Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Ford Super Duty Prep Package - 18K
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2018 Ram 3500
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2018 Ram 3500
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This hitch takes the hassle out of short-bed turns. The built-in rack-and-pinion gear system automatically slides the head back 14" when you turn, giving you safe cab clearance without ever leaving your seat. As you straighten out, it smoothly glides forward again. There’s no lever to pull, no hopping in and out of the cab—just controlled movement that keeps your trailer tracking cleanly through tight turns and campsites.
The wraparound single-piece jaw completely surrounds the king pin for full 360-degree contact. That tight fit cuts down on rattle and chucking so the ride feels solid mile after mile. A 3/4" thick steel locking bar adds another layer of security by reinforcing the connection once the jaw closes. It’s a heavy-duty setup that holds your trailer steady and quiet, even on rough roads.
With a gross towing weight rating of 18,000 lbs and a vertical load limit of 4,500 lbs, this hitch is ready for big fifth wheels and long hauls. The sturdy steel build and rust-resistant black powder coat give it the strength to handle serious weight while standing up to years of use. The solid feel under load gives you confidence every time you hook up.
The rail-free design drops straight into the underbed mounts using the four receiver pucks, locking securely with turn handles and safety pins. When you want your bed back, release the pins and lift it out—no adapters needed. Three hitch height settings—15-1/2", 16-3/4", and 18-1/4"—let you dial in your trailer fit for proper bed rail clearance without extra parts or guesswork.
The double-pivot head moves front to back and side to side so you can hitch up easily on uneven ground, while cushioning dampeners absorb road shock and noise. The result is smoother towing with less jarring through bumps or dips. It’s a noticeable difference that makes long drives easier on both truck and trailer.
Alternate Instructions
Customer Satisfaction Score:
99% were satisfied with this product
1% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
This hitch has been great for me. It took away the fear of my RV coming into contact with the cab of my truck. It installs quickly and easily into the puck system in the bed of my truck. It has work flawlessly in my first year of ownership. I always buy American whenever I can, and this hitch met all of my needs.
Excellent slider, very heavy duty. Once initial set up completed, it comes out and reinstalls fairly easily. The lifting bracket from Demco is a must buy. I would totally recommend using either a hydraulic jack that is used to carry engines or a tractor with forks to get it in and out as it is really heavy! Would purchase again.
David R.
6/27/2020
My initial like for this hitch has fallen. If you have a short bed truck, then this is still probably the one to buy, BUT I have had some issues that I wish I had known about. For what it is supposed to do in terms of towing and turning sharp radiuses, it works great. In terms of hooking up the trailer, not so great. If you have a straight in and out then there is no problem. The really big problem is if you have to hitch and unhitch when the truck is not straight to the camper. You have to be within a few degrees of hitching and unhitching for it to lock correctly. The head of the hitch is stiff enough that it won’t turn any unless the whole weight of the camper is turning it. I’ve had a few times at a campground where I had to unhook my truck at a angle, and it has taken me over an hour to get the camper hooked back up. This has been very embarrassing at times to the point where many other campers with 5th wheel hitches have come out to help me get hitched up. The last time was the last straw. My wife in kids where out in the 90 degree heat for 1.5 hours getting it hitched. I’m done. I’m selling the camper, and I will soon have my hitch for sale. .
Nice concept but with my pin box I needed an adapter so the hitch would slide on turns . BUT hard to keep it aligned to hook up. Also always have a hard time unpinning buy myself most times I need two people to Un hook . Tried lube didn’t help. etrailer didn’t have any answers for three weeks But they wanted me to review the hitch Thanks etrailer for the sale but not for the tech support.
Jenny N.
6/14/2023
It looks like from your next order that you have the Lippert Rhino pin box on your camper. I wanted to ask you some questions about when you are unhooking your camper. Does it seem like the capture plates are the issue? I do know that that it is crucial to have the capture plates just one sixteenth of an inch on each side of the pin box for a total of one eighth wider than the width of the pin box. Or is the pin box not unhooking from the hitch head properly?
Gil
6/21/2023
It seems like it not unlocking fully if we pull the handle another inch it slides off.. I lube the clamp helped a little.. if I leave the box on the capture plate seems to help.. The other issue is the chugging in the head is there a way to adjust?..
Jenny N.
