Comparing 5th Wheel Hitch And Gen-Y Goosebox Options For Pulling A 5th Wheel With 2024 Chevy 2500

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Question:

Hi. I’m new to fifth wheel RVs. I’m planning on purchasing a 5th wheel Binkley 2900Z, w/ Lippert Rhino and also a new pickup– likely a 2024 Chevy Sierra 2500HD Crew Cab, short bed with factory 5th wheel/goose neck option. I spent considerable time online and talking to Chevy, Ford and Ram dealers trying to determine payload on a new order – an eye opening and difficult process. Im now on the next part – hitches. Slider 5th wheel hitches seemed the obvious choices DEMCO DM79GW or BandW BWRVK3710. But the weight of these units add 250-300Lbs to payload manageable and more importantly make it very difficult for me to remove the hitches when not in use. With the BandW I also must remember to release the slider when making sharp turns – also a concern. Next I evaluated a fixed hitch with a Reese sidewinder BMRVK3710, RP34FR. This reduces the weight of the hitch by 70-80 lbs and makes it somewhat more manageable to remove/install. My concern with this setup is whether the puck and mechanism creates a tight lock with the kingpin. Some reviews mention trailer sway occurs if the lock is not tight – maybe these were older versions. I also need to check if this setup impacts my warranty. Next was the GenY gooseneck hitch GY98GR with a 5” ball extension and chains. This solution is middle of the road in price, simpler with less moving parts it seams, and saves approx. 150 lb in payload over the sliders, and components are easily installed/uninstalled from the bed. However I’ve read several general reviews of gooseneck towing being less stable and noisier than fifth wheel hitches. These reviews are not specific to the GenY and maybe that is what the GenY is designed to solve. And positive reviews. I’m somewhat leaning toward the gooseneck. But I don’t know what I don’t know. In summary I have information overload. Do you have comment or recommendation on these setups for a 5th wheel newbie? Each solution has it benefits and trade-offs. A stable quit ride is important for our long, cross country trips. Simple use and hookup are also important. I will be traveling mostly multi-week, cross-country, solely on paved roads other than campgrounds and Indiana. Hooking up maybe once a week on average. I have 40K miles experience with a 36” diesel pusher plus a flat tow setup. Thanks and sorry for being long winded. Rege

asked by: Rege D

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Hello Rege, thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you are definitely on the right track with your thinking and with your assessment and comparisons of the products you mentioned.

For the 5th wheel hitch, the Demco Auto slide # DM29GV and the B&W Companion Slider # BWRVK3775 are the best two options as far as solid, durable USA made hitches. It sounds like you will be towing fairly often, so between those two options, I recommend the Demco. The automatic slider is extremely convenient since you do not need to exit the truck to operate the slider. It has a gear mechanism inside the hitch that allows it to slide automatically when the head is turned. This will save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. Nothing against the B&W Companion hitch at all, but the automatic slider is hard to beat. The only real downside is the weight of the hitch. The # DM29GV I mentioned weighs about 320 lbs. That said, any slider hitch is going to be heavy, but if you decide to go the 5th wheel hitch route, Demco is the way to go.

A sidewinder is a possibility but this requires getting a new 5th wheel hitch and replacing the pin box. This is generally only recommended for trucks with a short short bed like 5-1/2'. We can look into this if you want to, but this is realistically not the best option. Also, some trailer manufacturers will void your frame warranty if you add a sidewinder.

Moving on to the Gen-Y Gooseneck hitch # GY98GR or "goosebox" as we call it, this is actually a great option. I am a huge fan of the Gen-Y products in general. The goosebox uses torsion rubber, very similar to the rubber is a torsion axle. This adds shock absorption that you do not get with a standard pin box. So the ride quality will definitely be improved over a standard pin box. The gooseboxes are also extremely durable and require virtually no maintenance. This also adds no additional payload weight and you do not have to worry about dealing with a heavy 5th wheel hitch. I have not heard complaints of the Gen-Y gooseboxes making for a rough ride. In fact, I have heard nothing but good things about them from our customers, and from a few of my associates around the office/shop here who use them.

All things considered, I feel like the goosebox and offset ball is the best option for you. The correct offset ball for your truck is part # GY55XR. You will also need the Safety Chain # GY49GR.

For the goosebox, the Gen-Y Hitch 5th Wheel to Gooseneck Pin Box # GY98GR is made to replace the Lippert Rhino Box. This is the 21K model and is made for trailers with a pin weight between 1,500 lbs and 3,500 lbs. If you can let me know the specific year, make, model and floorplan of your RV I can confirm the pin weight. You can take the GVWR of the RV and multiply it by 0.22 to find the approximate pin weight.

I hope I covered everything. Do feel free to comment below if I missed anything or if you have any other questions.

expert reply by: Jesse M

1

Thanks J.

8/14/2024

Thanks Jesse for the comments and info and the Gen-Y is the now the preferred option (Demco slider #2). It will save me 200lb of payload and make it simpler to use the bed when not towing. Positioning over the pin will be my biggest challenge i assume. I still need to verify with Brinkley that this will not void my warranty. Our first choice for 5th Wheel Camper is the 3100Z (14,995 GVWR) and the lighter 2900z (14,495 GVWR) is our fall back depending on the payload for the truck we purchase. The Gen-Y hitch you mentioned should be the right size for either option. Thanks again! Rege

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Jesse M.

8/14/2024

@ThanksJ Defintiely check on the warranty thing. I have heard in the past that the Gen-Y gooseboxes can void certain warranties. I do know that Gey-Y has been working with 5th wheel manufacturers to get their pin boxes approved for aftermarket use. There are not any common or known issues with these though, so a lot of folks just do away with the warranty and have zero issues. I will add that based on either of the campers you mentioned, the # GY98GR goosebox I mentioned above will be the correct model based on the GVWR and pin weight. Also, a magnetic backup camera like the Rear View Safety Wireless Hitch Camera # RVS-83112 can make aligning the pin over the ball much easier. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Let me know if you need anything else.

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I A.

8/14/2024

Hi again Jesse How can I confirm that there will not be clearance issues either with the tailgate and the side rails on the truck? Is there a vertical clearance value I should consider? I don't have the truck yet, but that is something I can measure when I'm shopping. Thanks. Rege

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Jesse M.

8/14/2024

@IA Another good question. It is hard for me to tell you if you will have clearance or not without measuring some stuff. The clearance for the goosebox is the same as with a regular pin box. You want at least 5" between the bed rails and the underside of the "loft" portion of the 5th wheel. The link below will show you a dimensional diagram of the Gen-Y goosebox so you can use that for reference as well. You can also use the formula below to determine your turning clearance. (A + B) - C = Clearance A = Distance from the fifth wheel jaw center(or gooseneck ball) to the truck cab B = Offset used (slider clearance or Sidewinder offset) C = Width of the nose of the trailer divided by 2

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