How I installed the rails to use a 5th wheel or gooseneck hitch in my 1994 Chevy K2500. A rail kit from Amazon was used. amzn.to/3ucOzXM You can also just buy the brackets and bolts if your hitch came with the rails. amzn.to/3f6jiBw
You sir are an example of how a great step by step video should be done. No annoying music and inserts that not relevant. I am buying this install kit and will do this myself. Thank you.
Great video looks good and well instructed. One recommendation I would make is to place it a little in front of the rear axle so it displaces weight not only on the rear axle but also more more on the front of the truck too. Typically when you install a goose neck or 5th wheel hitch on a truck you don't want the weight directly centered over the rear axle you want it just forward of the rear axle toward the cab. This provides a better balanced towing experience and helps prevent the front end of the truck from being lighter or lifting when hauling a heavy load because it places some of the load on the front of the truck as well.
Phenomenal video well done!!! great presentation, well-illustrated and for you to have done it with just your left-hand SIR MY HAT IS OFF TO YOU!!!! There are people out here that have full mobility and 3 people helping that can't do what you just did and, in most cases today they just flat out WON'T DO IT!!!! We all know that you're not on here looking for sympathy comments and we don't want to disrespect you by making you feel that way, but we all want to show our appreciation. THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US THAT VIEWED THIS VIDEO 💯🙏!!!! and I'm taking it upon myself to speak for everyone....
Super-helpful, thanks for putting this together and sharing! I hadn’t thought of welding the brackets- that’s totally how I’m going to do it now. Happy trails, cowboy!
Great video! You made a technical installation look very easy and straightforward. Now I’ll have to do mine now. Thanks for taking the time to do the video.
Me to,..... Now I want to do mine my self because no one wants to install it. This is what I have to do to my 2009 Chv. truck with my 2 hand hitch. 2 thumps up. It was a very good video.
My friend had a stroke and now recovering and I am installing one for him so he can go camping. Thank you so much for doing this video and helping me to help him. This was great.
Hi man I know how hard is doing something just one hand,after cancer I have paralysed right side of my body ,every day I fight with my self. For everything you need two hands. You are great man
New subscriber Thanks for taking time to show us your way, I've seen many videos on how to install this product and I'm convinced your way is my way 😊 and I appreciate you. I have a channel also but do a different type of videos, check me out.
Magnet to hold the bracket up on the bolt? Absolute genius. And putting a weight on top of the bolt heads to hold them down for you while you get under the truck... Making work easier for yourself at every turn. Great vid
Thanks for the video it was great my naboor put mine on the wrong way it's not safe the way it looks right now going to put it in the shop so I can feel safe instead of sorry my nobor was totally wrong how he did but thanks for the great video god bless
Thanks for this informative and very helpful video. I used it to make installing my 5th wheel hitch in the bed of my 05 Chevy 1500 Z71 a breeze. Was intimidated at first, but the video helped to ease my mind.....2.5 hrs. later, the job was done.
In my search for a 5th wheel receiver, I'm noticing that they are made specific for certain trucks. My question then is if you use top mounted bed rails that are universal, then isn't it a moot point?
I am not aware of any truck you can't use a standard rail system on. Then you can use any hitch made for those rails. That being said, if a company makes a rail kit for your truck, it may be worth the money for time saved. And It looks like the rail system is becoming outdated. A lot of new trucks have what they call a puck system, where the hitch drops through holes already in the bed, locking to the frame directly. That started about 10 years ago. No need to drill more holes in your truck. I have no experience with those myself, but I think I would use that if my truck had them, and I could afford it. Rails are not usually in the way when not in use, but they can be at times. They also make adapters to use regular rail hitches in a truck bed with pucks. There have also been some specialty hitches for quite a while that don't use the rail system at all. It use to be easy to pick a hitch, an a good day's work installing it. It's starting to be the other way around. But I have never even touched anything other than a universal rail system. My truck is to old for anything else, an my wallet can't afford anything fancier.
A sliding hitch is usually recommended for a 6 foot bed, for turning. Some of those have their own mounting system and some use regular rails like this. If you get one that uses rails, its pretty much the same installation. You can use a regular 5th wheel hitch, but you have to be careful to not get in to the back of your cab turning. A 31 foot trailer is also probably pushing the limits of a 1/2 ton truck, so make sure the trailer does not put you over weight, and the tongue weight is not more than the trucks payload rating.
Good job.Liked the video but why not use a 1/8 pilot bit them the 7/32? Would be less chance of moving the frame.Im looking to do the same job and move to Alabama or S,C
Great Job! However I'd feel better and safer with drilling through the frame and bolting the mounting brackets to the frame. I fear the welds may break. So I'm going to bolt it on. Again, Great video cowboy.
2 thumps up. Now I want to do mine,... my self because, no one wants to install it. This is what I have to do to my 2009 Chv. truck with my 2nd hand hitch. It was a very good video. Thank you.
