5er hitch on new 2003 trucks?

[Steve St.Laurent]

Maybe I missed this somewhere but has anyone seen in writing where they say no drilling on the frame and that if you do you will void the warranty? I'm working on getting something in writing from them stating that it's okay as long as you sleeve the bolts as I said in a post in the 3rd gen forum. That information came from the guy who would know at D/C according to Robert. My point is, if it isn't in writing that they will void your warranty for drilling the frame for the install then why do you have to have it in writing that you can? If it is in writing somewhere then forget everything I've said here. As soon as I get something back in writing from D/C I'll post it here and in the 3rd gen forum.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Steve,



I have a statement from customer service as well as have others that DC "Recommends not to drill the frame". They don't come out and say that it will void your warrantee but it certainly is implied. If drilling the frame will not damage it, then why make the statement in the first place. So in effect they are saying drilling WILL damage the frame in some way. And if you damage the frame, then your warrantee on the frame is void. I don't know how one can come to any other conclusion. Since DC says I MUST use a fifth wheel hitch, I want DC to do one of two things:



Provide reasonable guidlines for drilling the frame so that one can install a fifth wheel hitch; OR

Sell me a fifth wheel hitch that meets DCs requirments for not damaging the frame.



Am I asking for too much here? I love this truck, but I bought it to pull my trailer. And I need a hitch in it NOW. And so do a lot of othe folks that trusted DC to provide a good tow vehicle.



Even your 4X4 and a tow strap can't help me here.





Cheers, Casey

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Even your 4X4 and a tow strap can't help me here.

LOL! Well, the recommendation that I gave you is straight from the man at Chrysler that would be in the know on this. Now I'm just working on getting it in writing for you. Robert's working with him to get a statement in writing to publish in issue 39 of the magazine and as soon as we get it we'll post it here on the site too. But what I gave you about sleeving the bolts is exactly what he'll be putting in writing - it's coming from the same guy.

 

[kbarlow]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

Maybe I missed this somewhere but has anyone seen in writing where they say no drilling on the frame and that if you do you will void the warranty?.

Steve,



You need to get a copy of Tech-Tip # 39 from Dean McAuley, National Service Manager. I quote "Frame Engineering DOES NOT approve drilling and/or welding the fifth wheel hitch or brackets to the frame. " (capitals are his). It also goes on to talk about what is not covered in the Warranty.



Enjoy,



Ken

 

[kbarlow]

I just got of the phone with Customer Service and they advised me that all of their advertising was done with a Class IV hitch and they refused to tell me which one. Am I missing something here? I thought a Class IV hitch was a receiver type hitch.



Steve,



Tech-Tip #39 tells me that I am my own warranty station. That I could understand, if I was advised before my purchase. DC is doing a very good job of not divulging this.



P. S. I think I know where the Enron Executives are working now!

 

[Casey Balvert]

B*** S***. A Class IV is a receiver type hitch. That horse trailer in the brochure sure does not use a Class IV. Maybe they just positioned the trailer behind the truck and didn't even have a hitch in it; hoping that no one would ever ask. Would that be false advertising? Interesting that the owner's manual doesn't mention fifth wheel hitches at all but the trailer towing guide says you MUST have one . I'd bet that the Customer Service people don't know a spring shackle from a wheel bearing. They just recite out of some database.



Casey

 

[ksele]

My conversation with D/C re 5er hitches

After learning from an earlier post that the new Reese bracket kit still requires drilling into the frame of a 2003 Ram, ... this is what I learned:

My RV dealer spoke to a Reese tech person who told my dealer that the new bracket does require drilling. When my dealer told him that "D/C said drilling will void the warranty", the Reese guy said "They (D/C people) say that to everybody, but if it's done right,... it does not void the warranty. "



Next I telephoned D/C (twice... total of 45 minutes talking) and told them what the Reese guy said. D/C persons then confirmed that any drilling into frame will void warranty. I then asked him how am I supposed to hook up my 5th wheel trailer, and he told me that I should use a B&W hitch.



I telephoned B&W and asked them if they have a 5th wheel hitch that is approved for installation on a 2003 Ram and they said that they do and it was worked out with assistance from D/C. Their hitch uses a U-Bolt to hold a bracket in place. The U-bolt uses a hole already in the Ram frame... so no drilling is required.

When I asked how much their hitch costs I was told "$974. 00 plus shipping. " Now,... aint that a shame! I have a good Reese hitch that I probably could install in my 2003 Ram (for probably no more that $100. 00) if Reese would make a set of brackets using a U-Bolt and that same hole!



Maybe I can still get out of my deal with the Dodge dealer. He's holding a 2003 Ram diesel SLT 3500 Single Wheeler which I'm supposed to pick up in about ten days. He also has $1000. 00 of mine as a down payment. I mentioned this to D/C Customer Service and was told they could not do anything about helping me cancel my order because dealerships are privately owned.



