When replacing tow vehicle, do you.....

[humblerb]

take out the rails and use on the new vehicle?
Or do you replace on the new vehicle?
I'm in my first Fifth Wheel and 2500 tow vehicle.
Just curious what most people do.
At this point in my life, I'm paying someone else to do the installation.

[rhagfo]

Me Again wrote:

humblerb wrote:
take out the rails and use on the new vehicle?
Or do you replace on the new vehicle?
I'm in my first Fifth Wheel and 2500 tow vehicle.
Just curious what most people do.
At this point in my life, I'm paying someone else to do the installation.

Seems you have a new RAM 2500. If it does not have the factory pucks, get them installed. Then you can get a hitch that uses them or a picture frame and use your exist hitch. I use the Demco picture frame as I feel it is better than the Reese/Ram one. Chris

X2
One item I was looking for in used TV got it in the 2016 Ram, otherwise I would have done like Chris (AKA Me Again) and bought the kit and installed myself on the truck and not had the rails.

[Me_Again]

humblerb wrote:
take out the rails and use on the new vehicle?
Or do you replace on the new vehicle?
I'm in my first Fifth Wheel and 2500 tow vehicle.
Just curious what most people do.
At this point in my life, I'm paying someone else to do the installation.

Seems you have a new RAM 2500. If it does not have the factory pucks, get them installed. Then you can get a hitch that uses them or a picture frame and use your exist hitch. I use the Demco picture frame as I feel it is better than the Reese/Ram one. Chris

[allen8106]

I took my rails out and moved them to my new truck. actually my local RV shop did it but they recommended a new bolt set, which I agreed with.

[RAS43]

My Reese hitch is presently in it's 3rd truck with the original rails. A dealer moved it to truck #2 without a problem. A hitch dealer moved it to truck #3. Hitch is now 23 years old and still serviceable. I doubt that I will replace the present truck but if I do I would replace the hitch.

[belairbrian]

I don't know if it's illegal, but I have had dealers say no to a used hitch. When we went from TT to 5er, the dealer wouldn't take the TT hitch. This was a full load leveling system with anti-sway. Ended up selling it used on CL.

Might be more of a lawyer/liability thing.

As far as moving rails, I still have the ones installed in 05, 3 trucks later.

[4x4ord]

I think Ford GM and Ram have all offered puck systems since about 2015.

[smithrjd]

I moved my old rails over, but used new bolts and sandblasted and painted the old rails. 5 years now no issues.

[Lwiddis]

If I was a dealer I wouldn’t install used parts. YOU can reinstall whatever you wish.

[ford_truck_guy]

My Superglide has been swapped from 3 trucks..... The rails as well. The ONLY things that needed to be replaced was the 2 frame mounts for the pins to fit in, they changed with the frame changes..

[BB_TX]

Ditto for the puck system. Got the factory hitch prep on my 2012 F350 even though I did have to buy a new hitch to fit it.

[dpgllg]

If buying a new truck now I would consider one with the puck system like RAM. Not sure if Chevy or Ford have them or not. Means you need a new hitch and no rails at all.

I like the fact that with the puck system when the hitch is removed everything comes out of the bed leaving it totally flat.

When I switched to my 2013 Chevy I purchased new rails it was cheaper and less hassle then removing them.

Dave

[Allworth]

Never heard of illegal; but then "dealers is dealers!".

I bought my current truck used and it had rails in it, so I left the rails in the old one when I passed it to my son. He uses a Reese goose-neck adapter on the rails to pull his construction dump trailers.

[romore]

Illegal to install used rails? I question that one.

[larry_barnhart]

We ordered our current truck in Az and had the dealer change the hitch to this truck.
the story was we had to have new parts as it was illegal for them to installed used rails. True or false it was how it was so new rails happened. But no pins were installed . I sensed something was not right and lifted the hitch up. Good call as it was getting dark. After 3 or 4 winter going south we had a problem and 2 pins that hold the hitch head were missing. 3400 lbs of pin weight was what was holding it from coming off. Then my mind saw the old truck with 6 pins on the bed when we had them install the 4 pins. It was a weird thing how it happened for us to know this as the 2 pins did not show.

So give you truck a good inspection.

chevman