having a hitch we could get out of the bed by ourselves & without a lift was important to us.

Our 5-r dealer helped us with our selection of hitch. If you buy from a private party, I would still talk with a reputable 5-r dealer about hitch options.

L-

P.S. Check out the iRV2 classifieds for 5-r related items. Those of us that've gone to MH's have stuff we no longer need that you'll find there for much less than retail.

450Donn · 01-13-2008, 12:07 PM

I think hitches can be classified in the same catagory as trucks. Personal choice. I have one that works just fine for me. It is now on the second truck. Never had any problems with it. will I change some day to something else? Probably, but as long as this one works fine why just for the sake of change? No way.

LeeB If you are interested in a combo, drop me a line.

Jeff_in_The_Dalles · 01-13-2008, 03:04 PM

A few features I think you might want to be aware of are:

Four way pivoting. This prevents torquing the truck and trailer around when driving over something uneven. It also makes hooking up or unhooking easier when not on flat, level surface.

A good range of vertical and fore/aft adjustability is nice. It gives you a greater range of adjustment to get the weight where you want it on the truck, and to get the trailer riding level.

Lastly, I like a hitch where it is easy to see that the jaws or locking mechanism are secured around the groove of the kingpin.

If I had a short bed, I'd be for spending the money for an auto sliding hitch, like Super-Glide. Otherwise, you could get hung up sticking out in traffic where it isn't handy to get out and release a manual slider... Also you wouldn't have to worry about forgetting and damaging the truck and the 5th wheel.

Also, make sure the hitch is rated for more pin weight/trailer weight than any trailer you would buy.

I really like my B&W turnover ball w/Companion Hitch. It pivots 4 ways, has jaws that enclose the pin and are easy to see, and has a good range of adjustability. It mounts to the turn-over goose ball socket, so it doesn't leave rails when removed. The trade off is that it requires a 3/4 deep well socket to install or take out... Would not be my choice for a short box...