1st time 5th wheel owner sliding bar hitch question

[calstar]

I've had a truck camper and decided to go to a 5th wheel, found a good deal on one, bought it. It was 200miles away so I took my car rather than truck to see it, now will return to get it. It comes with a sliding bar hitch which I removed it from their truck and will now install it on mine. Heres my question: This hitch has a non-tilting plate(side to side), are these a pain to connect if the truck and 5th are not on level ground, must they be on the exact same plane to hook it up without a lot of hassle? I ask because if these are problematic I am not against getting one that has a small amount of side to side tilt and save myself the trouble of installing the one that comes with it and then realizing that I need/want a tilting type(which I would then have to mount a hitch for the second tme)

thanks, Brian

[JIMNLIN]

Heres my question: This hitch has a non-tilting plate(side to side), are these a pain to connect if the truck and 5th are not on level ground, must they be on the exact same plane to hook it up without a lot of hassle? I ask because if these are problematic I am not against getting one that has a small amount of side to side tilt and save myself the trouble of installing the one that comes with it and then realizing that I need/want a tilting type(which I would then have to mount a hitch for the second tme)

thanks, Brian

.
Some of us were around before the hitch industry gave us a sliding hitch.
If you camp on mostly level camp spots the 2 way pivot works fine.
The vast majority had no problems. Just the ones like myself that camped in the bojacks with a shovel and a load of wood blocks :).

If your going to camp in spots that require 5"-6" of wood blocks under one side of the trailer to get level then you will have to use "some" blocks under the same side of the truck. If you don't then a wedged pin can be the result. Been there/done that more than once as some places we camped one side of the trailer was actually dug down for the tires and the other side blocked up to get level. You can see how a pin can get wedged in the jaws or the slot.

If you go with a 4 way pivoting hitch I would look at the used hitch market also. A expensive hitch isn't needed for your small 5th wheel trailer.
Google 5th wheel hitch brands and look at them all.

[ChuckV1]

Asking for the best hitch is like open up Pandora's box, everyone loves their hitch an of course theirs is better than the next person :R.

There is a number of good 5th wheel hitches out there, it just depends on how much you want to pay for the quality you get ..:B

We have a Curt 16K, very happy with it an it's cheaper that B&W or Reese but the quality is very good, it tilts 4 ways .. 🙂

Happy camping

[Cummins12V98]

My Dads RBW slide bar broke. I convinced him to switch to a B&W, a very happy camper since!

[bfast54]

For what it's worth I had a sliding bar hitch and I never had a problem with it (until I had a problem with it).. And when I had a problem with it it was always a big problem !!!!!!!


Couple times I did use a sledgehammer to open it back up!!!!!!!!

-- finally got tired of it and I bought a BMW and no problems since..... that's my experience

[Dandy_Dan]

calstar wrote:
Wow, thanks for all the responses! 5th is a 22' tahoe lite, 3600lbs, truck is long bed so don't need a slider.
Think I'll just use the one it comes with to get it home, need/want to do a few mods to it, when I'm doing that I'll learn whats what with the 4 way tilts, check craigs list, etc. I don't mind rails in the truck, I'll put the hitch on and remove it as needed for use, I've been wrenching stuff for most of my life so its not a big deal for me. I took the hitch(no name on it but looks older than the 5th) off of a truck that is basically a carbon copy of mine shouldn't be too bad to mount it on mine(famous last words, right?). . Any recommendations on what brands to look for, I do not have unlimited funds for this?

thanks again, Brian

Calstar, If I am thinking right you are talking about the Reese Presidental Series hitch with a sliding bar to hold ball instead of jaws. I have had one of those since 2006 and have had no trouble with it. I just raise the trailer until you see a little space between the pinbox and the hitch and pull the release. The Reese is rated for 15,000# Hope this gives you some info from someone who has pulled with that hitch for 11 years. Happy Camping

[jmaotto]

I have been using the same sliding bar hitch now for 30 years. Only on rare occasions have I had to put blocks under the truck tires for hitching.

[calstar]

Wow, thanks for all the responses! 5th is a 22' tahoe lite, 3600lbs, truck is long bed so don't need a slider.
Think I'll just use the one it comes with to get it home, need/want to do a few mods to it, when I'm doing that I'll learn whats what with the 4 way tilts, check craigs list, etc. I don't mind rails in the truck, I'll put the hitch on and remove it as needed for use, I've been wrenching stuff for most of my life so its not a big deal for me. I took the hitch(no name on it but looks older than the 5th) off of a truck that is basically a carbon copy of mine shouldn't be too bad to mount it on mine(famous last words, right?). . Any recommendations on what brands to look for, I do not have unlimited funds for this?

thanks again, Brian

[Old-Biscuit]

Do it right FIRST TIME......

Just cause hitch came with 5vr doesn't mean you have to use it.
Owner threw it in to get rid of it

[ACZL]

If need be to get you by for now, put a board or 2 under drive wheel that is lower in order to get kingpin/hitch level w/each other. Been there, done that. Agree w/ others and get a 4-way swivel head hitch when you can.

[garyp4951]

You first have to decide if you want rails in your truck, or a hide a ball for a smooth bed when not towing.
Without info on your truck, and camper its hard to recommend something.

[Dayle1]

I've never owned a side tilt hitch and in 27 years have had problems hooking or unhooking just a few times. Solutions in those cases can be putting leveling boards under a truck rear tire or just disconnecting the hitch head from the base and leave it hanging on the pin. However, side tilt is beneficial provided you have enough clearance to avoid trailer to truck bed contact. Slide bar latches are pretty secure but wear at the very tiny point of contact can be significant. There are so many choices in new hitches, you might use the existing hitch for a while first, then see if a change is needed.

[NMDriver]

You might be able to replace the head and keep the rest of the hitch. My 4 way tilt head is held in place with two pins and could be switched out. The pins also make the removal of the hitch easier. The pieces are easier to handle individually.

Call the hitch company, if they are still in business, and ask them if they have a tilting head for the hitch.

[MFL]

That is a very basic hitch, that you won't be happy with! The slide bar can be dependable, but with just a little wear, are sloppy/noisy. You will want one that is a 4-way tilt.

Jerry

[Old-Biscuit]

Do yourself a big favor and go buy yourself a good 4 way articulating head (side/side--front/back) with wrap around jaw(s) (single or double)

What is the GVWR of that 5th wheel?

Buy a hitch that is at least 1000# higher rating.