Most of the fifth wheel hitches are U-shaped mounted coupling that stays on the tow truck cargo bed. We might compare it to a pin box that usually comes with a trailer lock that couples on the truck.
The 5th wheel hitch works the best if a user needs a balance of extra storage space. It doesn’t cause any harm to the towing or sway control of a truck and position under the truck bed. 5th wheel hitch comes with a split design system that allows tow vehicles or trailers extra space with flexibility.
The only difficulty has to be the hooking & unhooking of a fifth hitch due to its vast area and excess weight.
7 ways to lift a 5th wheel hitch out of the truck
1. Chain hoist
Chain hoists are great options for lifting the 5th wheel. Most hoists use manual chain blocks that lift a fifth wheel hitch assembly.
A chain hoist needs an electric connection hanging so you can attach it to the hook and under the truck bed. Our experts advise not to use a chain hoist if the user’s 5th hitch is traditional or connected with truck bed rails.
Simply pull the chain hoist hand chain to tighten the grip attached to the hitch. Ensure you don’t uplift too much and maintain an approximate four and a 3/4 inches distance while pulling up.
If your slider hitch weighs more than 1000 lbs, a chain hoist with a 2000lbs capacity should be enough.
2. Trailer hoist
Trailer hoists are also known as dump trailers. Usually, Blue Ox owners prefer towing with a hanging trailer hoist, but it also works great for a 5th wheel trailer.
Hydraulic trailers are most common in trailer hoists, but it allows users to balance while lifting an RV. Most forums have questions related to what type of trailer hoists they should go for.
Our experts recommend that users can go for any as long as the tongue weight and the minimum weight balance. Simply using instruction, users can ensure lock lifting an extra 5th wheel.
3. Load Leveler
Load levelers are a great option if your trailer tongue weight goes below 1200lbs. Users can use load levelers to pull up the height of the 5th wheel hitch regardless of whether it’s on the road or not.
The checked control with load leveler helps to provide an auto work to establish a balance while lifting. Even if operation conditions get tough, it effectively holds the 5th wheel on point. Moreover, the compressor adjusts with your truck’s electric level to put up with the trailer’s weight.
But beware of the airbags inside a load leveler. Measure your truck bed height, and also the load lever should be at the same height.
4. Hitch lifting devices
Hitch lift devices are popular to reduce extra hoist expenses, and a decent lifting device works excellent with wheel hitches. There are three popular lifts: dual-piston lift, telescopic lift, and scissor lift.
Scissor lifts are the most popular ones among trailer owners as they easily attach to the garage ceiling. Also, a telescopic lift does a great job of lifting a third-party heavy hutch by using a hydraulic trailer to its left angle. The cylinder is the primary option, and its power automatically lifts a hitch.
Dual-piston uses two pistons to balance out the extra-large weight fifth wheels provide. Our experts highly recommend B&W Fifth Wheel Hitch Lifting Device as it’s effective.
5. B&W Fifth Wheel Hitch Lifting Device
B&W made this along with their Pullrite 20K hitch to lift a 5th wheel hitch. As our experts tried this lifter for the first time, they simply attached it to the jaw to fit well. Users are advised to go to the truck bed and connect to the hitch’s jaw and hitch clear. The tractor end loader helps to attach a companion hitch or hook to make the work easy.
6. Pick-up truck cranes
Pick-up truck cranes are an excellent option for holding up any hitches under the truck bed. It is a better option rather than manually lifting a truck. One of the risky but common options is lifting. Watch this video for more details:
7. Use an Engine Hoise
Furthermore, an engine hoist is an excellent option to lift a larger hitch. Harbor freight engine hoist is a perfect choice in this case. But the drawback to this option is the extra expense it gives. If a user can invest in harbor freight, then lifting might be more accessible than ever. Pins and extra screw on drilled holes using a standard hoist of a unique DIY technique to hold up a hitch.
Some people use their car as an engine hoist to do the same work.
Can you remove the fifth wheel hitch when not in use?
Before you buy one or you are currently using one, you must know some facts. Technically fifth wheel hitches are removable if you’re not using a traditional hitch. Usually, traditional hitches tend to hold base rails from the inside to ensure safety measurement.
Our experts advise before buying the 5th hitch to measure the user’s truck and trailer.
Popular brands like Reese have some excellent 5th wheel hitch collections, but unfortunately, the rail remains the same. The simple answer is that users can easily remove a fifth wheel hitch, but there’s a possibility that removing it might cause problems.
Our experts recommend tightening through torque while sitting on a workbench and bolt under the truck bed. Also, removing the 5th wheel is not always an excellent idea, as the bed rails attached to it play an essential role in changing your trailer’s tracks.
One of the fastest and easiest ways to install is to remove all the bolts or rails to the attached mounting brackets. Putting a lifter under a truck bed is an expensive way. Compared to the traditional ones, it won’t damage your trailer’s frame as the bolts are external in the first place.
Conclusion
A 5th wheel hitch model is great for the extra space and holding more stuff into your trailer. But lifting it needs extra precaution. Our experts tripped multiple ways, but different tow vehicles and trucks require a different approach.
Some users might have DIY methods that work great for their combination of hitch and trailer that might not go the same for you. Each fifth wheel setting and hitch are unique themselves.
Also, lifting and buying it alone causes extra expenses. Harbour freight engine hoist is a smooth lifter. But you could invest in an Andersen ultimate hitch attached and cut down the need for an extra hutch in the first place.
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