5th wheel hitch question

As an owner of an 08 megacab SRW: I need a slider, I can do a 90 degree corner with a few inces to spare and the hitch slide fully back. I went with an autoslider and personally love the fact that I don't need to worry. There are other choices/options in the market. Megas are rated to have a lower payload capacity, I'm probably at maximum.

The box on a 2008 megacab is not any shorter than a 2008 dodge short box.

allimax wrote:
That 2000 lb. pin weight probably doesn't take into account anything added to the trailer. Remember any added weight in front of the axles goes onto the pin.

That's not exactly true. The percentage of the weight applied to the pin depends on how far from the wheels the load is placed. The axles are like the center of a see-saw. Weight placed closer to the wheels in front of them will put more weight on the wheels than the pin. It is a calculation.

Generally speaking, it is easier to calculate the pin weight based on the percentage of the dry weight and reported pin weight. For example, my trailer is 12,000 lbs dry. The reported pin weight is 2040 lbs. That is 17% of the weight. So if I load another 2,000 lbs on the trailer, 17% of that is 2,380. That isn't perfect, but it's a start. The best thing to do is weigh the truck and trailer. We weighed the truck separately (loaded) and got the weight on each axle. Next we weigh the truck and trailer together. The rear axle weight with the trailer is the sum of the truck weight and the pin weight of the trailer. Subtract the truck-alone rear axle weight from the combined rear axle weight and you have your real pin weight.

That 2000 lb. pin weight probably doesn't take into account anything added to the trailer. Remember any added weight in front of the axles goes onto the pin.

woodyw333 wrote:
I just looked up the payload and WOW! 1590 lb payload. Looks as if I will be getting airbags as well, because the pin weight on both are around 2000 lbs.

Air bags will not change the payload.

waltbennett wrote:
Not familiar with the two models you're interested in, but the need for a slider is driven by the configuration of the front of the trailer and how sharp you're turning the whole thing. Several 5ers are made to minimize hitting a short bed cab (unless you try doing something close to a right angle), some will cause a problem at 30 degrees. (Examples are the several Montana owners who've never had to engage their slider hitch at all and the few that only had to in extreme turns.) I'd error on the safe side though, but like Curt hitches best.

We have a shortbed - 6 1/2 ft bed. We have a B&W companion hitch and a Bighorn trailer. The Bighorn can turn 88 degrees without a slider.

I just looked up the payload and WOW! 1590 lb payload. Looks as if I will be getting airbags as well, because the pin weight on both are around 2000 lbs.

I pull mine with a megacab and no slider. Never come close to hitting the cab.

I tow our Montana 3000RK (35') fifth wheel with my 2004 F250 short bed 4x4 with no dents or broken windows. . The Montana has the rounded corners. I am only saying that is what I do and have had no problems

Thanks for all of the replies thus far. We will be pulling the trigger soon and will just have them install the slider as well. I could do it but with the crappy weather we have been getting I will let them do it in their nice warm and dry garage :)

Thanks again!

There is some mis information here that you need to be very careful of. The mega cab bed length is standard short bed, not shorter. Lots of talk about hitches and that was your original question. However with the mega cab payload is going to be your biggest challenge. Look very closely at the two trailers gross weight ratings. I suspect both of them will be either very near or some what over what your trucks cargo capacity actually is. That has always been the biggest negative switch the mega cabs lots of power but way down on payload.