Ram short bed, sliding or non-sliding hitch

[Ela1948]

Originally Posted by KYCAMPER

-Good discussion here! I am trying to decide on a 5th wheel hitch. The more I read on various forums the more I flip flop between anderson and a slider. Right now leaning towards the Anderson mostly for the same reasons listed by GlampinLife. I am towing with a GMC HD 6.5' bed and have never towed a 5th wheel before. Would like to know if and GlampinLife an I are missing something before I take the plunge.
-In another post some mentioned the disadvantage (safety) of the Anderson is that it relies on the bed of the truck to support the base of the hitch in instances of hard stops. My question is how is that different from the rails on a standard 5th wheel hitch? Don't the rails bolt to the bed also? I like the B&W turnover ball hitch. Looks like substantial underbed support.
-Anderson advertises an 8 - 9" offset which hopefully is enough to allow sharp 90deg turns with a short bed. But the offset does beg the question about the resulting force raising the front wheels and exerting extra torque on the rear wheels due to fulcrum action. I asked Anderson about that and they said it would result in no more than 200 lbs raise on the front wheels. Doing the math it could be significantly much more than that depending on the hitch weight but is it really enough to be concerned about?
Decisions!!!

For what its worth, I've had both hitches. The Andersen and the Pullrite superslide! I had a 2011 F250 and put the bed rails in for the Pullrite. A very nice hitch that had two draw backs. It is heavy and you tend to leave it in the bed all the time. The other minor issue is that if you need to hook up to it straight as possible. If at an angle, the cam in the hitch makes it tough to get connected. I bought a 2016 F350 with a gooseneck ball system in it. I bought the Andersen because it's light and relatively inexpensive. The difference in where the hitch pin rested between the two trucks was only 5" difference. The Andersen hitch had the trailer pin just behind the center point of the rear axle. The pullrite when pulling straight was 4" in from of the axle. The draw back to the Andersen are that you have to raise and lower your trailer at least 3" every time that you hook or unhook from your fifth wheel. With the Pullrite, it only requires raising the the trailer enough to get the weight off the truck. The one thing you need to understand is that you CAN make contact with your truck window with the Andersen. We were in Arizona this past winter and I knocked the rear window from my truck. The campground required that you have help backing into your site and an attendant was watching me back in. I was watching him and not my angle. It was not his fault, it was mine!! My point is that you can have contact with the Andersen!!! I have no intention of replacing the Andersen over that incident. It is very rare that you get that much angle and it WILL NOT happen to me again. I've had my wake up call.

[Ela1948]

I use a rubber mat with the Andersen hitch that creates a cushion. The hitch never moves when properly torqued down. I've towed about 15000 mile in the last two years. The other minor annoyance with the Andersen is the size of the base. Yes, it's very light but it takes up more bed space then most conventional hitches. if you carry a lot of other articles in your truck bed while towing, it might be an issue.

[vcbice]

I've had a slider in my Dodge 2500 reg bed for 7 years, with our previous fiver and with our present 29.5BHOK. I've only used the slider twice. Once when backing into an S turn driveway and the other when I knew I needed all the turn I could get (another narrow driveway). The other 40k miles of towing I've not used it.

Just do pay attention to where the trailer is in relation to the back window. I almost popped mine one time when making a tight turn at a gas station.

If I were to get anything else it would be the Pullrite.

[Perchie15]

Originally Posted by TxLoser

This is an interesting discussion. I've got a Chevy with the standard(6.5') bed. I've got a slider, and have used it a few times. Primarily at my storage unit which is tight. That being said, I'm new to towing a fw, and it's probably just masking some bad technique. I have a feeling I could get get by without it with better planning and more practice. Even with mine not slid back, I can make a significant u-turn.

I could potentially see an Anderson in my future because of two things I don't like about my slider. Weight..... I took the hitch head off and was left with the base and slide mechanism which in my case is one unit. Tried to lift it out. I aborted that mission quickly. Had a vision of cortisone shots, missed work and physical therapy flash before me. The other thing I don't like is that the tubes it slides on allow for some chucking/noise on rough roads. Not a big deal, but a minor annoyance. The Anderson, all though a fixed position has an offset around 5.5" which be enough to compromise between a slider and fixed hitch.

What I do like is the ease of hookup. This hitch hooks up/disconnects so easily. No chains, no getting the ball lined up. Just set the attitude of the trailer, back under it and click. Insert the pin and done.

For reference I have a Curt Q16 slider.

How do u like ur Q16 I got bunch of quotes today on costs of fifth wheels and most of the businesses around here carry that brand th3 other ones people are mentioning haven't heard of until reading this ha

[TxLoser]

I really like the Q16. So far, it's always hooked and unhooked with great ease. Even when not dead on, it works great. Very easy to identify positive hookup. Slider works well too.

Only downside it the weight. I can't get it out of the truck without help. So, in the truck bed it lives minus the hitch head. That's only 80lbs. I can handle that.

[dives2little]

I had a Reese slider in my '05 Ram, short bed. I only used it once, but I never replaced a rear window. My friend, with a '10 short bed has a new back window and a Dent in the cab to remind him about tight turns. The weight trade off isn't worth the risk.

[Ruth]

We have a 2018 Eagle HT 27.5 with a Reese Revolution pin box towed by an 07 Silverado 2500HD with 6.5 ft bed. Have had no problems with tight turns.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[namusmc65]

We had a 2007 Ram 2500 and now a 2015 Ram 2500 with the 6'4" bed and a slider hitch. In the 3 years pulling our 2014 Eagle 33.5RETS we have never had to use the slider and we have been in some fairly tight spots. I do keep a close eye on the tight turns. My buddy has a Toyota Tundra with a slider and has knocked his window out once already. He also backed into a tree and damaged the rear of the 5th wheeler. Doesn't matter what you use, you have to be alert and careful.

[Packerbacker_TX]

Originally Posted by GlampinLife

The problems it solved for me:

• It was a lot less expensive
• Lighter weight/easy to take in and out
• Gives you enough clearance in short bed to make tight turns without the need of a slider
• Much easier to hook up if not on level ground
• Less chucking because no moving parts with tolerances

What sold me was the less weight and much cheaper, after I got it I found out all the other advantages.

I've got one too and I'll add to this list:
* Andersen ultimate hitch generally less expensive than slider hitch.
* Andersen only weighs in around 35-40# and can be installed/removed in 5 minutes.
* Andersen uses a gooseneck ball (or rails) and offsets the hitch ball connector towards the back by 6" or so, putting the weight over the rear axle and allowing for more clearance between the nose of your trailer and the back of the cab.
* Almost ZERO chucking/bucking/clacking because it's resting on a hitch ball vs. clamped down and wiggling around.
* Andersen hitch ball adjusts in height, so you can raise or lower based on your needs. I lowered mine and have 6"+ over the bed rails and my 5'r runs level.

[vcbice]

Originally Posted by namusmc65

.....My buddy has a Toyota Tundra with a slider and has knocked his window out once already. He also backed into a tree and damaged the rear of the 5th wheeler....

Sounds like he has more issues than a short bed truck.

Just be careful of where you are and how much space you need to turn. Not much different than having a bumper pull where you are limited on angle.

FWIW, before I got used to the longer trailer I had a couple of close calls with pedestals at gas stations. The longer trailer cut the corner more than the short fiver I had before.