6/21/2023
I reached out to Demco and have some suggestions that will be helpful. Once the trailer is hooked up take a piece of white tape or colored tape and place a piece of the tape at the very front [cab side] of the top of the hitch head in the center. Then place another piece of tape on the pin box itself on the front [or top] in the center of the pin box. Line up the two pieces of tape as you back up and it will help with alignment for coupling. When it comes to uncoupling, it sounded like the trailer is being lifted too high. If it is lifted too high then it will cause the flange on the bottom of the king pin to hook the bottom side of the hitch jaws and causes binding when unhooking. You will also need to place the safety pin in the second hole of the jaw release arm to hold the jaws open. You will also not want to hesitate when pulling out. Any hesitation when driving out will cause the jaws to want to re-close. Placing the safety pin in the second hole of the release arm, will prevent the jaws from wanting to re-close. They were not quite sure what you meant by chugging. There will be very slight bit of movement that occurs with the king pin and the jaws of the hitch. A couple of other things to check, make sure the capture plates on the top of the Demco hitch head are set properly within one sixteenth of an inch on each side of the capture plate.
This product is great for short-bed trucks since it takes the work of sliding the hitch back when backing or cutting a sharp corner. It is a bit clunky in its operation. When you pull forward straight there is no issue, but if you are at a corner and begin to pull with the truck at an angle, there is a resounding clunk as the hitch takes hold. I tried adjusting the forward stop and the capture bars and nothing helps. In order to avoid this clunk, like something lose in the hitch, I pull straight then begin my turn and there isn't the resounding clunk. I am using the Demco capture bars DM6171
Seth C.
1/15/2022
After almost two-year of use, Im glad that I chose the Demco Auto Slider. The clunk is still there and I just got used to driving with the clunk and jerk, but its still better than having to get out of the truck to unlock the slider when backing or making severe turns. This is a set-it and forget-it operation. As it turns out, my trailer is designed with a forward setting king pin, so I probably didnt need a Demco, but thats not how all trailers are designed.
Still love this hitch.
Very heavy duty. Extreme confidence in this unit. Hitching is a bit difficult sometimes but worth it. Need to be close to straight on and height is important. I'm confident that the jaws are locked and I'm confident that camper will not hit cab when turning. I can go 90 degrees without a worry. A couple of embarrassing moments a couple of times when hitching but I'll never see those people again. Compared to other hitches I've seen, this is one heavy duty [piece] and I'm glad I bought it.
Neil
7/13/2022
Still love this hitch. Hitching is now seamless. Practice makes perfect.
Ok... The darn thing weighs a ton! but that was outlined in their info... Just want to make that known. It took three of us to put in the base minus the "head". That was work !! As for the unit, it does as advertised. It swivels when turning and moves aft providing plenty of cab clearance. Don't expect to do a 90 degree turn however, but for normal situations it works fine. One thing I'd love to see is an "adjustment" to move (slide) the "head" a little more rearward when connecting. I only have about 6" of clearance with the gate down so I have to be nearly perfectly aligned to make the hookup. Speaking of which, hooking up can be a challenge. The clamps must have some "slack" and not be too tight against the pin box or alignment becomes a real issue. Also, if you aren't aligned with the trailer when disconnecting you'll need to have that same "off alignment" position when reconnecting as the "head" cannot be moved at all by hand. This can make for having to loosen the clamps, make the hook up, straighten the truck with the trailer and then have to re tighten the clamps. All in all, the unit is as expected and does provide movement aft and forward as you turn. Makes parking in that tight spot a bit less nerve racking...
As for Customer Support Demco is spot on!! I had a couple of set up issues. One call cleared the misunderstanding on my end and the install went fine after that. On a second call, they also explained how to set up the clamps to better help with the above mentioned issues. But the nature of the design does not allow much leeway. Enjoy!!!
Vince B.
2/15/2021
The overall rating Id give is 4.5 stars!! The issues Im having have been noted in many other reviews. Its Heavy !! Noted.. Its hard to align especially if you had to be off center when you parked. Now, as noted, you must be off-center to connect or loosen the clamps, connect, re-align truck to trailer and retighten the clamps. Gets to be a pain, but necessary if your way off center. Also, it does bang a lot when moving out from a stop which tends to be a bit startling if your not ready. As for the swiveling function, its perfect!! You can really maneuver the trailer basically as needed to get into those tight spots. Just be sure to watch out for anything really close to a 90 degree turn. That it wont do, but you shouldnt be doing that anyway!! Over all, as advertised it does the job! Also, hats off to Demco Cust Service. They ae there when you need them !! And a Big Thanks to etrailer always a great place to shop and they also provide top-notch after purchase support.
I have a 2016 F250 short bed and this is perfect. I installed the puck system under the bed(etrailer) using the dimples from the factory as guides. The 5th wheel assembly was easy to follow if you don’t get into a hurry(like me) Three height settings. Mine is set low because of the 4 wheel drive. The four pins at the corner fit into the puck system like it was made for it.(etrailer) Everything came together well and I can make a tight 90 degree turn without having to worry about damaging my stuff. That would be bad!
