I currently have a B&W Companion hitch which is probably one of the most 'dumb proof' hitches available. I also have a Blue Ox bed saver - which cost me less then $200. It isn't the easiest installation on the B&W hitch - you have to drill some .500 holes in the vertical supports to install the addition - which of course effectively voids the B&W warranty. I really like the Bed Saver - I "tested" it during a moment of CRS the very first time I used the RV after installation. I didn't have the trailer chocked well enough nor jacked up high enough on the landing gear and trailer rolled back when I unlatched. No damage to either the truck or the RV. It did scratch the Bed Saver pin restrainer finish a very little though. I'm not a new fiver owner as I used to jockey my dad's '70 whatever(??) around as he couldn't back a trailer and my own '73 Kountry Aire - so what I'm trying to say is - even us oldies with years of experience can have a senior moment and a Bed Saver is a welcome addition.
Oh yeah, if you do dump the trailer pin in the restrainer - plan on spending 10-15 minutes jacking the trailer back onto the hitch as the pin is well captured.
I have had one since day one of pulling my fiver. It does not have a scratch on it, and my goal is for it to be that way when I retire from rving. But I do have it, just in case!!!!
ezrider6298 wrote: I have had one since day one of pulling my fiver. It does not have a scratch on it, and my goal is for it to be that way when I retire from rving. But I do have it, just in case!!!!
Sonny Drake,
In other words it is like all other insurance policies..........you hope you never have to use it but, you have it just in case.
Cost of tow vehicle $40,000 +,-
Cot of Fiver $40,000 +,-
Cost of Bedsaver "Priceless" (when you really needed it)!
Irelands child wrote: You just hope that's all they cost.
Ford F350 = $52,000+++
Titanium = $75,000 - $100,000
Repaired bed = $3-7000
vs
Bed Saver= $200 dirt cheap
This pretty much sums up my take on the bed saver as well. Money well spent.
Crusty wrote: Just this week a 5er leaving the campground where we were came off the hitch. He had traveled about 100 yards from his campsite before it came off. So not only did it tear up his truck rails and tail-gate, but damaged the trailer when the front end his the road. Additionally it appeared to have tore up his hitch inner workings. He swore he had checked his hook up before pulling out. He must of had some kind of hook-up since he traveled as far as he did before it came off.
Sounds like a high hitch. Quite often when the hitch pin is setting on top of the jaws it will wedge in between the hitch plate and the jaws and takes a little more effort than a pull test to dislodge. Moving down the road with the travel mpovement and weight of the trailer will dislodge it. When it does dislodge it will probably damage the hitch. Take the time to learn how to properly hitch the 5er and take time to visually inspect. Make sure you know what you are looking for when you do the visual inspection and do not get in a hurry.
msjdbman wrote: As I always say...if it brings you peace of mind and makes you happy, get one. Me...I don`t see the need for it. Perhaps someday I will think differently. I have been hooking and unhooking 5th wheel and gooseneck trailers for 40 years the old fashioned way and have not ever had a mishap. I perform my routine and if I am intereupted by someone, I re-do my routine. Perhaps my days are numbered!!
I do it the same way ,no one or anything is going to prevent me from hitching properly . If I leave in the middle someone talks to me whatever, its back starting from scratch. Here is the best way I can put this, I refuse to let ANYTHING prevent me from hitching wrong. You can call me what you want perfect, never makes a mistake whatever. I make my share of mistakes, but this one is not going to get added to the list. If you can't make sure that several thousand lbs is hooked properly by all means go buy a bedsaver. There are three basic things that will get a 5ver dropped, high hitched, here the pin box is sitting flat on the hitch or it is not, if you are not looking for that what are you looking at ?? second thing naturally is not securing the hitch to the pin and securing the safety latch, here again its latched or it isn't if you are not doing that what are you doing ??? third thing is a mechanical failure, and that is where I would push to have a bedsaver.
There are probably lots of ways to drop a fifth wheel other than the three mentioned above, and POSSIBLY out of our control. High hitching and not securing the pin is a hard one for me to swallow. In closing I have a bedsaver for two reasons mechanical failure of the hitch and I had the means to fabricate my own at no cost, which I did.
While reading up2nogood's above post I remembered a recent incident. I had launched pontoon boat and unhitched from trailer while we camped and enjoyed boating etc. Well a few days later taking boat out I had DW back boat trailer into lake at boat ramp and I scooted boat up on trailer and signaled her to pull up (we've done this numerous times) well guess what, after a big jerk and loud thud, I jumped down from boat and saw I had unhitched from trailer ball and all that was holding my boat was the 2 safety chains.
Call it what you want. Stupid, not paying attention, getting old and forgetful, whatever. It happened and I was so glad I had hooked the safety chains (it was a pretty steep ramp).
I chocked my wheels and got the jack out and got the boat out with no damage whatsoever.
Moral of this story is "BedSaver is safety chain for fifth wheel".
msredneck84 wrote: While reading up2nogood's above post I remembered a recent incident. I had launched pontoon boat and unhitched from trailer while we camped and enjoyed boating etc. Well a few days later taking boat out I had DW back boat trailer into lake at boat ramp and I scooted boat up on trailer and signaled her to pull up (we've done this numerous times) well guess what, after a big jerk and loud thud, I jumped down from boat and saw I had unhitched from trailer ball and all that was holding my boat was the 2 safety chains.
Call it what you want. Stupid, not paying attention, getting old and forgetful, whatever. It happened and I was so glad I had hooked the safety chains (it was a pretty steep ramp).
I chocked my wheels and got the jack out and got the boat out with no damage whatsoever.
Moral of this story is "BedSaver is safety chain for fifth wheel".
I see your point, I read these post all the time about this stuff. My point is it is very simple to either hook up a ball correctly or hitch a fifth wheel correctly. I am sorry if is hard for people to understand . It is a simple 5 minute operation that takes a little bit of attention to be done correctly. From the replies I hear people are convinced its just a matter of time before you drop a fifth wheel, thats B.S.
Before I would preach the virtues of a bedsaver, I would preach the virtues of hitching properly.
Moral of this story is: Paying attention is the bedsaver
Offline
and a Bed Saver is a welcome addition.
