5th wheel hitch isn’t a truck attachment that you can pull, place and hook up by yourself.
Due to the heavier weight and complex mechanism of the fifth wheel hitch, it needs to use 5th wheel hitch removal kit and a safe yet efficient method to make the job easy.
Read on to understand some helpful 5th wheel hitch removal kits and the simpler process to lift and pull out the hitch from your truck bed.
5th Wheel Hitch Removal kits to take the Hitch out of the Truck Bed
A fifth wheel hitch sits in the sturdy truck bed’s middle point to support more weight in that area while making it easier to turn around tight corners.
Fortunately removing 5 wheel hitches from the truck bed is quite simple and it takes around 20 minutes using the right tools and process.
Most fifth wheel hitch includes slide rail need to bolt to the truck bed from the top and below.
Hence the common steps for removing 5 the wheel hitch are:
- Strike the bolts a couple of times to loosen the tension on your fifth wheel hitch particularly if it’s been used for a long time.
- Put a leveler under the vehicle whether the screws match the slide rails. Your assistant at the bottom should have the usual key system which is 3/4 inch. Then anchor the nut to prevent the bolt from sliding through.
- While you are loosening the bolt ask your assistant to anchor them. Since the nuts and bolts can be very tight, use leverage to avoid sticking. Once done, remove the loose bolts and metal slide rail from the bed.
Now use either of these tools to pull the 5th wheel hitch out of your truck bed.
Trailer Hoist
You can remove the 5th wheel hitch easily from your truck bed using a trailer hoist.
In this case, you can choose between hydraulic and manual hoists where the first one is common yet expensive.
But the hydraulic hoist can balance the load while lifting, making it safe for 5th wheel removal, particularly for RV.
Other considerations are minimum weight balancing and tongue weight as these affect the hoist performance.
Chain Hoist
Though fifth wheels are typically heavier, a chain hoist is a good option to lift heavier fifth wheels.
Most chain hoists apply manual chain blocks that you can attach to the hook and under the truck bed for the easier and more convenient lifting of your 5th wheel assembly.
In addition chain hoist only requires an electric connection hanging.
Hence it doesn’t take up much space.
Before using this 5th wheel hitch removal kit, you should make sure that your hitch isn’t connected to truck bed rails as it can cause a mess up.
To avoid it, tighten the grip by pulling the chain hoist hand chain.
Remember, you must maintain a minimum 3 to 4 inches distance when pulling; otherwise standing close can hurt you.
Hitch Lifting Devices
In terms of safety, using a hitch lifting device can be your safer option to remove the fifth wheel removal from your truck bed without getting hurt.
Some of the popular options are telescopic lift, scissor lift, and dual-piston lift.
A telescopic lift utilizes a hydraulic trailer to remove the 5th wheel hitch and usually it uses to pull a third-party heavy hutch.
Scissor lifts are a popular choice among trailer owners due to their convenient operation.
This 5th wheel hitch removal can be attached to the garage ceiling for easier operation.
On the other hand, a dual-piston lift uses two pistons to remove the fifth-wheel hitch safely.
Load Leveler
If your trailer tongue weight is around 12000 lbs, you can give these load levelers a chance to remove the fifth wheel hitch efficiently.
No matter whether your 5th wheel hitch is on the road or not, you can try using this load lever any time you want.
It helps improve the stability of the low fifth wheel and anyone can use it including those who don’t know how much weight should put onto the trailer.
This 5th hitch removal kit also maintains the balance during the process to ensure better stability.
So you’ll have good control over everything even during a complicated situation.
Engine hoist
One of the simplest ways to remove the 5th wheel hitch is to buy or rent a strong engine host.
It also requires a joist installed in the garage or portable assembly to hold the engine hoist and the hoist should also be sturdy enough to bear the hitch weight conveniently.
Other essentials are some tough steel braided cables to hold the wheel hitch during elevating and lowering.
After connecting the 5th wheel hitch to the cables, you can start the hoist.
The process is: to pull your fifth wheel hitch high enough using this engine hoist to clear the truck bed’s back end and take the truck out from under the hitch.
Then lower the hitch slowly to the stand.
If your 5th wheel hitch is heavier than 200 pounds, make sure the engine hoist and cables are strong enough and rated to pull more weight than required.
If you want to re-install the hitch onto the truck bed, simply reverse the process.
Lift the 5th wheel hitch, get the truck back under it and lower the hitch at the right place slowly.
You’ll also need an assistant to do this job.
The reason is that your 5th wheel hitch may tend to swing and you have to keep it steady during pulling up and down.
Finally, the engine hoist is the preferable kit for sliding wheel hitch; however, it should work for other designs as well.
FAQs on 5th Wheel Hitch Removal
How To Remove A Curt 5th Wheel Ball?
Use some spray lubricant like UltraLube Biobased Spray Lubricant or WD-40 to loosen up the hitch ball.
If it still remains stuck, apply more lubricant and hit it a few times using a rubber mallet.
Once it comes out, replace the ball with the same part number.
Can You Unhitch A Fifth Wheel At An Angle?
Of course, you can hitch and unhitch your fifth wheel safely at an angle.
However, you should ground the tow vehicle level for your convenience.
How To Manually Slide The Fifth Wheel?
You can do it by flipping the slider switch on the truck’s dash.
This way, the air pressure will push the pins on side of the fifth wheel into the releasing place.
After lowering the landing gear, pop the pins on the slider.
Final Words
Removing the 5th wheel hitch offers full bed access or lowers the load of the truck bed when towing isn’t essential.
However, the process requires heavy equipment, the aid of assistance, and the right process.
After reading the guide, hope you understand the 5th wheel hitch removal kit and other essentials to make the job safer.
If you still want to make the job much easier, try to use the easy-to-remove 5th wheel hitch like PullRite Superglide or B&W Companion RVK 3500 Fifth Wheel Hitch.