Hitch Safety

Hitch Safety

Fifth Wheel Hitches for Short Bed Trucks

If you want to pull a fifth wheel with a short bed truck, you have some limited options in hitches. It's important to put a great deal of thought into your set-up because using a flawed design could cause damage to your cab or RV when turning or even an accident if your rig isn't weighted properly.

So, what are the most common options for fifth wheel hitches for short bed trucks?

The traditional solutions include using a sidewinder hitch or attaching a traditional hitch farther back in the truck bed. The goal is to maximize the distance between the truck's cab and the front of the fifth wheel when making turns.

Pros and Cons of a sidewinder hitch:

A sidewinder hitch can fix this problem without moving the weight to a dangerous spot in the truck bed by pulling the nose of the RV to the outside of the turn, but many RV manufactures will void your warranty if you use one. Why is this? A regular king pin locks into a fifth wheel plate and turns around to the left and right in that plate. With a sidewinder hitch, it is locked into the plate and then turns at the front of the trailer. This activates a twisting force on the fifth wheel plate that it is not designed to handle.

Moving the hitch back: A recipe for disaster

Many RVers solve the short bed problem by simply moving the hitch to the back of the truck bed. This does create more room between the RV and the cab, but it comes at a hefty price.  RV pin weight is designed to be balanced between the two truck axles. When you push the weight over or behind the rear axle, you are creating a severe imbalance which can cause an accident. This is such a dangerous set-up that it would be better to risk damaging your cab than to move the pin weight to the back of your truck.

Drop-Axles: The Safest Option

Using an auxiliary truck axle, like the Automated Safety Hitch, is definitely your safest and easiest option for towing a 5th wheel with a short bed truck. Essentially, you are extending the frame of your truck by attaching another heavy duty axle behind your truck, and the fifth wheel then attaches and sits on that axle. There are a few on the market, but the Automated Safety Hitch is your best bet; it uses a two-ton axle (so it can handle the pin weight of a 30,000 pound RV), has its own hydraulic brakes, and is fully automated in attaching and detaching. Many RV professionals believe that drop-axles like this one are the future for safe towing and they are the best option for short bed trucks and fifth wheel combinations. Check out the website for more information: www.safetyhitch.com

About the Author

Melaine McKenzie is an RV enthusiast having traveled 40 states in the continental United States in an RV with plans to explore Central America in a fith wheel.

My Boaters exam!!!!!!!!!?

ive failed 4 times, and i dont wanna fail again. does anyone know:

What is the main function of a boat trailer's safety chains?

a. to support the trailer if the hitch or coupling breaks
b. to prevent the boat from sliding off the trailer
c. to minimize fishtailing when the tongue weight is too great
d. to provide extra towing pull when hauling the trailer up a steep grade

and

From which part of an inboard engine does a powerboat's exhaust suck out explosive fumes?

a. the highest part of the engine and fuel compartments
b. the lowest part of the engine and fuel compartments
c. the cabin compartment
d. the carburetors

If we give you the answers What Will You Have learned?

Study Hard and RTWQ read the whole question on the test

The Automated Safety Hitch