5th wheel picture frame or not

[JR]

Post some pictures of what the 2017 frame mounts look like. Maybe I can help, I installed my own pucks in my 2015 3500. SNOKING

Not to hijack, what was your reasoning for installing the factory pucks over using something like the GN to 5th wheel hitch that B&W sells? I'm looking at a 14 with a short bed that does not have the factory prep and am exploring my options before I buy. Living in the rust belt I'm thinking drilling one hole in a bed would be better than the 5 holes needed for the factory set up. Is there an advantage to buying/installing the Mopar puck kit over a turnover ball or is it just preference?
Thanks!

 

[SnoKing]

Not to hijack, what was your reasoning for installing the factory pucks over using something like the GN to 5th wheel hitch that B&W sells? I'm looking at a 14 with a short bed that does not have the factory prep and am exploring my options before I buy. Living in the rust belt I'm thinking drilling one hole in a bed would be better than the 5 holes needed for the factory set up. Is there an advantage to buying/installing the Mopar puck kit over a turnover ball or is it just preference?
Thanks!

I wanted a hitch the attached directly to the trucks frame. The Companion turnover ball hitch carries the weight on the bed floor, which was to big of a compromise for me. I only put in the four pucks and did not install the factory gooseneck. Snoking

 

[JR]

I wanted a hitch the attached directly to the trucks frame. The Companion turnover ball hitch carries the weight on the bed floor, which was to big of a compromise for me. I only put in the four pucks and did not install the factory gooseneck. Snoking

But isn't the load carried by the plate under the truck? I've not seen one in person and could be wrong but it doesn't appear the hitch uses the floor of the bed for any kind of support for the actual load. Did you have to order your prep from the dealer? How much was it?

 

[SnoKing]

But isn't the load carried by the plate under the truck? I've not seen one in person and could be wrong but it doesn't appear the hitch uses the floor of the bed for any kind of support for the actual load. Did you have to order your prep from the dealer? How much was it?

With hitches that attach to a gooseneck (AKA Andersen and Companion) the gooseneck is used to draw the hitch base down to the bed floor. Weight is carried on bed floor, sheet metal top hats on the bottom of the bed and then the frame. Not my cup of tea.

Laws of physics say that you can not pull down and hold up at the same time, despite what some seem to think. The days on deformed and crunched bed floors are gone with the new puck systems. Pulling a puck mount hitch and inserting the plugs gives one a clean bed.

09/23/2015 JOHN ELWAY CHRYSLER JEEP GREELEY CO $265.90 (Four pucks)
09/23/2015 JOHN ELWAY CHRYSLER JEEP GREELEY CO $103.01 (In bed wiring kit)

 

[Ram4Sam]

But isn't the load carried by the plate under the truck? I've not seen one in person and could be wrong but it doesn't appear the hitch uses the floor of the bed for any kind of support for the actual load. Did you have to order your prep from the dealer? How much was it?

I have had the B&W goose hitch in both my trucks and had no issues at all, not even a scratch from the fifth wheel hitch. If you stay with in the specs and don't overload the hitch.....from my experience with the B&W setup......this.."The days on deformed and crunched bed floor" is a bit dramatic.....And one big hole in the bed is better than four or five big holes.....:-laf

Sam

 

[SnoKing]

I have had the B&W goose hitch in both my trucks and had no issues at all, not even a scratch from the fifth wheel hitch. If you stay with in the specs and don't overload the hitch.....from my experience with the B&W setup......this.."The days on deformed and crunched bed floor" is a bit dramatic.....And one big hole in the bed is better than four or five big holes.....:-laf

Sam

I have a B&W hitch also!!!

Note: I said about gooseneck mounted hitches "Not my cup of tea"!

Everyone has to do what works for them.

 

[Cummins12V98]

"The days on deformed and crunched bed floor" is a bit dramatic"

I had the exact same 18K hitch pictured above in my 11 HO Dually. *The base sits ON TOP of the bed corrugations. *My bed DID have deflection marks and the base actually bent. *B&W sent a new base and spacers to fill in the space from the top to bottom of the corrugation for under each side of the base. *this transferred the weight directly to the cross members. *Around that time B&W came out with a 20K Companion thad had a stronger base and had adjustable filler strips. *

FYI the ANDERSEN sits on TOP of the bed and WILL deform thew bed when towing heavy with the fore and aft movement from braking and accelerating.

Direct attachment with the modern puck system is the way to go!!!

Drilling holes is NOT going to hurt a darn thing.

