Hay all!
I have one quick question for you all, I have the valley quick mount brackets with the rails by the same company on my GMC. I put them on my truck a year ago and mounted them per the instructions. But after looking at a lot of others rails I notice most have a bolt mounted in the center of the rail.
My question is why? there is nothing it could be mounted to besides the thin bed of the truck, so why have it?
I was told it was for the goose neck plate that can be used with the rails and it helped with forward and reverse bowing of the rails.
Would the thin bed help with bowing of the rails?
If I run a goose neck plate are they a must?
Thanks all.
Kyle

 

if you installed per instruction then its all good

I saw a few years ago when we (fire dept) responded to a jack knifed rig, it was a Chevy 2500 pulling a 5er with 5th wheel plate that the plate was still attatched to the trailer and off in the ditch and the truck was on its side up on the highway, anyway it sure didnt look to me as if they had installed it right cuz it sure pulled off there in a hurry.........it was attached to the box but not the frame and the box ripped easily........I wish I had gotten some pics of that cuz it was scarry

 

I have Reese brand in my truck. There is a single bolt in the center portion of each rail as per the instructions.
I don't think it offers much structure but I think it could be used to keep the bed in shape with the rail as it flexes and prevent a gap from forming, maybe?

 

I have Reese brand in both my wife and my flat bed I do not run a center bolt in mine.
In her truck I do but have a large plate under it . Sound like you take a pice of angle and drill it to fit it can't hurt.

 

I also have the reese brand in mine, no center bolts either and I use the reese "goose" plate for my gooseneck. The dealer I bought my truck from was also a reese dealer so I had them do the install. I have never had any flexing issues or problems. Somebody once told me I should add those center bolts, but I never did it because this is the same guy that just welds a 3/4" plate between the frame rails under the bed, drills a hole for a ball and thats his gooseneck hitch he sales.