Reese Elite series 18k 5th hitch--worth the cost?

[Loriv247]

We are looking for the least invasive (in terms of taking up permanent residence in our truck bed) 5th wheel hitch for our soon-to-own Fuzion 342. It has a GCWR of 16,540lbs. We will probably never fully load it, but just to be safe I'd rather have a higher rated hitch. I got quotes for around $2500, ouch! I wonder if its worth the cost? Is having the rails in the bed all the time that big of a deal? I just need a little clarity in this area from you experience 5'ers. If you have bed mounted rails, which hitch would you recommend? We have a 2012 Ram, longbed DRW 4x4 if that helps. Thank you!

[Festus2]

Our truck has always had rails in the bed and so far having them there hasn't been an issue. I am not sure if the additional cost of having another system would be worth it. I've stuck with Reese/Draw-Tite and am pleased with this brand. Ours is rated at 16K but you would need something more "beefy" for your Fuzion I would think.

[therink]

I have the universal bed rails and not an issue. The only time they are a pain is when sliding something like furniture into the bed whereas they can get hung up on the rails. Just a mere inconvenience and not worth the extra $1500 for a below bed hitch system.
Steve

[wincrasher]

Yes, it's worth every penny. I love mine.

[smiller]

As was mentioned it really depends on how important having a perfectly flat load floor is to you. If you have to ask then my guess would be the minor height of the mounting rails of a standard kit is very unlikely to be a problem for you and I don't see why you'd want to spend that much extra money for a flat system. Standard rails don't present that much of a problem and I would think they might matter only to someone who uses the bed for other loads on a very frequent basis. In reality if you're like most people you probably won't even be removing the hitch that often.

With regard to strength, you're not gonna break it. :D The things I would look for is easy operation and a reliable jaw design (in terms of locking, and it being obvious when not fully locked.) A human-error accident is infinitely more likely than something like over-stressing the hitch, and will really ruin your day.

[maxx1963]

YES! It is worth it. Such a nice hitch. I tow a fuzion 362. I installed the under mount rails myself in about 4 hours. Direct bolt in kit. I got the rail kit from etrailer, and the hitch from amazon.

[Loriv247]

Thank you all so much. It appears that it's a matter of personal preference. Since we have another truck we use for dirty jobs such as hauling dirt and heavy furniture, I guess having the rails present in our TV wont be an inconvenience. Thanks again for the input! :)

[SAD]

I have the 18k signature series.... Which the elite seems to be the replacement for??

In any case, I couldn't be happier.