Can I Hitch Up My 5th Wheel Trailer at a 90 Degree Angle?

Updated 02/16/2016 | Published 02/15/2016

Products Featured in This Question

Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Underbed - 18,000 lbs

(711)

$1995.00

Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Above Bed - 18,000 lbs

(711)

$1795.00

Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Above Bed - 21,000 lbs

(711)

$2173.00

Underbed Rail and Installation Kit for Demco UMS 5th Wheel and Gooseneck Trailer Hitches

(27)

$549.74

Demco Premier Series Above-Bed Base Rails and Semi-Custom Install Kit for 5th Wheel Hitches

$341.73

Question:

Can you hook up to a trailer on a 90 degree angle with a 30083 or with the 30084 slider resse hitch set to the back position

asked by: John

Expert Reply:

I would not recommend hooking up at a 90 degree angle for a couple of reasons.

The trailer is not designed to take the force of the truck contacting the pin box at that angle. It would be very dangerous and unstable and could topple the trailer over if something were to hit it too hard.

The front of the pin box has a curved lip to let the pin box ride up the hitch head. The side of the pin does not have that lip so everything would have to be extremely precise to make sure the flat lip of the pin box doesn't catch any part of the hitch, and you'll want to make sure you don't "high hitch". This term is used when the pin on the trailer is sitting on top of the closed jaws of the hitch in the truck.

Clearance could be another issue if your slider doesn't give you enough clearance for your trailer you could have contact with the cab, we recommend a distance of 4 inches to safely make 90 degree turns, below you will see our clearance formula.

(A + B) - C = Clearance
A = Distance from the center of fifth wheel jaws to the truck cab
B = Offset used like if you had a slider. Your extended pin box does not count since it pivots too.
C = Width of the nose of the trailer divided by 2.

If you are looking for a low hassle 5th wheel hitch I recommend the 18K Demco AutoSlide # DM8550034 with above the bed rails # DM8552001-71 for your 2007 Ford Super Duty. This hitch will allow you to make tight turns without having to worry about your trailer coming into contact with your bed all while in the comfort of your truck because this 5th wheel does all the adjusting on its own. The Demco AutoSlide will work so you won't have to, you won't have to get in and out of your bed to adjust from towing to turning again. If you wanted an underbed setup for the 18K the parts you would need are the # DM8550022 and with custom install kit # DM8551000. If you needed a higher capacity they also have this AutoSlide in 21K # DM8550035.

I have linked all the 5th Wheel Kits for your Super Duty for your convenience.