Fifth Wheel Hitch and Suspension Enhancement Recommendation for 2019 Nissan Titan XD Short Bed

Updated 06/25/2019 | Published 06/24/2019

Products Featured in This Question

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

(712)

$1795.00

Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Helper Springs with Internal Jounce Bumpers - Rear Axle

(1354)

$449.39

Demco 5th Wheel Rail Adapter for Nissan Titan XD OEM 5th Wheel Towing Prep Package - 21,000 lbs

(36)

$679.00

Question:

Ive been closely looking at trucks for the last two years, I currently have a 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie 5.7 and while its been a good truck, it simply doesnt cut it for towing the trailer Id like to buy Approx. 8500 - 9000 lbs, 1350 - 1500 lbs pin weight. I have towed both bumper pull and fifth wheel trailers in the past, and I far prefer the fifth wheel even with the additional weight versus similar floorplan in bumper pull. Ive watched hundreds of hours of videos, read many hundreds of reviews on forums, and am very close to settling in on a Titan XD diesel. I like the heavier weight of the truck for pulling and trailer control, I like diesel power, and I dont want to spend $85,000 on a modestly equipped Big 3 HDinch I live in Northern Alberta. We pay extra for eveyrthing. Ive test driven the XD and found the ride remarkably comfortable. Everything Ive read and watched state that its a very underrated truck and will pull the trailers Im looking at with ease. Id like to know an expert opinion on two things. Firstly, would you recommend the Demco adapter and hijacker autosliding fifth wheel, or a Curt adapter and fifth wheel and a revolution or sidewinder pin hitch and why? I ask not just for ease of use, but also note that the demco setup is very heavy, and the XD still has a payload constraint of around 1,920 lbs. I know payload isnt everything, but Id like to ensure Im under it and save weight if possible. Secondly, would you recommend the Air Lift Ultimate or a set of SuperSprings for levelling when hooked up? Ride quality matters greatly to me as this truck will be my daily driver when not hooked up, and we have a LOT of bad potholes / rough paved roads where I live. Also, do you have any general advice for the Titan XD when it comes to fifth wheels? Would a bumper pull still be a better idea? Thank you for your time.

asked by: Derek

Expert Reply:

For the 2019 Nissan Titan XD short bed that has the factory gooseneck hitch (they all have it) you'd have to go the Demco route as the rail kit of the truck does not have enough points of contact to be used with a pivoting pin box like a Sidewinder. The Hijacker part # DM8550034 is what you'd want. It slides automatically and overall is a really great hitch. It is a bit heavy but comes apart in several sections to make installing/removing easier. Then to install it all you need is the rail kit adapter part # DM6200. Payload is more the weight capacity of the truck bed whereas this setup attaches to the frame of the vehicle.

Since ride quality is concern the best option is an air bag setup that allows you to easily remove the support when not needed so for that you'd want the Air Lift kit part # AL88229 which is a confirmed fit. The other options affect unloaded ride quality so that would not be what you'd want.

I think this is a really solid truck for your plans and will do a great job. I also prefer fifth wheel towing over bumper pull towing so this is a solid plan.

expert reply by: Jameson C