How to Mount a Fifth Wheel Hitch
Having a hitch on your truck gives it added capability, but there's only so much you can tow with a traditional bumper mount or receiver hitch. If you need to pull really heavy things such as a horse trailer or a multi-car trailer, then you want a fifth wheel hitch, which mounts in the middle of the bed and gives you a lot more strength for your mounting points. In this case, the project vehicle is a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, but the process is similar for other vehicles as well.
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Things You'll Need
- Fifth wheel hitch kit
- 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and sockets
- Torx-head socket set
- 1/2-inch ratchet and socket set
- Drill
- 2 1/2-inch hole saw bit
- Assistant
Instructions
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1
Remove the spare tire from the truck using the tools provided with the vehicle and set the tire to the side. Unbolt the exhaust heat shield from the underside of the bed using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and the torx-head sockets.
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2
Slide the rear crossmember from the fifth wheel kit in between the bottom of the bed and the top of the framerail. If it's too tight of a fit, loosen the bed mount bolts using the 1/2-inch ratchet and socket to allow for a little more room. Do this with the other under bed crossmember with the kit as well. If your truck is equipped with a factory brake controller, unbolt it from the driver's side framerail using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket.
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3
Slide the side frame brackets onto the outside of the frame behind the tire and bolt them in place loosely using a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. There is a notch in the side bracket that aligns with the square tubing in the center of the bed that should help you align the bracket. Align the holes with the crossmembers from Step 2 with the brackets on the side of the frame and bolt them together using a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket.
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4
Thread the pointed bolt provided with the fifth wheel kit into the bolt holes on the bottom of the crossmembers so that the pointed end of the bolt goes up toward the bottom of the bed. Tighten this down all the way. This is going to put little bumps into the bed floor, which will show you where to drill the holes for the circular pucks from the fifth wheel kit.
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5
Position yourself in the bed and attach the hole saw to the drill. Locate the bumps in the bed floor from Step 4 and place the center of the hole saw on the bump and drill out four 2 1/2-inch holes in the bed floor. Place the circular pucks from the fifth wheel kit into the holes and install the pucks to the holes using the torx-head bolts provided in the kit and a 1/2-inch ratchet, with torx-head sockets.
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6
Tighten every bolt on the kit using a 1/2-inch ratchet and socket, then reinstall the spare tire onto the vehicle. With the help of your assistant, pick up the fifth wheel hitch itself and drop it into the pucks in the bed, locking it in place.
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