New to Fifth wheeling

[partsman]

Okay, so I have a 1977 F-250 supercab 2 WD, 400CI C6 auto.
And I have purchased a 1989 Tandem axle 18.5' Prowler Lynx fifth wheel.
I have never pulled one, have no hitch, no brake controller, so am looking for advice on what do I need in the way of a reasonable hitch, brake controller and the installing of same.
I have the ability to do it myself and have an arc welder, gas welder, air compressor and a lot of tools, so any advice on pitfalls on doing it all myself would be appreciated, plus maybe what I should watch out for when towing and setting the controller, and backing it up and the best way for leveling the unit once I am at the site.
I hope to be ready to go by August 21st, and am in the process of having finished replacing the steady bearing and u-joints on the truck itself, and a brake line that blew on me when I was getting the truck ready for use this summer.
So any ideas will be appreciated, like supporting the trailer with block or jacks, and what size of wood for leveling it.
Thanks.

[Hapdad]

Pitfalls.. Hmm.. Well first off in your situation I would buy what I could get locally, so as to be able to get service or parts ect if need be. As far as install is concerned be prepared to bolt the thing in. Drilling ect.. Just make sure to mock up and measure twice first. make sure if you can lower the tailgate and still have clearance when the 5th wheel is hooked up. Sometimes yes some no.. depends on the truck and trailer combo.. You will also want to be sure if you have to lower the tailgate before backing under the pinbox of the 5th wheel. usually you have to. check where the bolt holes will go== will you be able to reach the thing from under the truck and tighten the bolt? It will really ruin your day to drill a hole in the bed of your truck only to find out that you have to drop the gas tank to install the bolt or something like that.
Setting the controller is pretty straight foreward. The instructions on some can be kinda vague. You will need an area with pleanty of room and clear of obsticles. Start with a low setting and start and stop with the trailer hooked up till you are satisfied. Increasing or decreasing the setting on the controller as needed. Some people like a little more action one way or the other from the trailer. However neither vehicle should be doing most of the work. The two must work together for best results and safety. A little push or a little pull somewhere in between is what you are looking for.
Make sure you give yourself pleanty of room to do anything when towing. A larger following distance, start stopping earlier, much more room for lane changes, swing wider for turns, check mirror settings lights ect before starting out. All basic stuff. High winds can be a real problem. So can low overhangs and bridges.. measure the height of your unit on level ground from the ground to the highest point on the trailer and make sure you dont forget the height,, tape a note by the dash or something if you have to. These things get banged up all the time on building overhangs, fast food joints, hotel entrances, ect.
It backing can be tricky so pratice and try to pick lines you can drive through, such as at the gas station. Many people use 2 way radios like the little walky talky's you get a wally world. Always helps to have a spotter.
As far as leveling goes 2 x ? wood blocks are what alot of people use. 2x6, 2x8 ect.
And last (at least for now) Always always Always make sure you have locked in your trailer to the hitch and pinned the hitch lock closed. If you don't it is real easy to drop your trailer onto the bed of your tuck.. Hook up the break away line.. And Make sure to hook up and test the lights before moving the trailer. I see lots of check lists in RV's that people have made up to keep themselves from forgetting... things like putting down the antenna, removing leveling blocking, closing and locking awnings, ect.

[Hapdad]

Boy do I need to learn to proofread better.. I was not suggesting to pratice at a gas station but when you go to one or someplace like that try to pick lines you can drive through without backing. Lots of people pratice in empty parking lots and stuff like that. At least around here they do.
Also not so clear when you mesure for height dont forget that the highest point may be in the middle of the roof.. tops of Air conditioners, vents, ect are usually wher the highest point is..

[partsman]

Thanks for the reply, am having a real fun time installing the hitch.
Had to buy different brackets for it and still a pain to install as the brackets would hit a bad spot if too far forward, so put it so it was centered with axle, and some of the holes I drilled ran right into a large hole in the frame.
I hope it does not allow the frame to crack.