Looking for a Wider audience for this poll

[JohnBoyToo]

For those with a shortbed pickup

do you use a slider hitch?
auto?
manual?
no slider because trailer is far enough back?
or just don't want one? need one ?

[ccrider,]

Had a short wheelbase Dodge 3500 with just a stationary hitch, pulling a Hartland fifth wheel with their patented front cap and never got in a situation that got me in trouble.

[dbear]

To allow adequate room to load my HD behind the cab, I'm pretty much looking at a class 4 or 5 with a flatbed and 84" CA. No need for a slider.

[DavisK]

I have a Reese 16K manual slider. I have some tight maneuvering to do to turn around and back into carport in backyard.

[Wizard]

No longer have it but did have a F250 shortbed and Cardinal 5er. Never had a problem and did have a few situations where I had to make some pretty tight turns.

[jimcumminsw]

I also have a Reese 16K manual slider hitch. I tend to use the slider feature in camp grounds and when backing into my driveway at home. With the Trail-air pin box and the 88 deg corners on the Cougar; I do not need to use the sliding feature when traveling on the city streets and or highways.

I also believe it is better to have a slider hitch with a short box truck than wishing you had one when needed.

Jim W.

[jtstromsburg]

I have a f250 sb and pull a Sabre 5th wheel with a b&w companion hitch. No slider and never had a problem, yet. I am very cautious and very aware of angles, surroundings, and elevations so I can prevent truck/camper collision.

[Timay]

I have an F250 shortbed...when I bought my 5er the previous owner sent me home with a Reese 16K manual slider. After looking at his F250 shortbed with both corners of his cab doinked in I figured I needed a slider so I didn't have to worry. I could never get the hitch to slide while the trailer was hooked up (well, a couple times....SCREEEEEECH - BLAM! Scared the heck out of us!) so I bit the bullet and bought a Demco Highjacker Autoslide and while at the hitch store the owner asked whether the Reese had round tubes or square tubes. I told him "square" and he shrugged and said "oh - that's a bad design and they don't work. The ones with round tubes work good, however."

I haven't put a trailer on the new hitch yet...c'mon spring!

Tim

[dayle1]

Short bed trucks and fifth wheel trailers existed before any type of slider hitch existed. That is the way I towed for 14 years w/o issue. In 2003, I added a manual slider in case my next fiver didn't have an extended pin box. Never really needed it, think the last time I actually slid the hitch back was in '05 or '06. Now with a notched cap fiver I'm switching back to the old fixed legs as soon as I get them repainted.

[Roam America]

When I towed with a short bed, I did pop out my rear cab window making a tight turn (backing up) without sliding the hitch. I opted to back up without sliding the hitch (even tho i had the darn thing) and got too tight popping out the window.

I didn't see a vote for IT DEPENDS. It depends on the 5th wheel you get. If it has one of the front caps designs that has the front corners notched, I wouldn't see a need for a slider hitch. But if you get the older style front caps my vote would be to have a slider.

[halfwright]

I have shortbed F250 and a Montana 5th wheel. I have a slider and use it pretty often. It is much cheaper to slide the trailer than replace the back window.

[jquinlan]

I love our Reese Sidewinder pinbox with Fifth Airborne airbag. The sidewinder moves the pivot point back 18" (I believe). We've had it for about 3 years now. With it, a shortbed truck maneuvers in very tight turns with no problems whatsoever. We use the Reese 18K hitch which works great with the sidewinder. Only downside is it can be a bit tricky at first to hitch up. You have to be pretty much dead on and have the sidewinder at the proper height to click. Once you figure out the sweet spot is, it's a piece of cake.

They are a little pricey. The Fifth Airborne airbag is an option which puts a nice airbag shock absorber on the pinbox and smooths out the ride nicely. Another similar product from Reese is the Reese Revolution.

[HicksRA]

A lot of the need depends on the 5'ver you're towing. I had an 08 Jayco Designer that had the contoured front cap and never used the slider function on my Husky hitch. But I never got myself into a situation where I needed to jack it 90* either.
I eventually got wise and moved up to a long bed dually.

[bsjulestad]

I did have a GMC 2500 swb crew and used a Pullrite super slide towing a cedar creek several tight turns, it did it's job.