Butch's 5th Wheel Latch kit

[Ishler]

I was going to install a Bedsaver but was concerned with how much space I would lose in my short bed truck, then I found this. Simple and elegant. Took about 30 min to install, they supply centering punch and drill bits. I'm not affiliated with them in any way just a happy customer.

[DQDick]

X2, bought ours this spring.

[Bigboomer]

Mike,

Looks interesting but do they note if the design has been load tested? I would have to question that 4 bolts that would be drilled and tapped into the hitch would take the load imposed by the trailer dis-engaging. The other problem I see is that unless you have a back up camera you might not know the hitch unlocked until you stopped and you could be riding like that for a while. At least with the trailer saver if the hitch let go the trailers drop into it would signal you.

Either way it works for you, that is what matters.

[Ishler]

Les
Don't know about the load testing but the parts are heavy duty, the bolts are grade 8(FYI it's nutted with lock washer not tapped). I have to pull the hitch handle to hitch and unhitch and this is close by with a red handle so I doubt I'll miss it(if I do there will be the first test :-) )

Les,
I misread your post, you were commenting on dis-engagement while underway, In my setup I think I would know/feel if the Montana slid back far enough to engage the bar, I would probably also know the first time I hit the brake. I see in your setup you are a little further removed from the hitch.

[WeBeFulltime]

Got one and love it!

[Glenn the fifth]

Great price, great product to add the extra safety factor. I also don't know about the weight test aspect, but believe (based on the quality of materials) it would do the job. -Glenn

[tanner1070]

I have one too...love it!

[Captain Joe]

Me, too. Great product.

[grampachet]

Has anyone "used" it yet? It looks like a really good design.

[DQDick]

Got it in hopes I wouldn't try it out.

[jackel1959]

quote:Originally posted by Ishler

I was going to install a Bedsaver but was concerned with how much space I would lose in my short bed truck, then I found this. Simple and elegant. Took about 30 min to install, they supply centering punch and drill bits. I'm not affiliated with them in any way just a happy customer.

Mike,
Do you have a Reese Select Series? 18K?

Jack

[NCFischers]

Just curious, if the hitch hit the bar and bent it slightly, would you be able to remove it?

[Ishler]

Jack,
I have a Select 20k, same style head.

Jim,
Probably not, but removing the two bolts from one of the brackets would let it come free.

FYI my thought was if I ever used it and it was damaged, I could do that 5 times before I equaled the cost of the BedSaver while maintaining the extra bed space.

[RJI47]

Where did you find this?

[8.1al]

http://www.butchsservices.com/5601.html

[simonsrf]

So after this little gizmo is installed, do you still do the tug test?

I agree that this could save your truck bed if you are being lazy or stupid, but if you just raise the landing gear legs to where they just don't have any weight on them, and you tug forward, and if it should come unhitched, there isn't any damage because the trailer can't drop that far down to damage the bed.

What am I missing here besides the expense and weakening my hitch by drilling holes in it?

[Art-n-Marge]

I'm concerned about drilling that many holes that low on the hitch head face. I would try to keep as much metal between the edge of the rearmost part of the hitch and where the bolts are installed.

I would not be as concerned about the head being weakened because the metal is supposed to be strong enough to support and pull the weight of the trailer as much as the rest of the fifth wheel hitch and round holes are supposed to minimize integrity issues when drilling into metal. But there are four of them, hmmmmm.

One would hope this is a safety device you should never have to use, however, is this like a bike or motorcycle helmet that needs to get replaced after it gets used for the protection it's designed for? I still have my old bicycle helmet because I have only fallen once, and I did not fall on my head. But I don't weigh 7 tons and that's just about the weight that the bar is subjected to during a mishap and depending on the speed this could increase the subjected weight. Not a pleasant thought, but thankful the device is in place.

[dieselguy]

I'm going to wade into this issue with a mechanical background take on the product. Like anything else on the market today, buy what you're comfortable with but don't sit around beating up someones product just because it doesn't have Blue Ox on the decal. The cross rod is hardened ... the attaching hardware is grade 8. Just because you drill 4 holes in the rear lip of your fiver plate doesn't mean you've weakened it. One ... they are not empty holes and two ... the plate isn't what supports the shear forces while towing. The plate provides a support surface for your unit to pivot on. The setup allows your kingpin to move rearward approx 4" when an uncoupling occurs ... Blue Ox about a foot. Unless you have 2 speeds ... stop and wide open, that doesn't allow for much "yank momentum". As for fear of dropping the fiver on your bed, the bar catches the kingpin within the 4" ... you'd have to be "not" hitched completely above the jaws or the slide bar of your hitch (whichever configuration you have)for it not catch the kingpin. There would be about 2" of daylight between your hitch plate and the bottom of your pinbox for you to surely notice before you put her in gear. I've seen a "simulation" at Dean's RV in Tulsa. The fiver emergency brakes were activated, the hitch was left unlatched, the operator moved the truck forward as like he was pulling out of a campsite. The kingpin hit the rod on the Bedsaver with a loud clank while the truck jerked to a stop. The bedsaver did what it was supposed to and the rod still pulled out as designed. Blue Ox has a great product ... Ishler's purchase performed as designed and saved him some bucks as well. I'm not affiliated with this outfit ... they don't have a design that will fit my Curt hitch yet ... when they do, I may buy one. I'm now feeling kinda silly for this rant, but I spent the time typing it, so I'm posting it.

[c214dick]

I had a number of conversations with Butch when I purchased mine. He did a test drop with his kit. Bent the rod but no damage to the bed. I did not ask how difficult it was to remove the rod but if my bed is saved............

[K&Gs3400RL]

dieselguy thank you for your insight, I have decided to get one.