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As you can see in the pictures the previous owner welded in these small brackets to the frame. I didn't notice them and ordered these 5th wheel custom frame mounts for my truck a year+ ago. I discovered the brackets after I removed the plastic bed liner. Anyway my current 5th wheel campers maximum weight is 11,700lbs. Those doesn't seam to be enough there to do the job. What do you guys think. Do I even have the correct custom brackets? I'm new at this and need to get it right. The bed is currently off so I've got easy access. Also there is only 1 bracket welded to the frame and there should be 2 on the front.
off as I'm replacing the bed rails si I've got easy access to the frame.
If I were in your position, I would remove the welded brackets from the previous owner and weld the air bag upper bracket to the new 5th wheel bracket. Like @akcooper9 has on his truck and is pictured below.
@FordTruckNoob did something similar to his air bag brackets when he purchased a B&W goose neck ball hitch.
Alternatively you could drill and bolt things together if you don't want to weld or have someone weld for you. It is easy to mock things up, take the the brackets to a welding shop (if you don't weld) and have them accomplish the work and pick it up later.
I have the smaller L-bracket type of 5th wheel hitch that you are contemplating removing, but I will be taking the approach that @Wes444 took recently in this thread. I have the bags and over axle mounting kit (horrible design) and will be swapping to an over the leaf spring design, as he recently installed. If I had the large 5th wheel bracket like you have though, I would definitely go the weld route.
As mentioned take a wire wheel to everything and lay down paint/undercoating. Take off that welded bracket. Then research and pick what hitch mounts you will be using, whether B&W, universal or 1 piece no drill.
If you've ever thought about airbags do them at the same time as the hitch install. Do the Hutch & Harpoon while you have such easy access to the tank
Thanks Wess444. I bought a Needle Scaler yesterday and next to sandblasting there isn't anything better for getting heavy rust scale off. I actually had the wife doing that while I was removing the rails from the under side of the bed. Hutch and Harpoon were done last year and while the tank was out I did as much of the truck frame while I was under there. I will still do some light sand blasting where I can't get into with the Needle scaler then paint it with a paint over rust paint like a POR15. Thanks for the advice! I have a Anderson hitch that goes to 20k that's why I was concerned about the brackets. Some day if the wife and I decide to go bigger (camper) I won't have to do any upgrades. I'll probably post some pics Monday after work and after I get the last rail off.
Here are the pics I promised. Day late but so far so good. Got all the rails off that are coming off. the first one up front seems to be in perfect shape. I will get my snake camera out to verify but shining a light thorough it tonight I see no issues with rust. Ground off all the jagged metal from the spot welds tonight then started to DA it down with 80 grit. Need to come up with some kind of primer to cover the entire under side and seal out the rust and everything .
As you can see in the pics the rails weren't horrible yet but in a couple of years they would have been. When I'm done these they will never rust in my life time. Rails are suppose to be received Wednesday. Ordered Doorman set thru Amazon.
I mentioned I bought a needle scaler and the pics of the crossmembers have been cleaned up with it. My wife actually did the job. It is going to save me a ton of time sandblasting. Going to do a light blast all around but going to have to get into areas where the scaler couldn't get. Like the top of the shock mounts. But before I do that I wanted to take the shocks off, they are new and didn't want to ruin the finish. Does anyone have a way to keep them from expanding when they are removed? I was thinking of using some zip ties around the top and bottom and one long one between than to hold it in place. Don't know if they would be strong enough to hold the shock force.
Researching how to remove the bed bolts 99% of what I read and watched they used cut off wheels and X them out a dozen times then air hammered or chiseled the heads off. Did that once and about 20 minutes to half hour. I tried a 1/2" hole saw and cut off the flange head and all I had to do is remove the washer. No damage to the bed from air hammers. Pardon the advertisement in the pic as I sell these hole saw kits and been using it to show customers it as a better and faster way. Only 5 minutes.
New rails showed up this morning at 7:30 am. Nice very heavy. Heaver then OEM. Going to have to figure out how to clamp the floor and the rails together. Need a 8' clamp!!! All that for less the $300.
Wow now that was some work. 4 days so far and 1 to go. About 11 hours +- each day. Was hoping to get the bed on this weekend too but thats not going to happen. It will have to wait till next. Got all the new rails on under the bed and primed tonight. Frame on truck has been blasted as good as it needs to be. Painting it tomorrow. As you can see the welded on rails have been removed. Man were those on too. Almost wish I had left them on now and just add 4 new ones. Not sure that I have the correct brackets now. Suppose to be bolt and play but don't see where 1 hole lines up. These are a Reese 50043 and all the info I see says these are correct. They always make a mention that not for Cab and chasse models. Don't know what that means.
I painted the inside of the rails first but only down to the flange with enamel paint. The Dorman rails have a weld thru primer on them so wanted to leave that in tact on the bottom edge. I did use a weld thru on the bed floor too so hopefully it makes a good seal around the weld. I was torn on plug welds or just tack weld the edges. Ended up doing 1/4" holes but my punch did not make them deep enough so I welded the hole and came out over the edge and did a 1/2" long bead weld. It's best to do the outer welds first then use a jack to raise the bed floor to meet the rails in the center. If you do the center first you'll probably find yourself pushing down on the outer
edge of the rails to meet up with the bed floor.
5 straight days 10+ hours each day. Finally painted. Now spraying corrosion protection on next and trying to figure out how to mount that custom tow brackets. Hopefully I've got the correct ones. Thinking it may be better to wait until I've got the bed on since there are existing holes in the bed floor.
Working on spray on wax corrosion protection today on the truck frame. Inside the rails of the bed I plan on raising the front and spraying the top coat with my undercoating wands and letting it seep around the welds and then raise the other side and do the same thing. Should never see rust. Then ether do the tow brackets or put the bed on. Not sure what is going to be the best way.
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