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bowler1's avatar
bowler1
Explorer
Jan 01, 2018

Sliding Hitch: Do I need one???

I am looking to move up to a 5th wheel in the near future and will need to get a new truck as well (probably a new Ford F-350 diesel). I am still torn between a long and short bed truck. The long bed has plenty of practical advantages, but the short beds are more readily available around here and would seem to be a lot easier as a daily driver. The 5th wheel I get will be a brand new one so it will have the rounded front design of the newer trailers. The companies I am leaning toward is either Open Range or Jayco.

So if I do get a short bed truck with one of these trailers...do I need a slider hitch? That is a negative point against a short bed truck for me.

I have read some posts that say that you really don't need a slider hitch with the newer 5th wheel campers. Seems reasonable, but I would hate to find out the hard way that I need a slider after putting the nose of my camper through my back window.

Of course I could just go with a long bed truck which will have much appreciated extra cargo capacity and other advantages, but I am not sure if the extra 1.5 feet of cargo space will outweigh the added parking and maneuvering challenges I will experience while using it as a daily driver which will be 90% of its use.

thanks for your help

matt

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  • Dayle1's avatar
    Dayle1
    Explorer II
    Jan 01, 2018
    I've used 6.5 ft bed trucks for almost 30 yrs towing fivers, before rounded front caps or slider hitches. Still don't use a slider. You don't need a slider, you just need to be aware of the limitation and when necessary, do a little more jockeying back and forth in tight spots. A long bed isn't a guarantee, difference in jack knife angle is 80+ degrees to about 100 degrees. But at any of those steep angles you are twisting the trailer suspension more than moving the trailer.

    If I felt unsure with a SB, I'd probably get the Sidewinder pin box. Less maintenance, weight and space, and helps with backing and tracking in turns.
  • JIMNLIN's avatar
    JIMNLIN
    Explorer III
    Jan 01, 2018
    The idea of the new rounded/notched corners is to eliminate the need for a sliding hitch. The trailer mfg or a experienced dealer can tell you if a F350 short bed needs a slider or not.
    Check out the PullRite ISR Superlite hitch rated at 20k lbs or the same type Andersen hitch systems.
    Also a Reese Sidewinder pin box works with a non slider on short bed trucks.

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