A tow hook has a front portion extending forwardly from a front side of a side frame rail of an automotive vehicle and a rear portion received in a channel of the frame rail. The tow hook is releasably mounted to the side frame rail so that it releases at low impact force. The rear portion of each tow hook has at least one open slotted mounting member having a slot therein that extends rearwardly from an open front end of the slot. Each open slotted mounting member of the rear portion of each tow hook is secured to a wall of the side frame rail to which it is mounted. A vehicle has the tow hook mounted to a left side frame rail and another such tow hook mounted to a right side frame rail.

A hitch ball is shown and described. The hitch ball may include a ball member, a body extending from the ball member, and a locking member in communication with the body. The hitch ball may also include a first release mechanism positioned in the ball member, the first release mechanism operatively coupled with the locking member, where positioning the first release mechanism in an first direction positions the locking member in a disengaged position, and a second release mechanism positioned in the body, the second release mechanism operatively coupled with the locking member, where positioning the second release mechanism in a second direction positions the locking member in the disengaged position.

An underbed hitch mounting system is described. The mounting system may be utilized for towing vehicles wherein the mounting system may selectively accommodate either a fifth wheel hitch or a gooseneck hitch. The mounting system may include at least one rail capable of being connected to a vehicle frame, wherein the rail includes at least one socket. The socket may be engaged with a receiving member, wherein the receiving member may be engaged with a leg of a fifth wheel hitch. A mid rail may be connected to the rails and may include a hitch ball socket that is capable of engagement with a hitch.

A hitch ball with a locking bail for use with gooseneck hitch assemblies. The hitch ball includes a hitch ball body having a ball-mount on a first end. A second end forms a base that is insertable into a mating receiver mounted in a tow vehicle. A locking bail is pivotably coupled to the hitch ball body and is moveable from an unlocked orientation overlying the ball-mount to a locked orientation extending generally transversely to the hitch ball body. The locking bail is configured to function as a handle when in the unlocked orientation to provide a clean and easily graspable structure for handling and installing the hitch ball in a tow vehicle. The locking bail prevents coupling of a trailer or hitch assembly with the hitch ball when in the unlocked orientation and provides a visual indication of the locked or unlocked state of the hitch ball.

A trailer assembly suitable for carrying a container of proppant has a frame with a first side rail and a second side rail extending in generally parallel relation to each other and a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted below the frame. The frame has a plurality of cross members extending between the side rails. First and second outriggers extend across the side rails so as to each have one end extending outwardly of one of the side rails and an opposite end extending outwardly of the other side rail. The first and second outriggers are suitable for receiving the container of proppant thereon. The frame has a first section positioned above the wheels and a second section positioned at a level lower than a level of the first section. The proppant container is placed on the first section.

A universal hitch system includes a vehicle that has a frame and the frame has a front end. A hitch is removably coupled to the frame and the hitch is positioned on the front end. The hitch may have an implement removably coupled thereto. Thus, the vehicle may tow the implement. The hitch comprises a central member and a pair of end members. The central member has an adjustable width such that the central member accommodates a variety of frame widths. Each of the end members is removably coupled to the central member. Each of the end members is removably coupled to the frame.

A trailer hitch includes a cross-vehicle beam and a receiver welded to the cross-vehicle beam. The cross-vehicle beam extends from a first end to a second end. The cross-vehicle beam includes a middle section, a first round section, and a second round section. The middle section includes a flat. The first round section is integral with the middle section and extends from the middle section to the first end. The second round section is integral with the middle section and extends from the middle section to the second end. The receiver is welded directly to the flat.

The present invention relates in general to a fifth wheel hitch and method of using a fifth wheel hitch that is mounted to a bed of a towing vehicle, and more specifically, to a fifth wheel hitch that is vertically secured to a kingpin of a fifth wheel trailer without requiring the use of adapters or extensions. One aspect of the fifth wheel hitch and method of use includes a hitch head assembly that is adjustable in height such that the fifth wheel hitch is compatible with different sizes of towing vehicles and fifth wheel trailers. The hitch head assembly also incorporates a funnel shaped design for receiving the kingpin of the fifth wheel trailer in a vertical fashion to prevent the kingpin from sliding horizontally out of the hitch head after being pulled forward by the towing vehicle. A four-way pivot joint accommodates instantaneous variations in pitch and/or roll attitudes between the towing vehicle and the fifth wheel trailer connected by the fifth wheel hitch. The hitch head assembly further includes a latching and locking mechanism that indicates whether or not a secure connection has been properly executed between the fifth wheel hitch and fifth wheel trailer to assure an operator that the towing vehicle is ready for travel.

Decoupled fifth wheel and gooseneck subframes are disclosed. An example apparatus includes brackets couplable to a vehicle frame, the brackets including puck mounts to receive a fifth wheel hitch, a subframe couplable between the brackets, the subframe including an aperture, and a gooseneck mount to receive a gooseneck ball, the gooseneck mount to be disposed in the aperture and couplable to the subframe.

A non-kingpin trailer can be coupled to a towing vehicle having a towball in the bed of the towing vehicle. For example, the non-kingpin trailer can be coupled to the towing vehicle by installing a trailer coupler system in the bed of the towing vehicle by securing the trailer coupler system to the towball in the bed of the towing vehicle and securing the adapter hitch to the trailer coupler system by inserting the first towball of the trailer coupler system into the towball receptacle of the adapter hitch.