3 Different Mounting Systems For Fifth Wheel Hitches
Posted on: 26 January 2018
The fifth wheel is the biggest passenger pickup truck that you can purchase. A fifth wheel truck has a large cab and truck bed, and it is usually equipped with features such as four-wheel drive. When it comes to having a passenger vehicle that is strong enough to tow just about anything, it's a large truck equipped with a fifth wheel hitch. Fifth wheel hitches are for pulling the biggest and largest loads on the road. There are three primary methods used for mounting a fifth wheel hitch onto a vehicle.
#1 Pucks
A puck system is usually a mounting system that comes with your truck and is installed in the factory. Puck mounting systems are usually really strong and sturdy mounting systems, because they are installed in the factory, which means that additional modifications have been made to the truck to ensure that it can handle towing a large load. For example, the truck probably has a stronger transmission and shocks to handle hauling the large loads that can be attached to the hitch on the vehicle.
With a puck system, the mounting bracket is installed directly on the bed of the truck. To attach the fifth wheel hitch to the mounting brackets, "pucks" are removed from the bed of your truck in order to reveal the mounting bracket.
#2 Rails
If your truck didn't come with a built-in mounting system, generally the most affordable type of mounting system to install on your own is a rail system. In the bed of your truck, a pair of strong metal rails are bolted onto the bed and go through to the body of the hitch that is bolted on the underside of the truck.
The hitch is then connected to the strong metal rails that are bolted to the back of your truck. You can remove the hitch itself, but the rails used to hold it in place stay there at all times.
#3 Rail-Free
With a rail-free system, the fifth wheel hitch is installed on top of the typical gooseneck ball hitch that most trucks are equipped with. Extra equipment is added, though, to help stabilize the fifth wheel hitch against the bed of your truck.
This is the best system if you don't always need to have a fifth wheel hitch. With a rail-free system, you can take the fifth wheel hitch on and off, from the top of your gooseneck ball hitch, and you can even retract the gooseneck ball hitch, if necessary.
If you need to haul big loads, make sure that you have the right hitch setup in place for a fifth wheel hitch. A puck, rail, or rail-free system could all work depending on how your truck is set up and what you use your truck for.
For more information, visit sites such as http://www.blueeagletowing.com.
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