My neighbor, after hearing my story, told me I should forget about the thousand bucks and get a Ford like his. His idea sounds better every day!

 

[Bob Miller]

Re: My conversation with D/C re 5er hitches

Originally posted by ksele

After learning from an earlier post that the new Reese bracket kit still requires drilling into the frame of a 2003 Ram, ... this is what I learned:

My RV dealer spoke to a Reese tech person who told my dealer that the new bracket does require drilling. When my dealer told him that "D/C said drilling will void the warranty", the Reese guy said "They (D/C people) say that to everybody, but if it's done right,... it does not void the warranty. "



Next I telephoned D/C (twice... total of 45 minutes talking) and told them what the Reese guy said. D/C persons then confirmed that any drilling into frame will void warranty. I then asked him how am I supposed to hook up my 5th wheel trailer, and he told me that I should use a B&W hitch.



I telephoned B&W and asked them if they have a 5th wheel hitch that is approved for installation on a 2003 Ram and they said that they do and it was worked out with assistance from D/C. Their hitch uses a U-Bolt to hold a bracket in place. The U-bolt uses a hole already in the Ram frame... so no drilling is required.

When I asked how much their hitch costs I was told "$974. 00 plus shipping. " Now,... aint that a shame! I have a good Reese hitch that I probably could install in my 2003 Ram (for probably no more that $100. 00) if Reese would make a set of brackets using a U-Bolt and that same hole!



Maybe I can still get out of my deal with the Dodge dealer. He's holding a 2003 Ram diesel SLT 3500 Single Wheeler which I'm supposed to pick up in about ten days. He also has $1000. 00 of mine as a down payment. I mentioned this to D/C Customer Service and was told they could not do anything about helping me cancel my order because dealerships are privately owned.



My neighbor, after hearing my story, told me I should forget about the thousand bucks and get a Ford like his. His idea sounds better every day!

Companies for the most part dont help each other out unless there is something in it for both of them, by D/C colaberating with B&W than that is showing brand favoritism if I were a hitch manufacturer than I would see if suite could be filed, if they want to help a hitch manufacturer than they should help all of them I have an RBW that is still in exelent condition and works well for my fifth wheel should I ***** can it just to go out and buy a B&W I have no use for a goose neck set up period I will never use the goose neck part I also dont like the way that they fifth wheel part hook onto the goose neck part, whyu wont they tell us how they hooked up that trailer in there ad towing that ford F-350 are they hidding something about the new frame design? I gues time will tell. JMHO

BOB.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

You guys need to reread this thread. I AM NOT FLAMING , But, Everyone sounds like a bunch of spoiled brats. You are driving around in fourty thousand dollar trucks and you are worried about drilling and sleeving the frame. Change your oil filter yourself and it fails: NO WARRANTY. Repalce air filter withBHAF: VOID. Put a box on it: VOID. Clip the pump wire: Void. Go up in tire size: Track bar is VOID. I have all of these things on my 2001. 5 and do not need a warranty, Yet. F Chrysler..... I bought this truck for the Cummins, Not the frame... ... . Drill the sucker 3/4 on the inside and 5/8 on the outside. Make a sleeve 1/8" shorter than the span of the frame. Install your hitch and pull it down tight on the sleeve with large washer between sleeve and bolt on 3/4" side. Use your truck for what it was intended for... . Hual something real real heavy... ... I hit 26,600 today on the scale for the trailer only. My truck has more low end now than ever. Get that sucker out and haul. If you live in SO. CAL I will help anyone install a hitch. We can make the sleeves for pennies. The bolts will cost more than the sleeves. I hope you don't take this the wrong way... . I understand your frustration, I had to put a pusher pump on my 01. 5 and the dealer voided my lift pump warranty..... What ever DC

 

[Casey Balvert]

Greg, no flame taken. I certainly don't consider myself a spoiled brat. I didn't give a second thought to drilling the frame on my 97 because it had been done to that frame for many years without a problem. If DC were to tell me that drilling the current frame is no more likely to damage it than the old frame, great. But that is not the case. There is little or no history with the new hydroformed frame having fifth wheel hitches bolted to them. In short, if this was five years later and the frame had stood up to the test of time and real world experience with fifth wheel installations, I would be out in my garage right now installing my hitch. Even if DC was still saying not to drill the frame.



The other issue is DC's apparent reluctance to be straight with the folks buying the truck. ALL they have put in writing so far is "don't drill the frame". If DC says that B&W is the only hitch I can use, fine, I guess I will buy one. But they have not made that statement.



