Reese® 56018 - Outboard 5th Wheel Custom Quick Install Brackets

If you're going to be doing extensive towing with a large trailer, as opposed to taking it somewhere and leaving it for a while, there's no substitute for a 5th wheel. Sure, you can tune a conventional hitch up to tow pretty nicely, but those who tow for a living know that the sweetest-towing rigs, pound-for-pound and foot-for-foot are always 5th wheels. With the connection between the trailer and truck centered over the rear axle, the trailer has far less propensity to steer the truck over poor roads or on windy days, reducing driver fatigue. One of the major factors that influences trailer stability is the proportion of the trailer's weight that sits on the tongue. Conventional-hitch trailers should have 10-15% of their weight on the hitch ball, but 5th wheel hitches should be carrying 20-25% of the load, substantially more.

If you need to use your truck to carry cargo in the bed when you're not towing, consider a 5th wheel setup that is readily removable, permitting unrestricted use of the bed. If you're towing with a short-bed pickup, there's a problem: you can't turn any sharper without the trailer hitting the cab, especially when backing up to spot the trailer into a narrow lane. That's when you need a 5th wheel that sits on rollers on a rail in the bed, sliding back a foot or so to allow sharper angles between the truck and trailer. When you're on the road, just slide the hitch back forward over the axle for the best towing.