5th Wheel Hitches, Enlighten Me Please

[Hummin Cummins]

Selling my travel trailer and purchasing a 5er toy hauler for my harley. Is a slidier hitch a must with a short bed or is it a luxury. I dont want to under do it when purchasing a hitch but dont want to waste money on something that isnt needed. I've been towing a long time but never a 5er, always pull behinds. Any info, tips and suggestions would be great. Ive searched and done some homework on brands. Just looking for advice. Seems like they have made alot of changes to the noses of the new models geared toward shortbed trucks.



Chris

 

[jelag]

I have a good friend, who's owned many trucks and pulled a lot... he bought a great quad cab short box because it was a value, and tows a 32 ft 5er... the third time he came home and had to fix the cab... . to the tune of 1200 - 1300 each time he got a hitch that allowed him to slide the trailer back when we needed to back up... .

He knows he can't hit the cab going forward but doesn't remember ever doing it backing up yet he still gets the damage...

Now after something like 18 months with the slide hitch he's never hit the cab. . I think its a great lesson...

Hope this gives you the info you need...

 

[pwerwagn]

I have hit the cab and broke back windows in both my 98 and my 04. I got a slider hitch and havent hit the cab yet since. I dont have to use the slider very often... but twice it has saved me dearly. I didnt fix the cab on either truck, but the back windows are $$$$$.



If I had to do it all over again, I would just go ahead and spring for the pullrite superglide. Its such a nice hitch. It slides back on its own as you turn, no worrying ever. My reese, I have to get out and unlatch the slider, hold the trailer brakes and pull forward (and it will only slide when the truck and trailer are in line... if you are turned it wont do it). Then you have to repeat in reverse to get it back to towing location. I also had my slider hitch unlatch once while driving and it slid back on its own. That was a fun experience.



I have a lot of friends that tow with shortbeds and have never had an issue also.



--Jeff

 

[Jim W]

There are two different types of people that pull a 5er with a short bed truck. The first one has hit his cab at least once and uses a slider hitch and the other user who will hit is cab some day in the future.



I have own two different fivers and two different short bed trucks since returning to RVing. The first 5er did not have the short bed design corners on it but I did have the slider hitch. Will I was in a hurry once and got distracted did not extend the hitch when I was backing up. Will needless to say I hit the cab and below out the window and dented the cab.



My new 5er has the relieved corners for a short bed truck which does help in turning with the slider hitch in the towed position. I do extend the hitch whenever I back up now. I have never forgotten to extend the hitch since I hit the cab and failed the window on my last truck.



Jim W.

 

[ScottLewis]

I towed many K miles with a manual slider in my short bed trucks without hitting the cab until one long day in rainy weather. I made a tight turn without sliding the hitch and heard a crumpling sound. $1200 repair bill and scratches on the relieved corner of the fiver. I now have a PullRite. I no longer have to worry about forgetting it or getting out in the rain to slide it back.

Pricey and a bit noisy at times but worth it.

 

[Wertles]

It is not a necessity depending on the front end of the trailer. My Jayco had a flat front and required a slider. My new Voltage toy hauler has a rounded front end and I can almost go 90 degrees without sliding it back and not hitting the cab. In fact, I have never slid it back with this trailer getting into some tight places. It might be worth having the slider anyway just for the extra insurance or backing it up in the dark where you can't see very well or if you are all alone.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Forgive me for sounding dumb, I take it the damage occurs when backing making tight turns or from the up and down pivoting motion of the truck and trailer (like when backing down in a dip) and if so, why only when backing? Sounds like the slider is the way to go for piece of mind. I assume they work similar to sliding tandems on a big rig trailer. Release a mechanism and hold trailer brakes, ease truck ahead to slide the hitch back then relock? I'm looking at the Forest River XLR's at the moment or possibly the Heartland Torque. Those are tops on my list anyway.

Thanks for the great input. Is everybody pulling with stock height trucks? Future plans call for a leveling kit, pac brake air bags and 35's. Unless that will hinder the towing ability. I had the pac brake bags on my 95 and loved them.



Some good reading in the superglide manual on their website. That explains alot

 

[ScottLewis]

I was pulling forward after backing into a driveway to turn around. I was OK until the RV wheels came up onto the raised pavement and the nose came into the cab. Crunch. It can happen going forward or back, real quick.

