I have had my 5th wheel hitch since 2001. My current truck is the second one I have had it on. The rails were on my first truck, I installed the rails on my second truck. This page of
Etrailer will give you an idea what is available for your 1997 Dodge. As you can see, you can spend as much as you want. These people are very easy to talk to for some of the finer points in selecting a hitch.
My experience pulling 5th wheels is a bit limited, but I have pulled 19 foot and 35 foot 5ers. Weights from 6000 to 13000 lbs. with my 15000 hitch and '96 Dodge SRW. My hitch is a Reese and with the exception of the 16K decal, looks exactly like the
Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Dual Jaw - 16,000 lbs. I had a less expensive slide bar model for about a week, but definitely prefer the 2-piece jaw.
I do see 5th wheel hitches on Craigslist often, for $100 to $200.
Food for thought. When you exceed 27 feet, you may not have access to some campgrounds.
Wayne
