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Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitches - The Strongest Around
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Fifth wheel trailer hitches are the strongest hitches that you can buy for
your truck. They are commonly used to haul livestock trailers and RV's. When
looking at one, you will probably notice that they resemble the hook-ups that
big eighteen wheelers use to haul their trailers. This alone should tell you
that these bad boys are definitely heavy duty trailer hitches.
These trailer hitches are mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. They can also
be hooked up on the bed of a flat bed truck, right above the rear axle. The
fifth wheel hitch offers a number of advantages, that other trailer hitches
don't.
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| However, they also take up a large amount of space. Since they are mounted in
the bed of your truck, you might find that you have very little room for
anything else besides what you happen to be towing. Another big problem with a fifth wheel hitch is that you have to take the
tailgate off to haul anything. This can be annoying, but thankfully the truck
companies have realized this and made a number of accessories that can help with
the above problems.
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- Tool Boxes: Because the hitch takes up so much room, truck companies have
developed tool boxes that sit behind the hitch, in front of the tailgate, so
that you can store some tools or other nick-knacks.
- Air Gate: Air gates were made to solve the problem of having to take your
tailgate off to haul anything. The air gate is often made of a metal mesh that
is used instead of the tailgate. They have a "V" cut in the middle to
accommodate the tongue of the trailer. When you're not hauling your trailer, the
air gate will also help with your fuel economy. This is because when the air
flows over your pick up truck, it hits the gate and slows the truck up. But with
an air gate, the air will travel easily through the mesh or tubing and cut back
on the air friction.
- RV Chests: These chests sit directly behind the cab of the truck, and can
be used to carry some of your things.
No matter how you look at it, the fifth wheel trailer hitch is the best hitch
for hauling heavy loads. It's unequaled in stability and towing capacity, and
while they have a few drawbacks, there are accessories that can bypass these
minor irritants.
There is one more thing you should keep in mind when looking at a hitch,
especially a fifth wheel hitch; make sure your vehicle can haul the load. Check
the owner's manual of your vehicle and see what the maximum towing capacity of
your truck is. Never try to haul a load that exceeds this capacity. Your truck
may not need a fifth wheel hitch, if it is unable to haul very heavy loads. You
might be able to use some of the other truck hitches more effectively.
The above article was contributed by guest author Scott Gray
and is being used with permission.
About The Author
Scott Gray is a
trailer hitch specialist and provides useful information about
fifth wheel hitches and all other types of hitches.
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