Product Specs:
Fifth Wheel Hitch
Sliding Fifth Wheel
Aftermarket Below Bed Rails
14 Inch Fore/Aft Travel
15-1/4 - 18 Inch Tall
Premium - Single-Hook Jaw
5250 lbs Vertical Load
21000 lbs GTW
Double Pivot
Demco
This hitch slides automatically as you drive to give you 14" of additional clearance for tight turns. A wraparound jaw provides a smooth ride and a locking bar offers added security. Pivoting head allows easy hook up and helps to limit chucking.
Video of Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Above Bed - 21,000 lbs
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (493 Customer Reviews)
This hitch slides automatically as you drive to give you 14" of additional clearance for tight turns. A wraparound jaw provides a smooth ride and a locking bar offers added security. Pivoting head allows easy hook up and helps to limit chucking.
I wish the place I bought my camper would have recommended this from the start. Makes owning a 5th wheel so much easier!
Darrel - 01/17/2023Best 5th wheel hitch ever for a RAM 3500 mega cab.
No issues with the RV coming close to the back of the cab or back glass.
I would recommend this hitch to anyone searching for a 5th wheel hitch for a Ram mega cab, I wish I knew about it when I first purchased my Ram mega cab, I learned the hard way, after busting out my back glass...and trying several hitches. This hitch is truly an autoslide. I have showed several short bed guys this hitch and told them the cost of the 5th wheel hitch is worth it.... It is top of the line. This will be the last 5th wheel hitch I will ever need to purchase.
This review is for the Demco Autoslide 21k and accompanying OEM rail adaptor I purchased for a 2020 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW. I've owned it one year. Overall, the hitch performs as I expected. It is high quality, very sturdy and seems like it will last for a long time. I had it installed at the dealer when I purchased the truck. It automatically slides to protect the cab in my 6'4" bed without any incidents. I tow a standard fifth wheel RV. There are a few negatives, which are not necessarily shortcoming of the product but, instead, necessary evils to allow me to have a short bed. First, it is BIG and BULKY. I believe this is just a function of the mechanism required to allow the autosliding feature and I am not really sure there are any other lighter alternatives with this feature. The fact it requires two parts (OEM Puck Rail and hitch), make it even more bulky. It takes up almost the entire bed and prevents most auxillary tank / tool box combos from fitting. Even standard size storage bins will not fit in my bed. I would prefer if they had a custom OEM all-in-one hitch for my truck like they do for the Ford. It adds significant weight, which decreases carrying capacity, which can be at a premium in hauling a heavy fifth wheel. I've never even tried to take it out of the bed due to the weight and difficulty. I also am not very happy with the adjustable catch plate design. It requires significant manipulation loosening and tightening 8 nuts when hitching and unhitching. This requires a step ladder to reach the nuts. I also found out after the fact that it does not come with the right size catch plate attachments for my hitch and I had to purchase a separate part, which added unexpected expense and delayed my taking the RV on its first trip. Overall, I am satisfied with the hitch.
Really like this hitch. Two things I don't like however, are 1) you need to backup almost perfectly the way you unhooked or it's a bear to hitch backup. 2) I don't like the bolts for the pinbox. Wish there was a quicker alternative. Hate getting a wrench out to tighten and losen.
We received the hitch in great shape. The boxes were in very good shape. The only problem was a missing polyurethane dampener that was’t included. I called and received great service from etrailer. I have had a demco autoslide for several years but it was an 18000 pound hitch and went to a 21000 pound hitch. They are the best hitch for a shortened truck on the market
The hitch and adaptor arrived in three days. Everything went together fairly easy considering I had just torn my rotator cuff a week earlier and my helper never showed up. Definitely would have been easier with two people. Had planned a trip next week to Yellowstone National Park but will have to wait until after surgery. Will do a follow up review after I am able to see how well auto slide works. Great customer service!
This is an initial impression review. The hitch was delivered on a pallet and arrived earlier than expected. Everything was well packaged with all associated hardware. This hitch was mounted on Reese Quick-Install Custom Outboard Installation Kit w/ Base Rails for 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches ( in the bed of a 2007 Dodge Mega Cab 3500. Overall it appears to be well constructed, unfortunately, I did have issues with bolting the hitch adapters to the hitch. The hardware is either grade 3 or 5 (looks like 5) and did not torque well. I had one bolt that stretched and sheared before I reached the torque spec (photo attached). I'm not sure if this was designed to use the weaker hardware or a business decision, however, all eight bolts were replaced with grade 8. I do look forward to utilizing this hitch in a few months. I would at photos, however it appears that I can't.
