Leaving 5th wheel on during storage

[Tikitim]

One more trip to go, then we will be buttoning up for the winter. :( Just wondering if it is OK to leave 5th wheel hitch (Curt Q Five) hooked up to king pin while in storage? I want to get it out of the truck bed for the winter. When I unhook, I will be removing 4 pins from rails and lifting with trailer leaving hitch attached to king pin instead of unhooking in the normal manner. I know it is a lot of weight pulling down on front of rig but has anybody tried this and not have any issues, or is this a bad idea? (tx)

[SAD]

One more trip to go, then we will be buttoning up for the winter. :( Just wondering if it is OK to leave 5th wheel hitch (Curt Q Five) hooked up to king pin while in storage? I want to get it out of the truck bed for the winter. When I unhook, I will be removing 4 pins from rails and lifting with trailer leaving hitch attached to king pin instead of unhooking in the normal manner. I know it is a lot of weight pulling down on front of rig but has anybody tried this and not have any issues, or is this a bad idea? (tx)

Not a problem.

That hitch and pinbox are designed to handle the entire pin weight up OR down. Consider the dynamic stress going down the highway. 3000 lbs up/down over and over.

[Tikitim]

:eek: I forgot to mention that I have a Trail-air air ride pin box.

[therink]

Storing indoors? No problem. If storing outdoors, I wouldn't. I would keep it inside the fiver or indoors somewhere. No sense exposing it to the weather.
Steve

[hankaye]

Tikitim, Howdy;

Sounds like a winner of an idea.

Now when it comes time to reinstall the hitch,
how have you decieded to do that ??? Kinda
hard to align all 4 of those tiny (by comparison),
holes with the other parts...
Just thought I'd throw that out there for your
consideration ...

hankaye

[Ruffus]

It's a good idea just remember that your also creating another area for critters to live, just use caution and observation when you take it out of storage. I found a rather large hornets nest inside my king pin neck last spring. Had nothing to do with leaving the hitch hooked but I'm really cautious now when I hooh her up.
:iws:

[Roller4Tan]

I've done similar when I need truck bed room. No real problem lining it back up to drop in. As in my signature, I have a superglide hitch. The one time I left it over winter, I covered it with a small tarp.

[webslave]

I have a TrailAir pin box... I'm sure that I would not want that much weight hanging from it for any length of time. You have to remember that air pin boxes are hinged. There is no "locking" bar or brace for that hinge and, in effect, you'll be supporting the entire weight of your hitch off the shock absorber's "full length" rebound valve. Can't be good for it.