To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
This hitch is rated for 21,000 lbs gross towing weight and a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit, giving it the strength to haul big 5th wheel trailers with confidence. The solid steel construction and rust-resistant black powder coat finish make it a tough piece of gear built to stay dependable over the miles. It’s the kind of heavy-duty setup that feels locked in when you’re pulling serious weight.
When you’re maneuvering in campgrounds or tight areas, that extra room to turn matters. The manual slider gives you 14" of fore/aft travel so your trailer can clear during sharp, slow-speed turns. It’s designed for short-bed setups where space is tight and turning safely is critical. The slider engages easily, helping you move smoothly without hitting the cab.
The wraparound single-piece jaw provides full 360-degree contact around the king pin with a 3/4" thick solid steel locking bar for reinforcement. That connection cuts down on rattle and keeps chucking to a minimum. Polyurethane dampeners absorb road shock and reduce noise so your ride stays quiet, stable, and comfortable no matter how far you travel.
The double-pivot hitch head moves both front to back and side to side to make lining up easier on uneven ground. The spring-loaded handle with a comfort grip simplifies coupling, and the tethered safety pin keeps it secure whether open or closed. Once hitched, it automatically locks into place so you can tow knowing the connection is solid.
With three adjustable height positions—18-3/8", 19-5/8", and 20-7/8"—you can set up your trailer level for better handling. These options help achieve proper bed rail clearance while keeping the overall setup balanced. It’s a simple way to match your trailer’s stance without extra parts or guesswork.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hello neighbors, it's Brad here from Etrailer and today I'm in Boyden, Iowa, at the Demco headquarters and manufacturing facility where we got to see Demco products made. And these are all products that I handle on a daily basis when doing flat tows, fifth wheels, or even couplers. They cover so many different towing products, and they have plenty of experts here to break down some of their products a little bit more to give you some understanding as well as allow me to ask those questions on products that I handle every day. So Verlin, if you have a short bed truck, you can tow with a fifth wheel all the same as a long bed, right Well. (laughs) Kind of It all depends on the trailer and how cab-friendly your corners are on the front of the trailer. But in most cases, if you've got a 6 1/2 foot bed or even a 5 1/2 foot bed, you're going to have to have on some type of sliding hitch to move that trailer back when you're making those tight corners.
So if I'm, you know, kind of in a situation where I see it getting close to my cab corner, how does the slider work Okay, so here we're standing in front of our manual slider. So in this particular instance, the driver would have to hop out, they're just gonna pull this lever here. And that disengages it from lock forward. They'd set the trailer brakes and then pull this truck forward and then it'll lock in its rear position. Now they can make any kind of maneuvers they want.
We went ahead and moved back 14 inches to give them extra cab clearance, is what we just did there. So that, with really any combo of fifth wheel trailer, that should give you the clearance. Yes. No damage should occur, right Correct. And then so after, you know, gas station or or the campsite where it's a tight turn, you make that turn, this needs to go back in its original position.
Yep, absolutely. Again, driver's gotta jump out and just kinda reversed what we just did. Flip the lever back this way, hold the trailer brakes again, and then just back up with the truck and it's gonna lock into the tow position is what we call this. Okay. And then as far as application, this is OEM prep Yeah, this happens to be OEM prep, but actually one of the key things that Demco does is, you know, people are trading trucks all the time.
So you'll notice these side plates are just bolted on. So we can actually go into a Demco rail mount, we can go into a Demco underbed mount, and then we can go into all the factory parts systems as well. It's just a matter of changing out these side plates. Okay, well say, you know, I don't want to get outta my truck, it's raining or whatever, to make that turn, there's ways to have, you can omit that. Absolutely. So then we hop into what we call our automatic sliding series hitch. So we'll move on over here. We actually have three different options there. We have a 13,000 pound tow capacity, and that one's really meant for your half ton pickups with the 5 1/2 foot bed. That's gonna move further faster. And then we have our 18,000 and 21,000 pound capacities. Those are more designed for your F-250, 350 and your 2500 series from Ram and GM. And okay, so how does it auto slide You know, that one has a handle obviously, but if I don't have to do anything, how does it mechanically work Alright, so you'll see on the top of the head of the hitch we have these, what we call capture plates. They're kind of built into the head of the hitch. And these are adjustable. So depending on the width of your pin box, when you hitch up, you're gonna adjust this to about 1/16 of an inch away from each side of the pin box. It's a one-time set unless you're pulling multiple trailers. But if you're pulling the same trailer, it's a one-time set, it allows you to be able to slide in and out. But what we do, then, is the pin box is captured here in the head of the hitch, and the head is actually gonna rotate with the trailer. And as the head rotates, it drops into a rack and pinion gear system. You'll see we've