This is a quality piece of equipment. I can't wait to use it. The installation directions were complete and easy to follow. Looks fantastic.
Pretty pathetic service from etrailer. Order place on Aug 25th with ETA of the following Friday (1o days). But nope, I wait. It finally (and supposedly ships) on Sept 7th (13 days later). On Sept 14th I received a confirmation that my items were delivered, but nope. Not to my house anyway. Avoid these folks if you want something to arrive when they say it will arrive.
Brooke M - 09/23/2021Very well made easy to install with another person would buy again
Great hitch. No capture plate to deal with, you can hook up to any 5th wheel. No more greasy pin box. No more watching the mirror wondering if your going to hit and damage the cab of your truck. Works perfectly. Built solid, though I did purchase the 21K for a 15K 5th wheel. Easy to lube. The only drawback I had was that it sat just a little bit high in the truck even on the lowest mounting holes. If you are thinking of purchasing this you may want to take some measurements first. I have an 08' F350 SD with air springs so it does set high. Before I bought it I called the factory (easy to reach and eager to help) and asked them, among other things," if the hitch broke, could I easily get parts for it?" They replied that if you need parts we will get them to you wherever you are. Overall I think this is the best hitch on the market.
Joe W - 10/26/2018Works great except life would be so much simpler if they had a hole drilled on each side to remove the lock pins that are below it in the mounting plate to be able to remove the unit from the truck.
Jon G - 07/30/2021thanks to Greg S. he helped me a lot in choosing and answering all my questions
One year down and no problems. Continues to do work.
This sliding hitch is great. I have no worries about my fifth wheel crushing my truck cab. It's the real deal.
Worked good but a lot of adjustments. They sent the wrong capture plates. Demco customer support was great.
Sierra K - 09/01/2021It works really well. It is really nice not to worry about the 5th wheel trailer clearance when making tight turns. We pulled the rig several hundred miles last summer and at least 3000 more since January with no issues.
Also I used the height adjustment feature when setting up my trailer.
When I received the shipment I was impressed by how well it was packed. It would have been nice to had had help, but I was able to assemble and mount it myself. The instructions were good, and as I said, we have had no issues during our first snowbird season.
I had trouble with this hitch at first. I could not get it to close and latch properly when I backed into the king pin. I worked with tech services and ended up replacing the inner pivot parts and I have really not had any issues since. Because I have to have the locking plate for my pin box, you do have to line up the truck just right for it to latch properly, but once you figure that out, it is easy. The auto slide feature works really good. I have a short bed RAM truck and I have completely turned 90 degrees with my trailer attached and it slides back with no issues to miss my cab. I highly recommend this hitch. Also the Demco Tech Services guys are great to work with.
Purchased a heavier 5th wheel so this one replaced my pull rite. No more capture plate to deal with. Very happy with this hitch.
Good hitch. Heavy duty. Works as it s hould.
Great product. Haven’t had any issues. Towed roughly 5,000 miles with it.
If you have to have a slider this is the one to buy. I’ve now driven with it about 5000 miles..the only down side is that you have to hook and unhook with the truck perfectly straight in line with the trailer. But it does work perfectly as advertised.
Richard - 06/05/2019Very happy with the product. The only draw back is the weight. Can't be loaded/unloaded by one person.
A good cross-sell opportunity is to offer a tool for removal.
When I first got it, it didn't fit the truck. Support team was helpful and responsive. It seemed to be due to the bed spray. I was able to get it to mount perfectly by loosening a bolt under the truck, and then smoothing the edges of the locks in the rails.
Extremely well made product and as always arrived in perfect condition. Etrailer is my go to for all things trailer related and is the first place I look!! They have the best prices around and stand behind every sale which gives me confidence in every purchase. I love this hitch and look forward to many years of towing with it! Thank you again etrailer!!
great product i love it etrailer support was great. I had a question called the manufacture they have great service too. Best part is its MADE IN THE USA in Iowa.