 

[Ram4Sam]

"The days on deformed and crunched bed floor" is a bit dramatic"

I had the exact same 18K hitch pictured above in my 11 HO Dually. *The base sits ON TOP of the bed corrugations. *My bed DID have deflection marks and the base actually bent. *B&W sent a new base and spacers to fill in the space from the top to bottom of the corrugation for under each side of the base. *this transferred the weight directly to the cross members. *Around that time B&W came out with a 20K Companion thad had a stronger base and had adjustable filler strips. *

FYI the ANDERSEN sits on TOP of the bed and WILL deform thew bed when towing heavy with the fore and aft movement from braking and accelerating.

Direct attachment with the modern puck system is the way to go!!!

Drilling holes is NOT going to hurt a darn thing.

That was the point of my post for JR, the shortcomings you spoke of are in the past.........

Sam

 

[SnoKing]

That was the point of my post for JR, the shortcomings you spoke of are in the past.........

Sam

You should include in your opinion, as do all feel that that way.

 

[m35a2]

With hitches that attach to a gooseneck (AKA Andersen and Companion) the gooseneck is used to draw the hitch base down to the bed floor. Weight is carried on bed floor, sheet metal top hats on the bottom of the bed and then the frame. Not my cup of tea.

Laws of physics say that you can not pull down and hold up at the same time, despite what some seem to think. The days on deformed and crunched bed floors are gone with the new puck systems. Pulling a puck mount hitch and inserting the plugs gives one a clean bed.

09/23/2015 JOHN ELWAY CHRYSLER JEEP GREELEY CO$265.90 (Four pucks)
09/23/2015 JOHN ELWAY CHRYSLER JEEP GREELEY CO$103.01 (In bed wiring kit)

How hard wad the installation? Is there a slider that works with the puck setup?

 

[SnoKing]

How hard wad the installation? Is there a slider that works with the puck setup?

It took me 4 hours by myself to install the four pucks and in bed electrical kit. With two people it would be much easier. On my 3500 the bed had to be lifted one side at a time to drop the pucks into the brackets. I have heard that on 2500's the pucks go on without lifting the bed.

My 3500 had plates welded to both sides of the frame rails. Someone said that on the 2500 one plate bolts on, so no need to raise bed. Dealers parts department should be able to confirm that.

 

[Ram4Sam]

How hard wad the installation? Is there a slider that works with the puck setup?

B&W just started offering the #rvk3760 which is for the puckers......:-laf

Sam

 

[robroy90]

Not to hijack, what was your reasoning for installing the factory pucks over using something like the GN to 5th wheel hitch that B&W sells? I'm looking at a 14 with a short bed that does not have the factory prep and am exploring my options before I buy. Living in the rust belt I'm thinking drilling one hole in a bed would be better than the 5 holes needed for the factory set up. Is there an advantage to buying/installing the Mopar puck kit over a turnover ball or is it just preference?
Thanks!

Further, it is my understanding that in a megacab/shortbed/rambox scenario (such as my truck) you don't want to use the GN/turnover ball hitch because you probably will want to use a sidewinder pinbox (due to the turning angles faced by shortbed cab). The combo of a GN 5th wheel hitch and a sidewinder is not advised, because the sidewinder will try to pivot the hitch inside the GN Adapter, and my understanding is that you don't want this to happen.

 

[SnoKing]

B&W just started offering the #rvk3760 which is for the puckers......:-laf

Sam

Yes and total weight is about the same as my picture frame and RVK3270. However my weight is divided across three components and the RVK3760 is across two components, if that matters.

 

[robroy90]

Post some pictures of what the 2017 frame mounts look like. Maybe I can help, I installed my own pucks in my 2015 3500. SNOKING

Thank you, I will if I knew exactly what I was looking at/for. I took these the other day from inside the driver's side rear wheel well. Am I looking for the presence of specific bracketry underneath the truck?

 

[SnoKing]

Back passenger side.

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Front passenger side.

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There are matching welded on plates on the inside of the frame rails at all four locations.

SNOKING

 

[Ram4Sam]

Yes and total weight is about the same as my picture frame and RVK3270. However my weight is divided across three components and the RVK3760 is across two components, if that matters.

I'm guessing if it doesn't matter to the engineers at B&W and their lawyers then it's most likely not an issue.....

Sam

 

[SnoKing]

I'm guessing if it doesn't matter to the engineers at B&W and their lawyers then it's most likely not an issue.....

Sam

I was talking about lifting (like in and out of the truck) not there ratings.

 

[SnoKing]

Thank you, I will if I knew exactly what I was looking at/for. I took these the other day from inside the driver's side rear wheel well. Am I looking for the presence of specific bracketry underneath the truck?

View attachment 98508

That is what we call a top hat. See pictures I posted on pucks in mounts.

 

[SnoKing]

Thank you, I will if I knew exactly what I was looking at/for. I took these the other day from inside the driver's side rear wheel well. Am I looking for the presence of specific bracketry underneath the truck?

View attachment 98508

That is what we call a top hat. See pictures I posted on pucks in mounts.