5th Wheel Hitch Recommendation for 2017 Ram 1500 Shortbed Towing Grand Design 230RL

Updated 09/12/2017 | Published 09/09/2017

Products Featured in This Question

Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Single Jaw - Above Bed - 13,000 lbs

(741)

$2145.00

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

(5)

$433.44

Question:

I have a 2017 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab with a 5.7 Hemi and axle rating of 3.92 and 4 corner air suspension. The truck is rated to tow 10,140 pounds. Im thinking about getting a Grand Design Reflection 150 series 230RL fifth wheel. https://www.granddesignrv.com/showroom/2018/fifth-wheel/reflection-150-series/floorplans/230rl Do you think this will work with my truck and if so, what is the best hitch to get? Thanks for your help.

asked by: George

Expert Reply:

The Grand Design 230RL has a gross weight rating (GVWR) of just under 10,000-lbs. This is right near your Ram Hemi's limit of 10,140-lbs (good for you for taking the time to confirm the truck's capacity!). This is cutting things a little close, especially if you plan on loading the trailer up to its maximum payload rating of 2600-lbs, but you would certainly get by.

Your bigger issue for towing any 5th wheel trailer with your truck is its short bed. Slider hitches can work well for beds that are 6-1/2-feet but for very short bed trucks like your 5-1/2-foot bed 1500 you cannot use a slider. You need to install a pivoting pin box, called a Revolution or Sidewinder, on the trailer to give you enough clearance for low-speed turns without the trailer overhang coming into contact with the truck's cab.

Sidewinders are direct bolt-on replacement pin boxes made to install in place of specific OEM models. You'll need to know the trailer's OEM pin box brand and part number in order to check to see if a Sidewinder is available for it. Please refer to the linked article that explains more about Sidewinders; it includes a table to let you see if we have a replacement for the trailer's pin box.

Sidewinders extend your truck/trailer pivot point by 22-inches, a lot more than almost all 5th wheel slider hitches. With a Sidewinder you will use a standard fixed (non-sliding) hitch, which are shown on the linked page.

The hitch exception that does NOT require a new pin box is the Demco Hijacker Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # DM8550040 and install kit # DM8552030-71. This 13K-rated automatic sliding hitch is USA-made and provides 22-1/2-inches of travel. The Demco means no getting out of the truck to release the slider mechanism; it all happens automatically! The wraparound-style single-piece jaw provides a secure rattle-free connection thanks to 360-degree jaw-to-king-pin contact.

expert reply by: Adam R