Customers compare DM8550035 to these similar products
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Product Specs:
Fifth Wheel Hitch
Sliding Fifth Wheel
Aftermarket Below Bed Rails
12 Inch Fore/Aft Travel
17 - 19 Inch Tall
Standard - Double Jaw
5000 lbs Vertical Load
20000 lbs GTW
Double Pivot
B and W
The built-in slider on this sturdy 5th-wheel hitch helps eliminate clearance concerns during slow-speed turns. Dual jaws offer excellent jaw-to-king-pin contact. Hitch removes easily for full bed access.
Video of B&W Companion 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Dual Jaw - 20,000 lbs
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (2922 Customer Reviews)
The built-in slider on this sturdy 5th-wheel hitch helps eliminate clearance concerns during slow-speed turns. Dual jaws offer excellent jaw-to-king-pin contact. Hitch removes easily for full bed access.Really like this unit with the slide option. With the under the bed option it is also nice that I can remove it and have full bed access. The slide is great as maneuvering is improved significantly without worry of hitting your cab. Assembly is simple. It is heavy so be prepared when installing to have some help but can be handled pretty easily.
We bought a 30-foot 5th wheel that came with an Andersen Ultimate hitch. Tow vehicle is an F250 short bed. After setting up the rig with the Andersen, I wasn't satisfied with the clearances, both cab and bed. Since the turn-over ball was already installed, this hitch was perfect for going to the traditional 5th wheel hitch and it solved all of my clearance concerns.
We have owned this hitch for one year now and have towed our fifth wheel over 3000 miles with zero issues, B&W makes a great product at an affordable price and it is made in AMERICA.
What can I say about the hitch, it’s a B and W! They are known for rock solid products. But, what I do want to say is that the etrailers.com website, informational videos, and shipping details are top notch. There is no other site in this category that even compares!. if you have a question about a product there is a good chance that the answer is already on their website. Their videos are invaluable in helping you to decide which product you want to purchase when comparing. The installation videos have saved me thousands of dollars of not having to hire someone to do the job. The shipping information is the best I’ve seen. I love how it shows you all the details of your order from the time you placed it to the time you received it including the names and photos of the people at etrailer who put your order together. Combine the great prices with free shipping and etrailer.com is my go to source when I need something for my RV or truck.
This hitch is one fine piece of equipment. Instructions were perfectly detailed and if that's not enough there are videos to guide you. Installed in 4 hours with no problems. Haven't gone anywhere yet but did hook up to camper and was impressed. 2017 Ram 2500 Short Bed
Tim - 03/19/2019Extremely easy install. You will need a torque wrench that’ll go up to 110 ft/lbs. glad I did my research and went with the B&w gooseneck hitch in anticipation of getting this 5th wheel companion hitch at a later time.
Heavy duty construction, smooth sliding action, fits beautifully in my 2018 GMC.
This this is heavy and strong. The only thing that did not meet my expectation is the draw down bolt prevents the hitch from being removed by simply opening the gooseneck locking pin. But the drawdown bolt keeps this hitch quite in the bed and tight, no rattling when unloaded! Great product and customer support!
Tim - 01/17/2022Too heavy for one person to install unless you did what I had to do (alone without any help). Removed the bolt from the tailgate end of the roller tubes, pulled the tubes out and separated the upper assemble from the lower bed contact assembly. Doing that allowed me to lift each piece into the bed without tracking down a neighbor.
Well made piece of equipment.
Mike - 10/14/2022Awesome heavy duty.
Richard - 03/02/2023Hitch is exactly what we needed for our 40’ fifth wheel and our duramax truck. Highly recommend etrailer and working with Adam if you call in. He was awesome and I still remember how much he helped us and it was a year ago. Good service stands out.
Well built product. Great craftsmanship. Not cheap, but you know why when you see it. Safety is a must, not worth skipping out on a lower grade hitch
Works great. Love the slide feature. Let's me move the clack back so I can fuel up the generator without needing to unhook. Coach just floates behind truck with this hitch. Super simple to hookup and unhook as well.
Excellent experience all the way around! From customer service to sales all the way to will call. Product was easy to install and works excellent.
