HaulinBass02
Springtown, Texas, USA
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I bought an older 5er that I'm fixing up for my brother to live in while he regroups from his wife's untimely passing. With the trailer came an older hitch that I cannot identify. It is still in decent shape and he has a truck he would like to use it with but I don't know if or where to find the parts to attach it to the standard rails in his truck. I'm posting some pictures to see if it helps.
  
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4, quad cab SRW/LB, CTD/6spd auto
'08 Pilgrim Legends 37QB4S-H5
JT Strongarms, 5th Airborne, few custom touches
Me (DH), DW, two rowdy boys, two sweet little girls.
RV Education 101
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the bear II
Torrance CA.
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Made by RBW around the mid-1990's
Had parallel rails mounted in the bed of the truck that the hitch slid in to and then latched to the rails using the spring loaded bolts you see in the photos.
The rails are missing in the photo...so the hitch is incomplete without them.
RBW seems to be out of business so I doubt if you will be able to find parts for this old of a hitch. The rails consisted of two 1/4 inch flat pieces of steel on top of each other separated by spacers to allow the hitch to slide in the groove created by the spacers. A good fabrication shop might be able to build them.
Here's one for sale with a photo of the rails:
http://vehicles.oodle.com/view/rbw-industries-5th-wheel-hitch-the-dalles-oregon/2840842466-the-dalles-or/
* This post was
edited 03/09/12 02:07pm by the bear II *
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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Joined: 06/20/2009
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Had a hitch just like that years ago.....RBS ???? I think.
The bed rails were plates that had a lip on inside edge.........hitch slide under those lips and then the spring loaded pins on side of hitch snapped into holes on plates. Plates had two bolts that mounted it to 'L' brackets on frame rail.
That bed rail system could easily be made with two plates welded together with top plate hanging over the bottom plate by same distance of bottom lip on hitch so you could slide the hitch into bed under the top plate.
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rgraham
Missouri
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Got one just like it , a Reese hitch, have had mine in the truck for 13 years has never give a bit of trouble, check around RV Dealers as they may have some used brackets to bolt to your bed and frame it takes three bolts one each side of a piece of metal that lets the hitch slide up in and has 2 spring loaded clip pins to hold it, when I bought my truck the bars were in it, just had to buy the hitch,
Richard
1987 ford f250 6.9 diesel
1997 Innsbruck by Gulf Stream 28ft fifth wheel with slide
and the wife and co-pilot Trudy
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n7bsn
Yes
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the bear II wrote:Made by RBW around the mid-1990's
Had parallel rails mounted in the bed of the truck that the hitch slid in to and then lached to the rails using the spring loaded bolts you see in the photos.
The rails are missing in the photo...so the hitch is incomplete without them.
Yup, old style RBW, my last one was bought about 2000 and had a different head that could tilt side-to-side
2008 F350SD V10 with an 2012 Arctic Fox 29-5E
When someone tells you to buy the same rig they own, listen, they might be right. When they tell you to buy a different rig then they own, really pay attention, they probably know something you don't.
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camp-n-family
Canada
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Agree with both above, had the same hitch back in the day. Like mentioned you could easily fabricate replacements. Picture three strips of steel, top and bottom with a spacer strip in between. Lowest strip is widest and has holes for frame bolts, upper and lower strips have holes for pins to lock in.
From what I remember it was a pain in the ass to slide the hitch in and out of the rails for install/removal. Had to keep the tracks greased (which collected dirt and made it messy) and the hitch would bind if not slid in perfectly straight.
Probably cheaper and easier to find another used one on CL or something. See them all the time for around $250.
'07 Toyota Tundra Crewmax Limited
'06 Forest River Flagstaff 26BH(sold)
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 31BHPR
Hitched by Hensley, Viewed by McKesh
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HaulinBass02
Springtown, Texas, USA
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Yeah, my brother has a '03 Chevy dually with Dmax. It has the Reese rails in the bed bolted to a custom built frame someone kindly welded to the truck frame under the bed. He has a Reese gooseneck plate that fits in the rails. He is looking at getting into hauling trailers so he doesn't want to give up the system he has. I think we'll be better off scrapping the RBW and buying a Reese. I can't see that the RBW has much value without their special rails and those aren't easy to find so it'll probably go to the scrap metal yard. Thanks for the help.
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newk
Gillette, WY
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I have one just like that (RBW) in my truck. I got it with our old '96 5er and moved it from our old truck to our new 2000 when we bought it. I have no complaints about it except that it looks *almost* as bad as yours. At its age and condition I wouldn't move it to a different truck, but I'll likely keep using it until I get a new truck -- maybe in a year or two.
It looks like the plastic handle has been broken off. That's not unusual. I think a replacement is about $20. You could still operate it with a vise grip.
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cpaulsen
California
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Looks like an RBW.....Lippert bought them out a few years ago and still have some of the parts left.
cpaulsen
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rgraham
Missouri
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i had a new handel made out of metal for my hitch, local welding shop wasn't much, anyway all the hitch i'll ever need,,,,
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