Sidewinder hitch vs Super glide hitch

[CCFROMFL]

I am going to purchase either a Ford F250 or F350 short bed and would like some input as which hitch set up would be best.

With the Sidewinder it appears that the King Pin of the trailer is moved back some 20 inched from being truly centered over the rear axle. I have read that this would affect towing.

Any information on either set up would be appreciated.

[1mainiac]

First you need all the measurements as to which unit does the best for you. One advantage to the side winder is any 5th wheel can be adapted to tow it. Also the Sidewinder gives you 20 in where the Super Glide does not give you a full 20 in. The Super Glide also slides the entire setup back changing the weight distribution. The sidewinder does not, add in the weight of the Super Glide and the hassle of putting in in and out and your beginning to see a pattern here. I however do like the Super Glide and have installed many of them over the years but if the measurements work out with the Side winder that would be my choice.

[dayle1]

I don't believe that any Sidewinder owners have reported negative towing issues, although in theory it is possible since the pivot point is 20 inches behind the truck's axle. However, this pivot point also makes the rig act more like a TT, so when backing, the fiver responds faster to steering inputs and when turning corners, the trailer will not cut inside the tow vehicle as much as other fivers. Also, while the total pin box length is the same as other extended pin boxes, the part that pivots is much shorter and as a result, the back of the pin box cannot hit the truck's tailgate or side rails.

After 25 years of towing fivers with short bed trucks, I am still old school. Plain extended rigid pin box and fixed position hitch. But if I was buying a setup today, it would be the Sidewinder and probably the air cushion version.

[jspande]

Doesn't it (as well as extended pin boxes) have the same problem as goose-neck adapters, that is, put a lot of additional forces on the pin box and the RV frame? Do they void warantees?

[dayle1]

Originally Posted by jspande

Doesn't it (as well as extended pin boxes) have the same problem as goose-neck adapters, that is, put a lot of additional forces on the pin box and the RV frame? Do they void warantees?

You are right, any extension does put more stress on the fiver frame. But if the manufacturer designs the frame for say a 20 inch extended pin box and ships the fiver with that pin box, it can't void the warranty. And if the stock extended pin box is replaced with an aftermarket pin box that is equal to or shorter than the factory pin box, they will not void the warranty either. The Sidewinder falls in that category, it is the same length as the most common extended pin boxes and is also a factory option from some fiver manufacturers.

Goose neck adaptors are a different story as they all are a second extension beyond the original extension. They must be in order to keep the fiver level while connecting to the ball that is mounted on the truck bed floor. So, because fiver hitches are elevated 13 -17 inches above the floor, a goose neck adapter becomes a 13-17 inch extension. The Andersen Ultimate hitch is the only goose neck adapter that elevates the ball to the same height as a normal fifth wheel hitch to address this problem. However, even it slightly increases the total extension because the ball mount adapter is a few inches forward of the king pin.

[jspande]

Dayle1, thanks for the great explanation.

[GBS]

I decided on the sidewinder for three reasons: Cost, an automatic slider is way more expensive. Weight, all sliders are some or a lot heavier. Ease of hitch removal - I can do mine by myself, most sliders are really hard to wrestle without your own pro football team.

The sidewinder towing is as noted above. I like it a lot!

It is a bit of a pain to hitch/unhitch, but after learning the quirks, I've adapted.