What automatic sliding 5th Wheel attachment do i need?

[asmith352]

We just picked up a 2014 Ram 2500 big horn with 6.4l V8. The truck has a gooseneck setup in the bed, but since we are wanting to pull a 10k lb 5th wheel travel trailer, we need to change the gooseneck to a 5th wheel attachment. The RV place we are purchasing the TT from said we need an automatic sliding 5th wheel attachment, so when we make a sharp turn we don't bust out the rear window.

They have one for sale and would cost about $2500 including install. Is that a decent price? Are all 5th wheel attachments pretty much equal in quality or should I try to stick with a certain manufacturer? Appreciate any feedback on this as this is a new experience for us. Thanks in advance.

 

[Travelin Ram]

What model hitch exactly is it they’re trying to sell you, and how does the price compare to other vendors for the same model?

I myself do prefer auto sliding hitches like the Pullrite Superglide.

There are also manual sliders that require you to plan ahead when you want to make a tight turn. Those you first stop, get out and release the hitch, then get back in and pull ahead to slide it back. NOT what I want to be doin if I decide to make a U-turn or jackknife turn in a busy intersection or gas station etc.

And a lot of people never use a slider in a short bed, because they haven’t broken their rear window. Yet.

You also have the option to put a gooseneck adapter on the front of the fifth wheel, and use a ball. Lots of people who also move farm or horse trailers use those adapters. Of course it doesn’t solve the problem of a short bed like a slider will.

 

[TMyers]

I tow a 5th Wheel with my 2013 6'-4" bed. I did have a B&W slider and never used the slide. I switched the 5th Wheel pin box to a Reese GooseBox and a 4" offset ball. The Goosebox has an airbag and shocks and tows much smoother and my bed is empty when I'm not towing.

 

[OC455]

There is the Anderson setup you could look into for short bed trucks. Saw one at my last camping trip and the owner was towing a Grand Design Reflection 311BH with a short bed Ram 2500. He said he doesn't have a problem using the Anderson hitch.



Or there are the Sidewinder hitches where the pin box rotates moving the pivot point back and using a wedge to lock the pin at the truck.



Just some options other than the sliders available.

There is also the Demco Hijacker Autoslides that are an option depending on what the dealer is offering.

Those look like a great setup too.

 

[WY-Dave]

1) is the gooseneck part of the "OEM Prep" or aftermarket.

2) what is the campers overhang, I have an older than dirt ('95) 26' camper and I can jack knife without a worry on the rear window on a 6'4" bed


I bought a curt 15k slider for $150 on craigslist and $350 rail kit & bed wiring harness from etrailer.com (great company). Not too bad to install the rails, but the rails are pretty much universal. So yo can pay to get those installed (like I did) and then hunt around for a good/great deal on the hitch itself.

Slid back. I can't close the tailgate so with it down


Slid forward.

 

[tron67j]

It really matters what overhang you have on the trailer, so some get away without the slide hitch while others have cardboard and duct tape on their rear window. My opinion, I would get slide hitch so I never have to worry about the issue since with a slide all trailers would work and in the tightest spaces there is not an issue. As far as type, I have only had long bed trucks so have no experience with sliders (other than occasional fellow camper showing a cardboard patch. Good luck.

 

[Mark J Denniston]

On our third fifth wheel and have always had short bed trucks. Never have owned a slider hitch. Our current fifth wheel came equipped with the Reece Revolution hitch, now called sidewinder and it works great. May be worth checking out some camper forums and maybe save some money. Oh, and we have never had an issue with dings or broken back windows.

 

[2003F350]

First, I have been around RVs for a LONG time, so I've seen a lot of the products out there. Most of them you'll never need if you've properly set up the rest of the truck.

What gooseneck setup do you have? If you have the B&W Turnover ball in the truck, STAY WITH IT. Buy either the B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch, or the B&W Companion Slider fifth wheel hitch, and never, ever look back. By far the best engineered/built system on the market.

