new hitch

[berghild424]

We need to buy a new hitch. Any suggestions? We found a CURT hitch with a 10 year warranty but we have never heard of them....so we are still searching the internet.
any input would be greatly appreciated.
We know we want the pivot head and plenty of weight rating, good warranty, and ease of using that handle to operate it.
Our old hitch was B&W
thanks

[RickandJanice]

IMHO, you can't go wrong with Reese. All of their above bed rails are industry standard. They also offer a below the bed system but I don't know much about it as I prefer the tried and true, universal above bed rail system. That way if I ever decide to change brands, it is easy to do.

[berghild424]

thank you. Reese is number 1 but why does it have only 5 year warranty and cost twice as much...is it all that advertising...I would like to hear from some who have tried others too. But may end up with Reese.

[GlennWest]

We have the B&W Companion. Very nice. Leaves clean bed, no rails, when removed. I already had the under bed goose neck hitch.

[terry and jo]

We've had both a 16K and now a 22K Reese fifth wheel hitch. I talked to two different dealers and paid attention to comments on various forums. Most everyone I heard from or read about agreed that the Reese was one of the best there was.

As for warranties, the length of them is not necessarily something to go by. What you want to check on any warranties is what they will cover or not cover.

As for the B&W, they have a good reputation from what I have heard from those that have owned them. However, they are limited to 18,000 lbs, so I would never use one on a Mobile or Elite Suites unless they were something like a 32-footer.

Terry

[bucky49]

check it out.

http://www.trailersaver.com/

my reese 25k has plenty of ridgid back kick even with trailair pinbox.

[The View 5046]

I have owned several different 5th wheel hitches Reese, Valley/Huskey, B&W etc. I did like the B&W the best, clean truck bed and the easiest static 5th hitch to hook and unhook of all. Has a similar locking device as the Trailer Saver wraps around the head. And the locking device is like most Class 8 Trucks in use today...

However if you want the best 5th wheel hitch for a 5th wheel (less stress on frame) that protects the frame and the interior items. We have to secure nothing inside, leave the coffee pot, toaster and can opener on the counter. The Trailer Saver is the best hitch on the market today for my use....

But again the Trailer Saver is pricey but you want have to ever buy another 5th wheel hitch.... The Trailer Saver will fit most all bed rails, like the Reese, Vally Huskey etc. Many HDT's and MDT's use the Trailer Saver air ride hitch.... Keep in mind your Truck and Trailer is pricey also.... Good Luck on your choice. Happy Trails.....

[berghild424]

well, that makes sense about the warranties, so I will check out. Still no one has mentioned the Curt hitch..
The trailer saver hitch...I am not sure about the money but will look it up. the truck has 188,00 miles on it and when it dies I think we will be done for awhile. It does run great though and looks good too, does a good job.
I guess we will research for awhile.
Thank you all, and keep the ideas coming. Cyndy

[Cheif 2]

I had a Curt brand hitch and used it in two different trucks with great results. It is made very well and has the built in indicators for letting you know when it is fully locked. Like others it is heavy, but it is nice that the head has two different lube points and the jaws wrap around the pin. You won't go wrong buying it. Good luck!

[Motor31]

Since I use the trailair pin box I have a 32k Trailer saver fixed hitch on the HDT. I'd say if you are planning on either hanging up the keys or getting a new tow vehicle in the next 5+ years you are likely going with something like the Reese rather than a heavy duty hitch like the trailer saver. It's pricey and harder to swap units.

[berghild424]

thank you for the info we we will contact CURT about where to install. Southwest driveline in YUma is good but it's not one of there installers.
that saves us a ton.
Chief, does all that stuff on your truck help you over the Rockies. we took out the Edge attitude because it kept shutting the truck down right in the middle of traffic. they kept sending us new ones but it was too scairy. Our pac brake doesn't do much...don't know why. we have big air intake and huge turbo from AT S in Denver and ATS tranny...but we heat up going up the big grads and pull over a lot.

