Ram Fifth Wheel Prep and Reese Adapter

I have a 2011 short bed dodge ram dually with a 16k hitch and manual slider. Mine is noisy as hell. Drives me nuts when taking off and stopping. I have checked it out several times and i am assuming its the locking pawls on the slider making the noise. Wish i could do something to get rid of it. But, from hearing most of you guys i should just sell it and buy a B&W. Damn things aren't cheap and seems a shame there isn't some way to deal with it. Other than the noise and having to get out of truck to operate slide mechanism I am ok with the reese. Have to keep those steel rollers lubricated otherwise they seize up. Not fun to deal with. i am very happy with the exhaust filter. That DEF fluid just seems like another government gimmick to have us spend more money. Especially at over $4 a gallon for fuel thats less refined than gas.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

deerslayer wrote:

dodgeboy wrote:
I have a reese 16K hitch with the picture frame adapter, I am using the pins and not the bolts. I will look into the B&W, but the entire setup is Reese, I thought it would just work. Perhaps it is because it is the 16k and not the 20k?? Thanks!!

I have a 2014 2500 ram long bed with the prep package. I use a reese 20k pro slider (slider is from my previous shortbed truck,didnt see buying a new hitch) And I purchased the reese adapter from. Took me less than 5 mins to install the whole assembly. I don't have any play other than the normal movement from the hitch being a slider. I would look at the hitch and make sure nothing is out of whack. I can send you pics of mine if you like.....

As far as the "additive", I buy the Blue def from napa, I can usually get it for less than $15.00 a box ( 2 1/2gal) and it last a long time. For ex. I just came back from a trip to Niagara falls, Canadian side from De. I topped off my tank before we left, took 9 hrs worth of driving to get there, through the mountains, truck ave. 12.5mpg up and back. We had a stop over on the way home in Jonestown Pa. All in all we drove well over 1000 miles towing the our 10k lb 5th wheel and the def gauge never moved. If you have a cummins ram and you are burning enough DEF that you calculate it into your MPG you need to take it to your dealer and have them reflash your truck with the new updates! There is no reason to be burning that much DEF. My truck averages 18-20mpg daily running, 23-25 on the highway and flat towing my 5vr its ave. 14.5 mpg. get your truck to the dealer!

DEF has a short shelf life. As you say the trucks don't use much. Also 2.5 gallons for $15 is a very high price.

Yep, find a station where they pump DEF..again, I get it for $2.55 a gallon at a truck stop about 5 miles from where I live off I 40.

BusaGuy wrote:
The only thing that I do not like about the new trucks is that stupid fuel additive. Heck we are already spending almost $4 a gallon, then add this extra additive to it and it is almost $4.25. Don't sound like much but geez this is getting crazy.

?? How often do you think you have to add DEF??? I buy DEF at the pump for $2.55 a gal....I get anywhere from as low as 800 mpg of DEF to as high as 1300+ mpg....a very, very small amount . So at 5.5 gal tank holder, which the most I've ever put in it at anyone time has been a little over 2 3/4 gallon, again, at $2.55 a gal...I can get 5,000 miles with 5 gallon's..oh, and I the bonus is I get better mpg using DEF, I can compare this to identical 2010 and 2012 Dodge/Ram dually's.

To the OP. I have the picture frame adapter with a Reese 20K Signature 5er hitch and have no movement in the hitch.

If you have it locked into place on the adapter, I don't see and issue, unless it's moving a 1/4" or some really odd amount. My adapter also came with 4 bolts to use to lock down the hitch if one didn't want to use the locking pins...or was towing a much heavier 5er.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
My truck does not take DEF but the next will. I am all about buying in bulk and saving $. But I think I will be buying my DEF in the future when I need it and not taking a risk on it going bad.

As you stated DEF has a shelf life, unless your using a large amount, say using your truck daily pulling large heavy loads or you have a company and use a lot it doesn't pay to buy the DEF in the bulk. Its cheaper to purchase from walmart or keep an eye on your local parts store when they have sales and buy a couple boxes. The way I do it is every time I top my tank off with a box I go to the store and buy a new one, that way I always have one on hand in case something comes up or we go away on a trip where there is a possibility that I will need to fill the tank up

My truck does not take DEF but the next will. I am all about buying in bulk and saving $. But I think I will be buying my DEF in the future when I need it and not taking a risk on it going bad.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
DEF has a short shelf life. As you say the trucks don't use much. Also 2.5 gallons for $15 is a very high price.

Keeping the def stored in dark cool place will maximize the life. There is usually a chart on/in the box.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

deerslayer wrote:

dodgeboy wrote:
I have a reese 16K hitch with the picture frame adapter, I am using the pins and not the bolts. I will look into the B&W, but the entire setup is Reese, I thought it would just work. Perhaps it is because it is the 16k and not the 20k?? Thanks!!

