Installing Ram 5th wheel prep
Has anyone installed the Ram 5th wheel prep kit part# 82213980AB in their 2014 or newer Ram 2500? We're about to purchase a 5th wheel and I want to use this for my attachment points in the bed. My t...
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I dont have a video but did install mine on a 2014. The tricky or worse part is cutting the holes. First you have to loosen the box bolts and slip the pucks in between the brackets. They provide a template for the hole placement but I wasn't comfortable with using a hole saw having to take one try at it and being dead on. The template got me in the ballpark and I then drilled several small holes and used a die grinder to clean it up and keep it on center. I did try to use a smaller hole saw at first thinking it would give me room to clean up the hole if it was a little off center but it didn't want to cut that steel very well. As you get the pucks in and look at the template you will see what I mean.
When you attempt to drop the picture frame into place the "key" shape pins on the picture frame may not want to drop into place in the pucks. At that point you may loosen the pucks a little and re tighten. You may also have to clean up the edges of the pins a little to get them to drop in. It's all sort of crude and not a precision set up yet it can be a little touchy to get them to drop into place at first. You wont need to grind a great deal off of them, you are just going to finesse them a little. Try the puck on the pin before you install anything just to see what I mean.
When the picture frame is in place you can then see how the engagement of each pin/puck feels and adjust as needed. You may need to pull the cotter pins and adjust the depth of engagement for each pin with the large nut adjuster. I adjusted it so there was no up down movement of the picture frame. While I was doing that I used anti seize on everything so it wasn't a nightmare to work with it years later.
It's not real high tech but cutting the holes is the important part. You have leeway in it because of the plastic insert so it's not like you will ruin everything. Look at the plastic inserts and picture the tolerance you need to stay within.
This isn't part of the install but I also shortened my arms so I could lift the whole unit out at one time while hanging on the FW pin. As it is designed you will need to pull the 4 pins and clips to first remove the upper portion of the hitch. When the upper portion has been removed it then allows room for the 4 arms to swing inward 90 degrees releasing the picture frame. I cut my arms short enough so that they can swing in 90 degrees and allow the picture frame and all to come out at one time. I have drilled, tapped and bolted the end of each arm when in the engaged position. Those that want to get all excited about the warranty just relax. It's not a space ship. Filing and cleaning up the ends of the pins isn't going to allow them to release and shoot the whole works in the air and wipe out three states and all their inhabitants either.
When you attempt to drop the picture frame into place the "key" shape pins on the picture frame may not want to drop into place in the pucks. At that point you may loosen the pucks a little and re tighten. You may also have to clean up the edges of the pins a little to get them to drop in. It's all sort of crude and not a precision set up yet it can be a little touchy to get them to drop into place at first. You wont need to grind a great deal off of them, you are just going to finesse them a little. Try the puck on the pin before you install anything just to see what I mean.
When the picture frame is in place you can then see how the engagement of each pin/puck feels and adjust as needed. You may need to pull the cotter pins and adjust the depth of engagement for each pin with the large nut adjuster. I adjusted it so there was no up down movement of the picture frame. While I was doing that I used anti seize on everything so it wasn't a nightmare to work with it years later.
It's not real high tech but cutting the holes is the important part. You have leeway in it because of the plastic insert so it's not like you will ruin everything. Look at the plastic inserts and picture the tolerance you need to stay within.
This isn't part of the install but I also shortened my arms so I could lift the whole unit out at one time while hanging on the FW pin. As it is designed you will need to pull the 4 pins and clips to first remove the upper portion of the hitch. When the upper portion has been removed it then allows room for the 4 arms to swing inward 90 degrees releasing the picture frame. I cut my arms short enough so that they can swing in 90 degrees and allow the picture frame and all to come out at one time. I have drilled, tapped and bolted the end of each arm when in the engaged position. Those that want to get all excited about the warranty just relax. It's not a space ship. Filing and cleaning up the ends of the pins isn't going to allow them to release and shoot the whole works in the air and wipe out three states and all their inhabitants either.
