Scamp 5th wheel hitch bolt to bed not frame? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-22-2017, 07:26 PM   #1
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Name: K
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Scamp 5th wheel hitch bolt to bed not frame?

Looking at buying a Scamp 5th wheel with an older scamp factory 5th wheel hitch. Owner says 5th wheel hitch bolts to the bed and not frame. I have a 2014 Nissian Frontier Crew Cab short bed 4x4. Can anyone confirm this? I am aware that Nissian doesn't recommend a gooseneck/5th wheel but I've seen a few of you do it and just wondering how you attached the hitch.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 10-22-2017, 10:07 PM   #2
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This is my post about installing the hitch, but the whole thread might be helpful:http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post436102
There was a bunch of ideas posted there. Toyota also does not recommend pulling a 5th wheel with the Tacoma either, but I believe they do not know there is a 3000 lbs. 5th wheel. Most people expect that a 5th wheel trailer must weigh 10,000 lbs at least.
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Old 10-22-2017, 10:10 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K_rex View Post
Looking at buying a Scamp 5th wheel with an older scamp factory 5th wheel hitch. Owner says 5th wheel hitch bolts to the bed and not frame. I have a 2014 Nissian Frontier Crew Cab short bed 4x4. Can anyone confirm this? I am aware that Nissian doesn't recommend a gooseneck/5th wheel but I've seen a few of you do it and just wondering how you attached the hitch.

Thanks in advance.
I believe most hitches bolt to the frame through the bed. I don't think the metal of the bed itself is thick enough to pull any fifth wheel trailer.
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Old 10-23-2017, 05:35 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by ststefan View Post
I believe most hitches bolt to the frame through the bed. I don't think the metal of the bed itself is thick enough to pull any fifth wheel trailer.
If Scamp (Eveland's) installs their proprietary (modified 5th wheel) hitch for the Scamp 19, they will bolt it through the bed and not through or to the frame, and will use small pieces of steel stock to fabricate "washers" for the underside. IMHO, I believe it is irresponsible and an extremely unsafe practice. We are talking about 2000+ pounds of trailer attached to its tow vehicle by thin sheet metal. What happens in a rear end collision or a roll-over? Does the trailer become a massive, out-of-control projectile? And at what point does metal fatigue from continued flexing and stressing at the contact points in the truck bed come into play?
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Old 10-23-2017, 09:30 AM   #5
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15th wheel Scamp hitch

DO NOT attach to thin metal box only. Go to 4 frame attachments unless you may want to pick up your truck box and Scamp in a ditch or field, or worse, from the front of an oncoming vehicle. :-(
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Old 10-23-2017, 09:33 AM   #6
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Have you ever seen a "Tag" trailer hitch bolted to the sheet-metal bed?

The answer is NO!

Tag trailer hitches are always bolted to the frame or the bumper at a bare minimum. Both of which are not sheet-metal components.

ANY 5th wheel or Gooseneck type of hitch must be bolted/welded to the frame of the truck for proper attachment and safety. This could include brackets bolted/welded to the from that will attach to the hitch in the bed if not set up for frame mounting.
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Old 10-23-2017, 09:39 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by CPW View Post
If Scamp (Eveland's) installs their proprietary (modified 5th wheel) hitch for the Scamp 19, they will bolt it through the bed and not through or to the frame, and will use small pieces of steel stock to fabricate "washers" for the underside. IMHO, I believe it is irresponsible and an extremely unsafe practice. We are talking about 2000+ pounds of trailer attached to its tow vehicle by thin sheet metal. What happens in a rear end collision or a roll-over? Does the trailer become a massive, out-of-control projectile? And at what point does metal fatigue from continued flexing and stressing at the contact points in the truck bed come into play?
When I installed the after market hitch on my Subaru Forester that's exactly how it was installed, carriage bolts through sheet metal with metal bars on the other side. I suspect many unibody installations are done that way.
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Old 10-23-2017, 09:53 AM   #8
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mounting

scamper has been manufacturing the 19f for a long time. I have had trailer hitches mounted the same way on my cars never a mishap that is a steel bar and bolts!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but it isn't the only one. don't you think Scamp has had this all approved by engineering at some point.

just my 2c

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Old 10-23-2017, 03:36 PM   #9
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I called Scamp today and they said that their older 19' hitches did bolt directly to the bed and wheel wells, but not the frame.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:31 PM   #10
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bolting

U recall seeing one now!

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Old 10-23-2017, 05:07 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K_rex View Post
I called Scamp today and they said that their older 19' hitches did bolt directly to the bed and wheel wells, but not the frame.
How do their "new" hitches bolt on?
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Old 10-24-2017, 03:08 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by k0wtz View Post
scamper has been manufacturing the 19f for a long time. I have had trailer hitches mounted the same way on my cars never a mishap that is a steel bar and bolts!


Everyone is entitled to their opinion but it isn't the only one.

Another opinion http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ion-48546.html




Quote:
don't you think Scamp has had this all approved by engineering at some point.
Nope
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Old 10-24-2017, 03:39 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vintageracer View Post
How do their "new" hitches bolt on?
The same way. I have seen their "new" hitch, which is essentially a Reese A-frame 5th wheel hitch with a modified top (thick steel plate with a standard 2-inch ball) bolted only through sheet metal as I described in Post #4. This "new" hitch uses standard bed rails which are typically bolted to brackets which are attached to the frame, so that it is safe and solid. When Scamp installs the rails, they don't bother using using the brackets, or didn't in the past. However, I personally wouldn't trust anything Scamp told me as I caught them lying to me on at least two occasions. YMMV.
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Old 10-24-2017, 04:36 AM   #14
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the light

well I see Mike s viewpoint I guess when you think about it this is sort of an important point he makes. Saying that for the sake of argument how is a truck bed fastened to a frame. I have never removed one but I am gong to ask my mechanic who has removed many of them! Saying this I don't think I have ever seen a truck bed pulled off a p/u truck but I suppose there is a first time for everything!

Has anyone seen how a trailer is mounted to a Ford Edge these days? I put my own on I was surprised at how easy it mounted except for those nuts on wires. Pretty much drop in or on in their case I am assuming this is the latest and greatest way to mount hitches. The instructions said 11/2 hours I think took me 3 hours without a lift! I should have taken it to my mechanic but I wanted to see this!

I expected some drilling to the bottom of the trunk pan to mount nuts and bolts not so in the modern way of thinking. Things have really changed in the trailer hitch world!!

I am glad this subject has been brought up I don't think I will ever own a 5th wheel but at some of the bargains that has came up you never know!! All this sort of expands my horizans anyway!!

bob
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Old 10-24-2017, 07:04 AM   #15
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Hmmmm.......

I’ve pulled our 2013 Scamp 19 40,000 miles so far, including the Alaskan highway with the new Reese set up attached with rails to the truck bed of our 2013 Dodge Ram installed by Scamp. If there was going to be a problem with this attachment I would well know it by now, especially after the stretch of the Alaskan highway near Destruction Bay. I have been following these trailers for years and have never seen nor heard of any separation issues or problems of Scamp hitches of any type with steel truck beds….I would love to see documentation of this happening, rather than speculation….just saying….
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Old 10-28-2017, 08:13 AM   #16
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I had the old style Scamp hitch mounted in the bed of a 2003 Tacoma, modified that hitch to use Reese rails which are attached to the bed and frame of my 2014 Frontier. From my experience, although I never had any safety concerns. The stiffer connection to the frame seems to provide a smoother tow. The Toyota/Scamp tow had significantly more bounce and jerking.
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