I have a 2014 2500 ram long bed with the prep package. I use a reese 20k pro slider (slider is from my previous shortbed truck,didnt see buying a new hitch) And I purchased the reese adapter from. Took me less than 5 mins to install the whole assembly. I don't have any play other than the normal movement from the hitch being a slider. I would look at the hitch and make sure nothing is out of whack. I can send you pics of mine if you like.....

As far as the "additive", I buy the Blue def from napa, I can usually get it for less than $15.00 a box ( 2 1/2gal) and it last a long time. For ex. I just came back from a trip to Niagara falls, Canadian side from De. I topped off my tank before we left, took 9 hrs worth of driving to get there, through the mountains, truck ave. 12.5mpg up and back. We had a stop over on the way home in Jonestown Pa. All in all we drove well over 1000 miles towing the our 10k lb 5th wheel and the def gauge never moved. If you have a cummins ram and you are burning enough DEF that you calculate it into your MPG you need to take it to your dealer and have them reflash your truck with the new updates! There is no reason to be burning that much DEF. My truck averages 18-20mpg daily running, 23-25 on the highway and flat towing my 5vr its ave. 14.5 mpg. get your truck to the dealer!

DEF has a short shelf life. As you say the trucks don't use much. Also 2.5 gallons for $15 is a very high price.

It all depends on the sales they are running and the brand, the last two box's I purchased were 10.99. I have used the Blu def since I purchased the truck and that's what I try to stay with.

deerslayer wrote:

dodgeboy wrote:
I have a reese 16K hitch with the picture frame adapter, I am using the pins and not the bolts. I will look into the B&W, but the entire setup is Reese, I thought it would just work. Perhaps it is because it is the 16k and not the 20k?? Thanks!!

I have a 2014 2500 ram long bed with the prep package. I use a reese 20k pro slider (slider is from my previous shortbed truck,didnt see buying a new hitch) And I purchased the reese adapter from. Took me less than 5 mins to install the whole assembly. I don't have any play other than the normal movement from the hitch being a slider. I would look at the hitch and make sure nothing is out of whack. I can send you pics of mine if you like.....

As far as the "additive", I buy the Blue def from napa, I can usually get it for less than $15.00 a box ( 2 1/2gal) and it last a long time. For ex. I just came back from a trip to Niagara falls, Canadian side from De. I topped off my tank before we left, took 9 hrs worth of driving to get there, through the mountains, truck ave. 12.5mpg up and back. We had a stop over on the way home in Jonestown Pa. All in all we drove well over 1000 miles towing the our 10k lb 5th wheel and the def gauge never moved. If you have a cummins ram and you are burning enough DEF that you calculate it into your MPG you need to take it to your dealer and have them reflash your truck with the new updates! There is no reason to be burning that much DEF. My truck averages 18-20mpg daily running, 23-25 on the highway and flat towing my 5vr its ave. 14.5 mpg. get your truck to the dealer!

DEF has a short shelf life. As you say the trucks don't use much. Also 2.5 gallons for $15 is a very high price.

dodgeboy wrote:
I have a reese 16K hitch with the picture frame adapter, I am using the pins and not the bolts. I will look into the B&W, but the entire setup is Reese, I thought it would just work. Perhaps it is because it is the 16k and not the 20k?? Thanks!!

I have a 2014 2500 ram long bed with the prep package. I use a reese 20k pro slider (slider is from my previous shortbed truck,didnt see buying a new hitch) And I purchased the reese adapter from. Took me less than 5 mins to install the whole assembly. I don't have any play other than the normal movement from the hitch being a slider. I would look at the hitch and make sure nothing is out of whack. I can send you pics of mine if you like.....

As far as the "additive", I buy the Blue def from napa, I can usually get it for less than $15.00 a box ( 2 1/2gal) and it last a long time. For ex. I just came back from a trip to Niagara falls, Canadian side from De. I topped off my tank before we left, took 9 hrs worth of driving to get there, through the mountains, truck ave. 12.5mpg up and back. We had a stop over on the way home in Jonestown Pa. All in all we drove well over 1000 miles towing the our 10k lb 5th wheel and the def gauge never moved. If you have a cummins ram and you are burning enough DEF that you calculate it into your MPG you need to take it to your dealer and have them reflash your truck with the new updates! There is no reason to be burning that much DEF. My truck averages 18-20mpg daily running, 23-25 on the highway and flat towing my 5vr its ave. 14.5 mpg. get your truck to the dealer!

I dumped the noisy Reese and got a B & W also. Very happy now!