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whitecloud's avatar
whitecloud
Explorer III
Mar 25, 2016

5th wheel hitch question

Howdy,

I have a 2015 Ram Cummins 3500 with the 8 foot bed. My wife and I are thinking about buying a 5th wheel this Saturday. We have some places to camp that are on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Camping spots there are not real big. There is one we have reserved that is crescent shaped. With our pull-along, I would have no problem connecting and reconnecting the truck with the trailer. I am wondering if I attempt to connect up with a fifth wheel hitch and do not hit it "straight on" but at an angle, will the hitch lock up. I am looking hard at a B&W Companion hitch. I would really like to hear from anyone with experience with this sort of situation.

Thanks
  • With a standard fifth wheel hitch, it's no problem hitching at an angle.

    I have a pullrite and cannot do that due to the special capture plate. It's the price I pay for the convenience of pulling with a short box.
  • Get the B&W RVK3600 that locks in to the four bed pucks. If your truck does not have the pucks, you can install them yourself like I did. Four hours by myself including the in bed trailer plug to install. Mounts for the pucks are on the frame already. Chris
  • The B&W FW hitches work well, when hooking/unhooking, at most any angle.

    Jerry
  • The B&W Companion hitch is a great hitch and you will not have any problem with it at an angle, it will even work with the truck and trailer twisted.
  • We have one camp ground we go to and our favorite site I can only hook up at an angle. Never had an issue.
  • Most of the newer 5th wheel hitches with 4 way tilt will work fine. BUT. With some trucks you cannot go in at an angle with the tailgate down. You would either need to use a V gate. Or have someone behind raising the tailgate after it had passed the pin box and before it hit the front of the trailer. Or you could back part way under, get out and raise the gate, and get back in and finish backing. I have my stock tailgate on my long bed F350 and cannot be off much of an angle without the tailgate hitting the trailer.
  • Any 4-way articulating 5th wheel hitch will allow off angle/off-camber hitching
  • Me Again wrote:
    Get the B&W RVK3600 that locks in to the four bed pucks. If your truck does not have the pucks, you can install them yourself like I did. Four hours by myself including the in bed trailer plug to install. Mounts for the pucks are on the frame already. Chris


    He always mentions "by myself" that's because he got too impatient to wait for my help!

    Yes the 3600 is the best non air ride hitch on the market. You can easily hook up with RV and TV not in a straight line and also if the RV and TV are tilted opposite of each other side to side.

    Simple solid and NO QUESTION if you are hitched.

    Also the tool box is awesome.

    Here is a pic for your viewing delight. ;)

  • Watch your tailgate when backing in at any angle. I have only 4" of room between tailgate and front storage door of the fiver backing straight in. You will more than likely have to have your spouse close the tailgate as you're backing in. I left a nice hole in my old fiver backing in at an angle.
  • All, Thanks for the insights. I am feeling a lot better about this. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. Its nice to hear from people who have been there and done that. I guess it is time to get the B&W.