To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Tight spots and sharp turns are no problem with this hitch’s 14" front-to-back manual slider. That extra clearance helps prevent your trailer from contacting the cab during slow-speed turns, so you can back into tough campsites or parking areas without stress. The slider action is straightforward and reliable—just what you want when space gets tight.
Built for heavy-duty hauling, this hitch is rated for 21,000 lbs gross towing weight and a 4,000 lbs vertical load limit. The sturdy steel construction and rust-resistant black powder coat finish give it the backbone needed for serious long-haul towing. It feels solid and secure under load, letting you tow large 5th wheels with confidence trip after trip.
The wraparound, single-piece jaw provides full 360-degree contact to the king pin for a tight, rattle-free hold. A 3/4" thick solid steel locking bar reinforces that connection, automatically latching when the jaw closes. It’s a simple design that keeps noise down and minimizes chucking while adding an extra layer of security once you’re coupled up.
The double-pivot hitch head moves both front-to-back and side-to-side, helping your trailer track smoothly over uneven ground. Cushioning polyurethane bumpers absorb road shock and cut noise for a quieter ride that feels more controlled behind the wheel. It makes long miles less tiring and keeps everything steady across different driving conditions.
Getting your trailer level is easy with three height settings at 18-3/8", 19-5/8", and 20-7/8". The pivot arm adjustment helps fine-tune bed rail clearance so you can dial in the setup that fits your rig best. Once locked in place, the hitch stays planted thanks to the underbed mounting kit that keeps everything tight and aligned for every haul.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today we're going to take a look at the Underbed Rail and Installation Kit for the Demco Hijacker UMS Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck trailer hitches. This is a custom-fit part that is designed to fit the 2013 and newer Dodge Ram and Ram 3500 Series truck with either the six-foot bed or the eight-foot bed without the factory rail kit. Now on a custom-fit part I always like to recommend to go to our website, use our fit guide. Put in your year and model vehicle and it'll show you if this will work for your application. Now this complete installation kit is designed for use with the Demco Hijacker UMS Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck trailer hitches. These underbed rails right here will allow for complete access to your truck bed when your hitch is removed.
The rails are not exposed. It does have the four mounting holes right here you have that sit flush with your truck bed, and then when you drill the holes in your truck bed to access these. They do have those plastic caps which are included that would screw in to protect those holes, and keep any dirt and grime from dropping into the holes in the rails right here. Now this is a vehicle-specific design. It reduces installation time and requires less drilling than your universal systems. The no-drill brackets right here will bolt on to the outside of your truck's frame rails and the cross members sit across the top of your frame rails beneath the truck bed and attach to these no-drill brackets.
All these parts are sturdy steel construction with a nice black powder coat finish to help resist corrosion. Rails and all the installation hardware in here is all included, and a nice set of detailed instructions that describe how to install it with pictures. These parts are made in the USA, and that should do it for the review on the Underbed Rail and Installation Kit for Demco Hijacker UMS Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck trailer hitches.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Hitch looks great and functions great as well. Installation could’ve been smoother due to the installation instruction measurements being slightly off. Look at finding hole caps that are 3” instead of two and drilling the larger hole.
Good quality hitch, light weight, easy to slide . Got about 1500 miles pulling 17000lb trailer with no problems
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