Quote:
Originally Posted by Scouter Dave
Are 5th. wheel trailer hitches all the same with regard to the pin position and locking device?
I realize that the base of the hitch will vary depending on the manufacturer's design and installation but are they like the big rigs, does one size fit all?
Thanks in advance. SD.
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The OP specifically asked about pin position and locking device. I do not see why the
Scamp 19 hitch was even brought up, as it is NEITHER a 5th wheel hitch NOR a gooseneck hitch. It is it's own animal and no other trailer in the world uses Scamp's proprietary system. A gooseneck utilizes a ball ON THE FLOOR of the truck's cargo bed. The Scamp 19 uses a ball which is elevated above the floor of the bed. A 5th wheel utilizes a king pin. A true 5th wheel DOES NOT require safety chains, the Scamp 19 DOES. While commonly referred to as a 5th wheel, the Scamp 19 is not a 5th wheel, it only "resembles" one due to its connection location. Some people have cut off the coupler and welded a king pin on their Scamp 19s, thereby converting them to 5th wheels.
That being said, all 5th wheels utilize a king pin. But not all 5th wheel hitches utilize the same locking mechanism. Some use a set of "jaws" that totally encircle the king pin on lock-up. Others use a sliding bar the does not encircle the king pin but prevents the king pin from backing out of the hitch.
It can also be mentioned that some 5th wheel owners also use king pin modifying hitches made by Andersen or Pull Rite that mimic the Scamp 19's coupler/ball setup. These hitches, because they "override" the 5th wheel hitch also require the use of safety chains.
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