5th wheel bed saver

[Bob_Vaughn]

I am contemplating purchasing a 5th wheel bed saver. Blue Ox is the only brand I can find. Surely there are other mfg. that make them or is the risk of not having one not that great.......

[mlts22]

If I went with a fifth wheel, I'd go with the Blue Ox bed saver. I have seen/heard too many incidents about someone flipping latches (especially here in Austin where vandalism is rampant.) That and using a good padlock.

After too many incidents where I live about tow hitches mysteriously coming undone, I always padlock my TT's latch. If it does come off the ball, both the safety chains and the spring bars will help mitigate any damage that does result.

[dodge_guy]

All the same could be said for safety chains. When done properly they aren't needed. But for that .999995% chance they are needed. I have never seen a trailer come off a ball either, but it does happen! Well worth the money for safety!

[ependydad]

Bob Vaughn wrote:
I am contemplating purchasing a 5th wheel bed saver. Blue Ox is the only brand I can find. Surely there are other mfg. that make them or is the risk of not having one not that great.......

There are 2 types of bed savers:

One is the Blue Ox Bed Saver. This is "always activated" and nothing needs to be done for it to be prepared to catch the king pin. It's also about 4x to 5x more expensive than the next option.

The other one is Butch's Latch Kit. This requires you to slide a pin across the base of the hitch head in order for it to be ready to catch a pin. You can't just leave it and you can't hitch/unhitch with it in place. But, it's like 1/4 or 1/5 of the price of the Blue Ox.

Two entirely different levels of protection. IMO, if you're going to invest in this- the Blue Ox is the only way to go.

fj12ryder wrote:

Bob Vaughn wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
B&W makes a nice one:)

I went to their web site and did not see anything....

That's a bit of an inside joke, as B&W owners consider their(our) hitches to be drop proof. And they are.

Except for the guy with a B&W who dropped his. It wasn't a fault of the hitch- he latched it in the *open* position when he last unhitched (per the unhitching instructions from B&W). But, all hitches are fallible because people are stupid. 😄 (This coming from a B&W owner and fanboy!)

[JIMNLIN]

Bob Vaughn wrote:
I am contemplating purchasing a 5th wheel bed saver. Blue Ox is the only brand I can find. Surely there are other mfg. that make them or is the risk of not having one not that great.......

Some RV newbys think the only way a 5er gets dropped is by the owner making a mistake. There are and have been drops reported for different reasons just on RV.net alone.

I've been on this web for over 10 years. At first it was the Hijacker crowd that thought their hitch was drop proof.

Then the Husky crowd pounded their chest for a drop proof hitch.

Then the sliding bar type hitch head crowd said that design was drop proof.

Then it was the SuperGlide hitch crowd that had a drop proof hitch.

Some claim their wrap around jaw type can't be dropped.

Time and use has proven all was myth

Now its the B&W crowd on RV.net makes their brag its a drop proof hitch.... LOL

Others have claimed....... the list could go on and on but you get the idea.

No hitch brand/jaw type is drop proof.

Not even a SAF-Holland big rig hitch or a Binkley-Holland the pros use is drop proof as there are several reasons a trailer can land on a pickup trucks bed rails.

Only you can decide if you need a safety devise. We can't make that decision for you.

I use a Bedsaver because my new RV type hitch had a mechanical malfunction under warranty. That was years ago.
I also heard and saw a Bedsaver in action when some moron in a parking lot pulled the latch open on someones rig. As the rigs owner started forward the trailer side off the hitch plate and bam...the Bedsaver caught the pin. I was amazed as he backed up under the pin box and the hitch latch slammed home. That sold me.

[Old-Biscuit]

fj12ryder wrote:
Didn't have to knock on wood because the security of the B&W hitch doesn't depend on luck. 🙂

If it closes, it's hitched. Pure and simple. I've pulled mine down the road with the hitch handle not pinned, not recommended but no issues.

Done the same thing with my Huskey/Valley hitch.......if it closes it's hitched also regardless if handle is latched/pinned.

IMHO 99% of dropped trailers are due to 'operator' error vs mechanical failure.

[fj12ryder]

If dropping the trailer was such a probable occurrence, then you'd see, literally, hundreds of trucks with bent bed rails and damaged tailgates. I don't remember ever seeing any, although I'm sure they're out there. With so many 5th wheel trailers circulating along the roads I'm sure some get dropped, just very few, certainly not enough to make bed savers mandatory.

