Removing 5th wheel Hitch from pick up bed

[americanrascal]

Any good ideas on how to easily pull the hitch out of the truck bed so I can use truck for other activity?

I need to temporarily remove my Reese 16K tube slider. I know to release it from the rails I only need to pull the 4 cross rail pins, but any ideas on how to get it easily out? (If that's possible). I'am thinking using a pulley to the beam in garage ceiling, then lower the hitch assembly to dolly on floor after truck is pulled away.(Would have to find a pulley system)

I was advised the hitch weighs about 180 lbs??? I'm good- but not that good!

I have also read that some simply hook it to the king pin on the trailer, then pull the pins and drive off leaving it hanging from the trailer king pin. I worry that would put some significant downward strain on the pin and then I would have to find some way to lower it to a dolly or ground level.

Mamma has assured me she will contribute no effort to this exercise other than to laugh at me during the process- shes good at that --and my Geritol tonic says on the label I should never strain myself! So I got to figure this one out. Help!

I suppose there is no way to train a hitch to simply step out of the bed on to the garage floor huh?

[oldbeek]

I have an RBW. I unbolt the rails from the bed. Then I just slide the whole thing off the back of the truck. I leave it standing up and walk it to the wall where it is stored vertical. To reload half the weight is on the truck bed when I tip it into the bed. Slide it into place and rebolt it.

[jcullipher]

I am one of those that pulls the pins, raise it up and let er hang on the kingpin.

[americanrascal]

Thanks all- a lot of good stuff here to chew on. Am going to give it a shot today. Because of all the vehicle shuffling I eventually have to do in this drill, I think initially I am going to opt on the first try to pull the large pin on the upper part of the hitch and lift it off rather than leaving on the king pin (might do that on a later project). Then after a swig of Geritol I am going to pull the 4 lower rail pins and try to impress Momma and lift it off(while she rolls on the floor laughing at me).

If this all fails I will await the arrival of the block and tackle I ordered from Amazon- which should easily attach to the garage ceiling beam and joist anchors I have in place.

If you all hear a bunch of wailing, screaming and hollerin you will know I messed up.

Thanks all for the good input and helping build my confidence in completing this drill!

[bluefinger1]

I know it is limited to 16,000 GVWR, but I have and love the Reese Goose Box. It has reduced the chucking issues I had, I've hurt my back way less, and I've used the bed of my truck more this year than when I had the B&W Companion.

http://www.lippertcomponents.com/goose-box

[oilslick]

A lot of replies with people hoisting the hitch out, but no one mentions if the are doing it with a king pin attach point or if they are hooking a chain on somewhere else on the hitch, just wondering how other people are doing it.

[stetwood]

I have a 14ft ceiling in my shed and just use a double pulley system. This cuts the weight in half, but takes 2x as long to lift. Sometime in the future I may have to go to a 3 pulley system so the DW can lift the hitch.

[jevanb]

2112 wrote:
I have a chain hoist from HF mounted to an overhead joist in my shop. I lift it up with that, roll a cart under it and lower onto the cart. Then push the cat into a corner. I can do this 'til I'm to old to walk.

same here, hoist in the garage, but today I installed it by hand because i did not want to waste the time getting the hoist hooked up after I cleaned the hitch on my table, and @ 250lbs that thing is heavy, plus it did not want to remove the snap bed cover

[wingsfan20]

Since age is an issue here, I am 72. I have an electric hoist mounted in the ceiling of my garage. Pull the pins, connect the lifting chain, hook the chain, push the button and lift the Reese 16k out of truck, pull truck forward, lower hitch onto furniture mover and move to open area of garage. No sweat, no strain.

[Water-Bug]

I use the front end loader on my tractor.

[rtazz17]

rhagfo wrote:
I guess I will count my blessings, at 63 I am still able to take my Reese 16K hitch apart and lift the two parts in and out of the truck.

you should count your blessings because alot of us have back injuries from various jobs.Im a firemen and have hurt my back more times then I can count.So having a hoist is great.I wish I could lift out my hitch with my hands but I would be lying in bed for a month if I did.
But as I said mine is 350lbs and a royal pia to take it apart.No chance Im lifting that.

[rtazz17]

I have a superglide hitch that weighs 350lbs.I have an electic hoist mounted in garage ceiling and I wrap some webbing straps around it and lift it out.Done in 2 minutes,literally.I drop it onto a home made dolly and push it out of the way.Got the hoist on harbor freight for 100 delivered.Worth every penny to save my back.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

glazier wrote:
Get a folding engine hoist ( cherry picker) with an extension for the boom.

1. Ditto the "cherry picker" engine hoist.
Check to see the arm is long enough to reach - you may have to purchase the "better" model.

2. The "one finger lift" -
One finger to push the button, another to give that heavy hitch "the bird".
Harbor Freight electric cable hoist. Size of a lunch pail, weighs about 30 lbs. Hang it from a rafter, or between to stable objects.

3. Chain hoist. Less money, more effort - same set-up.
Ditto a cable hoist

4. HF "crane" - intended to mount in p/up bed. Mount in your garage, or?

Lower onto a furniture dolly - roll it wherever you want.

All of the above have other uses - handy stuff!

If you like to just "hang around" - let it hang from your king pin.

Don't be surprised if folks you never met say, "How's it hanging?"..:W

~

[dezl_dr]

If or when I can't pick up my hitch anymore, the kids will be grown and I'll give this a shot. I don't know about the extra length, it's tight. Barn is 40 on the outside, 6" posts and a RV that says it's 38', it's longer that that.
The new hitch sit's in pockets and a crew cab truck you can't see them. Very little wiggle room, my stock trailer (gooseneck) gives you +or- at least 1.25 inches any direction and you have a way to judge it. Any ball or pintle you can nudge or wiggle. The RV isn't moving, at all.

[oilslick]

I used to leave my hitch attached to the trailer but decided to make up a king pin with a few links of chain attached, I can either attach it to an over head hoist, a boom for an engine hoist or slip the boom into my skid steer which is what I normally do, this enables me to remove or install the hitch anywhere then I can easily place it where I want to store it which is on a low dolly that fit's under the trailer for the winter but can be moved around in the summer..

[RCMAN46]

I leave my Reese on the pin. The statement that it may be dangerous as a kid may pull the release. I lock mine on the pin with a padlock.

Then the statement! how would you ever line up to put hitch back in the truck? How in the word do ball pull trailers ever get lined up then. Or even a goose neck? You do not need to get the 5th wheel hitch any closer than the pull trailer or the goose neck has to.