The Types and Benefits of 5th Wheel Hitches

Author: reikopena | Posted: 20.04.2012

Bigger trucks which transport cargo or other heavy loads will need the 5th wheel hitch as it enables them to carry much greater weight. These hitches are required when you have some heavy duty towing requirements. You can pick the 5th wheel hitches online based on the make of the vehicle. For example, there are hitches ideal for the Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford or Ram, and you should purchase a hitch that solves your purpose, fits the bill for your payload and is appropriate for the bed that carries the load.

On a general scale, there are 3 types of hitches, the standard hitch, the under bed mount and the slider mount. The standard hitch comes in the form of a horse show, mounting to the truck bed. The sidewinder or slider hitch is perfect for a short bed truck, where the length of the bed is less than 8 feet, in that case, the slide hitch is used along with an extended pin box to adjust for the lowered turning clearance. This extension is in place to make sure that the trailer doesn’t strike the cab near hair pin bends and sharp turns.

The third type is the under bed mount which remains under the bed with just the plate seen from the bed of the truck. This kind of mounting is ideal when you want extra space on the truck bed. These under bed mounted hitches are lighter and can be removed when they are not required. Thus, based on the length of the bed and the load, the hitches have to be picked. The standard hitch for example will help the trailer to pivot and make 90 degree turns without any damage to the truck at any stage. The slider too would be ideal for short beds to ensure that maneuvering at very low speeds goes on normally.

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