5th wheel hitch now or wait

[BOP54]

Very helpful responses. Thank you all.

[CecilD]

No hitch, trailer shopping, you may be new to fifth wheels. Let me clarify some things that may help and support my theory for waiting.

You could get an air hitch at the outset and fall in love with a trailer with an air pin box; redundant. Andersen hitches get good reviews but is definitely the wrong hitch if your chosen trailer has a turning point pin box and you want to use it as designed. There is a chance the trailer has been fitted with a Goosebox and you won't require a hitch at all!

You may decide to purchase an older fifth wheel that does not have radius corners on the front and possibly you have a short bed truck. Then a sliding hitch would be in order. Lots of different scenarios.

[corn18]

We didn't know if we were going to buy a bumper pull or 5er. That didn't stop me from being ready when the time came to pick one up. I found a used 10k Equal-i-zer on here and bought it. Then I found a used Andersen Ultimate and bought that, too. Still didn't have a trailer. We picked a 5er so we kept the Andersen and are selling the Equal-i-zer.

We also went camping in a state park with the truck and Andersen Ultimate installed but had no trailer yet. Just went home after sitting by the fire with our friends.

We are weird.

Corn

[HDGoose]

Originally Posted by corn18

We didn't know if we were going to buy a bumper pull or 5er. That didn't stop me from being ready when the time came to pick one up. I found a used 10k Equal-i-zer on here and bought it. Then I found a used Andersen Ultimate and bought that, too. Still didn't have a trailer. We picked a 5er so we kept the Andersen and are selling the Equal-i-zer.

We also went camping in a state park with the truck and Andersen Ultimate installed but had no trailer yet. Just went home after sitting by the fire with our friends.

We are weird.

Corn

Not weird, just prepared.

Wife and I know our 2008 trailer will only last so long wobbling down the road. We keep listening/looking for newer used trailers where folks lives have changed and they do not RV any more. When I had my 2500 truck,we passed on a couple trailers because we simply did not have the truck to pull it.

In April we purchased a 2020 RAM 3500 DRW diesel that will pull anything we would consider buying. I have a 5th wheel hitch rated for the max capacities of the truck. I will find a bumper hitch for max capacities soon. I can also help 'friends' move their trailers as do twice a year.

With the new truck capabilities, I think I am gonna get my CDL and perhaps have that line of work open should something happen to my IT job.

I think many of the folks buying now will be surprised at the amount of 'work' it is RVing. And how much maintenance is required, constantly.