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Old 02-26-2013, 01:45 PM   #1
Loriv247
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Location: Corona, CA
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Reese Elite series 18k 5th hitch--worth the cost?

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!
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Old 02-26-2013, 02:13 PM   #2
Festus2
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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.
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Old 02-26-2013, 03:25 PM   #3
therink
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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
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Old 02-26-2013, 04:58 PM   #4
wincrasher
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Yes, it's worth every penny. I love mine.
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Old 02-26-2013, 05:48 PM   #5
smiller
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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. 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.
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Old 02-26-2013, 06:58 PM   #6
maxx1963
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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.
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:52 AM   #7
Loriv247
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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!
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:26 PM   #8
SAD
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I have the 18k signature series.... Which the elite seems to be the replacement for??

In any case, I couldn't be happier.
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