Community Forums

BasicDude · 01-10-2023, 12:59 PM

For starters, I am actively researching and reviewing the available slider options, such as the PullRite SuperGlide.

That being said, I am using this opportunity to ask a more specific question for you short bed - 6.5' length - owners who are NOT using a slider, and are also NOT using the Anderson Ultimate, or any kind of pivoting kingpin box such as the Reese Sidewinder.

I'm wondering, of those pulling a 5er with a 6.5' bed using a standard fifth wheel hitch and are either accepting the clearance limits, or purchased a specific camper with some variation of MaxTurn (carved out corners, shorter nose cap, etc) and are enjoying the experience without regrets.

I realize there are other options available, but my question is specifically to those folks, if they even exist, who went with standard equipment, and are either accepting the turn or clearance limits, or have a camper that is compensating to any degree.

Thanks in advance

JIMNLIN · 01-10-2023, 08:02 PM

I have long and short bed trucks.
Most new gen 5th wheel trailers have the rounded/notched front corners made for short bed trucks.
But...one area you didn't mention is Ram/Ford/GM twins short beds all have different C/A (cab to the truck rear axle) dimension.
The GM twins have the longest dimension @... 42.1"
Ford next at ...............................................39. 8"
Ram last at ................................................37 .4".

And of course where the hitch locates the pin.
Generally short bed trucks have the pin located zero over the rear axle for max distance from the cab.

And the length of the trailers pin box is a player also.

MtCamper · 01-11-2023, 06:16 AM

I towed fifth wheels with short bed trucks starting with a 97 F150. From there went to a 98 Dodge 250 and finally to an 03 GM 250. All the fifth wheels were an appropriate size for the truck. All had extended pin boxes. Starting with the 98, I used a B&W Companion and, in fact, I am still using the Companion head, just multiple different bases. Initially the trailers had flat fronts and I had to be very careful with back up angle. Since the early 2000s all the trailers have had a more aerodynamic rounded front end. If I had a trailer with flat front I'd buy an auto-slider hitch. With the rounded design, I would use the same old B&W. I haven't seen a fifth wheel for years without an extended pin box. I've never been in a situation where a tighter turn would have been desirable. I have gotten close to the cab a couple of times but never had a strike. Just keep alert when backing.

darrellr · 01-11-2023, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtCamper

I've never been in a situation where a tighter turn would have been desirable. I have gotten close to the cab a couple of times but never had a strike. Just keep alert when backing.

It is not always just about angle of turn. If you are in an area that is not flat and level, the attitude of the truck or trailer can also increase or decrease your clearance to avoid a cab strike.If your truck nose is higher than the trailer nose, or at least pitched up from it, you close the distance a little and that will further affect the angle at which you can safely turn. I've seen people who practiced only on flat parking lots get into trouble when they got into a campground that was not as flat. Just food for thought.

TRNewsom · 01-11-2023, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darrellr

It is not always just about angle of turn. If you are in an area that is not flat and level, the attitude of the truck or trailer can also increase or decrease your clearance to avoid a cab strike.If your truck nose is higher than the trailer nose, or at least pitched up from it, you close the distance a little and that will further affect the angle at which you can safely turn. I've seen people who practiced only on flat parking lots get into trouble when they got into a campground that was not as flat. Just food for thought.

That’s the only time we have had contact. Part of the campground road had flooded and we had to make a hard turn the wrong way out of the camping spot. The turn involved going through a shallow ditch and the camper dented the upper corner of the cab. Just paint scrape on the camper.

jimcumminsw · 01-13-2023, 09:22 AM

Buy the slider hitch!!!!!!!!

I have towed three different 5ers since 2007, with two different short bed trucks. A 2001 Chevy and a 2008 Dodge Mega Cab pickup trucks.

My 2001 Short bed Chevy had dent from my 5er and lost the rear window. When I forgot to extend the slider hitch in a campground as I was trying to back into a site. The RH front wheel dropped off of the roadway into the soft dirt shoulder. This caused the truck to twist and strike the trailer. The trailer was designed with the 88deg corners per the manufacture. If I had extended the hitch this would not have happen.

Or sometime in the future expect to dent the C pillar of the cab and maybe blow out the rear window of the cab. When you are pulling a 5er without a sliding hitch. There is always that one time when you will need that style of hitch and when you discover you need it, it will be too late!

Jameson223 · 01-15-2023, 01:11 AM

Another vote for the sliding hitch. I have a PullRite SuperGlide in a F350 SB and it's great. I can go 90 degrees without worrying about the trailer touching the cab and since the SuperGlide slides automatically, it's fool proof. It's worth it for peace of mind I think. I picked up a lightly used one for $800 and couldn't be happier.

