I just purchased a Putnam class 5 hitch on the advisement of people on this list to pull my 38' Scarab. I picked it up on the internet from a place in New Mexico called Sportztrailers. The thing is , physically it looks almost like the one that came off (class 3 I think-1999 F350 dually). Then to add to that my muffler guy said it probably isn't a class 5 because it doesn't have a 2 1/2 " receiver. He said I should have got a Titan. Honestly I don't have any worries about it but who knows. What do you guys think.Mike

What's the part number on the hitch? Should be able to look it up on Putnam's site and very the rating with the part number.

Keep in mind, a hitch does not have to have a 2.5" receiver to be a class 5 either.

Buck

True, true.

I helped Chris (Dunnoit) a member here put a putnam Class 5 on his 2500 Dodge a couple years ago. It is a stout piece and fit well. The brackets were much longer on the Putnam than the stock piece, they extended up the frame further.

I installed a Putnam class V a few weeks back on my F250 and when I removed the stock hitch you could not tell the difference for the exception of the weight info on the stickers.

It did have a 2 1/2 receiver.

SOME of the Fords have true Class-V hitches from the factory. However, many of them say "V-5" on them, and are really Class-III hitches intentionally labeled to make you think they are heavier.

I do believe that the Factory Ford 2.5" (rare) receiver is a true Class-V. I did order a Putnam Class-V for my 2000 Ford PSD Dually, and it is MUCH more stout than the 2" Class-III hitch that Ford installed.

Michael, it sounds like the hitch you removed WAS a true Class-V hitch from Ford.

The biggest issue with the Putnams is they ship with Grade-5 bolts. I upgraded my bolts before install to Grade-8 (from a local supplier), AND got the new ones long enough to double nut them. You MUST use the square collars that come with the Putnam hitch

I did install the square washers with the hitch. The old hitch looked like the one on my old excursion. I'll do more research in the mean time. Mike