If that's not the system you have, and there isn't one available that works with it, then you'll need to look into a new hitch.

The automatic slider is great for people who have to do a LOT of tight turns and are usually hooked up, but it can be more difficult to hook up at an angle from what I can tell. Again, not always an issue, but a potential one. For me, it's overpriced. I feel the same about the sidewinder, but I've only ever seen a couple in use, so I reserve judgement.

There are SOME short box trucks out there that can go 90° without a slider, depending on the overhang of the fifth wheel and the geometry of the truck's cab. I had a '99 and an '03 Superduty, BOTH of which I could go 90° without a slider hitch on several different fifth wheels we had at the time. A lot of newer short box trucks can't.

From personal experience though, chances are you aren't going to be in many situations where you need to be turning that tight - it isn't good for the trailer's tires anyway, since you're forcing them to fight each other, especially on pavement. Most of your maneuvers will be under 70°, which shouldn't get you close enough to even need to utilize the slider.

Personally, if you have to get an entirely new hitch I suggest saving some cash and just getting a manual slider. For as often as you'll need to utilize it, you'll be much better served, since it also forces you to actually look at your hitch and make sure everything is hitched up properly before you get on the road.

 

[quickster2]

I've always had short bed trucks. I had a manual slider for the 5th wheel and only once in my driveway did I use it. I think it is better to have it and not need it rather than needing it and not having it. We have a truck camper now and another new one should be here in a couple of weeks (ordered in February). Once we go back to a 5th wheel as we continue to age we'll get a slider.

 

[craiggemt]

Stay away from the aluminum Andersen goose neck hitches. They fail easy. There's a reason etrailer won't sell them. To go with a slider hitch you'll neede fifth wheel rails installed. Not recommended using a slider with the goose neck. Changing the kingpin box to a goosebox on the RV may be your best bet.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Stay away from the aluminum Andersen goose neck hitches. They fail easy. There's a reason etrailer won't sell them. To go with a slider hitch you'll neede fifth wheel rails installed. Not recommended using a slider with the goose neck. Changing the kingpin box to a goosebox on the RV may be your best bet.

Not true this is directly from the etraler website.



Andersen Ultimate Connection 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch System with Adapter - 20,000 lbs - AM3200
(55)
Retail:$729.99
Our Price: $704.99

 

[craiggemt]

Not true this is directly from the etraler website.

View attachment 470957
Andersen Ultimate Connection 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch System with Adapter - 20,000 lbs - AM3200
(55)
Retail:$729.99
Our Price: $704.99

That's the steel version not the aluminum one that's a direct fit for the B&W Turnover hitch.

 

[Garyp285]

I've had B&W hitches for 20 years, but for a 10K fifth wheel the Reese Goosebox is getting great reviews.

 

[Irishthreeper]

I’ve been using a Pullrite slider for about a year and haven’t had any problems with it. It may be the case with all sliders but mine is a bit clunky when it’s sliding, as well as with starting off and stopping. There’s an adjustment to address that clunking but it doesn’t seem to help a whole lot. If you’re having a slider installed for the normal pin box set up the price you were quoted may be on the high side. Was an adapter required? Don’t forget the capture plate of your set up requires it.

 

[Smokeybear01]

My truck came with the turn ball goose neck installed so I went with the Demco Recon hitch that pins right to the gooseneck ball and is rated at 20K. It cost me 600 bucks at the time and I love it. It moved the pin center back about 3 inches. I can lift the hitch out and store it in a bay when not in use so it still looks like brand new when I put it in the truck. My current neighbor has a slider in his 3/4t Chev w/duramax and he towed his trailer one time in the last 2 years. Before that he had a Ram w/cummins and traveled all over the US towing his trailer. When I asked him about it, he said the Chev was too light and the hitch too heavy. He's in his 80's so I didn't ask him to explain. But he sure likes looking at my Dodge.