Professional Installation of 5th Wheel Hitch on an SUV. It can be done!

[Barry]

From time to time I run across an informative piece of information I share with the TDR Family. For those of you that like SUVs but still want to pull your 5th wheel, this is for you!



Disclaimer: This is not an offer to sell nor solicit. For informational purposes only.

 

[JHumphries]

It's an oldie but a goodie.
A buddy sent me those back in 2007. It has this write-up with it.

U-haul can make an idiot proof trailer hitch, but then comes an even better idiot!
Here's a little lesson in how not to do things which seems to totally escape some people. I'd love to see how the trip ended up but I feel confident he ended up in a ravine somewhere wondering why bad things seems to always happen to him. He must rank in the top 3% of the "mentally-challenged" scale. He's hooked up and ready to fly!! It's amazing how the extra weight really smoothed out the ride in the truck. He did have to air up the rear tires a bit (around 160 psi).
He added some heavy-duty chain for extra support on the tailgate (note that he used the "Heavy-Duty 'S' hooks to attach the chain) He also paid-up for some BIG 5/16 sheetmetal screws to attach the frame to the tailgate. Yeah, he knows it's overkill, but he didn't want the possibility of having an accident.
Much of his time was spent on his front porch whittling down that MASSIVE 4x4 board to fit precisely into the ball mount receiver. Also note that he used a 14" piece of 1x4 to help distribute the load more evenly--"YOU CAN"T BE TOO SAFE, YOU KNOW!!". " It cost a little more, but you just can't be too safe when pulling a trailer of this magnitude !!".
Look out Utah, cause here he comes !!!!

 

[JHumphries]

Something I just noticed, as I'm not familiar with gooseneck hitches: Is the coupler on the trailer actually a gooseneck coupler, because it looks remarkably like a bumper pull coupler?

 

[Powder Extreme]

Bumper pull coupler. It also appears he has fantastic turning clearance.

 

[jgillott]

Here I thought this was going to be about one of these.

http://www.airstreamwpa.com/pre_own...X8K20K2013J7I49I00JPMQ4024R0&veh=1410448&nv=y

 

[cojhl2]

I wouldn't pull that thing out of the barnyard.

But that tow buddy looks like a good solution.

 

[NIsaacs]

I wouldn't pull that thing out of the barnyard.



But that tow buddy looks like a good solution.

It might work on a set of doubles on the rear trailer, but it would be kinda useless on a single, there would not be any hitch weight for the tow truck.



Nick

 

[cojhl2]

It might work on a set of doubles on the rear trailer, but it would be kinda useless on a single, there would not be any hitch weight for the tow truck.

Nick

Good point Nick. I wonder if the dolly has a way to adjust the trailer hookup pivot point forward? I can't make out from the pics but there seems to be some 4bar linkage thingamajiog.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Don't tell the guys on the DRW vs. SRW thread! They will want the SUV to get a dually conversion, lol. I like the heavy duty chains for the tailgate!

 

[RustyJC]

That's indeed an oldie, but there are so many examples of what NOT to do in that photo that I wouldn't even start to list them... .



What's ironic is that he probably pulled that contraption coast-to-coast with no problem. If it were me, I wouldn't make it a mile until it fell totally to pieces!



Rusty

 

[JHumphries]

It might work on a set of doubles on the rear trailer, but it would be kinda useless on a single, there would not be any hitch weight for the tow truck.

Nick

Reading through an older forum, the hitch mounts to the truck at 3 points and has an air shock to transfer weight to the tow vehicle.

 

[NIsaacs]

Reading through an older forum, the hitch mounts to the truck at 3 points and has an air shock to transfer weight to the tow vehicle.

I don't see how, the pin is directly over the center of the axle.



Tow Buddy says in part: "It's revolutionary design independantly carries the full load of the trailer pin weight"



Nick

 

[RVTRKN]

Its a smaller design of an old setup for pulling doubles and triples, and in Australia, multiple trailers called Land Trains. :--) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvVpdXrzpUc ,

 

[Powder Extreme]

Don't tell the guys on the DRW vs. SRW thread! They will want the SUV to get a dually conversion, lol. I like the heavy duty chains for the tailgate!

Lol! A DRW conversion would make it more stable and a set of airbags :-laf



Couldn't resist

 

[JLeake]

An accident waiting for a place to happen... .