New to 5th wheel. Question on slider/pin for crew cab.

Agree with the others. Need to know the pillar weights as well as weights off the FW sticker. There =should= be a sticker that gives the GVW for the FW as well as the cargo capacity for =that= FW as it left the factory. Do NOT use the "dry weights" of the FW for any calculations as you never travel empty.

Also, I don't know of any GM truck beds that are 5.5' in the Silverado line. 6.5' is the usual short bed length. Depending on the FW, you may, or may not, need a slider.

As MFL said, you need to know the rear axle weight rating (RAWR), but he forgot to mention tires. Likely you only have D rated tires. E rated tires can be used and that will give you a lot more tire capacity.

Post the #'s from the truck and FW here, and we can give you a lot more advice.

Lyle

With that short of bed the sidewinder is the best option. You would also want a light wt hitch in the truck, due to the limited payload capacity. Auto-sliding hitches are heavy, and work best in 6.5' bed.

You don't say what the FW weight is, or the loaded pin wt, but be sure your truck is up to the task before proceeding. Be aware of payload and RAWR.

Jerry

Before you spend much time figuring out the slider issue, you should check your door pillar sticker and compare it to the specs of the 5th wheel. The trailer towing capacity and payload of a "1/2 ton" truck can vary by so much that the term means almost nothing anymore. You need to know how much trailer you can haul and how much payload you have available for the pin.

As an example, a current Silverado 1500 SBCC can be rated as much as 10,500lb trailer weight for a 5th wheel, but it can be rated as low as 6300lb. Your door pillar sticker will tell the story.