The Ultimate Fifth Wheel Hitch Buying Guide
Fifth wheel trailers offer many advantages over conventional travel trailers. They’re more spacious and easier to maneuver than conventional trailers of comparable size, and the tailgate hitch makes them easy to hook up and go. When it comes to purchasing a fifth wheel hitch for your pickup truck, it’s important to find the right size and style of hitch. Here’s a quick buying guide to help you make an informed decision as you shop for a new fifth wheel hitch for your towing vehicle. If you have any other questions, visit us at Happy Camper RV Sales in Boise, Idaho. We also serve RV lovers in Nampa and Meridian, Idaho.
Know Your Truck’s Towing Capacity
If you don’t already know your truck’s towing capacity and gross trailer weight, you'll find that information in your owner’s manual. Towing capacity is the rating for the maximum weight your truck can safely tow. We’ve all heard that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the same is true about your towing capacity. Your towing capacity will always be limited by the lowest-rated towing component, so you should be sure that any 5th wheel hitch you buy meets or exceeds your truck's standard towing capacity. Gross trailer weight is the total weight of your loaded and hitched 5th wheel trailer, which is important to know as you shop for fifth wheel RVs and campers.
Measure Your Truck Bed
You’ll need to start by determining the length of your truck bed. The longer the truck bed, the more clearance that you’ll have. The length of your truck bed will also help you determine whether you'll need a mounting platform with legs or a slider.
The next step will be to see if your truck bed has a puck system, which is a built-in mounting platform that comes as an option in certain factory towing prep packages. The system includes a center gooseneck hole and a set of anchoring points or "pucks" that allow the hitch to quickly mount into the truck bed without drilling, brackets or any additional hardware.
Choose The 5th Wheel Hitch That Works Best
If you don’t have a puck system in your truck bed, you'll need to use 5th wheel base rails. You can choose between permanent base rails or removable base rails for your fifth wheel hitch. Once you know your towing specs and have your anchoring system in place, you can browse through a wide selection of 5th wheel hitches online and at your local dealership.
Visit Happy Camper RV Sales in Boise, Idaho for more information, and to see our current inventory of fifth wheel hitches and fifth wheel campers for sale. We serve Nampa and Meridian, Idaho.