Fifth wheel slider hitch options

[Kevin_O_]

My truck is a 2001 F350 crewcab with a 6'9" bed. I thought my mind was made up on a Pullrite superslide, Now after talking to a few people I'm thinking it might be to heavy? I'm already half boinic with 2 fake hips, fake knee, and back problems. So I'm going to need a hitch that is a little easier to take in and out when I'm not using it. I also have been told the Pullrite can be tough to hook up if your not completely level?
So now I'm leaning towards a manual slider hitch which I'm guessing is much lighter in weight and might be easier to hook and unhook? I also would like to know how often you guys actually use the manual slider? Any suggestions will be appreciated!

Kevin

[dfb]

laknox wrote:

dfb wrote:
Forget what I said about the Andersen. I have a 2015 megacab 3500 SHORTBED. Yesterday, while backing my Montana, the trailer dented my cab and blasted the rear window out. This was set up with the block installed to move the trailer back a total of 9 inches. Andersen has been great and may help with repairs.. Just bought a pull rite superglide today. Loved the Anderson as it was easy to hitch and unhitch. Great for a long bed truck...

ALL FWs will hit the truck when backing up; moving the pin just means that you have more room before you =do= hit.

Lyle

new Montana with round d corners...hopefully, the superglide will solve the issue..

[laknox]

dfb wrote:
Forget what I said about the Andersen. I have a 2015 megacab 3500 SHORTBED. Yesterday, while backing my Montana, the trailer dented my cab and blasted the rear window out. This was set up with the block installed to move the trailer back a total of 9 inches. Andersen has been great and may help with repairs.. Just bought a pull rite superglide today. Loved the Anderson as it was easy to hitch and unhitch. Great for a long bed truck...

ALL FWs will hit the truck when backing up; moving the pin just means that you have more room before you =do= hit.

Lyle

[crcr]

dfb wrote:
Forget what I said about the Andersen. I have a 2015 megacab 3500 SHORTBED. Yesterday, while backing my Montana, the trailer dented my cab and blasted the rear window out. This was set up with the block installed to move the trailer back a total of 9 inches. Andersen has been great and may help with repairs.. Just bought a pull rite superglide today. Loved the Anderson as it was easy to hitch and unhitch. Great for a long bed truck...

Sorry for your damage! Does your fifth wheel have squarish corners, or the more rounded off corners on the late model units?

You could offset either 4" or 5" more to the rear with a Gooseneck Extender. The one pictured below is a B&W, with a 4" offset. There is also a Draw Tite Gooseneck Extender available that has a 5" offset.

[dfb]

Forget what I said about the Andersen. I have a 2015 megacab 3500 SHORTBED. Yesterday, while backing my Montana, the trailer dented my cab and blasted the rear window out. This was set up with the block installed to move the trailer back a total of 9 inches. Andersen has been great and may help with repairs.. Just bought a pull rite superglide today. Loved the Anderson as it was easy to hitch and unhitch. Great for a long bed truck...

[SkiSmuggs]

Twomed wrote:
Google Reese Sidewinder... set once and forget it. It does have weight limitations.

I used a Sidewinder for 4 seasons. I wouldn't say "set and forget" as that will lead to disaster. The four turret bolts loosen with use and have to be torqued to 45 ft/lbs on a regular basis. I had two of them shear, probably aggravated by a near tip-over when two fiver wheels dropped off the trail in a natural campground. The shearing occurred a few thousand miles later and I discovered it when I checked the torque. I am not advising against the Sidewinder at all, just saying you can't forget it. You can forget about ever hitting the rear of your cab though.

[bbaker2001]

while camping I like to look at others setups. I stopped to help this one fellow and he saw my new Ram. looked at my Pullrite and said he wished he had one instead of manual. he said he thought he would be OK once and then destroyed his window and cab.
just curios how much does my pullrite weigh.

[jerem0621]

dfb wrote:

laknox wrote:

Kevin O. wrote:

is it friday yet? wrote:
Too bad you didn't live closer. I'd sell you my Reese manual slider cheap. I'm looking to buy a Pullrite Superglide 18k for our new trailer. I'm sure the Anderson hitch is good but I feel like the hitch should be heavy, 32 lbs. doesn't seem strong to me to haul a heavy 5th wheel.

I thought the same thing until I watched this strength test video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMW-ynhTatA

Not dissing the Anderson, but this is under lab conditions, not towing conditions, and only with vertical pressure. I'd love to see them put this on a "lab truck", then really start abusing it with fore/aft loads as well as vertical loads. It may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I'll stick with my Companion. 🙂

Lyle

Aircraft are light... But strong..bridges use triangular gussets for strength. The Andersen uses aluminum and triangular designs.. Love ours.. 32 lbs ... No 250 lbs added to the bed. I had a superglide.. Loved it. Hated the weight and yhe price! Plus greasing the slide rails...

