short bed - sliding hitch vs sidewinder?
Newbie to 5th wheel arena. I'm in the throes of figuring out my next rig. I'm planning to go with a short bed "half-ton" (nay-sayers, please hold your tongue this time...already hashed that out ...
Forum Discussion
rreynold51 wrote:
I know I read some one's comment that the sidewinder didn't work well with a B&W hitch but can't find it now. I talked with vendor and they told me they had a specific wedge for the B&W and it works great.
Here's what etrailer says about that:
Question:
Can a Revolution Pin Box work satisfactorily with the B&W Companion 5th Wheel hitch for a gooseneck hitch? A blog on the B&W website says no, but it doesnt seem to be and official B&W entry or statement. Just bought a new 5th wheel Skyline Walkabout 28RE w/ dry wt. of 6745. So far this combination has worked great with no indication of a problem.
asked by: Gene B
Expert Reply:
No, a Sidewinder or Revolution pin box cannot be used with a B&W Companion hitch that fits in the gooseneck ball hole.
The problem is that the pivot point on the trailer is locked out at the hitch and moved back 22 inches to the turret on the Revolution/Sidewinder. This creates extra stress and torque on the hitch. This extra force can end up twisting the hitch, and where it connects in the gooseneck ball hole, and can damage both.
If it was the Companion hitch that fits in the 4 pucks on the OEM Ford and Ram 5th wheel/gooseneck hitch prep packages then a Revolution or Sidewinder can be used.
You would have to have a regular 5th wheel trailer hitch installed to tow with a Revolution pin box. If you can tell me the year, make, and model of the truck and the length of the bed I can make some recommendations. However, the gooseneck hitch would have to come out to install a 5th wheel hitch.
expert reply by: Michael H
