Chassis and Running Gear
Fifth Wheel, Gooseneck and Hitch Service, Repair and Installation
Typical range
$400 to $5,500
Shop hours
2 to 22
Labor rate
$260/hr
The short answer
Hitch service covers fifth wheel and gooseneck hitch installation, king pin and pin box repair, coupler replacement, and weight distribution setup. Work runs $400 to $5,500, or 2 to 22 hours at $260 per hour plus parts, installed at our Yorba Linda facility.
01
What this work actually involves
The connection between tow vehicle and trailer carries every dynamic load the pair generates, and it is the one component where a failure is unrecoverable at speed. Fifth wheel hitches wear at the jaws and the pivot, king pins wear oval, and pin boxes crack at the weld where they meet the trailer frame, usually on the toy hauler side because of the extra tongue weight and the constant flexing from a loaded garage. We inspect all four of those as one system, since wear in one accelerates wear in the others.
Gooseneck and fifth wheel installation into a truck bed is a structural job, not a bolt-on. Frame-mounted rails or a gooseneck ball assembly have to tie into the truck frame with the correct brackets and hardware for that specific chassis, and on a bed that has already had an aftermarket install we frequently find elongated holes, missing hardware, or brackets that were never fully torqued. We inspect what is there before adding to it.
On conventional towing the weight distribution setup is what most owners get wrong. A weight distribution hitch that is set with too little tension leaves the tow vehicle rear-loaded and the front light, which is exactly the condition that produces sway on a windy afternoon through the pass at Banning or on the 15 near the Cajon. We measure fender heights loaded and unloaded, set the bars to restore front axle load, and document the settings so you can reproduce them.
Systems and brands we work on: Curt, B&W, Lippert, MORryde.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- Fifth wheel hitch installation on rail and puck systems
- Gooseneck ball and under-bed hitch installation with frame brackets
- King pin inspection, measurement, and pin box replacement
- Pin box weld inspection and certified structural repair where cracked
- Fifth wheel jaw, pivot, and lock mechanism service and replacement
- Conventional coupler replacement and receiver hitch installation
- Weight distribution hitch setup with measured fender height documentation
- Sway control installation and adjustment
- Air ride pin box and shock-absorbing pin box installation
- Bed rail, puck, and mounting hardware inspection and torque verification
03
When you need this service
- Excessive fore and aft movement or a clunk when starting and stopping
- A fifth wheel that is difficult to latch or that has to be hit to engage
- Visible wear flats, ovaling, or scoring on the king pin
- A crack in paint or a visible crack at the pin box to frame weld
- A tow vehicle that squats hard at the rear when the trailer is coupled
- Sway that develops in crosswind or when passed by a truck
- Elongated bolt holes or movement at the bed rail mounting points
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Full connection inspection
Hitch, jaws, king pin, pin box, and mounting hardware inspected as a system, since wear in one component accelerates every other part of the connection.
- 02
Measurement and weld check
King pin measured for wear and ovaling, and the pin box to frame weld inspected closely, which is where toy haulers crack first from garage load.
- 03
Truck-side structural review
Bed rails, pucks, and frame brackets checked for elongated holes, missing hardware, and correct torque. Prior aftermarket installs are inspected before anything is added.
- 04
Documented findings and options
Findings priced with options presented, including air ride and shock-absorbing pin boxes where chucking is the actual complaint rather than wear.
- 05
Structural repair and installation
Cracked pin box welds repaired by certified welding, then hitch or coupler installed to the manufacturer specification for that chassis and torqued to value.
- 06
Weight distribution setup
Fender heights measured unloaded, coupled, and with bars tensioned, then the setup adjusted until front axle load is restored and the values are documented.
- 07
Coupling verification
Full couple and uncouple cycles performed, lock engagement confirmed visually, and the combination checked for movement before it leaves.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $400 to $5,500 | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 2 to 22 | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Mechanical and electrical labor | $260 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Standard Fifth Wheels
A fifth wheel couples to a hitch in the truck bed through a kingpin and pin box, with a raised forward bedroom over the truck. The
Vehicle
Toy Hauler Fifth Wheels
A toy hauler fifth wheel carries a cargo garage behind the axles with a full-height rear ramp door. Load behind the axle centerlin
Vehicle
Travel Trailers
A travel trailer tows from a ball hitch behind the tow vehicle rear axle on an A-frame tongue, which makes it the most sway-prone
Vehicle
Toy Hauler Trailers
A bumper pull toy hauler carries cargo behind the axles on a ball hitch, which is the worst possible combination for tongue weight
Vehicle
Utility Trailers
A utility trailer is an open deck on a welded frame with fenders, a ramp gate, and lighting, and it fails through deck rot, frame
Vehicle
Flatbed Trucks
Flatbed trucks carry unprotected loads on an open deck, so the deck, headboard, rub rails, and stake pockets take the damage rathe
08
Questions about hitch, coupler, gooseneck and fifth wheel service
Frequently asked questions
How much does fifth wheel hitch work cost?
Hitch and coupler work runs $400 to $5,500, or 2 to 22 hours at $260 per hour plus parts. Replacing a conventional coupler or adjusting a weight distribution setup sits near the low end. A full puck-system fifth wheel install plus an air ride pin box and certified weld repair at the pin box sits at the high end. Hitches are billed at parts markup.
What causes the clunking when I start and stop with a fifth wheel?
Usually free play between the king pin and the hitch jaws, which grows as both wear. It can also come from a loose pivot or from bed rail hardware that has worked loose. We measure the king pin and inspect the jaws to tell you which. Where the wear is within limits and the chucking is inherent to the setup, an air ride or shock-absorbing pin box solves it.
Can you repair a cracked pin box?
Yes, by certified in-shop welding, and we will also address why it cracked. Pin box welds crack most often on toy haulers and heavily loaded fifth wheels where the tongue weight and the flexing of a loaded garage exceed what the original weld detail was designed for. Reinforcement is usually part of the correct repair, not just restoring the original joint.
How do I know my weight distribution hitch is set correctly?
By measurement, not by feel. We record the tow vehicle front and rear fender heights unloaded, then coupled without tension, then with the bars tensioned. Correct setup restores the front fender height to close to its unloaded value. We document the settings so you can reproduce them, and so a change tells you something has shifted.
Do you install goosenecks in truck beds?
Yes, both under-bed gooseneck systems and rail or puck fifth wheel systems. The install ties into the truck frame with brackets specific to that chassis, not with generic hardware, and every fastener is torqued to the published value. We inspect any existing aftermarket install before adding to it, since elongated bolt holes, missing hardware, and brackets that were never fully torqued are extremely common findings on previously installed setups.
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More chassis and running gear work
Ready to move on hitch, coupler, gooseneck and fifth wheel service? Bring it to Yorba Linda.