Fifth Wheel - Helpful Video Reviews and Installation How To Articles

Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Dodge Ram Pickup - Video

Today we are going to install part number 50062 from Draw-Tite - their quick, custom install kit. And we are going to install this on a 2006 Dodge 2500 pickup truck. To begin our install, go ahead and lower the spare tire so you have access to underneath the frame. And you may have to move the exhaust out of the way - tie it out of the way or lower it to give you a little bit extra room, on some of the brackets, too. After you have that accomplished, your best bet is to go ahead and start working on the rails. The first step is to go ahead and measure out our rails for our 5th wheel. We will start off on top of the bed. Per instructions, there are different measurements between 6-foot and 8-foot. And measure out your bed rails, starting from the end of the truck where the tailgate is, toward the front. We are going to show you the reference points on how to mount your rear rail here. And this starts with the rear rail. The other rail will be situated by the actual 5th wheel assembly itself. For starters, we will start from the edge of a rail to the very end of the bed right here. You want to have it even on both sides, of course, and centered from right to left, too. Aim for this bolt hole right here to be in the exact center of the bed. Once you have your measurements done, use a hole punch and go ahead and mark the bed then look in the bottom and make sure your brackets will line up with those punches first. That way, it double-checks that you have got your measurements correct and you did not drill a hole when you did not have to. Once you have checked the brackets with the dimples, then go ahead and start drilling out your holes. Start with a smaller bit, like a 1/4-inch, and work your way up to a larger size. On this board hole here, you are going to go through the bed itself and also the bed support that is underneath it, too. We will go ahead and drill out our pilot holes out to our larger size. more

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Posted: 4/10/2009 4:36:26 AM