Our readers keep the lights on and my morning glass full of iced black tea. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.7 Best 5th Wheel Parts | Stop Fighting Stiff Landing Gear Levers

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The B&W RVK3500 Companion defines what a premium 5th wheel hitch should deliver. Its fully articulating head pivots front-to-back and side-to-side, maintaining a solid connection even when parking on uneven campsite ground. The cam-action latching handle releases smoothly under load, and the polyurethane bushings nearly eliminate the rattling noise that plagues cheaper hitches during highway towing.

Rated at 20,000 lb gross trailer weight and 5,000 lb vertical load, this hitch handles heavy fifth-wheel travel trailers and toy haulers without flex or deflection. The 1-inch thick jaws wrap 360 degrees around the kingpin, and customer accounts confirm that the hitch survived a kingpin shear event at 17,100 lb without separating — a testament to its structural margin over the rated limit.

Assembly requires two people due to the unit’s weight, but the drop-in installation onto existing gooseneck ball hardware eliminates the need for permanent bed rails. The limited lifetime warranty and American manufacturing further reinforce why this hitch justifies a premium position for serious towers.

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The B&W RVK3300 is engineered specifically for the Ford OEM puck system, making it the go-to choice for Ford Super Duty owners who want a seamless factory-integrated installation. The hitch comprises two 75-pound components that lift out individually, allowing full bed access when the trailer is disconnected — a convenience that permanent rail hitches cannot offer.

With the same 20,000 lb GTW and 5,000 lb VTW rating as the standard Companion, the OEM version maintains the fully articulating head and cam-action latch that define B&W’s design philosophy. Users report completing the install in about 60 minutes using a 3/4-inch socket and torque wrench set to 110 ft-lb, with no drilling or bed modification required.

The powder-coated alloy steel construction resists corrosion from road salt and moisture. The hitch ships in two boxes, so inspect packaging upon delivery — the cardboard can tear during transit — but the steel unit itself arrives ready for assembly.

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The Eaz-Lift 48501 is a gooseneck adapter that converts a 5th wheel trailer for use with a gooseneck ball mounted in the truck bed, eliminating the large hitch head that consumes cargo space. Its 30,000 lb gross trailer weight rating and 7,500 lb vertical load rating exceed most consumer 5th wheel requirements, providing a substantial safety margin for heavy triple-axle trailers.

The spring-loaded locking coupler engages automatically when lowered onto the 2-5/16-inch gooseneck ball, and the release handle disconnects cleanly even under moderate tension. Installation requires drilling four holes into the trailer’s existing gooseneck frame plate, a process that took users about an hour with a quality 9/16-inch bit and low drill speed to avoid burning the steel.

Some units ship with mismatched metric bolts and standard nuts, so verifying thread pitch before installation is recommended. The adapter’s brushed finish resists surface rust well, but the exposed spring mechanism benefits from periodic lubrication to maintain smooth latching.

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The CURT 16085 Spyder adapter converts 5th wheel base rails into a gooseneck ball platform, enabling you to tow gooseneck trailers without replacing the entire under-bed mounting system. The four-pin installation and removal design means you can swap between 5th wheel and gooseneck configurations in minutes — the adapter lifts out entirely, leaving a clean truck bed.

Rated at 25,000 lb gross trailer weight, the Spyder handles most heavy-duty gooseneck trailers with comfortable margin. The welded 2-5/16-inch ball is permanently attached to the adapter frame, so there is no risk of the ball separating from the mount. Users confirm it fits snugly into B&W and Reese rail kits without modification.

The powder-coated finish offers decent corrosion protection, though the unit ships in a thin cardboard box that can arrive damaged. Inspect for missing pins upon delivery — some shipments have arrived short of the four retaining pins. The adapter’s 50-pound weight is manageable by one person but benefits from two hands during alignment.

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The Lippert 179014 follow leg is a direct replacement for the non-crank side of a Lippert power landing gear system. When a leg jams due to corrosion, bent tubing, or worn internal threads, this unit restores full function without requiring a complete landing gear assembly. The 21-inch stroke and additional 16 inches of manual extension via snap pin provide enough range for uneven campsite terrain.

Heavy-gauge steel with a black powder-coated finish gives this leg solid resistance to road debris and moisture. The snap pin mechanism replaces the original spring-loaded pin design, offering smoother operation than the stiff pins that often require hammer blows to release. Users report replacing a jammed leg in under 45 minutes, though access to the mounting bolts may require removing RV under-skirting depending on the manufacturer.

Critical note: This is the follower (non-crank) leg. Verify your system’s orientation before ordering — the lead leg mounts on the crank side and has a different internal mechanism. Replace both legs simultaneously if one has failed, as the remaining old leg may be near its own failure point.

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The Andersen Ultimate Connection safety chain kit provides a redundant attachment between your 5th wheel trailer and tow vehicle, rated at 18,000 lb per chain in Grade 70 steel. In the event of a hitch failure, these chains are designed to keep the trailer coupled to the truck and prevent the kingpin from digging into the truck bed — a scenario that can cause catastrophic loss of control.

The kit includes two Grade 70 chains, three eyebolts, two shackles, and extended bolts that replace the kingpin coupler bolts on Andersen’s Ultimate Connection. Installation takes about 20 minutes and requires no drilling. The shackles attach to the frame-mounted eyebolts, while the chains cross beneath the coupler to create a cradle that captures the kingpin if the hitch separates.

Some users note that the included shackles (3/8-inch) have a working load limit of roughly 1 ton, which creates a weak link below the 24,000 lb break strength of the chains themselves. Upgrading to 1/2-inch quick links eliminates this discrepancy. The chains are powder-coated to resist weather exposure, but the moving links benefit from occasional lubrication after wet towing trips.

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The Lippert 308287 quick release pull pin replaces the stiff, hard-to-grip spring pins commonly found on 5th wheel landing gear legs. The pair of pins is made from alloy steel with a zinc plating that resists corrosion in wet undercarriage conditions. Unlike the original pins that often require a hammer to release, these operate smoothly with a single hand pull, making campsite setup notably less frustrating.

Installation takes about 10 minutes for both pins — remove the old hairpin or spring pin, insert the new quick-release pin through the leg bracket, and secure with the included mounting bolts. Users report that the pins fit perfectly on Keystone Montana, Grand Design, and Forest River models without any modification required. The pins are permanently attached to the leg, so they cannot be misplaced.

The one noted caveat: the included mounting bolts are slightly smaller gauge than the original hardware on some trailers. Reusing the original bolts solves this, and the pin mechanism itself remains unaffected. For the price of a tank of gas, these pins eliminate a daily irritation that every 5th wheel owner knows.