Just 4 cotter pins, a quarter turn of the locking levers, and with help, lift the 5th wheel out of the bed for a flat floor in your bed again. Easy Peasy.
Jeff S.
2/27/2021
Demco auto slide 18k is a heavy fifth wheel plate considering all the mechanics involved. About 300lbs plus the capture plate because of MorRyde system. But I really like the ride MorRyde gives me so that’s the trade off. The Demco auto slide worked without issues as did the puck system I installed. All came from etrailer and I am happy with them completely.
Highly recommend excellent customer service and support quality product
Great customer service. Great people to deal with. Very helpful.
Loved the product and used it immediately to tow my toy hauler for 2000 miles. The unit performed perfectly as described and I couldn’t be any happier. The package was foam protected and delivered in great condition. I would highly recommend it.
This was an easy install. Great hitch! The hitch arrived a few days before it was suppose to originally show up. I will definitely be purchasing again with etrailer in the future!
Works great except one issue I don’t like if you come to a stop on a little incline when you take off and turning at same sine you get a quick movement and a bang, I contacted Demco and adjusted as per their specifications and it still does it. When you make a turn to right or left there is a sudden movement then a gradual movement after that , not happy about that part other than that I love the hitch
We have only used it once so far. I use this set up to get it to the tail gate, and then the pickup truck crane to get it out.
Absolutely love thus hitch. No slack in the hitch at all pulls great and no more worries about hitting my cab. Great hitch!
Just what the doctor ordered
1st trip in the books and it performed flawlessly!
It preforms as described.
For me it was difficult to get the base correctly set up so the hitch would easily remove out of the trunk bed then reinstall. I actually had to assemble the hitch in the trunk to get all of the parts to correctly align.
My concern is what would happen if the hitch is rotated beyond the gears. The trailer can rotate beyond the limitation of the gears. The picture shows the hitch at full rotation but as you can see the trunk could still rotate farther without contact to the cab.
I have a 2017 Ford F-250 (Crew Cab, short box), and a 40’ 14,000lb 5th wheel. I’ve owned this Demco Autoslide for 1 year, and I absolutely love it. I purchased a 5th wheel for the maneuverability, but my expectations were blown away with this Autoslide. I also have the Extang Xceed hard tonneau cover, and when folded up (laying flat on the panel closest to the cab) I can maneuver however I want without removing the tonneau. If im going to make a really sharp turn on uneven ground I’ll stop and flip my tonneau all the way up, but very rarely do I have to do that. Also removal & install of this hitch is about as easy as removing & installing a 5th wheel hitch can possibly be. I use a rope, pulley, & my side by side. Highly recommend this Demco hitch.
I INSTALLED THE DEMCO HIJACKER AUTOSLIDE FITH WHEEL HITCH IN MY 17 F250 WITH THE FACTORY PREP PACKAGE. THE HITCH FIT PERFECTLY INTO THE FACTORY PUCK SYSTEM. DID NEED A FRIENDS HELP DO TO THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIT. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE OPERTION OF THE AUTOSLIDE AND THE FACT THAT I DON'T REALLY HAVE TO WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT THE TRAILER CONTACTING THE CAB OF TRUCK SINCE I HAVE A 6 FOOT BED. THIS IS THE FIRST FIFTH WHEEL HITCH I HAVE EVER USED BUT WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT HAS A TRUCK WITH A SHORT BED. ONLY 4 STARS BECAUSE OF THE LEARNING CURVE OF HITCHING UP AND THE THING IS PRETTY HEAVY. ONCE I LEARNED THAT THE HITCH AND THE TRUCK HAVE TO BE PRETTY STRAIGHT IN LINE DUE TO THE CAPTURE PLATES HITCHING UP HAS BECOME A NONE ISSUE. I DID PURCHASE AN ENGINE HOIST SO THAT I CAN REMOVE THE HITCH FROM THE BED OF MY TRUCK BY MYSELF IF I NEED TO, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT JUST STAYS MOUNTED. I ALSO LOVE THE FACT THAT IT HAS A HIGHT ADJUSTMENT WHICH ALLOWED IT TO STILL FIT UNDER MY BEDS TONNEAU. OVERALL VERY SATISFIELD WITH PURCHASE
Well built fifth wheel hitch. Haven't got a chance to tow our new Montana High Country 295RL. But I know a guy that has towed his fifth wheel with this same hitch. I'm sure this 18K hitch will be excellent! Or I wouldn't have bought it. I recommend e trailer for everything.
