Looking for a Fifth Wheel hitch with single, wrap around jaw

rhagfo wrote:

I would venture a guess 99% of dropped 5er's is due to operator error.

I think you might be a little low on your estimate.

rhagfo wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

bpounds wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

People "see" whatever supports their personal opinions.

And as I said above, Reese makes, or has made, their hitch with all 3 of the basic jaw styles. So surveys aren't worth squat if all they see is a brand logo.

I have owned REESE products in the past. Many years ago I started looking at the hitch in the bed of trucks with bed damage at that time I owned a RBW with a slide bar. Most are the stile with a high handle. And of those the most are REESE. If people want to get defensive about that comment they can but its what I have seen over many years. I still would like to know what makes this type of hitch more likely than others to have a failure??????

If you want to talk quality of construction that is a different thing.

Well part of the relationship to the Reese and dropped 5er's might be that as a mid priced hitch, it is included in many deals to newbie 5er owners. This would lead a higher incidence of improperly hitched 5er. Many have a totally wrong idea how to hitch leading to many high hitching. Many hook up with the jaws unlocked and don't pull test, OR do a visual and drive right out from under the 5er.
I would venture a guess 99% of dropped 5er's is due to operator error.

Could be!

It's a shame that so many people hook up and go without anyone helping to make newbies understand how to and why to do so many things associated with safe RVing.

Had friends head out with a Alfa 40' toy hauler. Never had a RV before. We offered to local camp with them before they hit the highway but they declined. Then the horror stories came flowing in.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

bpounds wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

People "see" whatever supports their personal opinions.

And as I said above, Reese makes, or has made, their hitch with all 3 of the basic jaw styles. So surveys aren't worth squat if all they see is a brand logo.

I have owned REESE products in the past. Many years ago I started looking at the hitch in the bed of trucks with bed damage at that time I owned a RBW with a slide bar. Most are the stile with a high handle. And of those the most are REESE. If people want to get defensive about that comment they can but its what I have seen over many years. I still would like to know what makes this type of hitch more likely than others to have a failure??????

If you want to talk quality of construction that is a different thing.

Well part of the relationship to the Reese and dropped 5er's might be that as a mid priced hitch, it is included in many deals to newbie 5er owners. This would lead a higher incidence of improperly hitched 5er. Many have a totally wrong idea how to hitch leading to many high hitching. Many hook up with the jaws unlocked and don't pull test, OR do a visual and drive right out from under the 5er.
I would venture a guess 99% of dropped 5er's is due to operator error.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

bpounds wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

People "see" whatever supports their personal opinions.

And as I said above, Reese makes, or has made, their hitch with all 3 of the basic jaw styles. So surveys aren't worth squat if all they see is a brand logo.

I have owned REESE products in the past. Many years ago I started looking at the hitch in the bed of trucks with bed damage at that time I owned a RBW with a slide bar. Most are the stile with a high handle. And of those the most are REESE. If people want to get defensive about that comment they can but its what I have seen over many years. I still would like to know what makes this type of hitch more likely than others to have a failure??????

If you want to talk quality of construction that is a different thing.

Not defensive, don't care other then your assumptions are pure BS, and have no basis for anything factual .

I can reassure you that there is no way that I can drop a fifth wheel with my reese hitch, anymore then you can drop one with a B&W. If you can come up with one way, then you can get someone to listen, and be aware of the potential problem. If not your high handle assumption which is all it is , and I will repeat pure BS, and its getting redundant on the matter. In other words your bashing of other products other then your own are getting tiresome.

bpounds wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

People "see" whatever supports their personal opinions.

And as I said above, Reese makes, or has made, their hitch with all 3 of the basic jaw styles. So surveys aren't worth squat if all they see is a brand logo.

I have owned REESE products in the past. Many years ago I started looking at the hitch in the bed of trucks with bed damage at that time I owned a RBW with a slide bar. Most are the stile with a high handle. And of those the most are REESE. If people want to get defensive about that comment they can but its what I have seen over many years. I still would like to know what makes this type of hitch more likely than others to have a failure??????

If you want to talk quality of construction that is a different thing.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

People "see" whatever supports their personal opinions.

And as I said above, Reese makes, or has made, their hitch with all 3 of the basic jaw styles. So surveys aren't worth squat if all they see is a brand logo.

I don't know where all this 'certain brands' cause dropped 5vrs.

I have a Husky
Single wrap jaw
Back into it with handle closed (unpinned) and jaw closed
Jaw/handle open and then close around king pin

At which point I could just drive off and it would stay closed as it doesn't require handle to be pinned to stay/be closed.

Dropped 5vrs are the result vast majority of incidents due to 'operator error' ie: neglectful human.
I have never seen a 'mechanical failure' of a 5th wheel hitch......sure it has happened just haven't seen one

Me Again wrote:
I have had the same Hijacker sliding bar hitch that I got in January 1997. Wear has not been a problem to the king pin or the hitch. Hitch has been in two trucks and I have had this trailer for over 10 years and maybe 50K miles.

I will be sad someday when it has to retire! Chris

I have the same type hitch made by Reece. It has been in two trucks, covering 14 years............no problems.

The Mad Norsky wrote:
:h

Lets see.....


Been around here for what, about 11 years now, since 2003 or so. Since I have a fifth wheel too, of course I read that section of the forum.

Literally dozens if not more threads on dropped fivers.

Mechanical error was in the vast minority of problems reported. For example a spring broke on an RBW sliding bar hitch once and allowed the bar to slide open while towing and dropped the fiver.

Most all dropped threads had Reese hitch as the common factor. But it appears most all high hitched and did not do a pull test.

Operator error. As Spock would say, a logical conclusion.

No campground survey. Shoot, tough to learn that way in my mind anyway. Yes, you can surely see what equipment others own and operate, but unless one stops, talks, and takes a survey, you only have the visual information.

So it is back to the forum here where, if one keeps an open mind and reads a lot (as I have done over the years) you can actually observe and learn a few things.

Now comparing the Reese hitch to Lippert reported problems??? I don't agree with that.

I just do not recall many or in fact any, threads reporting mechanical problems with the Reese causing a dropped fiver.

Operator error again was the overriding cause.

Having an RBW before my B&W, the RBW can NOT come unhitched because of anything if it is hitched properly. They use the handle as part of the locking mechanism. If it is rotated down, it is latched, and being a sliding bar hitch, can not slide open.

There is no time a pull test is better than a visual test. Doing both is good, but the visual is mandatory.


Just in case anyone is wondering, I don't gain anything if you do or don't do a visual test. I just want to help people avoid problems.

C-Bears wrote:


Don't want to get in a back and forth on this point of a pull test. But one thing I will have to disagree on when you compare a pull tests between a commercial tractor/trailer and a RV fifth wheel. It don't take much throttle to get out from under a FW if your jaws aren't locked.

My buddy (triple axle toy hauler) had to have a fellow camper move his fiver for him because my buddy's truck was broke down. The guy hooks up and gets it moved to a spot in the CG. The guy gets out and before my buddy could lower his front legs the guy pulls his lever on the hitch. The fiver immediately rolls back off the hitch and slams onto the guy's truck's bedrails!

Now that didn't take much throttle with about 4,000 pounds of pin weight now did it.

Why weren't the wheels chocked, especially on a slope?

They really don't unhook that easily except in those situations.

I really do have experience here, so feel free to make these statements and ask questions. The visual inspection really is the most important test when hooking up.

Just for the record, I did do a pull test with my 5er. A REAL pull test, I backed under until the jaws locked, lifted the legs very slightly (1/4 inch) unlocked the jaws and drove out.

I did it on level ground.