5th Wheel Hitch

[ETurner]

Has anyone installed a 5th wheel hitch with the 5th wheel prep on a 2013 or 2014?If the answer is yes,what did you use?I have a reese 20,000 hitch that I just bought this year. Looks like I'm going to get a 2014 3500SRW. Don't want to buy a new truck and can't get a hitch installed as soon as I get it. I really want the light plug in the bed,don't care for the 5 holes in the bed.

 

[UpstateNYoilburner]

I used the Dodge mounting brkt, if you haven't gotten the truck yet tell them you can't take delivery until they get you one. Watch how fast it will appear. Your Reese will work with the Dodge bracket.

 

[Wertles]

There was a hold on the brackets for a while and Ram was letting them dribble out. As upstate said, no delivery until the bracket is there. That's hat I had to do. I assume the pipeline is flowing better now than in August. Also, make sure they have the bracket properly adjusted before they let you take it home. It's not hard to do but easier if they do it with 2 guys. They just threw mine in the back of the bed, never adjusted it and when I was unhitching, found that the front two pins were never properly locked. Very scary when you realize that 18,000 pounds right behind your kids wasn't really secure.

 

[ETurner]

UpstateNYoilburner,whenyou said mopar bracket,do you mean a four sided bracket about 2 or 3 inches high. The problem I think I'll have is I'm going to get a 4x4 for the 1st time. I just bought a new reese R20 back in march. It is set at its lowest setting. My 5th wheel tows level with my present truck that is 2wheel drive. My trailer pin box can only be raised 1 hole up,that is about 2 inches. I don't want to tow front high,I want to be level. I can't flip the axle,the trailer has a mor/ryde. What can I do to make the trailer tow level?Thanks for the reply.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I have seen the "picture frame" bracket online at a couple dealerships; do a search for it. If the holes are factory, they will be neat and in the right spots. However if you don't need or want all of them, for example you are using the gooseneck only, you can add them later. I have seen Rams while looking at inventory using www.ramtrucks.com with and without the hitch prep option. The optional harness and in-bed plug is also available from parts dept. If you want to save around $3000, get one of the leftover 2013s; there is still a pretty good selection. Rebate in the west adds up to $3000 and in the east to $2500 last time I checked. The 2014s are up $400 plus another 200 for the Cummins option. That adds up to a significant cost difference.

 

[ETurner]

Joseph,I don't want to use the picture frame mounting bracket. I want a 2014 for the 850 foot pounds of torque. This is going to be my last truck. Thanks for the reply. Does the brake controller come with the 5th wheel prep?

 

[UpstateNYoilburner]

ETurner, I have a 5'er with no pin adjustment and 4x4. The regular rails are all of an inch so I don't think you will see much difference with the picture frame. Here it is in my truck-

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The 2013 and 2014 fifth wheel mounting systems are the same. The 385 HP/850 ft-lb Cummins is included with the Aisin transmission option both 2013 and 2014. The brake controller is standard with SLT and above trim levels; it is a $230 option on the ST (Tradesman) base model, both years. It is not involved with the hitch prep option. Therefore, I don't see any reason why you want a 2014 over a 2013 model (3500 models only; required to get the Aisin transmission).

 

[ETurner]

Joseph,don't the 2013's have 800foot pounds
the 2014 have 850 foot pounds ?
I went on ram trucks to do a search. It only listed 4 trucks,and they didn't have what I wanted.

 

[ETurner]

UpstateNYoilburner,how does the picture frame bracket mount to the bed?

 

[Wertles]

Joseph,don't the 2013's have 800foot pounds
the 2014 have 850 foot pounds ?
I went on ram trucks to do a search. It only listed 4 trucks,and they didn't have what I wanted.

The Aisin equipped trucks have 850 torque, the 68RFE equipped trucks have 800.

 

[ETurner]

Wertles thanks for the reply. I didn't know that.

 

[Wertles]

UpstateNYoilburner,how does the picture frame bracket mount to the bed?

At each corner of the picture frame there is a pin that extends down into each of the holes in the bed. Once they have gone through, the bars on the sides turn 90 degrees onto the rail and lock the pins to the truck. You then lock those bars into place with a pin (as seen in the photo midway up on the sides of the picture frame) so that the pins underneath don't unlock.

I just spent a half hour adjusting the height of the locking pins as my dealer totally screwed them up, shearing 3 out of 4 cotter pins right off so there was nothing really stopping it from popping right off as the front two pins did the last time i unloaded. If I sound a little ****** off, I am. If I were ordering a truck right now, I would not order this option. I think it is a poorly designed system and an aftermarket B&W would be cheaper and better for a fifth wheel application.