Comparing Short Bed Trucks to Long Bed Trucks to Tow a 5th Wheel Trailer  

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Expert Reply:

Short bed trucks work well to pull 5th wheel trailers, but they require a sliding hitch like the B&W Patriot 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider - Dual Jaw - 18,000 lbs # BWRVK3270 which will work well with your trailer. This hitch has 12 inches of travel between the locked towing position and the rear locked turning position for maneuvering around gas pumps and such that require greater turning clearances.

There are some hitches like the Demco Hijacker Autoslide # DM8550034 that will automatically adjust so you don't need to get in and out of your cab to manually adjust your slider for turning clearance needed. This is a really nice option for a short bed truck.

Another option is to use a fixed mounted hitch and use a pin box that moves the pivot point of your trailer. A Reese Sidewinder pin box for example moves the pivot point of the trailer back 22 inches from the king pin of your trailer. It will utilize a wedge to keep movement at the hitch to a minimum and the rotating turret will give you the clearances needed. This is the only option for a short bed under 6 feet long. These are pin box specific replacements, for instance the 1621 pin box uses the Sidewinder # RP34FR.

Long bed trucks do not require a sliding 5th wheel hitch or a Sidewinder style pin box. Long bed trucks require less planning for compatibility, but short bed trucks can be compatible if you prefer the look or feel of the short bed. I've attached some articles to help further.

expert reply by: Jason S

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Bill

9/4/2018

2018 Bighorn Elite 5th Wheel on a Short Bed Truck Thank You Jason5 for your answer about SB truck bed vs LB truck beds towing 5th Wheels. The latest 5th wheels coming out of Heartland boast an 88 degree turning radius to accommodate Short Bed truck towing. Does the 88 degree towing capability of these rigs alleviate the need for purchasing the slider type hitches? Thanks!

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Jason S.

9/4/2018

Although the rounded front end of the Heartland 5th wheel trailers along with others boast of the turning clearances, they often still require a sliding hitch on a short bed truck. It is true that many of the 88 degree versions work better, but there is really nothing worse than thinking you have clearance and being shown you do not. The rounded fronts absolutely assist in having much better clearance than the non-rounded front of other trailers along with the long pin box they come with, but if you have a cab on your short bed truck that is 4 doors I still recommend a sliding hitch or a Sidewinder with any short bed truck because damaging your truck cab or the front of your trailer simply isn't worth the risk in my opinion. You can always ask the dealer to allow you to test fit if they have a 5th wheel hitch you can test in their lot.

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