Recommended 5th Wheel Towing Setup for a 2017 Ram 1500 with a 5-1/2 foot Bed

Question

Question:

Since your 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 has a box that is shorter than 6 feet you will actually need to go with a stationary 5th wheel hitch and then change the pin box on your trailer to a Sidewinder pin box. There are no sliding 5th wheel hitches that will allow you to make a 90 degree turn with a truck that has a box under 6 feet. The Sidewinder takes the pivot point on your towing setup and moves it from the king pin back 22 inches to the rotating pin box. We have a selection of Sidewinders that I have linked for you to filter through. Among them is the part # RP34FR rated for 16,000 lbs and replaces the popular 1621 or 0719 pin boxes. We also have the upgraded version with an airbag know as the 5th Airborne Premium # RP61422. If you let me know what your pin box number is I can make a replacement recommendation for you. The 5th wheel hitch that I recommend using for this setup is the Reese M5 20K # RP30928 which will fit on the Reese Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50142-58 for your Ram 1500. This is one of our most popular 5th wheel hitches due to the dual serrated jaws and the 4-way pivoting head. You will want to use the Sidewinder Wedge for Reese Select Plus 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches # SWW-01 for a wedge that fits properly with the Select Plus 20K. If you don't already have a 7-Way installed in the bed of your Ram then I also recommend installing part # 50-97-410 to make connecting and disconnecting your trailer much easier. I have attached some videos that you can check out as well.

asked by: Rob L

0

Expert Reply:

Since your 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 has a box that is shorter than 6 feet you will actually need to go with a stationary 5th wheel hitch and then change the pin box on your trailer to a Sidewinder pin box.

There are no sliding 5th wheel hitches that will allow you to make a 90 degree turn with a truck that has a box under 6 feet. The Sidewinder takes the pivot point on your towing setup and moves it from the king pin back 22 inches to the rotating pin box. We have a selection of Sidewinders that I have linked for you to filter through. Among them is the part # RP34FR rated for 16,000 lbs and replaces the popular 1621 or 0719 pin boxes. We also have the upgraded version with an airbag know as the 5th Airborne Premium # RP61422. If you let me know what your pin box number is I can make a replacement recommendation for you.

The 5th wheel hitch that I recommend using for this setup is the Reese M5 20K # RP30928 which will fit on the Reese Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50142-58 for your Ram 1500. This is one of our most popular 5th wheel hitches due to the dual serrated jaws and the 4-way pivoting head.

You will want to use the Sidewinder Wedge for Reese Select Plus 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches # SWW-01 for a wedge that fits properly with the Select Plus 20K.

If you don't already have a 7-Way installed in the bed of your Ram then I also recommend installing part # 50-97-410 to make connecting and disconnecting your trailer much easier.

I have attached some videos that you can check out as well.

expert reply by: Jon G

0

Rob L.

1/18/2018

Since your 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 has a box that is shorter than 6 feet you will actually need to go with a stationary 5th wheel hitch and then change the pin box on your trailer to a Sidewinder pin box. There are no sliding 5th wheel hitches that will allow you to make a 90 degree turn with a truck that has a box under 6 feet. The Sidewinder takes the pivot point on your towing setup and moves it from the king pin back 22 inches to the rotating pin box. We have a selection of Sidewinders that I have linked for you to filter through. Among them is the part # RP34FR rated for 16,000 lbs and replaces the popular 1621 or 0719 pin boxes. We also have the upgraded version with an airbag know as the 5th Airborne Premium # RP61422. If you let me know what your pin box number is I can make a replacement recommendation for you. The 5th wheel hitch that I recommend using for this setup is the Reese M5 20K # RP30928 which will fit on the Reese Quick-Install Custom Base Rails and Installation Kit # RP50142-58 for your Ram 1500. This is one of our most popular 5th wheel hitches due to the dual serrated jaws and the 4-way pivoting head. You will want to use the Sidewinder Wedge for Reese Select Plus 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches # SWW-01 for a wedge that fits properly with the Select Plus 20K. If you don't already have a 7-Way installed in the bed of your Ram then I also recommend installing part # 50-97-410 to make connecting and disconnecting your trailer much easier. I have attached some videos that you can check out as well.