[rdunk]

Just for what it is worth, i agree with the other "TrailerSaver" hitch guys here. I looked long and hard before I bought the 5er hitch. IMO, the TrailerSaver is the best. I looked at the Curt hitch on the internet, and I would not be interested. The hitch footprint is about five inches wider on the Curt, and that would not have been good for me.

Yes, the Trailer does use just standard type rails.

The head on the TrailerSaver has been lab tested at or beyond 32K.

All of the TrailerSaver hitch structure is thick steel plate. None of it is "formed" from sheet steel.

What I really liked about the TrailerSaver, besides its heavy construction was, one can know by three different check points that the hitch is "on the pin, and locked". First if the jaws are together, you know it is on the pin right. Then, if the spring loaded locking pin will insert behind the locking steel bar, you know the jaws are locked around the pin. Then, as a third know (for personal comfort), there is a hole for a padlock, which when inserted, also locks the locking bar, so it cannot be removed by pranksters, or otherwise.

I felt completely safe with the TrailersSaver. All just need to always be careful. I did see one leave the RV park, and just got out of the gate, and the 5er came out of the hitch, onto the bed of the truck. Wasn't real bad, but then it likely would have been different at 60 miles per hour, if it had come out o the highway!

[Cheif 2]

Berghild,
I have not towed my MS with my Chevy. When we first got the MS we had a Ford 550 and it towed it very well. After that we moved up to a International 4700 which we took to Alaska. After the trip to Alaska the DW and I decided to park the MS and use it as our home base here in Fla for the winter, but do all our traveling in our Chevy and Lance truck camper. We found hauling the 18K lb MS all over creation just wasn't all that enjoyable and there were many places we couldn't get to for camping with it. I have had no problems at all with the Edge and I know there are many owners towing with the Chevy trucks. If I every decide to use the Chevy I will install a Curt hitch though. Good luck!
Gary

[Pat L.]

The Curt 20K Hitch is a dream. Great quality without breaking the bank. Reese lives on it's reputation and prices it accordingly. Curt has been around long enough to be known by many. I have never heard a bad word.

[billr]

FWIW, We had a Reese that was 4yrs old pulling a 13K fiver before we got the MS 38RL3. Pulled for 2 yrs with the Reese and it wore out the jaws ans all the pins inside the hitch lock mech which has a lot of moiving parts. There was slop in the hitch I felt inside when stoping and starting, clunk clunk. The Jaws were actually opening up almost 1/2" from the slop inside the mech. Had to make an emergency purchase while on the road away from home. Didn't trust it. 4 yrs of light duty and 2 years with MS killed it.

Took the advice of the folks here and went with a Trailersaver 30K Rigid hitch that mounted right into the stadard hitrch rails already in the truck. Binkley head design used on all commercial trucks. Solid as a rock. Positive lock, no worries. Cost around $900. 5yrs and still solid. Moved it to the HDT with custom mounting. Using the trail air pin box as well.

The Reese is way too easy to mis hitch, not lock up. Many a trailers have dropped on the back of the trucks with a Reese. (of course these folks have not done the pull check).

Have heard good reports from those with the Curt, not familiar myself.

Another IMHO....don't cut corners on your hitch selection. Not a good place to save $.

Ref the Edge controller, If you haven't done so yet, try to contact Edge. When we had the Chevy, I had to send it back to them twice. They reflashed it once and replaced for cheap the second time when out of warr. I too had shutdown issues at the worse possible times. It stayed good after that. Ran on setting #2 all the time.

High temps and all the stuff to make the Pickup work helped make me move to HDT. I hear the newer PUs are way better power wise stock.

Good luck with your hitch selection!

Bill

[SL592]

I got Curt rails installed in my truck and I have a Trailer Saver Hitch. The rails looked eerily similar to Reese, but then again they are rails.

The Trailer Saver hitch wasn't cheap, but we feel it's worth the money. Much smoother ride even with a Trail Air king pin.