Dropped my 5th Wheel

[tomjsas]

Well, moving to a 5er shortly and that is my one biggest fear! After this post I will be triple checking when I get it and start hooking up.

[Beausdog]

Originally Posted by MurphyKyle

it's a sick feeling, ain't it?

I don't know if sick would be the word I would choose. Lets just say it's a good thing my wife and kids were away last weekend because I was coming up with cussing like crazy (think I even created my own generic string of foul words) while throwing things around pissed at myself

[Arefbee]

Bummer. Better it happened early than at speed, on the road.

That said, Thanks for the heads up - one great thing about this site is that there is no judgement. Stuff happens, and the best thing that you can do is share so the next guy is aware.

[Campingwith2kids2dogs]

I've done it too. We were away from CG all day at Johns Hopkins with son at Dr appts & scans. He's a stage 3 cancer survivor. We got back later than expected & were stressed & in a hurry to check out. Both kids were going crazy & fighting. I pulled fwd a couple ft & down the 5er went. The tailgate was in a V. We can laugh at it now, but talk about stress! That was about 2 yrs ago. The 5er didn't have any visible damage, but the Tundra took a hit. The auto body collision place
always loved hearing & fixing our camping mishaps. Lol! We've since replaced both TV & 5er & hoping the "curse" stayed with that truck.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by tomjsas

Well, moving to a 5er shortly and that is my one biggest fear! After this post I will be triple checking when I get it and start hooking up.

Use a checklist and ALWAYS do a test pull. Triple checking is OK. I have white paint on the jaws so when I visually check to insure I'm hitched the white paint is very easy to see.

[B47]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Use a checklist and ALWAYS do a test pull. Triple checking is OK. I have white paint on the jaws so when I visually check to insure I'm hitched the white paint is very easy to see.

My Husky hitch has a red band on the handle to show that the jaws are not fully engaged and a pin with a green band that pops out when the jaws are fully engaged - we still do the pull test to make sure.

[ATsXLR]

Beausdog,

Ish, sorry to see the carnage. That's why we pay all that money for insurance, right.
Good excuse/reason to make that custom 5er bed now!
Good luck and I for one appreciate you showing us graphic details, as ugly as it is, it's easily fixable. Check with service body suppliers, they usually have quite a few beds for sale.

Ependydad,

I take it you have a Blue Ox bed-saver installed?
I've been looking for "protection" myself, but I've installed a Curt Q20 hitch and Butch doesn't have anything as yet (due to the punched head design, I'd presume). Over-all are you confident with it's design. Hate to ask, but have you had to use it?

Thanks again-

[wayne anthony]

Seems like sooner or later alot of people end up dropping their 5th wheel on the truck bed rails. I did it back in 2011, but at that time the plastic rail covers had blown off (bought them because just kneeling on the bed rails was putting dents in the rails), and decided to move a little bit. For got to relock the hitch, but dropping the trailer put small dents in the rails which are barely noticeable after reinstalling the rail covers (screwed on this time).

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by ATsXLR

...and Butch doesn't have anything as yet (due to the punched head design, I'd presume)...-

I would consider Butch's regular saver and just weld it on and add some gussets.

[garbonz]

When I dropped mine it landed on the superglide rails and hung up on the back of the rail. I looked at it and just went whew.!!!!!!!.

Ordered the butch kit and just slide it across, easy peasy

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by ATsXLR

Ependydad,

I take it you have a Blue Ox bed-saver installed?
I've been looking for "protection" myself, but I've installed a Curt Q20 hitch and Butch doesn't have anything as yet (due to the punched head design, I'd presume). Over-all are you confident with it's design. Hate to ask, but have you had to use it?

Thanks again-

I actually do not have either. And, guess I should advertise that better.

I don't have the Blue Ox due to the weight and making the coupler more unwieldy for installing and removing the hitch (I do it on a fairly regular basis when we need the full truck bed). But, in theory (and from reading of people who have used it) - I am confident of the design. Like I've harped on - I like that it's always engaged and ready to catch a drop.

