Recommended Replacements/Upgrades for Reese 30047 Fifth Wheel Hitch

Question:

Tow vehicle is a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 short bed Fifth gross weight Is 10,000lb Currently I have Valley rails Model DH 9128 mounted in the truck bed and have a Reese 30047 slider fifth wheel Option 1 Replace the Reese fifth wheel Model 30047 head unit with a newer model and keep the slider. Option 2 buy new slider fifth wheel that will fit the valley rails Option 3 Can I buy new rails that would fit the same bolt pattern as the valley? What would you suggest? Thanks

asked by: Robert C

Expert Reply:

All three options would work for you.

You could remove your existing fifth wheel head from the slider and replace it with the # RP30047A replacement head unit.

For option 2, you could replace the existing hitch/slider unit with the Reese # RP30075. This would include a new 16K capacity head and a round tube slider. The round tube slider is an improvement over the square tube. It will work more smoothly and won't bind if you're trying to slide the hitch while on uneven pavement.

Valley isn't in business any longer, so I can't confirm that a Reese # RP50140-58 install kit would use the same holes as your current rails.

If your rails and current slider are still operating fine for you, there really isn't any reason to change them. I'd recommend going with the first option.