5th wheel mount?

From : tom mitchell

Q: i just boought a 2004 ram 3500 qc lb ctd drw and took it to the biggest hitch shop in manassas to put a reese 16k 5th wheel hitch on it. the shop chief backed off because of 1 the fragility of the frame and the stern wording of the dodge technical bulletin and 2 the sub-standard strength apparent in reeses rail kit 58186 work-around which still requires frame drilling i have the faxd reese diagram that shows use of spacers and minimal bolts because of bed sill interference with over-axle mounting. he says reese is coming out with some stronger no-drill brackets in 2004 but i called reese tech support and they knew nothing of it. so it seems i bought a $42k diesel dually truck whose main purpose is one would think to tow but which has a frame that wont allow it. it would have been sooooo easy for dodge to provide a flange on their beloved space age frame to help us out. but i guess they dont care what happens in the aftermarket. its reeses problem to match their technical moves. in the mean time we plan to go full time. we just dont know when. we may have to camp in the bed of the truck. if you go to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html and click 2004 dr go down to #13 frame and bumpers click 13-001-03 frame alterations you will get to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/13-001-03.htm where you will find the writeup i think you are looking for. why you ask did i go through all that instead of just giving the last link because everything past the 2004 dr link has 2004 in the address but 2003 on top of the page. there is another tsb on the same page that refers to the 2004 models so i do believe the tsb on the frame mods will also refer to the 2003 even though it doesnt say so. how confident am i its not my truck i have the 03 with a 5th wheel hitch. same question. fmb only one b in fmb anyone know where to find instructions to install a 5th wheel in an 04 3500 ram. i understand they are different from earlier models as the frame has been changed. thanks .

Replies:

From : fmb

mine is an 03 2500 qc lb ctd ho laramie with a husky 16k hitch onboard. it was welded following dodges notes. i dont know how long it will last it was done in early july. ive only towed my 25 arctic fox 9 or 10 thousand miles cross the country and back up and down the mountains crappy roads and nice ones and the welds look fine to the naked eye. i hope you find a hitch and an installer you can feel comfortable with. good luck with your full timing too. id like to but my stock would have to quadruple quickly first and i dont think that is gonna happen. lol fmb only one b in fmb i just boought a 2004 ram 3500 qc lb ctd drw and took it to the biggest hitch shop in manassas to put a reese 16k 5th wheel hitch on it. the shop chief backed off because of 1 the fragility of the frame and the stern wording of the dodge technical bulletin and 2 the sub-standard strength apparent in reeses rail kit 58186 work-around which still requires frame drilling i have the faxd reese diagram that shows use of spacers and minimal bolts because of bed sill interference with over-axle mounting. he says reese is coming out with some stronger no-drill brackets in 2004 but i called reese tech support and they knew nothing of it. so it seems i bought a $42k diesel dually truck whose main purpose is one would think to tow but which has a frame that wont allow it. it would have been sooooo easy for dodge to provide a flange on their beloved space age frame to help us out. but i guess they dont care what happens in the aftermarket. its reeses problem to match their technical moves. in the mean time we plan to go full time. we just dont know when. we may have to camp in the bed of the truck. if you go to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html and click 2004 dr go down to #13 frame and bumpers click 13-001-03 frame alterations you will get to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/13-001-03.htm where you will find the writeup i think you are looking for. why you ask did i go through all that instead of just giving the last link because everything past the 2004 dr link has 2004 in the address but 2003 on top of the page. there is another tsb on the same page that refers to the 2004 models so i do believe the tsb on the frame mods will also refer to the 2003 even though it doesnt say so. how confident am i its not my truck i have the 03 with a 5th wheel hitch. the same question. fmb only one b in fmb anyone know where to find instructions to install a 5th wheel in an 04 3500 ram. i understand they are different from earlier models as the frame has been changed. thanks .

From : joseph myers

in ne ohio 1987 d150 shortbox with a slant 6 at ps am/fm new speaker. 108000 miles. white with blue interior. mostly original and has near perfect interior. runs great and has a lot less rust than other trucks of this vintage in the ne. has brand new exhaust system power steering pump radiator rebuilt carburettor and recently tuned up. $1600 or bo or trade straight across for one of those new quad cab hemi rams. justin1138@zoominternet.net -----= posted via feeds.com uncensored usenet =----- http//www.feeds.com - the #1 group service in the world! -----== over 100000 groups - 19 different servers! =----- .

