Is a slider hitch worth the extra money?
I have a Chevy 2500 short bed and will be towing a 27' 5th wheel. I've towed travel trailers for years but never a 5th wheel hitch. Is the slider hitch worth the extra money? The previous owner ha...
Forum Discussion
RustyJC wrote:
Extended pin boxes do not change the width of the 5th wheel. If 1/2 the width of the 5th wheel is greater than the hitch kingpin bore centerline to cab distance, then contact is a given at (or possibly before, depending on front cap configuration) 90 degrees. The slider moves the hitch kingpin bore centerline rearward, so it provides additional clearance at 90 degrees that the extended pin box does not.
Rusty
Some may be confusing extended pin boxes, which just move the 5th back, but retain the same pivot point at the hitch, with extensions like the Sidewinder that actually move the pivot point. With the first Rusty is right on. With the second, it's like your bed is longer and the hitch was further from the cab.
What is bad is to get crafty and install your hitch further back to give you the space - all sorts of bad things effecting load carrying and rig handling will result, so don't try it.