 

[EricBu12]

I have the 5th airborne sidewinder.

This is a pivot that relocates the pivot back by the trailer mount. . this also has an airbag to reduce the jounce on the truck. . kinda expensive but can be done with a regular 5th hitch on the truck.

http://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel-King-Pin/Reese/RP61413.html

 

[mrtrombley]

The PullRite automatic slider is a great unit. No worry's, when the truck turns, the hitch automatically slides back on one side or the other. The hitch has a horseshoe type slot and cams for the 5th wheel pin to move in. I believe they cost about $2200.

A cheaper way to go is a Sidewinder extension that attaches to the 5th wheel pin box and extends the pin about 18-24" farther forward so that when the trailer turns the corners do not hit the cab. I understand that these are pretty strong, even strong enough for a fairly heavy 5th wheel. If I went this way, I would include an air ride or rubber absorbsion system with it.

 

[EricBu12]

I've had one of those extentions. . only extended 10". . still put a $500 hole in the front of the trailer. .

 

[pwerwagn]

All of my cab crunch's have come from turning sharp forwards... not backing up. One time was about 2AM, and I turned into my driveway and forgot I was towing the 5th wheel... didnt swing wide enough.



I had an extended pin box. My 5th wheel still hit... just later. It doesnt move the pivot point, all it does is push the 5th wheel back. If you go back far enough, it works. BUT... when the trailer is 90* to the truck, the pivot point has to be far enough ahead of the 5th to completely clear the width of the cab, meaning the pivot point to 5th wheel distance has to be nearly 4'.



As far as a leveling kit, you will be totally fine. You will like the airbags. I lowered the rear of my truck ~1. 5" IIRC, but I run 37's so Im pretty much at stock height. It is a perfect height for nearly any 5th wheel.

 

[WHazelwood]

I use a PullRite with a short bed and love it. Only problem I've ever had was turning up hill and the emergency brake line snagged and locked up the trailer half way through the turn. I thought the truck bogged down because of the incline so I laid into it . The truck pulled up the hill but because I was in a tight turn and the trailer wheels locked it sheared the bolts off the adapter plate the makes the cam work. When I straightened out the slider didn't move forward and I bent the tailgate with the 5th wheel tongue.

 

[HBarlow]

There are two different types of people that pull a 5er with a short bed truck.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... Jim W.

To this statement I would add:

Those who have damaged the rear corner of their cab and/or their fifthwheel trailer and those who will.

 

[EricBu12]

Heres my 5th airborne sidewinder with my old shortbed truck at a 90 deg turn.
The turret that is behind the 5th wheel does the turning. . there is no slider or anything. . I use a regular pulrite 5th super hitch (so it can be removed completely). . this pinbox is really neat. is has an airbag and it saves the truck and/or cap.

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This is when the truck was at a 45 deg turn. .

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this is how the regular 5th gets disabled... a wedge in the slot. . then the turret does the turn.

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[dfb]

If you get a slider, get the superglide, it's automatic... I bought the "ANDERSON ULTIMATE HITCH. I set it up so it's about 8 inches back of axle. Our Montana has a rounded front cap.. Did a tight u-turn and did not hit.. But if it does, the superglide will go into the bed..superglue de the s about 2000.00... Anderson was about 750 total and a boy weighs 32 lbs...

 

[dfb]

If you get a slider, get the superglide, it's automatic... I bought the "ANDERSON ULTIMATE HITCH. I set it up so it's about 8 inches back of axle. Our Montana has a rounded front cap.. Did a tight u-turn and did not hit.. But if it does, the superglide will go into the bed..superglue de the s about 2000.00... Anderson was about 750 total and a boy weighs 32 lbs...

Update! ... I hit the cab and rear window... 70k truck with 2000 miles.....bought a superglide...

 

[RVTRKN]

That sucks, guess your insurance just went up. I know if your carefull you won't hit the cab, but when you do, it's expensive. Good luck with your new hitch, for every one that has not bought a slider yet, they might want to look at the new B&W slider.

 

[dfb]

I will check the b&w.. I bought the pullrite because it's automatic. I also looked at 2
Long bed dually a yesterday. Payment
Go up by about 50.00

 

[RVTRKN]

A new truck will cure all, get the puck system and B&W hitch for it. I know there are other quality hitches, I'm just partial to B&W. I toured their plant in Kansas, and they are American made high quality hitches.