Hitch storage?

[Linehand15]

Hello all,
We love our new 5er. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on storing the hitch it’s self? I have the B&W companion slider in turnover ball set up! Would love to get my bed back while not towing! Was thinking about building some kinda cart to unload onto and wheel around.

[DutchmenSport]

Some folks leave them hitched to the trailer, unpin them from the bed of the truck, raise the camper front, and pull the truck out, leaving the hitch hanging on the King Pin. I've never done that, because I've never removed mine from the bed of my truck.

Your 5er hitch is apparently very heavy, as the sales information on it found on the internet recommends 2 people to remove it from the truck. If you are doing it solo, you might need to rig up some kind of wenching system and then lower it to a cart.

FYI, I use a couple Creepy Crawlers in my garage to use for moving heavy items around on wheels. One carries my John Deere Snow Blower attachment (which is horribly heavy), and the other is my generator. That puppy is just too heavy to lift also to move around. These work very, very well.

Click here

[bleedmichigan]

Originally Posted by Linehand15

Hello all,
We love our new 5er. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on storing the hitch it’s self? I have the B&W companion slider in turnover ball set up! Would love to get my bed back while not towing! Was thinking about building some kinda cart to unload onto and wheel around.

Sliding chain hoist works great. Then again I ditched the BW and got an Andersen which weighs like 40 lbs max.

[BB_TX]

A portable engine hoist?
https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tool...0933_200640933

[masterdrago]

I'm not sure why a 200# hitch would cause any issues hanging on the pin, but I was told by LCI that it was not recommended. I mean jeez, the up and down truck/camper stress while towing is surely far more than 200#. The B&W breaks into two parts that are manageable by myself.

[Linehand15]

Not thrilled about leaving hitch hanging on kingpin. Don’t think it would cause any problems. I have to store the 5er at an RV/storage lot and don’t want to tempt fate. Was just wondering if there were some ideas I haven’t thought of! Thanks for all the info/ help!

[fatcatzzz]

When I had a garage, I had a moving dolly purchase from Harbor Freight that I screwed a couple of short 2x4's to. Use a come along to lift hitch, then set it down on the dolly and could roll it around where ever I wanted. It was a cheap and easy fix to taking the hitch out by myself.

[DoctorO21]

I too purchased an engine hoist from Harbor Freight. Paid $150 for the hoist and then had a welder modify the reach to extend it our another foot or so. Works great, folds up for storage in the shop, and I can easily move the hitch anywhere I need it. I too have the B&W sliding hitch.

[GAinaMontana]

I have the b&w companion hitch and I leave it attached to the trailer. Loosen the bolt on the square shaft, pull the rod in the wheel well and then use the front trailer jacks to lift the hitch off the truck bed. Drive out from under the hitch and your done. When ready to put the hitch back in the truck, back under the hitch and pull the two pins that hold the base to let it drop into the bed. I can't back exact enough to line up perfectly so I then move the parts by hand to drop the square bar into the hole and then the top onto the base.

[mtheo]

I have a small ATV winch, which I plug into rv plug on truck, I installed a hook in the header at my rear garage door, I use the winch to lift hitch and then set it down on a furniture dolly. Roll it around after that. Easy peasy.��

[Daryles]

Google pick up truck crain
HF has one that you mount in your truck bed. Stows neatly over the wheel well.
Others attach to your bumper hitch receiver.

[Renegade1LI]

I have a gantry, engine hoist, truck bed hoist & still take it out by hand just because. I too have modified a dolly but as soon as I get time I am setting up a hand truck to hold both parts. Storing it vertically will save a little floor space, also want to see how it is to go up & down a ramp to the truck bed. I will post some pics, might have it done this we.

[Route66Rambler]

We also have the B&W Companion slider that fits into the gooseneck turnover ball. We bought and engine hoist from Harbor Freight and the folks at our storage facility mounted on the ceiling beam in the storage unit. The we bought the B&W fifth wheel lifting device. Sooo easy to get the hitch in and out of truck in the just minutes! We saw the lifting device at the Tampa RV show and ordered one as soon as we got home. We don't even have to take the head off the hitch. We put the hitch on a furniture dolly and roll it out of the way.

https://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/pro...lifting-device

[h2ojocky]

I do the same as post #10, ATV winch and furniture dolly from Harbor Freight tools for under $100.

[GEugeneS]

Originally Posted by masterdrago

I'm not sure why a 200# hitch would cause any issues hanging on the pin, but I was told by LCI that it was not recommended. I mean jeez, the up and down truck/camper stress while towing is surely far more than 200#. The B&W breaks into two parts that are manageable by myself.

At 65 years old I don't remember removing the B&W hitch to be much of a problem, but now at 76, it is!

[woodman]

I made 2 carts with casters (one for our FL winter location and one for our WI residence), both built to a height that is level with the tailgate and then easily slide off the truck bed puc system onto the cart. Really, no lifting. I have a 20K PullRite slider that weighs near 250#. Then I’m left with a clean bed, no rails. The bed of the truck has a spray on liner by Linex and doesn’t get any scratches. For me, it’s the perfect solution.

[Twtudor]

Originally Posted by woodman

I made 2 carts with casters (one for our FL winter location and one for our WI residence), both built to a height that is level with the tailgate and then easily slide off the truck bed puc system onto the cart. Really, no lifting. I have a 20K PullRite slider that weighs near 250#. Then I’m left with a clean bed, no rails. The bed of the truck has a spray on liner by Linex and doesn’t get any scratches. For me, it’s the perfect solution.

Do you have any pic of your cart?

[Billbored]

Struggled with the hitch for years before the light came on. Thereafter left it hanging from the king pin. Right where it needed to be and only took a couple of times to make hooking up just as easy. 😎

[Mark7]

A picture worth 100 words.

[BandBmalin]

I'm also not a fan of hanging my hitch on the king pin. My day job (safety director) cringes at the thought of leaving a suspended load (in my case, well over 200 pounds with the Demco Autoslide) at the end of my driveway where people tend to walk including my grand kids - at least they did before COVID-19 and soon will again. In my case, I went with the engine hoist and then because it couldn't reach into my bed far enough, I made two metal "dollies" out of barn rail and casters. I've added the pics and the process. The only real lifting is simply getting the hitch out of the holes in my bed and onto the "dollies" and for that, I use small blocks of wood that I stand on like a lever so the strain on my back is nil. It takes me about 20 minutes to put the hitch in or to take it out by myself. Once out, it sits on a furniture dolly under a workbench in my garage.