Methods for 5th Wheel Towing with Short Bed Pickups

Updated 02/28/2018 | Published 02/27/2018

Question:

Would a Anderson fifth wheel hitch in a short bed pick up using the offset to allow towing a fifth wheel with a short bed . Does it still put weight on the front axle of a pick up like a sliding fifth wheel hitch ?

asked by: Dave

Expert Reply:

The additional clearance provided by an offset hitch adapter such as the Andersen # AM3200 is not sufficient for 5th wheel towing in a short bed truck. Short beds need either a sliding 5th wheel hitch or a fixed hitch used in conjunction with a replacement pivoting trailer pin box called a Sidewinder or Revolution. Both of these methods can provide enough additional turning clearance to avoid trailer-to-cab contact.

Sidewinders are made to replace several of the more popular OEM 5th wheel pin boxes in common use. The linked article has a table that lists the Sidewinders we offer and their compatibility with OEM models.

For instance, the Lippert 1621 and 1621HD are very popular OEM pin boxes. To replace either of these we offer the 20K Sidewinder # RP34FR or the 16k # RP61422

expert reply by: Adam R