New and Lighter 5er Hitch
 

Has anyone seen this new hitch? Or bought one?

Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection

Looks VERY interesting.

Hmmm,

Novel concept, but :)

Every once in a while I have line up issues with my slider and trail air ---
this seems like it could be really hard to line up...

I'll let others test it first !


AND, the weight police will be all over them towing a triple axle toyhauler and 20k+ gvwr with a single rear wheel max 11.5k gvwr truck :)

You don't think they were gonna buy an F450 just for photos do you? Kidding aside, it does look interesting..... I've been looking at new hitches to replace my 1994 Reese 14k. Thinking.........

I've seen it before. I'm not impressed with the press video, it's the lateral forces that would concern me. Also, it seems to add several extra connection (failure) points.

Is this device addressing a problem of which I am unaware?

Steve

Yes, the weight of current hitches when taking them in and out of the bed. I prefer my workaround with the Companion, as it also solves any storage issues. However, that doesn't really work for someone that may store their fiver at a public facility.

Using a standard fiver hitch, it is a bit of a pain, but I never regarded it as heavy enough to worry about. If I have to gooseneck, I use an adapter in my rails.

RVers are all different and in the end I think it is just about preferences. :)

Steve

AS I am closing in on 75 years, it IS the weight I am concerned about on my Reese and the newer ones are even more. My 14k is a 2 piece that makes it doable for me right now, but it is almost 20 years old and I am looking for a newer, heavier duty hitch with out the added weight. Sure would be nice to talk to a user for this new hitch.

I watched the videos. I just don't know. Seems good and seemed easy to set up. But since I don't have the rails or the gooseneck then it appears to me to be pointless.

I have a hidden system now so if they could adapt it to fit and lock in the pucks then it would be something to consider.

Just got an answer from the manufacturer of my RV. Asked if they could recommend this hitch..... I know that a number of them will not warranty their RV being pulled by a gooseneck. Here's the answer I got:

"this looks like a quality system. however, still can't recommend gooseneck systems. the verticle and lateral forces working on the such a small receiving area will eventually cause stress cracks in the overhang area"

I think if they had been honest they would have said "will eventually cause stress cracks more rapidly than traditional fifth wheel hitches" since I see a great many fivers with stress cracks that were never pulled with a gooseneck hitch. :-huh

Steve

I think I will stick with my Reese 25K Elite. It is two piece and I can handle removing and installing it by myself - though I usually draft SWMBO to help. :-X0A6

http://www.reeseprod.com/content/prodphoto/30143.jpg

I sent them an e-mail about whether they have plans for a design to fit in the pucks for those of us that have that system.

The answer was no. They went with what a lot of people have which is the rails and gooseneck.

So that was easy. I will stay with what I have.

Heard from the manufacturer of my RV and they said if any of their 5th wheels still under warranty developed a problem with or by the hitch they would consider it a problem to do a warranty repair. That solves it for me.... I won't buy it fer sure.....even tho I am OUT of warranty.

I watched these videos. I have two concerns.

1) The weight at the base of the "pyramid" structure is transferring weight to the bed of the truck. Not a good situation. Conventional hitch systems (rails) transfer that weight directly to the frame.

2) You have just converted a 5th wheel hitch to a ball hitch, which now requires safety chains. Where do you attach them to the trailer (which wasn't designed for them) and the hitch (which doesn't look like it is designed for them either)?