What to do with my hitch

[jimcatinmi]

Hope this is the right place for this. What does everyone else do with their hitch in the winter? Is it ok to leave it mounted in the bed? we do have a soft cover on the truck to keep the snow off but not sure what to do for the winter. We live in Michigan so we do get snow and cold. T

[frankwp]

Second Chance wrote:
You have to be careful doing this with certain hitches. On the PullRite hitches, the latch arm under the fifth wheel plate can be damaged if too much upward force is applied by the king pin. On many other hitches it's no problem.

Rob

If hanging the hitch from the king pin damages it, then that hitch should never be used for towing.

[JIMNLIN]

Mine hangs with a old come a long in the tractor shed from two eye bolts in the top plate, when not in use. I keep a cooker cover over it with velcro on the open end to keep mud daubers/wasps out.
If you leave it hanging from the hitch jaws be sure and pad lock it closed. One member of a brand specific forum left his hanging. Kids messing with it probably pulled on the lever, he thought, and drop on one breaking his ankle.

[RCMAN46]

Second Chance wrote:

Jim&Sharon wrote:
Sure, you can leave it in the truck bed. Exposed to the weather, not being used, in the way of other loads.

I hang mine from the 5th wheel king pin. Put it back in the truck in the spring.

You have to be careful doing this with certain hitches. On the PullRite hitches, the latch arm under the fifth wheel plate can be damaged if too much upward force is applied by the king pin. On many other hitches it's no problem.

Rob

"Damage if there is an upward force by the king pin". Explain how that hitch can work when you hit a chuck hole or go over a rough railroad crossing!

[Second_Chance]

Jim&Sharon wrote:
Sure, you can leave it in the truck bed. Exposed to the weather, not being used, in the way of other loads.

I hang mine from the 5th wheel king pin. Put it back in the truck in the spring.

You have to be careful doing this with certain hitches. On the PullRite hitches, the latch arm under the fifth wheel plate can be damaged if too much upward force is applied by the king pin. On many other hitches it's no problem.

Rob

[jimcatinmi]

Jim&Sharon wrote:
Sure, you can leave it in the truck bed. Exposed to the weather, not being used, in the way of other loads.

I hang mine from the 5th wheel king pin. Put it back in the truck in the spring.

This is just my T/V have another truck if I need to haul something was just trying to figure out what others did with the hitch for the winter not looming for advice on how to haul something else.......but thanks

[valhalla360]

As long as you don't need the bed for other uses, certainly, you can leave it in.

An easy alternative is to pull the pins holding it down while still hooked up and then when you lift the front of the 5er, it will take the hitch with it (do make sure the latch is locked so someone doesn't come by and pull the latch having it drop on them)

[Jim_Sharon]

Sure, you can leave it in the truck bed. Exposed to the weather, not being used, in the way of other loads.

I hang mine from the 5th wheel king pin. Put it back in the truck in the spring.

[austinjenna]

Mine stays in the bed and I also have a hard top roll cover on it

[ACZL]

I take mine out and replace it w/ 1200# of tube sand