5th Wheel Hitches, options?
Thread Starter
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,158
Likes: 35
From: North of Salt Lake City
Deere, You're absolutely right. I didn't have the pin in place when I tightened down the torque bolt. It pulled all the way to the top of the base plate and of course put no pressure on the side pin. I then released the side pin into the lower hole which the instructions say not to use. I must admit that I did not actually read the instructions. My helper was doing that. Thanks for covering my rear end for me.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
Well I guess we will call it even because I didn't know there was a spacer kit for the 2011 until your installation made me check their website to make sure I wasn't crazy. When I was looking up the installation instructions for the Companion, I stumbled upon the spacer/pad feet kit as well. Now if I could only find somebody that actually sells the darned thing.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,839
Likes: 2
Although I am unsure of what you mean, the weight transferred to the box is equal to the pin weight of your fifth wheel. I have a Duraliner in my truck bed. The center hole for the turnover receiver is removed. The bed liner is also notched for the safety chain loops. I drop my hitch into the center receiver, release the locking pin, torque the tension bolt to 40 ft pounds and then the u bolts to 80 ft pounds. Hook up the fifth wheel and hit the road. 10000 miles on 2 different trucks with no problems.
Regards
Regards
Thread Starter
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,158
Likes: 35
From: North of Salt Lake City
I think Porthole is asking how much weight the actual bed is bearing. The B&W hitch (and all hitches for that matter) are designed to transfer the weight of the trailer through the bed to the cross-members underneath the bed and onto the frame. The bed itself doesn't carry much load. It cannot because it is simply thin steel.
I don't know how much is on the actual bed, but there is theoretically some. It just can't be very much.
I don't know how much is on the actual bed, but there is theoretically some. It just can't be very much.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 63
What I mean: if pin weight is 2500 pounds, how much of the 2500 is directly placed on the frame and how much gets transferred to the outside edges/pads of the hitch body, where it rests on the corrugated sheet metal?
The hitch is being pulled down against the bed of the truck, right? So there must be some transfer of weight to the bed/body.
The hitch is being pulled down against the bed of the truck, right? So there must be some transfer of weight to the bed/body.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,839
Likes: 2
I understand the question now. As I said earlier, my Companion sits on top of my bed liner. There is little to no compression damage done to my bed liner that I can see after removing my hitch. This would indicate that the big feet of the Companion spread the load quite a bit across the bed. I was considering using a Sidewinder pin box for the trailer we almost bought before the Big Horn. B&W does not recommend, in fact they have published a disclaimer, using a Sidewinder pin box with a Companion hitch. The wedge that locks the hitch at the kingpin evidently puts too much twisting force on the mast. Sidewinder does make a wedge for the Companion but they require you to drill a hole through each of the feet and through the box to eliminate this twisting. B&W must be happy with the small twisting force that just the king pin generates working against the resistance of the feet and the torsional strength of the mast. Did that make sense...It's late
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Mayne Island
I am in B.C. Canada. I got the hitch for 1030 cdn.$ Through a guy I know who has a hitch shop. I see them on tweetys for 1130 us$ with free shipping and probably no tax.
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
My answer would be all of the pin weight is transferred to the bed and any pulling force required to drag the trailer is handled by the gooseneck hitch. Since these trucks are rated to haul 3500+ lbs placed directly in the bed, I don't see it being a problem.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
I have been wrong before but I don't think any weight is actually transfered to the sheetmetal of the bed...BECAUSE I think the companion sits directly on the bed bolts that directly bolt to the frame...direct transfer of weight to the frame.
5th Wheeling
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: British Columbia, Canada
John
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
I am in the market for a new hitch in my 2011 f350 6.7 KR CC short box. I am also from BC Canada on Vancouver island and wonder, if I may ask, is this the under mount system or rails above in the box? I am just starting to look at options and after having the above bed rails for the last 7 or so years would like to see how optional system looks. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
John
John
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Mayne Island
I am in the market for a new hitch in my 2011 f350 6.7 KR CC short box. I am also from BC Canada on Vancouver island and wonder, if I may ask, is this the under mount system or rails above in the box? I am just starting to look at options and after having the above bed rails for the last 7 or so years would like to see how optional system looks. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
John
John
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,839
Likes: 2
I am honored to make my 2000th post here a compliment to my good buddy Epic... Great looking rig. It is long...and it will turn well inside the truck around the corners. Have you had a chance to weigh the rig? It sits about the same as my 13000 pound Big Horn with 2450 pounds of pin weight. Looks like an early Epic...Christmas in SLC
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas