Does Pin Box Capture Plate Need to be Removed Before Towing with a Standard 5th Wheel Hitch

Question

Question:

There is a capture plate welded to the pin box of my 5th wheel. MUST the capture plate be removed before towing with a “regular” 5th wheel hitch? What happens if we try to tow with the welded capture plate in place?

asked by: Linda

0

Expert Reply:

That all depends on what 5th wheel hitch you are using and what the pin box is on your trailer. For example, the Reese 5th Airborne Sidewinder pin boxes use a wedge like part # 201100 to basically lock the king pin in place so that the rotating turret can do its job. It is possible to lockout the rotating turret so that you don't have to use the wedge or capture plate, but if you were to remove the wedge/capture plate and your pin box isn't locked out you will have 2 pivot points which makes for a very dangerous towing situation.

If you can let me know what 5th wheel hitch you have and what pin box is on your 5th wheel trailer I can see about giving you a more specific answer.

expert reply by: Jon G

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Answer 1

Hello SR. For your 2024 GMC 3500 AT4 Crew cab standard bed 6’9” with OEM Prep Package it is recommended that you have a slider hitch to ensure clearance on those tight turns. I recommend B&W Companion OEM 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider for Chevy/GMC…

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Answer 2

If the pin weight (the weight pushing down on the 5th wheel hitch) is too high or too low, more than 20 percent of the gross trailer weight or less than 15 percent, it could cause the see-sawing problem you are having. The pin weight should be 15 to…

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Answer 3

The pin weight of a 5th wheel trailer will usually be around 20% of the trailer's gross trailer weight (GTW) rating. The only real way to find the loaded pin weight of your 5th wheel trailer would require access to a commercial scale used to…

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Answer 4

You do not need a capture plate for the Curt E16 5th wheel trailer hitch. Capture plates are exclusive to PullRite hitches and are used to help activate its automatic sliding feature. You would just need to remove the capture plate on the pin box to…

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Answer 5

The Demco Hijacker Autoslide 21K #DM8550038 weighs approximately 305-lbs. The head of this hitch weighs around 70-lbs and can be removed to help make moving and installing this 5th wheel hitch a little bit easier.

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Answer 6

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 7

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 8

Hey Jerry, GM moved the placement of their puck systems starting with 2020 models so you are correct that the pucks would have the hitch not sit directly over the axle. GM did the math and made sure that this placement wouldn't adversely affect…

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Answer 9

Choosing the right height setting for your 5th wheel hitch is a combination of a few different variables. First of all you want your towing setup to be as level as possible. With your Montana High Country 340BH level you will want to measure from the…

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Answer 10

Hey Tom, congrats on the new truck! Typically when we hear that someone has the OEM tow prep package they mean the puck system. This is going to be five circular holes built into the bed of your Ram truck and is by far the best way to attach a 5th…

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Answer 11

Since we don't carry the PullRite line I can't really speak to their quality but from what I can see from there website their 2900 model is fairly similar to the Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider #DM89GV. Both hitches offer 14"…

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Answer 12

Hey John, thanks for the picture of your truck bed! To install a set of 5th wheel rails in your 2022 Ram 2500, I recommend the B&W Custom Installation Kit w/ Base Rails item #BWRVK2602. This set of rails are industry standard so they'll work…

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Does Pin Box Capture Plate Need to be Removed Before Towing with a Standard 5th Wheel Hitch

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