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This automatic slider takes the stress out of backing and turning in tight spaces. As you make a sharp, slow-speed turn, the hitch head glides smoothly toward the tailgate, giving you up to 14" of additional clearance between your cab and trailer. The built-in rack-and-pinion gears control the movement so it’s smooth and automatic—no getting out to pull a lever or reset anything by hand. When you straighten out, the head moves right back into towing position without binding or jerking.
A solid connection is what makes towing feel confident. This hitch’s wraparound, single-piece jaw fully surrounds the king pin for 360-degree contact, cutting down on rattle and movement. A 3/4" thick steel locking bar reinforces the hold once it’s latched, automatically locking when the jaw closes. Together they create a tight, secure link between truck and trailer that keeps noise and chucking to a minimum.
The double-pivot hitch head moves both front to back and side to side, making hook-ups smoother even on uneven ground. Built-in polyurethane dampeners cushion those pivots to absorb road shock and quiet down towing noise. It’s a setup that helps keep your ride stable and comfortable mile after mile, especially with heavy trailers that can push or pull through bumps.
Installation is straightforward thanks to the included base rails and custom brackets. Once it’s bolted down, you can fine-tune the fit with three hitch height settings—16-1/2", 17-3/4", and 19-1/4"—so your trailer sits level and clears your bed rails properly. The spring-loaded handle has a tethered safety pin for quick locking in either open or closed positions, making coupling simple once you’re lined up.
Built from sturdy steel with a rust-resistant black powder coat finish, this hitch is ready for serious towing duty. It’s rated for 18,000 lbs gross towing weight and a vertical load limit of 4,500 lbs. The design feels solid under load and stays quiet on rough roads, so you can tow big fifth wheels with confidence trip after trip.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hello everybody. This is Jeff at etrailer.com. Today, we'll take a look at this replacement head and base assembly for the Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches. This has an 18,000 pound gross towing weight capacity. This part will replace the head and the base assembly on your Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches. It is designed to fit the Demco 5th Wheel Hitches part number DM8550022, part number DM8550024, and part number DM8550034.
All three of those hitches, we do sell separately on our website.This part is just for the head and the base assembly. It does also require side plates to install this into your truck bed, and those side plates bolt onto the side of the base right here. The side plates are what will allow you to drop this hitch into either a universal above-bed base rails, or into the Demco or Ford factory under-bed mounting systems. Those side plates, we do sell separately on our website. Just to show you, you can see these multiple holes here on the side of the base.
This is where the side plates will bolt to. When you go to install them, they will allow you to get you the correct hitch height, and also for what application you need for whatever connection points you have in your truck bed.This is an automatic slider, so it will provide clearance required for your short bed truck to turn safely at slow speeds. No more having to get in and out of your truck to operate a manual slider. This will automatically slide far to get you the clearance. It has this rotating hitch head here that'll turn up to 90 degrees with your trailer.
The re-rotation creates the force that'll activate the automatic slider. Once you have your trailer hooked up here and there's weight on it. Right now, I can't really show you how it rotates because there's not any weight on it. If you get enough weight on it, what'll happen is this head will slide towards the tailgate when you start to turn with your truck. As you keep turning, this'll rotate to get you the clearance and then slide back to get you more clearance.
Then, it'll come back towards the cab when you straighten out your vehicle and your 5th wheel.Basically, what it'll do is it'll give you 14 inches front to back amount of travel for clearance. It does use a nice roller and guide assembly here to create smooth and controlled movement. This is designed to fit standard pin boxes from 12 inches wide to 14 inches wide. The built-in brackets right here is what will stabilize that pin box, so it won't rotate in your hitch. There's no need for a separate capture plate for your standard nine cushion pin boxes. On the cushion pin boxes, they do require locking plates, which we do sell separately. The cushion pin boxes that they're required on is the Glide Ride, the MORryde, the Trailair Tri Glide, the Trailair Flex Air, Rota-Flex, and the Fifth Airborne.The head on this uses a nice wraparound single piece jaw, provides a secure connection, gives you a 360 degree jaw to kingpin contact, and that will give you less rattle and more security than slide bar jaws. Also, if noticed on this one, it gives you a nice three quarter inch thick solid steel locking bar in front here. This will reinforce the connection of your coupled trailer, and that will automatically lock into place when the jaw closes. I am going to show you how this jaw operates at the end of the video. I'm going to show sliding a kingpin in and how it all works.The head itself is a double pivot