C.B. · 01-16-2023, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jameson223

Another vote for the sliding hitch. I have a PullRite SuperGlide in a F350 SB and it's great. I can go 90 degrees without worrying about the trailer touching the cab and since the SuperGlide slides automatically, it's fool proof. It's worth it for peace of mind I think. I picked up a lightly used one for $800 and couldn't be happier.

One great hitch!

Pullrite Superglide

Put in service in 2003. Still going strong 20 years later!

C.B.

Gr8bawana · 01-16-2023, 01:12 PM

I have a slider in my 2017 Ram shortbed. In the 2 years we've owned our 5er we have yet to need to extend the slider for backing in anywhere. It's nice to know it's there if needed.
I've made some tight turns pulling forward but so far so good.

RVnAggie · 01-16-2023, 07:57 PM

My personal experience…..SWB w/o slider; It can be done.
6 years with 2001 F350 Super Duty Crew cab short bed and a 2003 295BHS Fleetwood Prowler bunkhouse with front corners as square as a shoe box. Traveled all over Texas in many older state parks that were pretty tight. Several trips to Florida, middle Tennessee and once to Colorado with no issues at all.

Pulled my current 2016 40’ keystone Alpine with a 2016 F250 SWB crew cab for 3 years w/no issues in much of the same territory noted above w/exception of some of the older state parks with sites which are too short for the 40 footer plus truck parking. I now pull the same Alpine with F350 DRW longbed. The change was for stability/payload capacity, not for bed to cab clearance (that was just a very nice bonus.)

I never had a problem with the first 2 mentioned set ups, and never felt uncomfortable, but IT COULD HAPPEN. With both rigs, cab contact was certainly possible. It required constant situational awareness when backing into sharp angles, especially if truck and trailer are on different planes/grades.
Would not be afraid to do it again, but wouldn’t necessarily recommend it either.
Exact hitch position and pin box length at important.
With the Alpine I went from watching the cab and front of trailer very closely with the SWB in tight spots to having to watch the front corners of the LWB truck closely in tight spots.

Overall, the slider would be great insurance that is hard not justify, however, I can truly say I never need one.

Safe travels,

BasicDude · 01-17-2023, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVnAggie

My personal experience…..SWB w/o slider; It can be done.
6 years with 2001 F350 Super Duty Crew cab short bed and a 2003 295BHS Fleetwood Prowler bunkhouse with front corners as square as a shoe box. Traveled all over Texas in many older state parks that were pretty tight. Several trips to Florida, middle Tennessee and once to Colorado with no issues at all.

Pulled my current 2016 40’ keystone Alpine with a 2016 F250 SWB crew cab for 3 years w/no issues in much of the same territory noted above w/exception of some of the older state parks with sites which are too short for the 40 footer plus truck parking. I now pull the same Alpine with F350 DRW longbed. The change was for stability/payload capacity, not for bed to cab clearance (that was just a very nice bonus.)

I never had a problem with the first 2 mentioned set ups, and never felt uncomfortable, but IT COULD HAPPEN. With both rigs, cab contact was certainly possible. It required constant situational awareness when backing into sharp angles, especially if truck and trailer are on different planes/grades.
Would not be afraid to do it again, but wouldn’t necessarily recommend it either.
Exact hitch position and pin box length at important.
With the Alpine I went from watching the cab and front of trailer very closely with the SWB in tight spots to having to watch the front corners of the LWB truck closely in tight spots.

Overall, the slider would be great insurance that is hard not justify, however, I can truly say I never need one.

Safe travels,

Thanks - this is the straight feedback I'm actually looking for. Not a vote or recommendation of one product or the other, just honest experience and feedback. Thank you!

JIMNLIN · 01-17-2023, 11:50 AM

Before the rv hitch mfg gave us a sliding hitch we used a std 5th wheel hitch with our short bed trucks.
A few had issues with a trailer corner/cab contact but the vast majority never had issues.....and 5th wheel trailers back then had square corners and a flat profile making it necessary to be alert any time the steering wheel was turned while going forward or backing.

Several products (hitch/pin boxes) on the market today plus the notched/rounded trailer profiles gives us more options to choose from.

**Camp CA** · 01-17-2023, 01:35 PM

Had a short bed truck with a standard fifth wheel trailer hitch for many years with never a problem backing up and having the tailer cab hit the truck cab........just got to be careful backing.

**Camp CA** · 01-17-2023, 01:36 PM

Had a short bed truck with a standard fifth wheel trailer hitch for many years and never a problem backing up jackknifing the trailer and having the trailer cab hit the truck cab........just got to be careful backing.