The strongest hitch you can buy for your truck is a fifth-wheel trailer hitch. When someone wants to haul a heavy trailer, a fifth wheel hitch is often hitching to be used. Take a good look at the fifth-wheel hitch and you will immediately see the resemblance to the hitches that 18 wheelers use.
Fifth wheel hitches are usually mounted in the bed of a pickup truck or on the rear platform of a flatbed towing truck.
Fifth wheel hookups offer the following advantages:
Better Stability
Fifth wheel hitches make the trailers far more stable than other hitches. The reason is that trailer and tow vehicle are locked together much tighter than ordinary ball hitches.
Hauling Capacity
You can haul considerably more weight with a fifth-wheel hitch.
Easier to maneuver
Because the hitch is mounted inside the bed of the truck, it makes it easier to turn corners and back up. This can be a considerable advantage if towing a long trailer.
As with anything, there are disadvantages to fifth-wheel hitches also:
Removing the tailgate
Another issue, you often 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.
Bed Space
A fifth wheel hitch takes up a large amount of space in the bed of a truck. You might find that you have very little room for anything else in the truck bed when you have a fifth-wheel hitch installed.
There is one more thing you should keep in mind when looking at 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 as it can be very dangerous.
Conclusion
No matter how you analyze it, the fifth-wheel trailer hitch is the best hitch for hauling heavy loads. It’s unequaled instability and towing capacity, and while they have a few drawbacks, there are accessories that can bypass these minor irritants.
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