Was as described very heavy, I would have given 5 stars but after installing I tried to take up. Not gonna happen unless I have some kind of hoist.
Dennis A - 02/03/2020When I would call distasteful is slapping a label on the product and saying it shipped for three days. When the labeling on December 30th. And the hitch was not shipped or in the carriers position until January 3, 2022. And the carrier that was responsible for shipping it did not put a tracking number or activity on their website for at least three days. And when they did text Showed that it went to Chicago the opposite direction. And when it got to Sioux Falls they said their third party Carrier had to take this item. And I talk to the carrier that each trailer hired and they said we have to wait until we get enough stuff in the trailer before we can go that direction anymore. I asked them when that would be and they said they don't have a date until they start getting the trailer full, because we don't have much stuff it goes that direction in your small city ! So I made arrangements to meet them 60 miles from where we're at pick it up and bring it back where was supposed to be shipped in the first place. As far as the product it has not been put to use as of yet. This one star is for the service that was received. Very disappointing.
I've had this for a year now, and use it in a '17 F250 short bed. #1 it is heavy, #2 get the lifting ring that locks in the jaws for easier removal. This one fits in my Turnover ball hitch. I've not had to use the slide for maneuvering around turns. With the arms set towards the rear, I can go almost 90 degrees with my Puma. I have used the slide to make hooking up easier. For instance, with the slide to the rear, I can hook up without worrying about the tail gate being down. I can also open the front compartment on the camper all the way. Although I think I would have been OK with the non slide, I'm glad I went ahead and purchased this one. Only 4 stars because sometimes the slide handle doesn't automatically lock down when changing positions.
Excellent hitch. If your truck doesn't come with factory 5th wheel hitch prep, the combination of the turnover ball and this hitch works like a charm. Easy to connect to truck and disconnect. Towed for hundreds of miles. Highly recommend.
mary - 06/07/2021The new hitch arrived in good condition and packed well. I had it installed within 2 hours with no problems. I tend to gauge a good product, especially when made in the USA, by its appearance and weight, but I also noticed the welds and paint as something you can't get anywhere else but in the US. I look forward to using it and adding to my review.
Ralph D - 09/22/2021Just started 5th wheel camping and wanted a hitch that when removed left my truck box bare. I also talked to alot of people who talked about clunking and noise from their hitch while towing. I bought a 2013 32' Coachman which is pushing my 2009 F150 to its max. When pulling with this hitch it feels like the truck and trailer are one unit. No noise and no slop between the two units. I made a lifting pin that goes into the jaws and lifts it out with a comealong hooked to a rafter support in my garage. I then put it onto a wheel cart I made. No heavy lifting and one person can do it all. I've had one teflon foot fall of the hitch and the service was amazing no questions, no pictures, and no waiting. New piece was sent right away. Anyone who tows now and has looked at the hit are very impressed. I would definitly recomend this hitch to everyone.
dale f - 12/23/2019I've had this for about a year. Only have about 2,000 miles of use with a 13,000 lbs 5th wheel travel trailer.
It is still like new. Jaws are tight, no rattles with or without the trailer attached.
I use a nylon guide plate, to keep things clean.
The only issue is the slider will not unlatch from the locked position with the trailer attached.
Unlatch and slides fine when not loaded.
Just haven't made the time to talk to B&W about this.
The base is a heavy bugger, and fits snug in the receptical. I've lifted it in and out myself, but not a smart idea.
Overall I would buy again. For our use, where we need the whole bed the majority of time it is an easy solution.
Mike L - 02/27/2019 Tracey H - 04/05/2020The hitch works great and the slider has got me in and out of a couple of tight places that I have found myself in. The hitch is heavy and takes up a lot of real estate in my bed but I don’t think that’s a bad thing when pulling a 15k 40ft 5th wheel. Easy to operate and locks up tight and secure. Great product as expected.
Syd C - 03/14/2021Quality product....impressed with the workmanship of B&W. Can't wait to hook 'er up and use it. Shipping was slow but worth the wait.
I haven't used the products yet, but the B&W Companion 5th wheel hitch came on a pallet and was not damaged at all. It's in the truck and ready to go. Looks great!
Brett - 03/22/2021Customers compare BWRVK3400-5W to these similar products
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