got three bolt heads on each side here, and there's a rack gear here, and then there's a big main gear here. And as that turns, the gear engages, and the more you turn, the more it slides, and it'll do that in forward or reverse. So as you're backing up, you're going, "How's my head gonna go forward when I'm backing up" But we're just gonna go right walking back down that gear track, and the head will return right back to the home position when you're straight. Now, these capture plates, obviously adjustability, are there limitations as far as what kingpin you can attach to We do have a few limitations. We try to mitigate that as much as possible, but some of our suspension style pin boxes, we do need a separate capture plate. And the reason for that is a suspension style pin box, your kingpin plate usually moves separately from the rest of the pin box. And so sometimes these will interfere with that movement action. So then we put a wedge behind the kingpin. But any of your standard non-suspension pin box, good to go right here. Nothing else needed. Okay. Now, the 13K you mentioned is for the half ton, and it it operates in a slightly different way. It does. So we'll talk a little bit about the 13K. You'll notice the head of the hitch is identical to the 18 and 21 K, but the base of the hitch is quite different. So what we learned, a lot of your half ton campers that are designed to be half ton tow built behind your pickup, they've got an extended pin box on them already. So as the head of the hitch turns, sometimes you can get the back of that pin box into the side of the pickup, especially if you've got like Tonneau cover rails, or you got the decorative rails on top of the bed. So what this hitch does is as you turn, it's going to select the correct track, and it'll move over 2 3/4 inches. And what it does is it pulls the back of that pin box away from your Tonneau cover rails or your decorative bed rails so you don't have a collision there. And this one's gonna slide back a little bit more. This one's 21 1/2 inches in slide. So it's gonna move back further faster than our 18 and 21 K hitch. Got the wraparound jaw system as well with a lock bar that goes across the side there to keep everything nice and secure. Brad Why is that something that someone want Verlin It's an extra added security for number one. And number two, we go fully around 360 degrees around that kingpin. So we help eliminate some of the chucking. You're probably familiar with some competitors, they've got more of a clam shell style, and that just gives a little more opportunity for chucking to begin rather than a full wraparound. Well, and we actually got the chance to see this manufactured today at their facility, and it's really cool the technology that goes into it. Great company, family owned. Lot of love put into this. Verlin Absolutely. Demco stands behind all their hitches, made right here in Boyden, Iowa. And that's another thing too. I mean you get people that have been in the industry for as long as they have, you know, again, family owned, American-made. It's really hard to beat. And the fact that it's an auto-slide, again, if you're gonna be towing a flat, a fifth wheel quite often, and you do have to make those sharp turns, everyone says, "Oh, I'll be fine." Well, you get yourself into one or two pickles and you don't want to get it out of the truck, you can solve that problem with the Autoslide. Absolutely. So huge thanks Verlin for taking the time to show us the Demco Autoslide as well as their sliding Recon.
Ratings & Reviews
works every time has never failed, replaced a curt 20k that i used for 10 years,lots of times it wouldnt click and lock .easy to use no chucking.very happy with this hitch.3 years ago i installed air lift air bags ,love them too!!etrailer is a great place to buy from
Part was delivered vey damaged. Looks like a couple thousand miles has already been put on it and it’s not even installed yet! Missing Lynch pin .313 is missing! Not happy at all.
Hitch works awesome easy to install showed up a week before expected. I give it a 10 out of 10 so far. I have used it three times so far.
Excellent product. Easy to assemble and install. Easir to hitch to my trailer than my previous product. Trailer was awesome to work with when I purchased the wrong item to begin with. They took the item back sent me a return slip and back it went. They did ask that I pay shipping back, which was a pretty good value considering the weight of the product. Would purchase again.
Looks great nice workmanship. Easy to install.
Packaging on large components should be changed??? Need custom molded styrofoam to slide on two sieds and hold product in shipping box. Will include pictures of delivered packages
This is a really nice hitch for the money. Extremely easy to installl for one person. I can’t wait to pull my camper with it. The only problem I had was how badly damaged the package was when delivered. Fortunately the hitch was not damaged. The picture shows how it was when I got it.
The hitch took about 45 minutes to put together. Including putting on the side plates. I wanted the extra two inches of travel that the Recon gives you over the competitors. I would have gone with the auto slide but there was not a adapter plate to fit my old nine inch wide pin box.
Ordered hitch late Wednesday evening and received early afternoon on Friday, that is super fast delivery. Two cartons received with no damage and all parts were there as expected. It looks exactly as advertised online and it was at a great price. AND FREE SHIPPING.
Also made in the USA.
I am replacing my Demco Hi Jacker Auto Slider that weighs approximately 300 lbs with the Demco Recon that according to the shipping labels weighs 91 lbs. It will be installed on a Ford F150 with 5 1/2 ft bed and fiver with a Lippert Turning Point Pin box.
