removing a pinbox

Ependydad, I had originally drilled 4 holes to bolt the receiver to the pinbox but I can not get my large fingers far enough into the box to get the nuts and washers on the front 2 bolts so I will weld then together.

Simple ONE person job if you know how to do it. I've done a couple by myself. Use a few blocks on the bed/tailgate of your truck. Using the front jacks on your trailer raise or lower the rig so you can rest the pin box on the wooden blocks in the truck. Unbolt it and raise the trailer enough to slide it off and drive away. Open beer.

B.O.

NEnative wrote:
I want to remove it so I can weld a receiver hitch on it.

Why weld vs. bolting the receiver hitch in place?



http://learntorv.com/diy-fifth-wheel-pin-box-bike-rack-pictures/

One person not a problem. I replaced my OEM pin box with a 5th Airborne by myself. Backed truck with tailgate down under pin box. Lowered trailer until pin box was about an inch above tailgate. Removed bolts letting pin box lower onto tailgate. Raised trailer so frame cleared pin box and moved pin box to the side. Moved new pin box under frame and lowered trailer until frame holes matched pin box holes with a little help from large screwdriver. Reinserted bolts.

OEM pin box can be lifted by one person once detached. Heavy but manageable. 5th Airborne pin box is heavier.

Exactly the way I did mine.

One person not a problem. I replaced my OEM pin box with a 5th Airborne by myself. Backed truck with tailgate down under pin box. Lowered trailer until pin box was about an inch above tailgate. Removed bolts letting pin box lower onto tailgate. Raised trailer so frame cleared pin box and moved pin box to the side. Moved new pin box under frame and lowered trailer until frame holes matched pin box holes with a little help from large screwdriver. Reinserted bolts.

OEM pin box can be lifted by one person once detached. Heavy but manageable. 5th Airborne pin box is heavier.

Two person job for sure. The Demco pinbox on my Hitchhiker weighs 125#. That is probably a pretty average weight for most standard types of pinboxes. I checked with the factory about the weight BEFORE attempting to remove it myself. We used a method similar to what ford truck guy described.

I used the truck hitch. Hooked it up, unbolted it then lifted the trailer a bit to remove weight. Made it pretty easy.

When I adjusted the height on mine, hooked to truck then unbolted and raised trailer with leveling jacks. Pin was a tight fit into mount.

donn0128 wrote:
It usually takes at least two people. Unbolt and drop it out. Take all but one bolt out. With two people holding it, take out remaining bolt. Be sure to disconnect anything electrical connected to it. On mine the break away switch is screwed to the side.

I replaced mine with a Morryde and I agree, it's a 2 person job.

It can be done with the proper stuff by 1 person, albeit a tough task.. I would have loved to have help, but I didn't . .

I swapped my tri-glide for the new flex air by myself:

I took a floor jack and used 2 of the 2" cargo straps to secure it to a rolling cart


I rolled the cart and jack under the box, lifted the floor jack enough to be tight against the bottom of the pin box.

I then unbolted the pin box nuts and left 2 of the loose bolts in for support.. I then jacked up just a hair and removed the bolt.

I then lowered the jack, and rolled the cart out int the middle of the driveway..

You really just have to be sure to have the center of the pinbox when placing the jack under.