5th Wheel Rail Installation Bracket Kit for 1998 Dodge Ram 2500

Question

Question:

Have 1998 Dodge Ram 2500. Need installation brackets and bolts for a Reese trail boss 5th wheel hitch already has rails. Can you help please

asked by: Lance

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

To mount your Reese Trail Boss 5th Wheel Hitch's existing rails on your 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup, you'll want to use the Reese Universal Installation Kit for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches # RP30439 . This kit comes with the brackets and hardware that work with Reese 10-bolt base rails.

If you've got a different style of above bed rails for your Reese Trail Boss hitch, please let me know and I can recommend the appropriate kit you'll want to use instead.

expert reply by: Erik B

1

Answer 1

You will need the Universal Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitch Installation Kit with Rails, item #RP30035, to install a fifth-wheel hitch in your 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 long bed. Page number 14 of the instructions (see link) shows the location and placement of…

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Answer 2

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 3

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 4

Choosing the right height setting for your 5th wheel hitch is a combination of a few different variables. First of all you want your towing setup to be as level as possible. With your Montana High Country 340BH level you will want to measure from the…

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Answer 5

To get the B&W Patriot #BWRVK3200 to work with your 2006 Dodge Ram you're going to need a set of 5th wheel rails #DM8552016-71. These rails are custom fit to your vehicle so they'll just bolt right up to the frame. It is worth mentioning…

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Answer 6

Yes you are - all 5th wheel hitches are going to require some type of rails in order to be used. So you'd need #DM8552016-71 for your 2006 Dodge Ram.

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Answer 7

The Ram OEM 5th wheel puck system, shown in the linked photo and article, was launched in 2013 so what you have in your truck is likely to be an aftermarket installation of some kind. These newer Ram trucks with the factory prep can directly accept a…

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Answer 8

You do not have to use a sliding 5th wheel hitch in a short bed truck. In many cases, truck beds shorter than 8 ft do not have enough clearance between the trailer and truck to execute sharp turns. This is why sliding hitches were invented. Due to…

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Answer 9

Thank you for the photo of your 2016 Ram 3500's bed rail which sits 59-inches above ground. You are correct that the recommended minimum clearance between a bed rail and the underside of the trailer's overhang is 5 to 6-inches, as shown in…

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Answer 10

It sounds like you could have a set of standard fifth wheel rails that most manufacturers use for their fifth wheel hitches to install into. The different manufacturers all make their own brand of rail kit, but they all have basically the same…

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Answer 11

Beds shorter than 8 foot do commonly need a slider hitch David, but a lot of modern fifth wheel trailers are now made with tapered noses to help and in a lot of cases a slider isn't required. So if the trailer you plan to tow has a tapered nose…

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Answer 12

The Patriot Slider part #BWRVK3270 might be a bit more noisy than the Companion slider part #BWRVK3400 due to the increased number of mounting points, 4 at the corners vs. 1 in the center. Probably not that noticeable and certainly not something…

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