I don't have the Butch's catcher due to not agreeing with the fundamentals of the design. If my attention was taken away and I missed a step, I don't see why this wouldn't or couldn't be one of the steps.

[ATsXLR]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I actually do not have either. And, guess I should advertise that better.

I don't have the Blue Ox due to the weight and making the coupler more unwieldy for installing and removing the hitch (I do it on a fairly regular basis when we need the full truck bed). But, in theory (and from reading of people who have used it) - I am confident of the design. Like I've harped on - I like that it's always engaged and ready to catch a drop.

I don't have the Butch's catcher due to not agreeing with the fundamentals of the design. If my attention was taken away and I missed a step, I don't see why this wouldn't or couldn't be one of the steps.

Thanks Ependydad for the clarification. I too like the Blue Ox design intent and also have grief with the additional weight, as it is I have a fun time breaking loose the rubber bond from the head to the carrier body after the silicone dries out, now add 40 additional pounds.
I'm going to give Butch a shout to see what's available (thanks OldCoot!).

[treaves]

When looking at hitches for my truck, "hitch malfunction" couldn't have happened with the units I looked at, as they are designed to mechanically prevent this. If the hitch is used as designed, the locks would prevent the kingpin from coming loose. I'd be surprised if there were hitches sold that were not this way.

A component failure could of course cause it, but then there is obvious evidence (in the failed component).

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by ATsXLR

Thanks Ependydad for the clarification. I too like the Blue Ox design intent and also have grief with the additional weight, as it is I have a fun time breaking loose the rubber bond from the head to the carrier body after the silicone dries out, now add 40 additional pounds.
I'm going to give Butch a shout to see what's available (thanks OldCoot!).

I've heard Butch is good to work with and may help fabricate something specific for your hitch.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I actually do not have either. And, guess I should advertise that better.

I don't have the Blue Ox due to the weight and making the coupler more unwieldy for installing and removing the hitch (I do it on a fairly regular basis when we need the full truck bed). But, in theory (and from reading of people who have used it) - I am confident of the design. Like I've harped on - I like that it's always engaged and ready to catch a drop.

I don't have the Butch's catcher due to not agreeing with the fundamentals of the design. If my attention was taken away and I missed a step, I don't see why this wouldn't or couldn't be one of the steps.

There are ways to modify things to make sure you do what is required, like attaching the emergency brake cable to the rod on the hitch catcher so that to secure the cable, you have to insert the rod.

[bakken]

Just another example of why I bought the 'slide-bar' type of hitch.
There is no way to hook up wrong, and once that bar slams into position behind the pin, it ain't goin nowhere.
Simple, and foolproof.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by bakken

Just another example of why I bought the 'slide-bar' type of hitch.
There is no way to hook up wrong, and once that bar slams into position behind the pin, it ain't goin nowhere.
Simple, and foolproof.

My Reese also has a positive lock that must be seated to flip the lock bar over the handle, but I also added my version of Butch's catch just in case something breaks. Everything is mechanical and mechanical things break.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

My Reese also has a positive lock that must be seated to flip the lock bar over the handle, but I also added my version of Butch's catch just in case something breaks. Everything is mechanical and mechanical things break.

In you theory you should have a hitch catcher behind the hitch catcher then ?

[B47]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

There are ways to modify things to make sure you do what is required, like attaching the emergency brake cable to the rod on the hitch catcher so that to secure the cable, you have to insert the rod.

Yeah that will work - just makes you perform another step to make sure you are latched up

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by bakken

Just another example of why I bought the 'slide-bar' type of hitch.
There is no way to hook up wrong, and once that bar slams into position behind the pin, it ain't goin nowhere.
Simple, and foolproof.

I'd be willing to be that far more dropped fivers are user error than mechanical failure. Someone missed a step somewhere...

For my B&W hitch, you can't close the handle if you're not hitched properly. It just can't be done- it is impossible. But, over on RV.net, someone with a B&W hitch dropped his fiver because he forgot to close the handle (worse, he followed instructions and previously pinned the handle in the open position).

Things happen.

The Butch's catcher gives you an element of protection against that. I just personally think while it's 5-times the cost that the Blue Ox product gives you more.