New member / Fifth Wheel Owner
Hello everyone. I'm finally joining the forum because today DW and I purchased a 2012 Forest River Sierra 345RET. It's a brand new unit on clearance and we got an incredible deal. I've searched th...
Forum Discussion
LvOpnRd wrote:
With the new Dodge pick ups can you get away without having to use a slider hitch? The reason I ask is because I'm very interested in the Hensley Trailer saver and want to know if this set up will work. I believe the new short boxes are over six feet.
When it comes to short beds and fifth wheels, length of the bed is not the big question. Instead one of the key factors in determining how sharp the combo will turn is hitch placement in the bed. And since this is supposed to be at or slightly in front of the rear axle, then the important number is C-A, or cab-to-axle distance. Dodge is the shortest (worst) at 36.7 inches, GM is the longest at 41.6 inches, Ford is in between. So, with the same fifth wheel front cap, Dodge will be slightly worse. But with notched cap designs like the Sierra, you should still have plenty of turning angle w/o a slider hitch. In tight situations, you may have to do a little more jockeying back and forth than the next guy, but it will still work. Anyone, even with an 8 ft bed can jack-knife a fiver too far, so just take your time.
