fifth wheel and short box

[CAbelmann]

if your carefull is it possible to pull a fifth wheel with a megacab shortbox without a slider hitch

 

[FFL8N]

Yes its possible, no I don't recommend it

 

[LRutigliano]

I think backing up is going to be a problem. In all the campgrounds I have been to, especially the State Parks... you have to really turn hard and get the truck and 5er almost perpendicular to each other in order to get the 5er into a back-in spot.



Plus, I don't think its something you can see very easily unless you have a spotter outside the truck.

 

[Jim W]

I would not recommend this at all. I have a 2008 Mega cab with a slider hitch and when I back up this is one area that my wife watches very very closely. I have to jack-knife in order to put the 5er in the drive way and most of the camp grounds that we visit. My wife has gone so far as to start requesting pull thru sites, since see dose not like the idea of watching the cab and trailer so closely.

Just my $0. 02

 

[HBarlow]

Yes, you can do it if you will only pull in a straight line and never back. If you pull a fifth wheel trailer with a short bed it is about 98% certain that you will forget and make a turn you will regret. The damage will be severe to truck and trailer.

A friend of mine uses this product:

PopUp Industries: RV5 King-Pin Extender for Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer

It is inexpensive, sturdy, and functional. No latches or levers to remember.

 

[DonTX]

Heck, I even got my truck and fiver bumped, and I have a long bed! I had to do a 90 degree backing into my driveway, and had measured and even tried it out on the level to make sure it would clear while carefully watching, but when you get the trailer and the truck on different angles, things change in a hurry.

 

[JJPage]

It all depends on the trailer/truck combo.



I have a qcsb, and a 30ft 5th Ragen toybox, spent the extra dollars for the sliding 16k Reese, and should have not bought the slider.



Not only do I not use it, I cannot use it. If I slide it back, it puts the pin box in such a position that if I would turn it would tear the hell out of my bed rails. The dealer told me I needed it to keep the bumper of the truck from contacting the front of the trailer when turning, not true. The front overhang of the trailer actaully comes closer to my rear truck window than the bumper does to the trailer, but both have ample clearance.



You need to do a "mock" hookup first, then you can decide what you really need.

 

[TMRoper1669]

Well You all can say what you want about a Mega Cab And a fifthwheel. I have no SLIDER I just have a B&W Companion And '08 canyon Trail 34' And as soon as I Pull it the first time this year I will post pictures of a 90 with no problem. Mostly it depends on the trailer, some of the newer ones have a different front cap, or and different pin box although I pulled and older trailer, and was so close to a 90 I would still call it a 90. In my opinion if you go somewhere where you have to worry about a 90 then you shouldn't be there. All I have ever owned has been Long beds and was worried when I bought this truck but not no more.

 

[EricBu12]

I have had that RV5 pin extender and I still hit my trailer...



Get the 5th Airborne Sidewinder hitch



Fifthairborne- - Premium fifth-wheel air-ride coupler



This is a hitch that allows my short-box to do a 90 deg turn

It has a turret at the mount and there is a wedge that disables the pivot at the hitch. This allows almost any truck to haul the trailer and you only have to have a regular hich in the truck.



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This pic is a close-up of the hitch when the truck is 90 deg to the trailer



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[JExum]

just set your 5th wheel further back in the bed i had mine on a 93 1 ton set 12 inches behind the rear axle to clear a l-shaped fuel tank and fiberglass louver and pulled all sizes of travel trailer and with a custom build reciever hitch pulled pintle hook trailers with a tongue weight of about 3,000lbs but I had to take a chain and boomer connect it to the the 5th wheel and a tongue weight 4750 is were I said it was to much it took about 80lbs in the air bags. My 93 clubcab frame was bent in a upwards direction from the 4750 load on the very rear of the truck so i believe no 5th trailer wiil damage the frame connected to the rear after all welder's put the 5th wheel on the very end of the bed.

 

[HBarlow]

I would not mount a fifth wheel hitch any distance behind the centerline of the rear axle. The kingpin weight of a heavy fifth wheel trailer mounted behind the drive axle could have a very negative effect on handling possibly unloading the steer axle enough to cause the driver to lose control. Static weight shift might not be significant but dynamic weight shifts while traversing a highway with severe dips could be pretty dramatic.

 

[DonTX]

Wow, I have to agree. I have never tried it, but that far back just about HAS to decay handling characteristics a lot

I would not mount a fifth wheel hitch any distance behind the centerline of the rear axle. The kingpin weight of a heavy fifth wheel trailer mounted behind the drive axle could have a very negative effect on handling possibly unloading the steer axle enough to cause the driver to lose control. Static weight shift might not be significant but dynamic weight shifts while traversing a highway with severe dips could be pretty dramatic.

 

[TMRoper1669]

I would not mount a fifth wheel hitch any distance behind the centerline of the rear axle. The kingpin weight of a heavy fifth wheel trailer mounted behind the drive axle could have a very negative effect on handling possibly unloading the steer axle enough to cause the driver to lose control. Static weight shift might not be significant but dynamic weight shifts while traversing a highway with severe dips could be pretty dramatic.

Good catch Harvey, never try and mount a 5ver hitch or goosneck further back then the Centerline of the axle, actully your always supposed to intall it 2"-4" in front of the axle. If you do try it, post some pictures after your first trip.

 

[sag2]

Bump to top

 

[Wertles]

Depends mostly on the trailer. On our old Jayco with a flat cap, I got away without a slider for 2 years before I converted. I liked the piece of mind and extra safety margin but I never was needing 90* turns. I would not need a slider at all with the new trailer with the curved cap. I can almost go 90 without sliding it. Still wish there was a factory Mega long bed. I can only wish for the Long Haul 5500.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

How does the automatic slide type hitches like "Pullrite" work when backing?



I understand how it automatically slides rearward but does it also go forward to the straight line towing postion if your backing into a space?

 

[RustyJC]

The direction of travel doesn't matter. The Pullrite Superglide uses a heart-shaped cam plate that's added to the 5th wheel's kingpin load plate. The farther away from a straight-ahead position the truck and trailer are, the more this cam pushes the hitch rearward, so it's self-compensating. The greater the angle between the truck and trailer, the farther back the hitch is positioned.



Rusty