To tow like a pro, experts say, you should learn some fundamentals about weight in motion. Towing is a process, and anyone can do it as long as you follow some basic rules of thumb.
For starters, not all hitches are equal. There are a confusing number of types, models, and classifications and buying the right one for your application will take some research. But getting it right the first time can protect your investment and your family. For this story, let’s look at the basics of fifth-wheel hitches.
| tow Bigger And Better Hd Fifth Wheel Hitch project Truck Towing
How It Works
Hitch technology used by commercial 18-wheeler rigs was adopted for non-commercial usage, and an industry was born. The fifth-wheel hitch mounts in a truck bed just forward of the rear axle. The fifth-wheel hitch attaches to a base plate that is mounted directly to the frame of the truck.
Don’t confuse a fifth-wheel with a gooseneck-ball hitch. There are differences in the two, although they both distribute weight across the rear-axle location. Gooseneck hitches are used primarily by ranchers for transporting livestock. Most RVers with trailers longer than 30 feet depend on fifth-wheel hitches, not goosenecks.
The fifth-wheel trailer connects to a fifth-wheel hitch using a kingpin design, and once the trailer plate and hitch plate are joined, the kingpin is locked into position and the trailer is ready to tow. The two plates make constant contact and require lubrication to be friction free.
What They Cost
Fifth-wheels hitches run between $500 on the low end and several thousand for top-of-the-line models. The capacity of the fifth-wheel hitch is far superior to a standard bumper-mounted receiver hitch and can manage between 16,000 and 30,000 pounds of trailer and 5,000 pounds of tongue weight (depending on the model hitch and truck).
Understand, you simply can’t install a fifth-wheel hitch and start to tow without first learning the towing capacity of your truck, and you can do that by reading your owner’s manual, or visiting the manufacturer’s website for details on towing.
Large toyhaulers and family trailers are often designed with a kingpin set-up because of the extreme weights they can carry. Fifth-wheel hitches are used because they offer better maneuverability and a more balanced pivoting action on rough roads. Moreover, the point where the fifth-wheel hitch is mounted offers the greatest stability.
| We outfitted a project truck with the new Q20 and R20. This particular rig tows a 37-foot toyhauler that weighs 11,500 pounds dry and 15,500 to 16,500 pounds wet, and we needed a fifth-wheel hitch that could perform under these conditions.
Roller or Fixed?
There are basically three types of fifth-wheel hitches: fixed, manual rollers, and automatic rollers. Sliders, or rollers, basically move (a given amount of inches) straight back on a fixed rail that’s attached to a base plate in the bed of the truck.
The advantage of the roller is that it offers a good deal of maneuverability. A decent roller system can allow the driver to make 90-degree (or more!) turns just like the pros without contacting the truck’s rear window with the nose of the trailer. Fixed hitches don’t offer that kind of turning prowess. Rollers are, therefore, that much easier to tow with.
As its name implies, manual rollers must be set by hand once the truck is parked, automatic roller systems are activated when the truck is in motion. Not everyone is going to agree on which to buy, automatic versus manual, because of the cost difference between the two. So if getting out of the truck each time is no big deal, save your money and go with a manual.
If you tow with a long bed truck, any of the three designs will work for you. But if you tow with a shorter bed truck, it’s recommended that you use only the roller-type fifth-wheel, and never a fixed model. A fixed hitch can be a serious issue on a short bed due to clearance between the trailer and truck. Some manufacturers recommend against even using a fifth-wheel hitch at all, for beds shorter than six feet in length, so keep it in mind before you buy.
| The old fifth-wheel hitch was still operational, but we needed the flexibility that a roller-type hitch offered (on left).
The Project
When we were ready to swap out a rusty, old fixed fifth-wheel hitch off a 3/4-ton Chevy long bed for something new and high-tech, we contacted one of the leading fifth-wheel manufacturers that offers what we believed would be a great upgrade.
CURT Manufacturing has an excellent reputation as a dependable and service-oriented company that goes well beyond the call of duty to make sure that every customer is satisfied, and we turned to them first to get our rig in shape.
CURT has invested millions of dollars into their business as of late, and that combined with a 150,000-square-foot warehouse, means product availability is never an issue no matter where you live. They also have more than 1,100 custom hitch part numbers and 1,200 hitch accessories. So you see, the choice for us was clear.
| Not enough can be said about the three-point indicator system called the Q5 that can be viewed from inside the truck. It essentially tells you whether or not your trailer is engaged properly before you drive away.
When we said we wanted the newest, top-of-the-line fifth-wheel hitch for the truck project that was about to get a suspension makeover too, CURT recommended the Q20 accompanied by the R20 roller. We agreed that the fitment looked correct for the type of truck and the size of the trailer (37 feet); especially after learning we could practically position the trailer at 90-degrees (or more) with ease.
As mentioned, to complement the Q20, we installed the R20 roller. Roller type systems are not required on long beds, but they do provide optimal turning benefits.
The R20 has a tow rating of 20,000 pounds, and slides back a full 12 inches. It is maintenance free and features a non-binding rod-guide system. It is also self-locking and comes with a 10-year warranty. Our entire package included a color-coded three-point locking indicator system called the Q5 that allowed us to see if the coupler was engaged without leaving the truck’s cabin.
The Review
The installation was very easy thanks to good instructions. In testing we found the R20 to be very easy to move to the rear position in case we wanted to mount it on a shorter bed truck at another date, or we wanted to park in a tight spot. It was simple to hold the trailer brake and slide the hitch into position.
Another thing we liked about the Q20 package was that the simplicity of the latching mechanism made it a breeze to couple and un-couple from the trailer. The three-point indicator made it handy to see from the driver’s seat when the hitch was locked on to the trailer. Red indicates the hitch is uncoupled, yellow indicates it is ready to couple and the green means it is ready to tow.
We also liked the slots in the hitch handle to hold the hitch in an open or closed position. The three-point progressive resistance that limits lateral movement to 7 degrees added stability to the tow vehicle and made a huge difference over the previous hitch, which went straight to the lateral position without any resistance.
| A proper fifth-wheel hitch mounts in the truck bed just forward of the rear axle.
Q20 at a Glance
★ 20,000 pounds of towing capacity
★ 10-year factory warranty
★ Two-pin head removal
★ Three-lube points with easy access grease fitting
★ Three-point progressive resistance limits lateral movement 7 degree
★ Height 17.5 inches to 21.5 inches
★ Jaw pins made of 1-inch alloy steel
★ Lockable for trailer security
★ Meets or exceeds current & proposed industry standards
★ Mounts to industry standard rails
★ Positive locking dual jaw system with 360-degree pin contact
★ Self-aligning head for easy hookups
★ Short throw single handle operation
★ Spherical axial bearing
Editor’s Note: In the upcoming winter issue of RV, we will take a look at Firestone’s latest Ride-Rite helper air-bag springs to bring this early model Chevy on par with the newest of trucks.
