Do I have to mount the Ultimate Fifth Wheel Connection directly to the truck bed, or can I use a protective layer?

We recommend the Andersen Anti Slip Kit Mat between the base of the hitch and bed of your truck in order to prevent unnecessary friction. At this time we don’t recommend other aftermarket mats as they have not been tested to not shift during use. We recommend the following torque sequence when installing the base to make sure it is tight to the tow vehicle:

1 - Pin and clip base to existing gooseneck ball
2 - Tighten the top bolt to 60 ft-lbs of torque not the 50 it mentions in the manual
3 - Do NOT tighten the lower two jamb nuts on the coupler tube yet
4 - Lower the RV onto the hitch and latch RV with the tongue weight on the hitch
5 - Re-Torque the top bolt to 60 ft-lbs, this will eliminate all flex of the anti slip mat, truck bed, hitch etc.
6 - Now tighten the lower two jamb nuts to the coupler tube and you are ready to go.