5er owners- check your hitch installation!!!

[Whitmore]

WARNING to all REESE hitch owners

This is a warning to all Reese hitch owners and any other hitch that bolts into the bed of the truck.



We (Firedept) just got back from a wreck that was a Chebby 4 door truck pulling a Jaco 30' 5th wheel trailer, the roads were ice and the guy got squirley and jack knifed it and the hitch came out and was still hooked to the king pin of the trailer. In the truck bed was the rearward plate or bar still bolted in nice and tight but the front bar/strap pulled under stress toward the rear of the truck to the point that the bolts (4) sheered off at bed heigth, upon further investigation I found that the bolts were run straight thru to the frame and were actually solid But they forgot 1 thing between the bed metal and the frame the installer did not put any type of spacer , this allowed the bolts to bend toward the rear of the truck and egg shape the holes 2 " and then the bolts let go .

I was impressed with the Reese hitch itself as to how it held up , trust me Reese has excellent products,but am cautioning all 5er owners to check your installation, look for spacers and if they aint there than get them and installe them, I do not know if the kit comes with them or if that was how it was supposed to be installed . The sheet metal on al l of todays trucks is tinfoil, Please check your hitch installation as this is an obvious weak link .



Be Safe, Kevin

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by Whitmore

I do not know if the kit comes with them or if that was how it was supposed to be installed.

Kevin,



The Reese on my previous 3500 was shimmed both above and below the bed. This shimming should result in a rock-solid assembly between the mounting rails in the bed and the frame. We've seen several reports lately on the RV boards of shoddy assemblers not using these shims - thanks for calling it to everyone's attention and citing the real world results of these incorrect installations.



Rusty

 

[Whitmore]

Thanks Rusty

I only wish I had my camers last nite so I could show the magnatude of what an improper installation could do to you, your truck and your camper.



The truck is probably totaled

The Jaco 5er is deffinatly totaled

The people and their dog came out fine with just bumps and bruises... ... ... ... ... thank GOD

 

[John Berger]

I've got the shims on mine underneath the rails on top of the bed and I'm pretty sure they are underneath the bed as well, but I'll definitely be checking this afternoon after work.





UPDATE: Yep, I've got shims on both sides of the bed sheet metal.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Hitch

There are four brackets that go between the bottom of the bed and the frame, they are about 1/2" thick and 1 1/2" wide and are pre-bent to fit. The bolts that come with the base rail installation kit are 1/2" grade 5 steel and the bolts that go through the frame are special 1/2" rib neck bolts to help prevent them from wallowing out the holes in the frame, they are also grade 5. bg