Trailer to Fifth-Wheel Transition

After some experience you will find you can back your 5th wheel into places that you never could attempt with a bumper pull.
Just watch jack knife as it is very hard on the trailer tires and suspension.
As for hitching when you can not see the hitch. This is what I have done.
When hitched and trailer directly behind you find a place on the trailer dead center you can see in the windshield rear view mirror.

Put a stripe with electrical tape on the trailer. Now find a place on the rear window of the truck dead center that is in line with the tape on the trailer when looking in the rear view mirror. Place another small piece of tape on the rear window. Then place a very small piece of tape on the rear view mirror in line with the other two pieces of tape.

Now when backing to the trailer just line up these three pieces of tape like using the sights on a gun. You will be centered every time and if the king pin is at the right height you will hitch every time.

The only thing you will ask yourself is why did I ever tow a tag?

No camper special package. My shell has to weigh at least 200 pounds and I have put my gen, tools and other stuff in the bed adding at least another 400, then the TT tongue weight of 600+ and it sits a touch past level on the down side. With the pin a fraction in front of the rear axle I should be Ok with 1200. Just guessing.

make sure it has a tandem rotor system so you don't have to worry about running out of left pedal. :W

I have owned three Dodge diesel 2500 SRWs. They all have sat higher in the back and when loaded, level out. Otherwise consider Timbrens to replace the bump stops on your read axle. Easy install and you can get any size you want.
Some new 5th wheels have the "revolution pin box" specifically for short bed trucks to eliminate the need for and expense of a slider hitch.

Ken

Highway 4x4 wrote:
I have a Dodge short bed so will need a slider. Going to keep the size down to <28 ft and hope to keep the weight down to <8000 UVW. So pin should be < 1600. Will I need air bags on my 2500 SRW 2500? If I get the trailer 6 in above the bed how hard or easy would it be to have bed contact? I plan on boon docking now and then.

Highway 4x4, does your 2500 have the camper Special package? My 01 has the Factory Camper package, and I pull a 33' 6' 5er at 11,000# without air bags and sit level.

Unless you get really crazy, 6" should be plenty. Air bags? Hard to say. Really depends on how much squat you get when the weight of the 5er is on the hitch. I measured from the top of the wheel well to the middle of the hub, both loaded and unloaded, to determine how much the bed squatted. In my case is was under 3" which is acceptable to me. Obviously if you are bottoming out air bags could help.

I have a Dodge short bed so will need a slider. Going to keep the size down to <28 ft and hope to keep the weight down to <8000 UVW. So pin should be < 1600. Will I need air bags on my 2500 SRW 2500? If I get the trailer 6 in above the bed how hard or easy would it be to have bed contact? I plan on boon docking now and then.

Not much different to add than what has been said before.
It is a lot easier to hitch by yourself, you'll like that. Pulls great. They are heavy though, so watch your pin weight, depending on the truck you have.

When teaching a new student (small plug for RV Driving School) to back a 5th wheel, the basics are the same, just the timing is a lot different. So experiment and practice to get used to it. Set up some cones and pace off how far away from your objective you need to be to start your turns.

Have someone else drive it around a parking lot doing some turns so you can visualize how far the tires track inside of the TV tires.

But most important, just go out and enjoy your new toy!

If you have a short bed truck you might consider a hitch with a slider. Just might save your rear window. My biggest adjustment BY FAR in going from a TT to a 5er was backing. First time I tried to back the 5er into my yard we had the whole neighborhood out selling popcorn and sodas as they watched the entertainment. This was the same spot I could put the TT in first time, every time. Like others have said ALWAYS do a test pull. Have fun with your new toy.