Slider question.

[JerryME]

I sold a nice TT with the intention of going to a new 5er, step in Covid 19. I now have a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500HD with double cab/standard bed. I have a 16k Patriot hitch, non-slider, mounted on standard rails. I am interested in buying a 2017 Keystone Sprinter 269fwrls (100" wide). Do I need to convert to a slider. Buying the slider base for existing hitch would be most cost effective. B&W dealer is not sure I would need a slider. Any help would be appreciated.

JerryMe

[kgburns1]

Good question, but no solid answer.
I towed a 5th wheel with a short bed GMC for 5 years, never needed to use the slide at all. Your situation may be different, depending on the 5th wheel (and the width may make a slider more pertinent). Most newer 5th wheels have a longer pin hitch and many have angled fronts which may help.



If it was me and I didn't have a chance to pull the 5th wheel, doing some tight turns, mostly backing up, then just to be on the safe side, I'd go with a slider hitch.


If you stay with what you have and then run into a situation where you need a slider, then that's the wrong time to find out that you should have one.

[Jshopes81]

My advice, hook it up and do a test run while being very cautious. Maybe at the dealer lot just to check your limits.

[Larry_minn]

Do you have a trailer in mind? You have a hitch in 8’ bed truck? Normally long beds do not need a slider.
Take a thin sheet of plywood, or rigid insulation. 4’x8’ place over truck bed, make hole (put stick in truck hitch jaws) thru hole just past middle of 8’ length.

(Trailer outside likely @102” 8’ is 96” but you only need one side as mirrored)

Twist it on (stick acting as kingpin) till insulation/plywood hits cab. Mark, cut.
Take that pattern to camper you are looking at. Hole goes over trailer pin (may need help to hold). See if that far back is more then what you cut out.
If trailer is less no slider needed.

You don’t need to cut if you Mark well.

[Jshopes81]

Originally Posted by Larry_minn

Do you have a trailer in mind? You have a hitch in 8’ bed truck? Normally long beds do not need a slider.
Take a thin sheet of plywood, or rigid insulation. 4’x8’ place over truck bed, make hole (put stick in truck hitch jaws) thru hole just past middle of 8’ length.

(Trailer outside likely @102” 8’ is 96” but you only need one side as mirrored)

Twist it on (stick acting as kingpin) till insulation/plywood hits cab. Mark, cut.
Take that pattern to camper you are looking at. Hole goes over trailer pin (may need help to hold). See if that far back is more then what you cut out.
If trailer is less no slider needed.

You don’t need to cut if you Mark well.

I get what youre saying and it still applies, but the standard bed is the middle size. Like 6ft.

[JerryME]

Thanks to all for the info. To be safe I did convert my 16k Patriot to 18k Patriot slider. Will be picking up 2017 Keystone Sprinter 269 FWRLS next week.

[Larry_minn]

Originally Posted by Jshopes81

I get what youre saying and it still applies, but the standard bed is the middle size. Like 6ft.

Ok to me the standard, means 8’. The 6’6”, 6’, 5’6” and maybe other variations are all short beds.

[HDGoose]

Originally Posted by Larry_minn

Ok to me the standard, means 8’. The 6’6”, 6’, 5’6” and maybe other variations are all short beds.

When recently shopping for a 3500 dually, I had to be careful to ensure it had an 8 foot bed. Many 3500 now with crew cab and 6'6" bed.

I am happy with my 8ft bed crew cab dually.

[Jshopes81]

Originally Posted by Larry_minn

Ok to me the standard, means 8’. The 6’6”, 6’, 5’6” and maybe other variations are all short beds.

I always used "standard" when referring to the cab, but id imagine this standard bed length is probably tied into common core math somehow.

Good to see the op got the slider. Thats definately the safe choice.