Pretty much a non-issue IMO.

[azrving]

As I continue reading....on my supporting side I would add that also look at the difference between who is using this type of towing equipment and how they enter the picture.

Heavy truck side guys: trained/schooling, working with other very experienced truckers, testing.

RV industry: pull up to the dealer and possibly get a fantastic guy who rv's himself OR get a minimum wage guy who doesn't know much and may be being ridden to hurry up and get back to installing that epdm roof that has to go out today.

They are both going to go through the delivery gig and the customer could be a trucker or a guy who has never pulled anything OR his wife who happens to have to drive because her husband broke his right foot 2 days ago and they must pick up the 5er. They can all jump in after the dealer hitches up for them and drive away.

To me, It might actually seem like it would be mandatory.

[dodge_guy]

It seems to me it is a great safety feature too! not only would it save the bed, but it would keep the pin from going all the way back to the gate. and if you have no gate or a V-gate...... right on the ground. bumper pull trailers have safety chains, why shouldn`t a fifth wheel have a similar system?

The price of a bedsaver is much cheaper than bed rail repairs and/or landing gear repair.

[Lantley]

fj12ryder wrote:
Didn't have to knock on wood because the security of the B&W hitch doesn't depend on luck. 🙂

If it closes, it's hitched. Pure and simple. I've pulled mine down the road with the hitch handle not pinned, not recommended but no issues.

I know never to say never. If it was designed by man it is not 100% foolproof. I'm not suggesting you should rush out and buy a bedsaver but understand anything mechanical can fail.

[edatlanta]

I had a boat trailer hitch tampered with at a rest area many years ago, so one thing I always eyeball prior to getting in my truck and driving off is my hitch. I do have the lever locked, but bad guys and "pranks" happen every day.

[fj12ryder]

Didn't have to knock on wood because the security of the B&W hitch doesn't depend on luck. 🙂

If it closes, it's hitched. Pure and simple. I've pulled mine down the road with the hitch handle not pinned, not recommended but no issues.

[rhagfo]

fj12ryder wrote:

Bob Vaughn wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
B&W makes a nice one:)

I went to their web site and did not see anything....

That's a bit of an inside joke, as B&W owners consider their(our) hitches to be drop proof. And they are.

Sure hope you knocked on wood after that statement! :S

Nothing in this world is fool proof, there is always a fool that will figure out a way to make it fail.

Maybe I could call my Reese fool proof, I towed my 5er over 20 miles with the handle unlatched! :S Due to the design of the jaws they are forced shut the harder you pull the 5er. If a Reese passes the pull test, you are good.

[Lantley]

rjxj wrote:
I look at it both ways but chose to not use one. On one hand I at first thought it's a great idea and a safety advantage just in case. Why dont they all have one?

Then as I read all the posts in here about heavy trucks not using them I decided that NO this is very serious and I'm going to learn the proper way to hook up and take my time and learn it. I have painted the latch red, I cant miss seeing that it's closed, I triple check the handle and it's padlocked. I then do a light tug test with the 5er brakes locked and the landing gear is still almost down. If I'm dropping it off the back of there my method is too sloppy. BUT, the best thing to do is what makes you comfortable. If you think it's a good idea, then I think you are smart to use it. This stuff is not one size fits all.

Good Answer, I do have a Blue Ox bedsaver I do not believe they are absolutely necessary,however I consider it cheap insurance.
Drops happen every day. Those that have experienced a drop never thought it could happen to them. But we all know. "It happens!"
Do whatever makes you comfortable.

[azrving]

I look at it both ways but chose to not use one. On one hand I at first thought it's a great idea and a safety advantage just in case. Why dont they all have one?

Then as I read all the posts in here about heavy trucks not using them I decided that NO this is very serious and I'm going to learn the proper way to hook up and take my time and learn it. I have painted the latch red, I cant miss seeing that it's closed, I triple check the handle and it's padlocked. I then do a light tug test with the 5er brakes locked and the landing gear is still almost down. If I'm dropping it off the back of there my method is too sloppy. BUT, the best thing to do is what makes you comfortable. If you think it's a good idea, then I think you are smart to use it. This stuff is not one size fits all.