How to Install a 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch
Installing a fifth wheel trailer hitch to your truck will allow you to tow your mobile condo with ease so long as your hitch is installed correctly. Do not attempt to tow a trailer that matches or exceeds the load bearing capacity of the tow vehicle; allowing a 20 percent fudge factor will ensure that you can safely tow your fifth wheel without overly wearing the suspension of your truck. Fifth wheel trailer hitches mount to the middle of your truck bed and provide strong towing connections.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Fifth wheel hitch kit
- Drill
- 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and sockets
- Torx head socket set
- 1/2-inch ratchet and socket set
- 2 1/2-inch hole saw bit
Instructions
-
-
1
Use a 3/8-inch ratchet with an extension and a Torx head socket to unbolt the exhaust heat shield from the underside of the truck bed.
-
2
Slide the fifth wheel hitch kit's rear cross-member in between the top of the frame rail and the bottom of the bed of your truck. Use a 1/2-inch ratchet and socket to loosen the bed mount bolts if the fit is too tight to slide in the rear cross-member. Repeat this step with the other under-bed cross-member. Unbolt your truck's factory brake controller from the driver's side frame rail with a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket if your truck is equipped with one.
-
-
3
Slide the frame brackets from the hitch kit onto the outside of the frame behind the tire. Use the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket to loosely bolt them in place. Use the notch in the side bracket that aligns with the truck bed's center square tubing to help you align it. Align the brackets on the side of the frame with the holes in the cross-members from Step 2. Bolt them together with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket.
-
4
Thread the pointed bolt (provided with the hitch kit) through the holes on the bottom of the cross-members so that the pointed end points toward the bottom of the truck bed. Tighten the bolt all the way down so that it makes bumps in the floor of the truck bed.
-
5
Attach a hole saw to a drill and locate the bumps in the floor of the truck bed created in Step 4. Place the center of the hole saw on the bump. Drill out four 2 1/2-inch holes in the truck bed floor. Remove the circular pucks from the hitch kit, place them into the holes and install them with a ratchet, Torx head socket and the bolts provided in the kit.
-
6
Tighten all of the bolts securely. Have an assistant help you pick up the hitch and place it onto the circular pucks attached to the truck bed.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit lake mead national recreation area 14 image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