I'm pretty sure that in the Andersen demo video for the Aluminum ultimate fifth wheel they did the same pressure test and buckled two of the supports and then proceeded to load up their toy hauler and tow 60 miles or so with the buckled hitch...

I do not doubt the strength of the Andersen hitch... PullRite has copied and modified the design and that is a testimony to the soundness of the design of the Andersen.


Thanks!

Jeremiah

[dfb]

laknox wrote:

Kevin O. wrote:

is it friday yet? wrote:
Too bad you didn't live closer. I'd sell you my Reese manual slider cheap. I'm looking to buy a Pullrite Superglide 18k for our new trailer. I'm sure the Anderson hitch is good but I feel like the hitch should be heavy, 32 lbs. doesn't seem strong to me to haul a heavy 5th wheel.

I thought the same thing until I watched this strength test video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMW-ynhTatA

Not dissing the Anderson, but this is under lab conditions, not towing conditions, and only with vertical pressure. I'd love to see them put this on a "lab truck", then really start abusing it with fore/aft loads as well as vertical loads. It may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I'll stick with my Companion. 🙂

Lyle

Aircraft are light... But strong..bridges use triangular gussets for strength. The Andersen uses aluminum and triangular designs.. Love ours.. 32 lbs ... No 250 lbs added to the bed. I had a superglide.. Loved it. Hated the weight and yhe price! Plus greasing the slide rails...

[N-Trouble]

.

[N-Trouble]

Me Again wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:


Nope, but that is ONE guy... If he took it out going forward I'm guessing he has other bigger issues.

Yep, an Andersen hitch that does not slide and a trailer that is 40' 11" long. Chris

What was the TV?
How was hitch and coupler configured?
How wide is 5er?
What is the front cap design? Cutouts?
Pinbox length?

As you can see lots of variables at play here... NOT just an Andersen and 40ft 5er.

[Me_Again]

N-Trouble wrote:


Nope, but that is ONE guy... If he took it out going forward I'm guessing he has other bigger issues.

Yep, an Andersen hitch that does not slide and a trailer that is 40' 11" long. Chris

[N-Trouble]

Me Again wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

Me Again wrote:

laknox wrote:

One of the first things I plan on doing when I get a new FW is to take it to a nice, level dirt lot and make a few 360 degree turns, with an observer walking beside me. I want to find out =exactly= that my clearances are. Either way, if my current, very square-front FW won't hit going forward, I figure the newer ones, with the cut-away corners won't, as well.

Lyle

Don't overlook the fact that going forward a long trailer will hit that cab easier than a short trailer which follows closer in the trucks pathway/wheel ruts. Chris

Nah... **** near impossible to catch a cab while going forward. Trucks don't turn sharp enough. 99.999% of cab collisions occur when backing.

I guess you failed to read the reference to the guy that blow out a RAM rear window and dented his truck to the tune of 2800 bucks. Chris

Nope, but that is ONE guy... If he took it out going forward I'm guessing he has other bigger issues.

[Me_Again]

N-Trouble wrote:

Me Again wrote:

laknox wrote:

One of the first things I plan on doing when I get a new FW is to take it to a nice, level dirt lot and make a few 360 degree turns, with an observer walking beside me. I want to find out =exactly= that my clearances are. Either way, if my current, very square-front FW won't hit going forward, I figure the newer ones, with the cut-away corners won't, as well.

Lyle

Don't overlook the fact that going forward a long trailer will hit that cab easier than a short trailer which follows closer in the trucks pathway/wheel ruts. Chris

Nah... **** near impossible to catch a cab while going forward. Trucks don't turn sharp enough. 99.999% of cab collisions occur when backing.

I guess you failed to read the reference to the guy that blow out a RAM rear window and dented his truck to the tune of 2800 bucks. Chris

[cummins2014]

RangerEZ wrote:

Kevin O. wrote:
After reading OMEXTREME post about him blowing out his back window and denting the cab while using the Andersen. I have changed my mind. If I had a long bed I would give the Andersen a try but I'm not going to take any chances.

Kevin

Couple things to consider. The Andersen may still be a good solution.

#1) He did not have the Andersen set to its rearmost setting.

#2) He has a newer Ram. They have different clearance issues than you are likely to have in your truck.

I thought I would have some clearance issues when I went from a Ford Superduty to a Ram Megacab, because of the shorter bed, but no problems. My king pin is 2" forward of the rear axle, same setup as the Ford.

An Andersen would give me even more clearance in the rear position .