Vance
5/11/2023
Fantastic..no issues with the Demco Autoslide. It works like it should. No disappointments here!
The Demco Auto slide takes the worry out of towing my fifth wheel trailer with a short bed F-350. I have had no problems with backing into tight camping spots. And since everything is automatic I have one less thing to worry about while traveling with a fifth wheel.
The only problem is that it is a little on the heavy side, so I just leave it in the truck when not towing. Problem solved.
I am extremely happy with the product.
Victoria B.
10/7/2019
For anyone else wondering how to use a MOR/ryde pin box with their Demco Hijacker Autoslide, you can use the Locking Plate # DM6025.
Helpful Links
Raymond F.
9/27/2020
After over a year of towing with the Demco Auto slide I am very happy with its performance. Never a worry about tight turns with a short bed truck.
Item works exactly as described. I have a shortbed (6.5') Ford F350. Probably towed our 5th wheeler 5000+ miles with no problem. Then last year it happened! We were making a sharp turn in an uneven lot and POW, the 5vr hit the rear window and it exploded. After that I became gun shy about turning with the 5vr attached so I started looking at sliding hitches. A slider that you had to get out and unlatch to make work, didn't make sense to me. At what point do you get out? So, an auto slider hitch was purchased. Now when I get to a certain degree turn the auto-slide hitch moves back in its carriage and then auto-slides to the normal location once straightened out. Not gun shy anymore.
Pro:
Well packaged
Well made
Easy install
It WORKS.
Cons:
Price
Very heavy
Some clunking after it straightens out from a turn
Bugs B.
7/23/2021
The hitch still works as described. Have not broken another rear window since installing it. I have learned that when unhooking from 5vr I have to take a pry bar to straighten out the hitch back to straight for rehooking. The only thing I do not like is the serious clunking that seems to occur when making some turns, then accelerating and the hitch straitening out. Thats the only real complaint I have. Since installation of the Demco I do not worry about making sharp turns!
Very happy with my Demco Autoslide hitch after one year. We pull a Montana 3120 35 ft 5th wheel with a 2019 Ford F-350 short bed. Took a month long 6,000 mile trip from Colorado to New England/Canada this Summer. Lots of hilly/curvy roads and some remote campgrounds with tight corners and some near 80 degree back ins. Never came close to trailer contacting the truck. I’ve had no jerking or other issues when turning or stoping/starting. Works great. The only drawback is there isn’t much room for error when you back up to hook up the trailer, so it takes a little practice to get used to correctly lining up your Demco Hitch to the trailer. The first couple of trips, it took me 3 or 4 attempts to properly line it up. No longer an issue for me after a few trips and you get used to the angles. It weighs about 300 pounds. I got a small chain hoist which I installed in my garage rafters and easily lift the hitch in and out of my truck and just let it hang front he rafters until I need to use it.
Victoria B.
10/2/2019
One thing to consider - there are a lot of small springs and levers working inside the hitch head to work the king pin jaws. While this 5th wheel hitch is certainly robust and designed to take a beating from your 5th wheel when towing, it wasnt designed to support its own weight for extended periods of time.
John T.
9/23/2020
Now been two years and have about 15,000 miles on my Demco Autoslide Hitch. Still works terrific with my 35 ft Montana on the F350 truck. Never a problem traveling or hitching up.
Heavy as hell. Shims should be in smaller increments. Took a sledge hammer to get pins to finally seat in pucks and to close the locking handles. Took apart and back together 5 times to get it right. Not enough play in the system in my opinion but I have zero experience with OEM 5th wheel prep stuff so who knows. Ultimately in the end it's installed and feels tight. Backing 90 degrees i didn't see and slide but maybe it knows what it needs to do better than I do.
The product showed up in perfect condition. Followed the instructions and install was pretty smooth. I had access to a forklift so I was able to do the install by myself. Just be aware that it’s a freight shipped item so the estimated arrival time is wrong. It will take longer than what the website tells you at checkout. But the customer service reps were helpful in explaining the process when I inquired as to where my package was.
Brooke M.
6/4/2025
That's awesome you had a forklift to use - that's one of the hardest parts of install--just getting it into the truck bed, haha! Glad we were able to keep you informed about the whereabouts, too. Have you been able to use it since install?
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Chris M.
8/13/2021
My hitch is still working great. I thought I would discuss how I install and remove it from my truck. Since this hitch weighs around 280 pounds, I use the Demco lifting bracket along with a clevis and strap to attach to the forks of my compact tractor. When I remove the hitch, I place it on a rolling pallet in my shop, and store it out of the way.