Jon G.

1/18/2018

I am not sure where your RV shop got their information from, but you should never use a sliding 5th wheel hitch with a Sidewinder unless it is in the "locked" position. The reason being that the Sidewinder locks the king pin in the 5th wheel hitch and rotates at the turret which is attached to the mounting brackets on your trailer. This moves the pivot point back 22 inches and was developed specifically for trucks with a 5-1/2 foot bed. If you were to use a sliding 5th wheel hitch then it would put 2 pivot points between your truck and you trailer and would definitely cause control issues. We have a formula that we use to determine whether or not you will have clearance for when you are turning. Typically you would use then when looking at a sliding 5th wheel hitch, but you can apply it to this situation as well. The formula that we use is: (A + B) - C = Clearance A = Distance from center of fifth wheel hitch jaw to truck cab B = Length of kingpin extender C = Width of trailer divided by 2 (to get half) When running the numbers you will substitute "22" in for the letter B which makes the formula (A + 22) - C = Clearance. If you run the numbers using this formula you should find that you will have at least 4 inches of clearance which is what is recommended for you to be able to make a 90 degree turn.

Answer 1

There are two options for Sidewinders to replace a Lippert 1621 pin box. For a 16k rated Sidewinder we have the part #RP61422. If you need more capacity than that you would want the 19k version which is part #RP34FR. The first option listed above is…

view full answer...

Answer 2

If you have a 6 foot bed with coil spring suspension in the rear of your son in laws 2014 Ram 1500 you would want the Curt Fifth Wheel Rail Installation Kit part #C16306-204. You will need a slider hitch to make 90 degree turns so I hope your Curt E5…

view full answer...

Answer 3

It sounds like you could have a set of standard fifth wheel rails that most manufacturers use for their fifth wheel hitches to install into. The different manufacturers all make their own brand of rail kit, but they all have basically the same…

view full answer...

Answer 4

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

view full answer...

Answer 5

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

view full answer...

Answer 6

According to Blue Ox, it'll take an experienced installer about 4 to 5 hours to complete the installation of their #BX1128 Base Plate Kit on a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The install isn't what I'd call super-difficult, but the installation…

view full answer...

Answer 7

Hey John, thanks for the picture of your truck bed! To install a set of 5th wheel rails in your 2022 Ram 2500, I recommend the B&W Custom Installation Kit w/ Base Rails item #BWRVK2602. This set of rails are industry standard so they'll work…

view full answer...

Answer 8

Hey Hadiya! No, the Curt E16 5th Wheel Hitch w/ S20 Slider for Ram #C85PV will not give you enough clearance to maneuver the Layton Skyline 5th wheel with your 2021 Ram 1500 with a 5-1/2' bed. This unit only moves you 12" back from the…

view full answer...

Answer 9

Hey Jerry, GM moved the placement of their puck systems starting with 2020 models so you are correct that the pucks would have the hitch not sit directly over the axle. GM did the math and made sure that this placement wouldn't adversely affect…

view full answer...

Answer 10

Sergio, yes, the PullRite SuperGlide part #PUL63RR will work with your MORryde cushioned pin box like part #MR55QR. you will just need to pair it with the PullRite SuperGlide Quick Connect Capture Plate part #PUL76RR for the setup to function…

view full answer...

Answer 11

Hello Kevin, Thanks for writing in. The main difference between the Power Watchdog Surge Protectors #HU67FR and #HU42VR comes down to the monitoring capability, housing design, and surge protection rating. The #HU67FR is the newer Generation 2 model.…

view full answer...

Answer 12

Hey Tom, congrats on the new truck! Typically when we hear that someone has the OEM tow prep package they mean the puck system. This is going to be five circular holes built into the bed of your Ram truck and is by far the best way to attach a 5th…

view full answer...

Recommended 5th Wheel Towing Setup for a 2017 Ram 1500 with a 5-1/2 foot Bed

Featured Help Information

Miscellaneous Media

Continue Researching