hitch head, eases hook-up, helps limit chucking. It'll pivot front to back and side to side, and they do use cushioning polyurethane dampeners underneath to help reduce noise and absorb road shock. The handle on it is a nice spring loaded handle. It has a nice comfort grip, allows for simple coupling, has the tethered safety pin right here to let you secure the handle when it's either closed or open. Right now, it's closed. If you need to open it, you just remove that pin, pull your handle out, and that'll lock in the open position, and you're ready to couple. Once it couples, it'll slide in and lock. To finalize it, all you have to do is drop your pin through, clip it, and that'll secure it.This is a sturdy, steel construction. Has a nice rust resistant black powder coat finish on it. It is made in the USA. The specs, it is designed for use on six and a half inch truck bed lengths, gross towing weight capacity is 18,000 pounds, and the vertical load limit is 4,500 pounds. As I mentioned, I do want to show you. Here's an example of what the kingpin would be like on your fifth wheel. When you're ready to hook up, what you want to do is remove your pin and clip. As I mentioned, pull your handle all the way out. Once you get it out far enough, it'll lock in the open position. You can see the jaws ready to accept the kingpin. When you go to back up and hook up, as that kingpin slides in on the hitch head, once it gets in there far enough, it'll let that jaw wrap around it 360 degrees. Then that locking bar, you can see, slides across and keeps it in there.It's very secure. It won't move at all. To finalize it, all you have to do is take your pin and clip, drop it through the hole that lines up, clip it, and then that holds the handle. To unlock it or unhook it, you just remove your pin and clip, pull your handle out, and that'll allow the kingpin to side right out. That should do it for the review on this replacement head and base assembly for the Demco Hijacker Autoslide Fifth Wheel Trailer Hitches, and this has an 18,000 pound gross towing weight capacity.
Ratings & Reviews
Very well built and engineered. Great customer Sevice from etrailer and demco. If you plan to remove the fifth wheel from the truck demco makes a lifting pin. A gantry Crain is helpful too. This thing is heavy duty, good for a lifetime! I also purchased the rail adapter. Thumbs up for that also. Be aware that this setup is tall. My 2018 fwd Ram has a tall bed height combined with the fifth wheel height could make a lower trailer pin height a problem with tailgate clearance and trailer angle. I’m very happy with this setup.
Quality is good. Installation was tricky without a lift. Some of the bed rail bolt holes (passenger side rear rail) where nearly impossible for a large hand to fit the nut on the bolt. Actually had to have my wife crawl under the truck and slide her hand in the brace to install the nut. Getting a decent size torque wrench into the space was also imposible. The front drivers side rail bracket required removing several vehicle lines and wires which was easy however the bracket covered the holes where the wires attached to the frame, so now they are hanging zip tied together. Hitch/ fifth wheel looks good quality but very heavy. Installed a 400 .lb capacity electric winch from harbor freight to lift the hitch. Firestone airbag helper springs was easy install but getting the exact straight cut on the hose end that hooks to the fill port was challenging to keep it from leaking
Videos were very helpful
Glenn
7/11/2021
Works Flawlessly
Easy installation.
We absolutely love our Demco Hijacker auto-slider hitch. We have a 6.5 ft bed, and a rather large 5th-wheel. I never have to give a single thought to unlocking the hitch and re-locking it before / after maneuvering. Everyone who sees it in action has that "jaw drop" reaction to it. Hooking up is very easy, and the engagement is VERY positive - you cannot miss getting it locked in place. Under tow, it is much more quiet than the previous one we used (loaner), and there is zero "lurching" or "chucking" as we experienced with the previous unit.
My only (minor) complaint is that I wish it wasn't quite so heavy, but it IS built like a tank. I probably could have gone with a lighter-duty unit for my specific 5th-wheel, but didn't want to have to replace the hitch if I ever upgraded to a heavier unit.
As for etrailer: everything I've purchased from them has shipped quickly, arrived (undamaged) on time, and has been of excellent quality. Thanks!
Jimp
9/5/2019
Still loving it. My only complaint definitely a 1st world problem! is that the unit takes up a lot of space in our bed when were not using the trailer. I solved that issue with a cheap chain hoist, attached to a beam in my garage. Now when we return from a trip and know were not going to use the 5th Wheel for a while, I just hook up the hoist and pull it out. Simple solution to my only issue with the Demco Hijacker.
Excellent product easy to install fit perfect and easy to hitch up well built exceeded my expectations.
The torque value for Ram is 75 ft lbs. The instructions are hard to figure that out cause the bolt looks like a grade 10. Which is incorrect they are grade 5. Easy install. Looks good in my truck.
Demco 18k Highjacker Autoslide
This slider works great never have to even think about it being back there it does it's job with out a care from me worth evert penny it cost.
Has to do a little assembly, really easy. Tows super nice, when turning does move towards the back. You’ll need to adjust the guides for the fifth wheel.
