Can a Slider Hitch Be Used in a Long Bed Truck

Published 11/04/2014

Products Featured in This Question

Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Square Tube Slider - Dual Jaw - 16,000 lbs

(397)

$738.73

Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch - Dual Jaw - 16,000 lbs

(397)

$497.61

Question:

I am looking for a fifth wheel hitch and was looking at the reese pro series 15k hitch. I have a 8 foot box on my truck so I know I dont need a slider hitch however does it make sense to buy a slider in case I switch trucks at some point and end up with a short box some time in the future? Will the slider hitch work the same as the fixed hitch or does the slider need to be activated to be able to back up etc.. I am hoping it would work as a fixed hitch all the time whether you set it in slide postion or not? Hope this makes sense, thanks for your time.

asked by: Jason K

Expert Reply:

You definitely could use a slider fifth wheel hitch like the part # RP30051 in a long bed truck and just leave it in the forward tow position all the time. The only down side to this is that slider hitches have more moving parts so they tend to be noisier than stationary hitches when towing and weigh more which can make installing and removing the hitch more difficult. They also tend to cost more. If you are OK with these things then the # RP30051 would work just fine.

Otherwise, the stationary version of this hitch is part # RP30047.

expert reply by: Jameson C