5th wheel hitch

[furryman415]

i am thinking about buying a truck with the rails already installed. Are hitches universal. Can i buy a hitch and will it fit.

[Annaoinga]

I have a F250 Diesel 6.5 bed and the dealer said based on his experience that we don't need a slider hitch... I guess with the curved nose on the 5ers and most of them have the extended pin box so do you agree we don't need to get the slider? He recommended a 16K husky installed for $750. He said if we really want the slider he recommends an auto slider for $1500.

Thank you,
Anna

[handsome51]

spud1957 wrote:

handsome51 wrote:

furryman415 wrote:
i am thinking about buying a truck with the rails already installed. Are hitches universal. Can i buy a hitch and will it fit.

Buy a real truck when you buy one. Get one with a 8 foot bed.

Apparently you haven't been paying attention. It has to be a dually diesel WITH an 8' box to be a real truck.(sarcasm)

Now that we have that established. For your trailer and truck to go down the road without being in a bind. And you to have a nice ride in the truck and everything in your trailer to ride nicely. Buy you a air hitch. Like a friend told me I am not saying it is worth the money, but I like the ride.I bought my first air hitch in 2006 when I bought my first 5th wheel. It is the 25k air safe hitch with the binkley holland head. I don't know the trailer is behind me going down the road. And unless I get in a situation where I have to slam on the brakes . Everything in the trailer stays where I put it.My 5th wheel is a 2006 Carriage.
Their are other good air hitches on the market. Just buy one with the binkley holland head.My air safe hitch fit's the regular reese rails. Their not cheap but you are just buying it one time You spend a lot of money on the truck and the trailer. Why cut you self short on the hitch.

[spud1957]

handsome51 wrote:

furryman415 wrote:
i am thinking about buying a truck with the rails already installed. Are hitches universal. Can i buy a hitch and will it fit.

Buy a real truck when you buy one. Get one with a 8 foot bed.

Apparently you haven't been paying attention. It has to be a dually diesel WITH an 8' box to be a real truck.(sarcasm)

[handsome51]

furryman415 wrote:
i am thinking about buying a truck with the rails already installed. Are hitches universal. Can i buy a hitch and will it fit.

Buy a real truck when you buy one. Get one with a 8 foot bed.

[Allworth]

As long as the entire hitch assembly is rated for at least 110% of the trailer Gross Weight (GVWR) it is personal choice. I use a Reese that I have had for years.

Long bed? Short bed?

Auto slider? Fixed mount?

Lower cost? More expensive?

Highways/Campgrounds? NFS roads/boondocking?

A lot more information would help us give usable answers. You will still find that each of us will swear by a personal "best".

[wkswenson]

As long as it can haul your rig weight, and has the ability to install it your truck, the hitch becomes a personal preference.

We have a Curt 24K Hitch and like it very much - good quality and good value (i.e. - good price for the quality). Not the cheapest hitch out there but not the most expensive.

Hitch brands are like truck brands everyone is dedicated to their brands...

Safe travels

[ours]

I have a question about 5th hitches. I just purchase a Silverback 33ik and will need to purchase a hitch and have the trailer dealer install it. Please let me know which is the correct kind to purchase. I pull with a 2500 6.6 Duramax HD. Thank you.

[Winged_One]

You should be able to get installation instructions online somewhere for free. I would print some off, take a look under the truck, just to be sure it was installed correctly. You wouldn't want to drop in a hitch, and watch it be ripped out of the truck along with the rails.

Should be easy to do. Then at the same time, you could verify the installation dimensions to ensure it is set up for universal fit.

[Allworth]

I bought a used 3500 with rails in the bed from a previous owner's hitch of unknown type/maker.

My Reese slider dropped right in. Pin it; clip the pins; go!

[BB_TX]

Sounds as though you are looking at a used truck that already has the rails installed. Correct?

If so, do you know what hitch was previously installed?

[mdamerell]

Some 5th wheel hitches use rails, some pugs (factor Ford prep) and some attach to the gooseneck hitch like the Companion by Reese. The capabilities of the hitch and truck is more important than if it comes with a set of rails. Many avoid rails in the bed so they can use the bed for other work.

[wkswenson]

as long as it is setup to go into rails... there are some design specific to the newer mounting systems such as pucks/pins from the factory.

I believe some have their own custom hitches/mounting rails.

I have a Curt Q24 that aligns with the universal rails.