By the way, DC says you MUST use a fifth wheel hitch if you tow over 12,000. They don't say you must install aftermarket performance enhancing products. The two issues are entirely different.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

The only reason I went with the B&W hitch was because it was cost effective. I built the hitch for the 2001. 5. It cost me almost $250 just to build it. I did the welding and fabrication myself. That is without figuring in time. I spent a couple of hours under my truck when doing the install and I think the frame is more HD than the last. Call Kieth @ Diesel Dynamics and talk to him. They did the drill and sleeve that I talked about in my last post. He is the one who told me how to do it. They have been testing for about 3 months with that setup. So far so good.

 

[Fireman]

Deeeeeeeeep breath !

Casey and all of my other friends,



Let's all take a deep breath, hold it... ... ... ..... now, exhale. Repeat.

I know exactly how fustrated you all are. I have missed one planned trip this fall, and it appears that I'm not going to make the one we had planned for next week either (US Thanksgiving). We are to old and life is too short, I think we need to step back and relax for a moment before we blow a gasket (not good). We all took a big step off into the unknown when we bought the next generation and now we have hit the first snag ( and probably far from the last ) this is no time to become unhinged, the answer will come, probably not from DC, but it will come. The aftermarket is scrambling to catch up because there is money to be made, I have faith in the capitalist system ! I know that most of you are exactly like me, picky, know exactly what you want, and will not accept anything less. GOOD FOR YOU ! I almost ordered a B&W yesterday, I came so close, but that isn't exactly what I want and I would have to live with that decision for a long time.

Sometimes when we meet our problems head on and push too hard we only meet with more resistance, only to wear ourselves down pushing harder. It may be time to step back, relax a bit, and try to get a fresh perspective on the situation. The answer maybe simpler and come sooner than we think.



FWIW

Fireman

 

[Casey Balvert]

Dang, Fireman. How come you have to be so logical, just when I get all fired up.



Casey

 

[Bob Miller]

Originally posted by CBalvert

Dang, Fireman. How come you have to be so logical, just when I get all fired up.



Casey

Ya what he said.

 

[Brett Maverick]

Welded 'em on........

Had my hitch mounts welded on this morning, just like the set on my '95. Not the way I would have prefered to do it, but we're pulling out on a trip this week, and since there's no Reese 58186 brackets in the area to bolt the thing down, they were welded on.



If you look under your truck, the whole thing is assembled by... .....

WELDING!!!!!

The spring hanger mounts, shock mounts, the frame itself, all welded.



I'm sure the hitch mounts will hold up just fine but I will inspect them often.

I was really impressed with the way the 2003 3500 HO towed my fiver, WHAT a difference!!! Having the trailer WITHIN the towing specs of the truck is a nice (although new) experience.



Now if I can just learn to work that new Prodigy brake controller... ... ... .



Brett

 

[yogibear]

Brett, your going to enjoy towing with the new trk. I've got 15K mi. on mine now, and its getting stronger every trip. Glad you got your hitch installed, everyone is just going to have to bow their heads, and get it done. My 20K Reese was put on by a tech at the dlr. , and was clamped on like the B & M. Let me know how you like the Prodigy. I've got a Tek. Sentinal, its on the 3rd trk. now, got it in 96. No problems, just ready to try something new.



Larry

 

[Casey Balvert]

Larry, not sure if there is clearance to get a photo or not. Any chance of some pictures of your hitch clamp setup?



Cheers,



Casey

 

[Fireman]

Casey,



I just don't want to see anybody have a stroke out there. I'll have to tell you about my trip to FL with my brother sometime.



Brett,



I hope your installer read the instructions for welding the frame in the service manual. They give detailed instructions on what to use where when repairing the new frames.



Fireman

 

[Casey Balvert]

I sent another email to DC customer service. I reminded them with a quote from their website that is a promise to resolve customer concerns quickly. I asked them if they would please refer this email to someone knowlegeable in trailer towing and frame design. I also asked for a list of "DC approved" fifth wheel hitches. I doubt it will do much good but I am going to keep trying.



Casey

 

[kbarlow]

Originally posted by fireman56





I just don't want to see anybody have a stroke out there.

Fireman

Fireman,



I don't think you have to worry about that.



My view is that I purchased this truck to do a job, if it is not capable of doing that, it gets traded for a vehicle that can. I would be p****d if I lost money but that's life. I've quit claimed things before and most likely will do it again.



The concern that I have is how DC is handling this problem. They have been aware of this problem for many months now and appear to be ignoring it. When reasonable questions are asked of them they respond by giving inane answers. Their reluctance to get involved is telling me they don't trust this frame. Maybe I shouldn't either?



I have no problem being my own warranty station and usually am, but I like to start with a product that is supported initially by the manufacturer.





Ken