5'er w/a short bed?

[crebelein]

I just ordered an 03 HO w/a short bed. What options do I have for towing a 5'er?

 

[Casey Balvert]

You WILL require a slider hitch. Which one will depend on how much money you want to spend and how much work you want to do. If I was pulling my fiver with a short bed I would be looking at the Pullrite Superglide but it is pricey. While I don't require a slider for my truck I checked out the Superglide at a show a while back and it is an engineering work of art. You can check it out at http://www.pullrite.com/glide.html



Good luck. Casey

 

[Rd.Runnr]

Pullrite also makes a "super 5th" . I have it on my '99 SB & can jackknife my Alpenlite. This hitch is adjustable, but fixed. Not anywhere near as expensive. It also does not weigh 400 lbs!!! You do have to opt for the extended pin on the trailer.

 

[crebelein]

i expected the need for an extended pin. can this be added to an existing trailer? i'd think so...



that slider hitch looks pretty cool. how does it work?

 

[C Schomer]

If it's engineered and built to take an extended box. I'd check with the mfgr. Craig

 

[crebelein]

Originally posted by C Schomer

If it's engineered and built to take an extended box. I'd check with the mfgr. Craig

i thought that it was made specially for a short bed?

 

[klenger]

Do you already have a 5er, or are you going shopping? Most of the newer 5ers (that are not real big) have an extended pin box standard.



I have a Draw-tite slider on my truck because I had a short box for 6 months before this one. Draw-Tite is the same company as Reese.



I am really curious to see how the 2003 short box trucks work for towing a 5er as Dodge cut 3" off from the already short box. Getting the pin located far enough back to get cab clearance and still be on or ahead of the rear axle could be tricky. If I had to replace my current truck, the combo you are getting would be my 1st choice.



I like your Charger. Really cool. That's the year I graduated HS.

 

[crebelein]

thanks for the compliments on my baby (charger)...



anyway, yes, i am currently going shopping. . the short bed is already a done deal and there is no going back... i will either need to make a 5'er work w/it or go w/a reciever hitch trailer...



with the extended pin can you get by w/out a slider hitch? i'm thinking that the SuperGlide 20k and an extended pin would give me more than enough clearance but i've never pulled a 5'er before so i know nothing...

 

[C Schomer]

The ext. pin box is meant for short beds. I don't recall seeing anything but ext. pin boxes already on the type of 5th whs that can use them - but not positive. I just meant, if you see a 5th wh you like without an ext. check out the possibility of adding one before you buy. A lot of the new 5th whs are over 8' wide so be careful about that. The short bed problem could get worse real fast. I towed a 5th wh with a short bed but it was only 7' wide. From what I've read, I think the guys with the normal length short bed, 8' wide RV, ext. pin box and the hitch centered over the axle do OK. Anyone know for sure? If that's the case, you'd only have to worry about 3 more inches and I've seen hitches mounted that far behind the axle. Then it would become a matter of putting too much weight on the rear. These diesels already have plenty of weight on the front for good control. The OTR trucks have sliders so they can control weight distributing. I've had to slide them back to hual more where the "bridge" law applies. The hitch doesn't have to be straight over or in front of the axle. But if you're approaching the max axle weight of the truck, it wouldn't be good to have it behind. Craig

 

[klenger]

Extended pin boxes do not eliminate the need for a slider hitch on a SB. As the truck turns, and the trailer angle approaches 90 degrees, the pin box is parallel to the cab of the truck. The SB is 21" shorter (6'3") than the long box (8'). On an 8' box, there is more than 4' between the cab and the rear axle (approx location of the 5er pin). 1/2 of an 8' wide trailer is 4', so there is no clearance problem. With the short box, the distance from cab to rear axle is much less than 4', so as the trailer to truck angle approaches 90 degrees, the corner of the camper will hit the cab. The slider hitch fixes this by sliding back about 10" to prvide the necessay clearance.



crebelein: I wasn't trying to talk you out of the SB, just wanted you to know what you need to do to make it work. Lot's of people tow 5ers with SB's.



BTW, the clearance problem is usually only a problem when backing the trailer. Going forward, you usually can't turn sharp enough to get the 5er to hit, although this may be a problem in the '03's since they shortened the box by 3 more inches (all from in front of the axle).



Good luck and enjoy.

 

[crebelein]

i didn't think that you were trying to talk me out of a short bed... i was just noting that going to long bed was not a possibilty... i'm actually surprized that i have yet to see a post that says, "can't be done. get a long bed. " or something to that affect...

 

[klenger]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[crebelein]

nice... i could kinda picture that in my head but to see it drawn out makes it pretty clear... i think as a peice of mind i will definatly go w/a slider hitch and an extended pin...



i really like that superglide hitch... i'd just like to know more about how it actually works...

 

[crebelein]

almost forgot... can i install a 5'er hitch over a spray in bed liner or should i put the hitch in first then have the box sprayed?

 

[Paul Somers]

I have short box with extended pin hitch on 5er. Even with that you still need to watch when backing up. We have two in our camping club that have damaged 5er front and cab of truck. While going forward you shouldn't be able to cut enough to be a problem.

I have a LineX sprayed liner. I first installed my hitch then removed it to have liner sprayed then re-installed hitch. Holes will be partially filled but they are easily seen enough to redrill

 

[klenger]

I had a Line-X installed, and went home and installed the hitch on it the same day. Do the liner 1st as it keeps water from getting between the hitch rails and the bed. Good luck.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Originally posted by crebelein

nice... i could kinda picture that in my head but to see it drawn out makes it pretty clear... i think as a peice of mind i will definatly go w/a slider hitch and an extended pin...



i really like that superglide hitch... i'd just like to know more about how it actually works...

Email Lynda at Pullrite. There is an email link on their website. Basically it has a plate that locks to your kingpin on your trailer. As the angle changes between the truck and trailer, the plate rotates, operating a cam mechanism and slides the hitch back. The hitch rides on heavy rails. As the rig straightens the reverse happens and the hitch moves forward. So it provides correct kingpin placement while towing on the highway and moves it back while maneuvering to provide clearance between the trailer and the cab. When you consider the cost of body work on the truck and trailer it probably makes a good investment especially if you are bit absent minded. The hitch is rather heavy but not sure of the exact weight. That info might be on their website as well. Cheers from the frozen north.



Casey

 

[Fireman]

The Superglide is a very simple mechanical device, but it isn't easy to describe how it works. I used one for quiet a while and was extremely pleased with how it worked. I worked flawlessly, first time every time. It is well engineered and robustly built. It uses Pull Rites superrails, which are easily removable, leaving and unobstructd bed. That means that you could spray a liner inbefore or after installing the hitch. The shipping wt. on the 16K Superglide is 260#. It is heavy, but I'm a big guy is I could manage installing and removing the hitch by myself. My brother has aReese slider, once he forgot to slide it before backing into a tight camp site, now he has a hole in the end cap of his fiver. It is my understandingthat Pull Rite already has the mounting brackets for the superglide to fit the '03 Rams and that they are the clamp on type, NO drilling required. If the nee arose I would purchase this product again. PM me if there is anything else I could help you with.

Fireman

 

[C Schomer]

Doesn't the 03 ext cab have the same cab to axle distance as before - long and short box? Maybe they don't have ext cab anymore. I assumed only the Crewcab had the shorter cab to axle. Crebelein, what cab are you getting? Craig

 

[crebelein]

dodge is no longer offering an extended cab version. it's either regular cab or quad cab 4-door. i am getting the quad cab.



i think that i now understand how the superglide works. . that is a great idea... very cool.