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This hitch takes care of one of the toughest parts of towing a fifth wheel with a short bed—tight turns. The built-in rack-and-pinion slider automatically moves the head up to 14" toward the tailgate when you turn, then glides back toward the cab as you straighten out. There’s no getting out to pull levers or reset anything—it just works every time you make a slow-speed maneuver. The motion is smooth and controlled, so backing into campsites or tight parking areas feels easy and predictable.
The single-piece wraparound jaw fully surrounds the king pin for true 360-degree contact, cutting down on rattle and movement between truck and trailer. A 3/4" thick solid steel locking bar reinforces the connection, automatically engaging when the jaw closes. Together they create a tight, quiet link that stays secure mile after mile, even on rough stretches of road.
The double-pivot head flexes both front to back and side to side, making it easier to line up and connect on uneven ground. Once you’re rolling, three polyurethane dampeners absorb shock and reduce noise so the ride feels smoother and more stable. The head automatically tilts into position as your pin box makes contact, helping the trailer settle into place without fighting it.
Installing this hitch is simple—just drop the included rail adapter into your factory puck receivers and pin the pre-assembled base in place. Bolt on the side plates, set your height (16-1/2", 17-3/4", or 19-1/4"), attach the head, and you’re ready to tow. The sturdy steel construction with rust-resistant black powder coat finish means it’ll stay solid and look good through years of towing duty.
With a gross towing weight rating of 18,000 lbs and a vertical load limit of 4,500 lbs, this hitch is made for serious fifth wheels. The heavy-duty steel build gives it the strength to handle big trailers confidently, while still offering controlled movement through its automatic slider system. It’s a strong, reliable setup built for long hauls and demanding trips.
This fifth-wheel trailer hitch is not compatible with Sidewinder or Revolution king pins. Do not use any device that changes the pivot point of your trailer's king pin with this hitch.
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
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.
Demco fifth wheel hitch purchase and installation pictures.
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.
Great product well built fit perfectly made my slider hitch install a breeze
Install was easy, product is as advertised and seems pretty beefy. Only Issue is the Wing Nut to lock it is a weak metal. There appears to be a bit of overspray or extra material making it difficult to get the screw in. My Wing nut sheared off when trying to get it locked down. Luckily I had a Steel Machine Screw with the same dimensions that I used in the second hole.
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.
Dropped right in and fit great. Very easy to install. Installed to hold my 16k Pullrite Superglide in my factory 5th wheel prepped 2018 GMC Sierra 2500.
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.
Fits perfect in my 2019 Silverado 3500hd. The bottom rear feet are not pins. They are flat that you adjust with a supplied Alan wrench. Pin the middle and adjust the feet to keep from rocking back and forth. Side to side. Fits my Reese 16k hitch nicely.
The demco hitch adapter arrived earlier than expected. Packaging was crap but it fit perfect and was real easy. I did sand & repaint the entire assembly. I also put on the new decals you sent me. (Thank you). When I need additional stuff you will be the company I contact
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.
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.
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.
etrailer kept me informed as to the delivery status of my order and I was very please to receive the Demco adapter base for my 2018 GMC 2500HD a week early! The install was simple.
My only issue was the rear Demco product leveling studs that rest on the truck bed pucks were not the same thickness and that caused me some install delays. (See Photo.) etrailer, please let Demco know of this issue so they can improve.
Once I saw this I worked around the issue. Otherwise very well built product that saved me from having to buy a new 5th wheel hitch when I bought the new truck.
I needed an adapter plate if i was going to utilize my old Reese sliding fifth wheel hitch.
It arrived in very short time . I was skeptical it would be able to securely be able to do the job. 1200 miles later i was home again. It worked great. I currently have it for sale as i have purchased a newer truck and the hitch or plate are compatible.
Great product though.
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 .
I needed a little help moving the item. It weighs about 200lbs. Very easy installation. Took about 30 minutes. Put my 5th wheel hitch onto the product and pinned it down. Great item!!
Gave my review elsewhere, but didn’t see a place to add pics. This is adapter was a perfect fit to my 2019 Chevy 2500HD 6-1/2’ bed truck, and allowed use of my Reese Pro Series 16K fixed hitch. It’ll work great towing my 10,000 lb. camper. The only thing to pay attention to is that the thumbscrew used to lock the lever in place after the adapter is installed, is ONLY a THUMB screw. I attempted to give it a final snug with a tool and it snapped right off.
Very well built. Will need some sort of hoist to place in the truck bed. Need to verify your minimum hitch height as this one will only go down to 16 1/2”.
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John
7/17/2023
Still working great!