How to 5th Wheel Tow with 2017 Ram 2500 Long Bed With Rambox  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The problem with towing a fifth wheel trailer with a Rambox-equipped truck is twofold.

The first problem is that when the truck makes sharp turns, the rear corners of the pin box will strike the inside edge of the truck bed side because the bed is narrower than what it would be on a non-Rambox-equipped truck. The second problem is that because the bed is narrower, you won't be able to open the jaws of most 5th wheel hitches because the release handle will hit the inside wall of the bed before the jaws open.

The best solution we've found is to use a B&W Patriot hitch, part # BWRVK3200 for a 16K or # BWRVK3255 for an 18K. The B&W Patriot uses a cam-operated latch handle that pulls toward the front of the bed to open, instead of toward the bed side so no worries about the handle hitting the side of the bed before you can get the jaws unlatched. You'd also need the # BWRVK2602 bracket/rail kit.

To prevent the pin box from striking and damaging the bed side during turns, you'll need to use a rotating pin box like the Reese Sidewinder. The Sidewinder relocates the pivot between the hitch and the 5th wheel 22 inches rearward so the pin box itself does not rotate. If it doesn't rotate, it can't hit the side of the truck bed. The Sidewinder is pin box specific, so I'd need to know the manufacturer and part number of the 5th wheel's OEM pin box in order to recommend the correct model as the bolt patterns differ among pin box models.

The most common OEM pin box is the Lippert 1621. If that's the OEM pin box, you can use # RP61422 for a 16K capacity or # RP34FR for a 20K capacity. I'll link to a help article that explains how the Sidewinder works in more detail. The article also includes a table showing the various Sidewinder models we offer that replace a given OEM pin box.

I've also linked to some install/demonstration videos that you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Mike L

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