Just bought a camper 30' around 7500lb came with 16K reese minus the mounting brakets . I,m a little on the fence after seeing how they actually mount with one bolt through the frame mouted bracket and the other
actually just through the sheet metal of the floor . So all you have is one bolt at each corner secured too the frame bracket the others to the floor . Now i'm sure it must work or they would have stopped long ago . But heres what
i,m thinking since I would like to equip this truck for a goose neck BD
turn over ball anyway . Would I not be better off strength wize too just convert the Camper too the ball , or would that not be quiet as stable ?
Because I think Reese has a goose neck ball adapter . Its gonna cost me more that way but it seems too me it would be strounger an you wouldn,t have those rails to contend with ? Any food for thought out there thanks
Geo

 

The frame brackets carry the load, either multiple bolted or welded to the frame. They are up against the sheet metal, so the floor of the box is not a factor in the strength.

Mine seems to be an effective strong hitch. With a notched tailgate, I don't have to drop the gate to pick up the trailer. Rails stay in the bed. Hitch frame goes in with 4 hitch pins, fifth wheel goes in with 2 more. Parts are light enough for this old phart to pitch em in with no trouble.

 

Many 5th wheel trailer manufactures don't recommed using a GN adapter simply because it adds lots of leverage/stress to the 5ers frame at the pin box mounting flange and bracing. I would contact the trailer manufacture for their input. The adapter is popular and a few high end 5th wheel RV manufactures even had them as a option.

My frame mounted brackets were welded in '03 when I bought the truck new. I have a Reese GN hitch that pins to the same rails as my 16k Reese sliding 5th wheel hitch.

 

Thanks J&L so your saying you do pull a GN by installing the adapter . But your frame brackets are welded.
I have access to a certified welder good friend of mine . What did you do bolt them in place an then just weld on each side of the bracket ?
I just got a quick gance at the one I looked at an it was dark do they have to drill the frame for those bolts an you elected to weld instead or did you do both ? An Ican,t remember if there was 1 or 2 bolts holding it too the frame since I don,t have my kit yet . But I take it you have complete confidence in the strength of it when hauling heavy with your GN .
J Martin I can see where the GN exstention would put alot of leverage on that hook up . Thanks to both of you for your input .

 

My mounting brackets have a lot more that 1 bolt into the frame. I second the warning on the gooseneck on a fiver. Not many of them that can handle it safely. Mine has one of the best frames on the road and I had kingpin frame damage without a gooseneck, and you don't want that. Very expensive to repair. After repair, I went to an air hitch to reduce he shock on the framing.

Bob

 

No I don't use a adapter.
I use a Reese goose neck (the Goose) hitch that pins to the same rails as my 16k Reese sliding 5th wheel hitch. Check Reese website for "The Goose" that I'm refereing to.

Having hauled commercially for several years up to 32 GCW I've had and seen too many issues with just bolting brackets/hitches/etc.
I held the brackets in place while the weldor tacked them. Yes he welded them on both veritcle sides per Dodge Body Builders Guide welding specs.

 

Yep fiverbob pretty much decided against that setup .
J&L I went by a RV repair shop today an picked up my rail kit an in the instructions it shows the welds guess my welder friend can figure out what its saying . But back on the web tonight an I found some blogs talking about pin placement . My hitch is a 30051 with slider so it can be stretched out if need be . These instructions show placeing king pin 2" in front of the axle . Which from the pictures is mounting the bolts in the rear holes on the side brackets. Thats about all the adjustment I see , but some of these guys talk about 4" useing different brackets that you only have to bore a couple of holes instead of 8 . Have you seen or heard of guys useing those . I drive a truck for a living an can vouch for the fact that fifth wheel position really makes a difference on ride quility an weight distrabution . I sure do want to get this right first time around an not make swiss cheese out of my truck bed . The guy at the RV shop said he always installs them per the insructions an all is well. When you said your welder went per Dodge body builders guide welding specs . Where did you get that info or are talking about the Dodge instruction sheet that came with the kit ? Thanks again guys for the input .

