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What is a Fifth Wheel Hitch?
A fifth wheel hitch is a towing mechanism that is designed to do heavy-duty towing like pulling large campers or trailers with trucks. Though classic bumper towing is also effective but only to a certain extent. For any heavy-duty towing, a fifth-wheel hitch is the most recommended setup. Trailer dump trucks, cargo trucks, and trucks of other sorts use this system where the trailer is linked up to hardware that is placed over or near the rear axle of the towing vehicle. This system becomes a much stronger and more reliable setup by involving the rear axle directly.
When it comes to fifth wheel hitch installation, the process is pretty simple and can be undertaken with the proper tools by following the steps. With a little effort and strictly following the manual, it can be done in your garage. The availability of a fifth-wheel hitch kit can make the whole process easier.
Let’s suppose you hire a mechanic to install a fifth wheel hitch for you. On average without additional costs, it will cost you somewhere between $400 and $600. Now by doing it yourself, you can save all this money and use it for other recreational purposes. Moreover, by doing it yourself you get the opportunity to understand your machine better which will help a lot in dealing with future complications.
Before initiating the fifth wheel hitch installation process, determine the truck’s load capacity. Start the installation process only after it has been verified that the towing capacity of the vehicle is more than enough for the fifth wheel. This point is often overlooked but it is crucial to know that your vehicle is rated to hold the additional weight of the trailer that you are going to attach. Of course, you can’t attach the trailer to your Prius. You can find the optimum capacity in the owner’s manual that came with your vehicle.
Installation Process
There are some things you have to make sure are in order before embarking on the installation of the fifth wheel hitch. Consider them as preliminaries necessary for the smooth completion of the whole installation process without any hiccup.
It will be pointless to start the installation without having the right tools for it. The instruction manual of the kit often contains a list of the recommended tools. However, some universally used tools are:
Heavy Duty Drill
Standard Wrench Set
Electrical Wiring Kit
Socket Wrench
Jacks or Lift
Make sure that you have the right hitch for your vehicle. We are not talking about specific brands and styles yet, it’s about the safe weight range. To have a little bit more flexibility, consider getting a weight distributing hitch.
Make sure your fifth wheel hitch kit contains all the necessary hardware. It sometimes gets tricky to get out-of-the-box hardware in case the in-box is lost.
You may need to make some changes to the vehicle like drilling the frame or removing the exhaust. But these modifications are mostly in the case of a universal hitch kit.
Types of Fifth Wheel Hitch Installation
There are a few different fifth wheel hitch mounting configurations. You have to select from them in the light of your vehicle model and the installation it supports as not all systems are compatible with all pickup vehicles. These are
Gooseneck Mount
Industry Standard Rails
Puck System Installations
Single Gooseneck Hitch
It is recommended that you find custom installation kits designed specifically for your vehicle instead of using universal kits as it will save you from drilling additional holes in the frame of your truck. However, in case you can not purchase the installation kit designed specifically for your vehicle, don’t try the installation yourself. Now is the time to get professional help before you get into any trouble. Also if you are having second thoughts about your ability to finish the installation by yourself, there is no shame in calling the professionals. After all, it’s for your benefit.
Most probably you will find the installation kit. And the next step is the positioning of the fifth wheel hitch which is important to gain the optimum balance. Make sure to position it in such a way that your trailer weight sits between the truck’s cabin and the rear axle. Nearer to the center, the better.
The next step is to install the rails which are the foundation of your hitch. After determining the position of its placement, drill bolts and attach brackets to secure the rails to the frame of the truck. The rails must never be installed over a plastic bed liner. It may seem ok in the beginning but the plastic will eventually disintegrate and the hitch will get loose.
Most probably, your trucks will contain pre-drilled holes in the bed. Tighten the rails down, and use spacers if there is any chance of damaging the body of the truck. After the rails are anchored in the frame, you are ready to install the hitch.
Now assemble the fifth wheel hitch in the line of your rails. Using the bolts from the kit, attach the hitch with your front and rear rails. Now torque the bolts and make sure that they are firmly secured. Be sure that all of the hardware you need will be included in your installation kit. Make sure to check that the hitch is properly anchored to the truck’s frame. It had better be secure as you are going to pull a lot of weight with it. A little here and there and it is going to snap.
It is advisable to install a brake controller harness which will allow you to engage your trailer’s braking system in proportion to the truck’s brake engagement. This will help in avoiding the toppling of the trailer with the additional benefit of stopping completely when necessary.
After double-checking everything, attach the trailer’s king pin to the hitch and make sure it is secured. Now you will be able to enjoy a smooth ride with your trailer with the satisfaction that you saved hundreds of dollars in the process.
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