From : joseph myers

you might want to check out a b&w. that is what i have and it really strengthens the frame. only drawback is that you have to install the b&w gooseneck hitch firstwhich wraps around the frame and then buy the fifth wheel companion hitch which fits in the gooseneck socket. more expensive but it is a bear of a hitch. go here--- www.turnoverball.com joe on 15 dec 2003 114138 -0800 trmitchell@hotmail.com tom mitchell wrote i just boought a 2004 ram 3500 qc lb ctd drw and took it to the biggest hitch shop in manassas to put a reese 16k 5th wheel hitch on it. the shop chief backed off because of 1 the fragility of the frame and the stern wording of the dodge technical bulletin and 2 the sub-standard strength apparent in reeses rail kit 58186 work-around which still requires frame drilling i have the faxd reese diagram that shows use of spacers and minimal bolts because of bed sill interference with over-axle mounting. he says reese is coming out with some stronger no-drill brackets in 2004 but i called reese tech support and they knew nothing of it. so it seems i bought a $42k diesel dually truck whose main purpose is one would think to tow but which has a frame that wont allow it. it would have been sooooo easy for dodge to provide a flange on their beloved space age frame to help us out. but i guess they dont care what happens in the aftermarket. its reeses problem to match their technical moves. in the mean time we plan to go full time. we just dont know when. we may have to camp in the bed of the truck. if you go to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html and click 2004 dr go down to #13 frame and bumpers click 13-001-03 frame alterations you will get to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/13-001-03.htm where you will find the writeup i think you are looking for. why you ask did i go through all that instead of just giving the last link because everything past the 2004 dr link has 2004 in the address but 2003 on top of the page. there is another tsb on the same page that refers to the 2004 models so i do believe the tsb on the frame mods will also refer to the 2003 even though it doesnt say so. how confident am i its not my truck i have the 03 with a 5th wheel hitch. same question. fmb only one b in fmb anyone know where to find instructions to install a 5th wheel in an 04 3500 ram. i understand they are different from earlier models as the frame has been changed. thanks .

From : greg

go here--- www.turnoverball.com i have one of these hitches on my 2003 2500--my fifth wheel has a goose-neck adapter on it. that hitch is great. one of the reasons that i chose it was hows the trailer and adapter holding up ive heard a lot of squawking about doing that from folks that feel the fifth-wheel structure is not strong enough to withstand the extra torque and twist that the goose neck adapter puts on the trailer... curious if youve seen anything negative with your setup. also did you buy the adapter somewhere or make it/have it made thanks. greg .

From : jwlbal

pullrite has the super 5th hitch engineered to fit your truck. probably a superior design to the reese in addition. i just boought a 2004 ram 3500 qc lb ctd drw and took it to the biggest hitch shop in manassas to put a reese 16k 5th wheel hitch on it. the shop chief backed off because of 1 the fragility of the frame and the stern wording of the dodge technical bulletin and 2 the sub-standard strength apparent in reeses rail kit 58186 work-around which still requires frame drilling i have the faxd reese diagram that shows use of spacers and minimal bolts because of bed sill interference with over-axle mounting. he says reese is coming out with some stronger no-drill brackets in 2004 but i called reese tech support and they knew nothing of it. so it seems i bought a $42k diesel dually truck whose main purpose is one would think to tow but which has a frame that wont allow it. it would have been sooooo easy for dodge to provide a flange on their beloved space age frame to help us out. but i guess they dont care what happens in the aftermarket. its reeses problem to match their technical moves. in the mean time we plan to go full time. we just dont know when. we may have to camp in the bed of the truck. if you go to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html and click 2004 dr go down to #13 frame and bumpers click 13-001-03 frame alterations you will get to http//dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/13-001-03.htm where you will find the writeup i think you are looking for. why you ask did i go through all that instead of just giving the last link because everything past the 2004 dr link has 2004 in the address but 2003 on top of the page. there is another tsb on the same page that refers to the 2004 models so i do believe the tsb on the frame mods will also refer to the 2003 even though it doesnt say so. how confident am i its not my truck i have the 03 with a 5th wheel hitch. the same question. fmb only one b in fmb anyone know where to find instructions to install a 5th wheel in an 04 3500 ram. i understand they are different from earlier models as the frame has been changed. thanks .