If the instructions say the hitch is 1.5 inches ahead of the axle, couldn't you just subtract 1.5 inches from the back of the bed to the first rail measurement to get you on center of the axle?
I actually used to work as an installation tech at a local hitch supply outlet. I've installed these Reese Fifth Wheel Rails in countless trucks and 98% of them fit like a glove with the proper brackets. Next Spring I may buy a set of brand new Reese Rails for my 2001 Ford F350 Long Bed truck. And I'm highly tempted to install the rails in myself and just purchase the needed drill bits and torque wrench. It honestly isn't as hard as it looks, it's incredibly easier with a second person to help hold the bolt still while the second person crawls under the truck bed to tighten down the nuts and washers. And the drilling involved in the frame rails is hard but it's not insanely difficult. In my case it will be more difficult as the Ford Frame rails in the Super Duty trucks are actually harder steel than a Chevy or Dodge so that makes it harder to drill through. Using a pilot hole with a smaller drill bit is essential to ease the larger needed drill bit through, it makes a huge difference using a pilot hole with all of the holes needed in the installation. Anyways, it was a very well done video tutorial and I give you a ton of credit for not feeling too intimated about doing it yourself with your own hands and tools instead of paying the UN-necessary costs in labor for a hitch shop to do the same thing as you can do.
That was the best, most direct install video I have seen in a long while. I have this very hitch but not the rails. I have found the rails on Facebook Marketplace but the seller wants $100 and won't budge. Anyway, when I get them, now I know what to do.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!, I WAS HAVING GREAT ANXIETY ABOUT TRYING THIS MYSELF, BUT THANKS TO YOUR STRAIGHT FOWARD, EASY TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, I GOT IT DONE!!!!!!, THANK-YOU AGAIN. TOM
Huge inspiration and motivation to me my brother! The world is yours, you just have to be willing to get up and go face it, and you Sir are a prime example, and a true leader! ✔️🔐 All love man🙏
Just reiterating what everyone else has been saying. You have provided excellent instructions. Better than all these hitch companies have provided. They owe you money in my opinion.
Really helped me grasp the situation where I ended up with a hitch (bought it with the 5th wheel) but former owner had the original rails welded to his truck. So...I've heard so much discouraging information....you can't find rails...etc. Plus, the hitch, appears to be a fine one, isn't marked at all as to the manufacturer. So to find a set of rails...that's confusing. But at least, with your video I have hopes there is a universal rail kit out there. One thing is different. Your rails are horizontal in your truck bed. This hitch, it's original rails were exactly the opposite. Being on a budget....I'm hoping I will be able to find a solution to use this good hitch....but find rails. Your video sure took the mystery out of the size of the job to actually do this rail installation. Estimates to do this from the RV guys.....around $1,000.00 and most of them don't want to use my hitch. So, there's a learning curve. Again, great video!
In my World? You're one Helluva man! Thanx for the info as I'm seriously considering buying a truck and a fifth wheel travel trailer. Again...thank you, kind Sir!
Very well expalined. Especially the beginning. I did not know most hitches clip into these rails. Thought it was super complicated to match hitch and rails. Thank you for helping your fellow traveler.
5 stars ..excellent and very helpful video.....going to make my own brackets but not too sure on the metal thickness .....looks like 10 gage but I'm going to go with 3/16"....again great job on your video!!!
Mine with the diesel and 3.42 highway gear, it is rated at 6K pounds. It really feels that. I believe the 454 with the 4.11 gear is rated at 10K pounds and the 4.56 gear was something like 12K pounds I would think both can safely stop 12K, but the 4.10 gear would cook the trans after a while.
Thank you very much for this video, i bought the exact same fifth wheel hitch because i have an older RV so this helps me a lot and saved me $$$. Thank you.
WOW !!!!!! Thanks for the detailed video on how to install a 5th wheel hitch, you did an amazing job and made it look flawless. This will be our very first 5th wheel ever and I am excited to see how it will go, Again, many thinks for your detailed installation video.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Sounds weird I've rebut motors but installing a 5th wheel hitch has no d's scared me off. Glad to see it's not nearly as bad as I pictured. Props to you my friend
My dad and uncle had a hard time installing theirs and they had four hands haha they said they we're glad you had this video up and said thank you for it, good job on the work keep it up! 😃 also they thank you for the magnet trick it worked!
Very helpful got her done in like 4 hours.had some problems where it was a oval couldn't get my hand it.so I used hot glue and glued washers and nut together then glued them to stick and had to have some one help me screw in.thank for saving me 400 doll hairs👍
Its been a few years now, but they were around that. I bought the rails and hardware as a kit from Amazon. amzn.to/3ucOzXM They have the bolts and hardware as a kit without the rails too if you already have them.
Roger Belcher if the holes are all in the same place, I would assume those rails won't work on this model of a truck. The frame rails are not straight. You would probably have to buy the universal rails like the ones I have.