Demco fifth wheel hitch purchase and installation pictures.
Unit is heavy and well built. Install was easy, just bolt on side plates on, drop the base on the adapter plate and pin it, put head assembly on and pin that, that's all there is to it. Looking forward to many years of towing with this unit.
Installation was straight forward operates very smooth and quiet installed overhead winch as seen in photo to make install easy also to remove very impressed with the craftsmanship of hitch.
Demco auto slide hitch works very well with my crew cab short bed Ram. Fits under my tonneau cover nicely. Trouble free thus far. Had to purchase a Demco plate for the camper to make the Rhino box hitch work. etrailer personnel were great in helping ensure I had the right products and kept me well informed of shipping dates.
John
7/17/2023
Still working great!
Tows great. I’m a first time fifth wheel owner. This made it easy. Be careful because this hitch is capable of angle that your trailer axles aren’t especially on a hard surface like asphalt or concrete. Over all very pleased. Be prepared to hoist this hitch in and out of your truck if you plan on removing it often. Probably weights closed to 400-500 lbs.
Excellent choice for a short bed Super Duty . Have towed several thousand miles with no issues. This is a heavy hitch , but that is what you get with a heavy duty Demco hitch . Plenty of room between trailer and truck when doing tight turns.
I love this hitch. Never having used an automatic slider and moving from a long bed to a short bed truck it took me a few attempts to get accustomed to backing up.
I would recommend this slider over any other brand. No capture plate needed either.
wow what a great hitch . Got the no drill bed rails and the bolted rite up to my B&W gooseneck hitch . Ashley E did a great job answering all my questions . Only took a few days to get here too. Took me about 2 hours to install everything and if you have a short bed truck this is the only way to go .
Overall, great products. The capture plate needs to be tweaked every time I use it and it’s finicky to get it just right but works well when it’s set. It requires a powerful impact wrench to do it. If it was easier to adjust I’d give it 5 stars. The hitch works beautifully with my short bed truck.
I have owned this unit for over a year now. Here are the pro's and cons that I have experienced.
Pro- I have pulled with this hitch in some really tight spaces in forward and reverse and still have the rear window in tact.
Con- Heavy, really heavy.
Pro- heavy duty,smooth riding, and double jaw lock makes a great connection.
Con- manufacturer recommends 1/8 of separation between the slides on the top of hitch. When backing upon 40' wheeler in some tight spaces it is hard to align without opening the slides a bit more. This is not he issue. Remembering to tighten them in the rush of leaving is the hard part.
Pro- once you are attached to your truck there is nothing more you need to worry about until you disconnect.
Con- If you are a weekender like me and use your truck for work the rest of the week, you will need at least one person to help lift in or out pre or post travel. Works pretty well with gantry crane.
My wife and I are full-time RVers, and have used this slider hitch from the get-go while traveling around seeing the country over the past year. We are happy with our purchase, which has proven to be both easy to hook up, adjust, and functions well, as advertised.
The only matter I think you may want to address are the thick plastic removable maintenance access covers which tend to bow, and the areas around the attachment holes have melted, in the hot weather. Perhaps instead using a light metal for the covers would be better solution.
We are very happy overall with this hitch, and plan to keep it . Thank you.
Installed in my 2014 Silverado. This looks to be a very heavy-duty hitch that doesn't require a capture plate.
Mike G.
9/15/2019
This hitch has worked well for me. It is now used in a 2018 GMC Sierra 2500. It is just tall enough that I can see it in my rearview mirror to make it easy to get lined up with the kingpin
The new lower base for the Demco hitch arrived on Tuesday via Freight it was a great interaction the driver I actually knew from a previous delivery, me and a friend were able to lift the old one out of the bed of my truck and install the new one today and all I have to say is...
PERFECT FIT!
It appears that Demco has already redesigned the lower base compared to my original one to prevent this problem from happening again. I was actually kind of shocked to see that upgrade and change.
I cannot say enough good words about you with etrailer and Demco working with me to get this problem solvedm Yes it took a little bit of work, ultimately this time we got it. I cannot thank you guys enough.
My friend and I will be finalizing the installation and getting it locked down to the bed with a few custom spacers for the lower rails this weekend.
Here are a few pictures of the installation resuming. If I remember , when I finally pick up my new camper, I'll send some pictures along too. Have to give credit where credit is due . Not sure of you have a customer wall at HQ. I know we had one in my old shop.
Anyway.. thank you again .
Best thing I bought for mounting the hitch that I have just fantastic product.
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Mark C.
1/20/2020
Its been a year and I would not hesitate to purchase again.