5er hitch questions

hmar1 wrote:
Get them to throw in the hitch and install if you buy the fifth wheel , that's what we did, then they can set it up for you and you will come out ahead.

Dealers don't "Throw in" anything. They will just add it to the price of the trailer. Get the best price on the trailer you can. Purchase the rails, the mounting kit and the hitch from any of the online retailers. I did that and had my rails installed using the mounting kit for $300.00, which I still thought was a little high. My total cost including a Pull-Rite Super Glide 15k hitch came to $1300.00 but that includes an auto slide hitch. You should be able to do the whole package installed for around $1000.00.

B.O.

anaro wrote:
Well the dealer ended up including a reese 16k in our deal. Not a pullrite or b&w but from what I understand, it's a decent hitch.

That's what I used before I bought a truck with the gn already in it. Then I bought the B&W Companion. The Reese served me well and I never had any problems. Not as "beefy" as the b&w, but it was fine. And 'included in the deal' has a nice ring to it! Happy trails!

guidry wrote:

hmar1 wrote:
Get them to throw in the hitch and install if you buy the fifth wheel , that's what we did, then they can set it up for you and you will come out ahead.

X2, that's what we did too. I made that part of the deal when we negotiated the purchase. Dealer installed and showed me how to use and maintain our BW. We love it.

X3 :B

Well the dealer ended up including a reese 16k in our deal. Not a pullrite or b&w but from what I understand, it's a decent hitch.

If you look at Etrailer or Amazon, both sell custom fit rails for your truck. These are significantly easier to installed as you do not have to make holes on the frame. I bought and installed the once installed outboard in my 2500 Chevy, and did not have to remove the tires. Once you install the rails, the hitches are installed all the same way. You need a torque wrench. My experience

Thanks guys, looking into some options.

Bite the bullet one time and buy you a airsafe 25k hitch.It fits on regular Reese rails. I bought my first 5th wheel and hitch in august 2006.Till then I had a cabover camper for 23 years. So I knew nothing about 5th wheel hitches.I called a friend who had a 5th wheel all those years for advice on a hitch. He had a regular Reese hitch all those years till January that year. He bought the airsafe 25k hitch. His exact words to me was. I am not saying it is worth the money but I like the ride. He pulls a center console boat behind his 5th wheel . He said he left the lake and forgot a soap bottle on the kitchen counter. It is a 2 hour run from the lake to the house. He said when he got home the soap bottle was still sitting on the kitchen counter where he left it. That is all I needed to hear. I had enough money to do things right the first time. Not buy a starter hitch then upgrade later. I have not regretted buying the airsafe 25k hitch. The reason for the 25K instead of say a 16k hitch . Is the 25k comes with the binkley holland head.
Also with this hitch the truck and 5th wheel are not in a bind. The trailer just floats behind the truck. Their are other good air hitches on the market. But a air hitch is the way to go.

Get the rails installed by a experienced shop, then get the hitch. You can do it yourself with some grunt work. I went with the Hensley TS-3 hitch and plan to move it to the next truck when the time comes. Do a search, not many of them, but they are good!

I bought my hitch used for $150 off of CL. Had a buddy help me, actually I helped him do my install. I think I could had done it myself but he had already done several installs. If your husband is handy, it is something that can be done in the driveway at home. If not I would suggest a trailer/hitch shop. Several of our local dealers will farm out their hitch installs to one of these shops when a hitch is included in a deal. Anyway $1500 sounds pretty steep to me. Good luck, John.

hmar1 wrote:
Get them to throw in the hitch and install if you buy the fifth wheel , that's what we did, then they can set it up for you and you will come out ahead.

X2, that's what we did too. I made that part of the deal when we negotiated the purchase. Dealer installed and showed me how to use and maintain our BW. We love it.