 

Yep fiverbob pretty much decided against that setup .
J&L I went by a RV repair shop today an picked up my rail kit an in the instructions it shows the welds guess my welder friend can figure out what its saying . But back on the web tonight an I found some blogs talking about pin placement . My hitch is a 30051 with slider so it can be stretched out if need be . These instructions show placeing king pin 2" in front of the axle . Which from the pictures is mounting the bolts in the rear holes on the side brackets. Thats about all the adjustment I see , but some of these guys talk about 4" useing different brackets that you only have to bore a couple of holes instead of 8 . Have you seen or heard of guys useing those . I drive a truck for a living an can vouch for the fact that fifth wheel position really makes a difference on ride quility an weight distrabution . I sure do want to get this right first time around an not make swiss cheese out of my truck bed . The guy at the RV shop said he always installs them per the insructions an all is well. When you said your welder went per Dodge body builders guide welding specs . Where did you get that info or are talking about the Dodge instruction sheet that came with the kit ? Thanks again guys for the input .

 

I had installed several hitches, but when this Dodge came out with the hydroformed frame with the specific instructions on what to/not to do to that frame, I decided to have a pro mount the brackets. His bill was not worth my time jack legging around and then doing it wrong. These frames do create a little different scenario than the old frames. I am trying to remember, but I think he charged me something $85 and I supplied all parts. Just worth me crawling around under there - - that is what he does all day. JMHO - - for whatever it is worth. And the 2" front of dead center of the rear axle is the pretty well accepted norm for a good installation. The short bed does create a little more challenge to that, but I don't think 1" either way is going to make all that much difference. Mine ended up about 3" behind and pulls gorgeous.

Bob

 

Thanks Fiver man I would jump all over a $85.00 deal the RV guy I spoke of wanted $200 . What year modle is your truck ? I think i,m gonna call Reece today i,ve heard there customer service on the tech side is good . When you said you had damage occur are you talking about your camper how did that happen ?

 

Wasn't really damage - - it BROKE. OUCH. In Denali National Park, Alaska, 250 miles from help. I noticed the King pin framing was flexing way too much. Called Carriage, they had me try to limp into Anchorage. Labor cost alone was $3000 plus parts. You don't want to push your luck - - be good to your kingpin framing by cushioning that baby as much as possible. And that is with a Carriage, noted for their frame quality. The faciility that repaired had one bay devoted to that repair - - very good. Some rough roads up there. An air hitch cushions the impact dramatically. You can see why I would never use a gooseneck adapter on an RV fiver. A trailer made specifically for that type hitch is entirely different in construction around the hitch point in bracing.

Good luck.

Bob

 

The install instructions on the rails are very good, including standard welding symbols. They show exactly how to line up and weld on the brackets.

Reese part # for your rails is 30035, about 130 bucks. Depending on your truck may need additional parts, well documented in the instructions.

 

YOu don't have the specs up on your signature so we know what truck you are installing this hitch in. It just dawned on me we are talking a lot about welding a hitch in. That is unnecessary. Mine was completely bolted in. That was 9 1/2 years ago. That setup has hauled a 16,000 pound fiver all over the US, Canada including Newfoundland, Mexico and up to Alaska. I have retorqued all connections several times just to be safe, but only found one nut that possibly had come a bit loose. Why weld if you don't have to, especially on the hydroformed frames?

Bob

 

Fiver the truck is a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 DSL long bed Quad Cab . I talked too the reese hitch people yesterday an he basically said the same thing . These new kits they want you too install the bolts in the middle of the rails that are in the bed of the truck. That also helps too prevent any twisting when you have it in a bind . We talked about the welding an brackets that use exsisting holes but he checked an they don't make them for the 2nd Gen trks . An most likley if I do pull a GN it will be short distances an just here around the farm . We also talked about haveing the pin centered 2" front of the axle center. AN the way the previous owner had this 5th wheel hieght adjustment set I don't believe he did its tilted the wroung way . So I've just got too get started an deal with the proublems as they arrise . I guess hveing those rails in the bed of the truck i'll just have too get use to because going any other route would cost way to much to make it right .

 

The rails aren't a big deal, except they trap dirt and debris. Rough loads, like firewood just stack over em. Flat loads, like lumber or panels, you just put several pins under the load to space it up off the rails. No big deal.

And with the rails you can throw in a 15k fiver, or a 20K goose neck hitch. Either one takes minutes to put in or take out.