Rugged product, easy to install, quick latch system. easy to remove. Purchased the Reese adapter with this hitch, and installation was easy. Some minor adjustments with the cam over lugs, and setting the hitch posts into the adapter. Overall very easy set up. Looks good, and can be taken apart in pieces, for ease of removal and installation, after set up. Ordering was simple and all parts came in about a week.
Shipping was fast and installation was easy.
Customer service was excellent
The Demco Recon 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider – Single Jaw – Chevrolet/GMC Prep Package – 21K (#DM97YV) is a fantastic addition for my Chevy! It fits perfectly into the Chevy puck system, latches securely, and unhooks with ease. I love how quietly it pulls—no annoying rattles or noise. It’s definitely heavy, so plan for a two-person lift, but the quality and performance make it well worth it. Highly recommend for anyone needing a reliable 5th wheel hitch!
Parts arrived for the DM 8550043, received only the hitch base plate and adjustable shaft for the hitch head. Have been told that the hitch head is shipped separately. Now have a problem with the hitch plate fitting the bed rails. The holes for the pin that secures the hitch plate to the rails are to close to the bottom of the hitch plate photos are given of the problem a pencil was used for reference. There is NO WAY the pin will go through the rail and hitch plate. Waiting on a solution from etrailer. The hole that you can barely see the pencil is tailgate rails pin fits fine.
This hitch with the Airbourne Sidewinder worked great with the 2018 Ram 2500 Mega cab short bed with Ram boxes. Can maneuver a 90 degree turn without issue. Still have to get trailer lifted higher to get the trailer nose lowered, but for the complicated research we had on the right combo, this is tested and verified
Already pulled the rv with it. I like the design. Literally ripped open the box and put it together in a matter of minutes. The three pieces come apart fast lightening it up to remove it from the bed
Fit was spot on, built in USA a big plus, handles smoothly.
I like it’s design and how it sits in the bed. It seems to want to rotate some while pulling. I see some reviews that other people are having this problem also. Some have put a bolt down through the base into the truck bed. I haven’t wanted to do that as of yet. Otherwise I like the hitch.
This was a perfect fit into my 2500 Ram. It was delivered in perfect condition. I had a hard time finding the correct torque for some of the Bolts, for example the Bolts for attaching the Ram puk system to the hitch frame. It all worked out well. It took me one hour to put it together and install it in my Ram.
I had a Demco Recon 5th Wheel Hitch in the past I liked how easy it was to operate and the get in and out of the truck bed. I also like how compacted it is compared to most of the other brands. Go with what you know works for you.
The truck that got the install is a 2002 Ford F350 Super Duty 7.3 L Diesel dually. The Demco Recon 5th wheel hitch (DM8550043) looks like a well made, heavy duty hitch. All the welds are precise and well done. I like the single wrap around jaw with the real thick bar that backs that up. The handle that pulls out to unlock the jaw moves with ease and locks in the out position when the jaw opens. When the king pin comes in contact with the back of jaw, the jaw wraps around the king pin, the handle closes, you put in the safety pin and your ready to go RVing. I chose the Husky Custom Rails and installation kit (HT31405-686) for my install. The reason I chose these rails over the ones that etrailer had matched up for the hitch is, I had previously installed a set of Airlift Airbags and I didn't want the rail install to interfere with the airbags. It was a good choice, there was no interference at all. If I had not had the bags, I would have chose the rails and install kit that require no drilling. Drilling the holes went very fast and easy, it was torking the rear bolts down that was very difficult. There was not enough room to get a wrench of any kind around the nut. I wound up using a set of vise grips on the nut while a friend of mine torked the bolt slowly from above.
All and all I'm happy with the product and I'll give another review in a year.
I did have a problem the first time using the hitch with it unexpectedly sliding rearward and bending the locking pins. Kudos to Michael with Demco products for sending a replacement part and no issues since.
Purchased for my 2021 Ford F-250. Arrived 3 days ahead of schedule with excellent communication. Was professionally delivered in 1 shipment on 1 pallet in perfect condition.
Great instructions. Is easy to install for the mechanically minded. Will take a novice longer but they will have no issues if they follow the instructions. All I needed was a 3/4" wrench/socket, a 1 1/8" wrench, and a torque wrench. Puck handles were on upside down from factory but didn't matter you will need to take them off in step 1 to add or remove washers for the perfect fit on your OEM puck setup. Excited to hook up and start using it!
Putting the OEM package together for the puck system was very easy. All components look and move as they should. So far so good! Thanks etrailer.com
Very satisfied with this product! A bolt on Teflon plate would be awesome instead of the round disks that wear out and become hard to keep in place during the hitching process.
I'm not real impressed with this hitch i had the trailer lifted bought taller tires and wheels and have all adjustments at lowest settings and still not level
Good quality hitch, light weight, easy to slide . Got about 1500 miles pulling 17000lb trailer with no problems
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