5th Wheel hitch - Fire damage

[vernj4]

Have a 5th wheel hitch that came out of a fire...would the hitch still be strong...or would have the temper be gone? :(

The rails are ok as they where in the truck.

Thanks for the input.

[JeffsTowTruck]

I'm guessing it is not all warped up and maybe just the paint is burnt off.
Seems like you should take it by a welding or machine type shop to see if they can look at it or test it some way to be sure it was ok.. :confused:
I have seen truck frames reused after a burn, thats about it.

[David Utz]

while it's probably fine, I would never take the gamble. You just don't know what materials the manufacturer used and if they were heated to the point that may change their mechanical performance. Why take the chance with your truck, trailer, and human life?

[Craig M]

It takes a bit of heat to "damage" steel. A mild steel would be less "damaged" by heat than a more high strength steel. I suspect that most 5th wheel hitches are fabricated from mild steel. Is the paint heavily blistered? A mild steel heated then cooled should show little loss of strength.