How do you guys remove your hitch?

[Rainer]

When I purchased my 2013 Montana High Country 343RL back in April, I had to have a 5th wheel hitch installed in the bed of my 2012 F-250, since I had previously just towed a travel trailer.

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to temporarily remove the hitch so that I could haul my scooter in the pick-up bed. I removed the four hitch pins, and was able to muscle the hitch to the rear of the bed, but there was no way I would be able to get it to the ground and then move it by myself.

So, how do others do it here, especially by themselves, if that is really possible? I've thought of purchasing an engine lift and a wagon to move it, about a $400 expense.

Your solutions would be appreciated. TIA

[K0LCB]

I have a Reese 22K, it breaks down into 2 pieces by removing a couple pins.

[NCFischers]

I built a barn, put a winch in the rafters and push a button and out it comes. This might be a bit extreme for most folks. Your idea of an engine hoist should work just fine. It beats screwing up your back.

[BB_TX]

My current Reese and my previous Pullrite both you could pull pins and remove the top plate, lift it off, then remove the bottom section. The bottom part is still heavy but manageable.

[Irlpguy]

Some folks have hooked up to the RV and raised the landing gear and driven out from under, you can lower the landing gear to level again afterward. If you only want to remove it temporarily this might be a solution. I have seen them hanging on a couple of units.

My Reese comes apart so the two pieces are manageable but still fairly heavy.

[Debbie Asher]

We purchased a Tool cart from Harbor Freight back the truck down to the gutter in the road, put the cart by the tailgate and lift into cart. Then we roll the cart up to the garage. This cart is made of heavy duty plastic and not the metal ones they weren't built very good.

[dieselguy]

Like others have mentioned ... my Curt has a couple of pins that come out that allows you to pick up just the head off the base. After that, 4 pins out of the legs, then just remove the base. The base is a bit cumbersome, but once thought thru ... isn't all that bad to get completely out of the bed. Some guys pull the base pins and just let it hang on the fiver pin box and drive out from under it ... however ... it becomes a bit tedious trying to back the truck back under it to get everything to drop back into place.

[Art-n-Marge]

I have a Valley/Husky 16K hitch. I am constantly hauling something when not towing and needed to remove the hitch. The hitch head comes off the base by removing a looped hitch pin, then the large cylinder slides out to be able to lift the head off the base. Then after removing the head, there are four clevis pins to remove and four long pins that keep the base in the rails. Then the base lifts off the rails. Each piece is still heavy, but much better than being one big heavy wieldy hitch.

I also built a dolly to put the base on, then I put the head on the base and can then roll the whole thing into the garage. Here's what it looks like when it's ready to stow away. The plastic box with the blue cover contains the pins and cylinders (On edit... picture resized):



Unfortunately the bed rails are left behind with my style of hitch. When I purchased my Montana, the dealer included the fiver hitch and it's what I got. If I had known better I would have gotten a fiver hitch that left the bed flat, but I didn't learn about that until I joined the MOC months later.

On edit: Thinking about it, it's probably better to find out what YOU have in your truck bed. It does no good describing our solutions if you have something different.

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy

Some folks have hooked up to the RV and raised the landing gear and driven out from under, you can lower the landing gear to level again afterward. If you only want to remove it temporarily this might be a solution. I have seen them hanging on a couple of units.

My Reese comes apart so the two pieces are manageable but still fairly heavy.

I do the same when not at home. At home I use my fork lift.

Phil P

[01RAMer]

I also have a Reese and mine breaks down into three parts. I have 4 pins holding the bottom to the bed, 2 pins for the forward and back rocking part and 2 more for the side to side under the plate. When it's all broken down, it is quite manageable by one person. Look under for more pins. You may just not be seeing them.

[bncinwv]

$99 for a 1 ton folding shop crane on wheels from harbor freight. It serves it's purpose well. I actually bought a coupon off of ebay for about $3 that saved me an additional $30 off of the sale price of $129.
Bingo

[c214dick]

We had to remove our hitch to pick up some furniture. I hooked up to my 5th wheel, pulled the 4 pins and raised the trailer. Once clear I pulled the truck out. I did not want to leave it hanging so I had and inexpensive potable work table that I lowered the hitch on for support but left it hooked to the 5th wheel. Reverse the process for installing back in your truck. I was lucky and got it close enough so once unhooked from Monte it was a slight move to get it into place. My heart won't let me lift anything heavy and this worked great.

[Papafish]

I solved the problem by installing a large ( 3/8" dia x 6") eye bolt into the header outside above my garage door. Then when I need to remove my pullrite I hang a come along from the eye, pull the pins from the hitch and crank away, pull the truck forward and lower it onto a 2 wheeled hang cart from Costco. Cheap, easy, and moveable. Works great. Steve

[pineranch]

Bought a cheap engine hoist (HF), designed a sling. DW and I can have the super glide out and on a moving dolly in 10 minutes.
Mike

[mach111]

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

$99 for a 1 ton folding shop crane on wheels from harbor freight. It serves it's purpose well. I actually bought a coupon off of ebay for about $3 that saved me an additional $30 off of the sale price of $129.
Bingo

Yep, this is what I do to remove the B & W Companion. If not at home I lift the two parts separately and store.

[Ishler]

I purchased a warn Pullzall, put an eye-bolt in the header of the garage door and lift the hitch off the truck and lower in onto a $11 wooden dolly from Harbor Freight.
http://www.amazon.com/WARN-885000-Co...rds=warn+winch

[lunalonestar]

Travel with a partner with a strong back!

[Rainer]

First off, thanks to everyone who took the time to share their solution to a problem that wasn't particular to just me. Some of these are very ingenious.

I can't travel with someone with a strong back, since my wife would be either too upset if this were a female or too happy if it were male, plus the fact that I've never yet needed the hitch removed when I'm on the road. I need it when I'm needed to haul stuff around the house like scooters, shelving, sod, or whatever. And, again, I want this to be a one-man operation.

Breaking the hitch down into two pieces seems too hard. My hitch has a 2" diameter bolt connecting those pieces which uses a large cotter pin to keep it in place. When my hitch was installed, the installer needed a small sledge hammer to pound it into place. Yeah, I've got the right tool for the job, but the fact that I have a truck bed box makes for limited maneuverability to easily accomplish this Herculean feat.

Removing the 4 hitch pins to undo the hitch from the 2 rails in the bed and but leaving the the contraption connected to my Monte and then using the front levelers to lift it seems okay, but again, I've got that limited maneuverability in the truck bed issue, which would now be hampered even more with the Monte lurking over my head. Just too tight of a fit.

Although I thought of this on my own, I see many of you have also deduced using either a winch or a engine lift to remove the hitch from the bed after pulling those 4 hitch pins, and once the assembly is free swinging, either move the truck or the lift to place the hitch onto a wheeled wagon of some sort.

I have a carport where I can mount a Harbor Freight electric winch to lift the hitch, and then put it on some sort of wheeled contraption. So this is more than likely the route I'll be following.

Again, thanks for all of your input! I love this forum!

[dieselguy]

Rainer ... you've sparked my curiousity ... what brand and model of hitch do you have that seems difficult to separate the head from the base?

[Rainer]

Here's the hitch I have:

Pro Series 30120 20K Fifth Wheel Hitch with 4 Bolt Universal Rail Kit Camper Trailer RV

http://bit.ly/1dhqbvE