Demco Fifth wheel gooseneck

[DWhittaker]

I have a 2016 GMC 3500HD SRW with the 6.5' bed. I have a B&W turnover ball installed. I only tow once or twice a year. Would the 3" offset make the Demco Recon usable in the 6.5' bed? I don't expect it to turn 90 degrees.

[kirkelli]

Originally Posted by DWhittaker

I have a 2016 GMC 3500HD SRW with the 6.5' bed. I have a B&W turnover ball installed. I only tow once or twice a year. Would the 3" offset make the Demco Recon usable in the 6.5' bed? I don't expect it to turn 90 degrees.

Your best bet is hook up and find large parking lot and do some observation turns.. Two people will make the tasks simple. I have an19 321 RSTS with the Reese Goosebox and pull with a SB Ram. I can turn about 85 degrees easily, which is more than I’ll ever need. I have an offset turnball for an option but doubt I’ll ever use it. If you do use the offset just be careful with bed rail and tailgate clearance when turning...

[DWhittaker]

Thank you. I haven't purchased a hitch yet so I can't try that. I'd like to be fairly certain before I make the investment.

[kirkelli]

Originally Posted by DWhittaker

Thank you. I haven't purchased a hitch yet so I can't try that. I'd like to be fairly certain before I make the investment.

Gotcha.. I actually started off with a Demco Autoslide. its Heavy and its a beast but it does what they advertise.. I built a winch on the header of my garage so i was able to get it in-and-out single handed,. The hitch was fine for me until i started Lake Shore camping on water ski trips with friends.. I quickly learned that it is a major PITA to re-hitch on uneven Terrain with that hitch. Everyone else at the lake towing 5th wheels were using Gooseballs. They either learned the hard way like me or they were smart enough to catch on before they wasted a bunch of money, like me. Anyway - you should also evaluate where you are gong to tow. If you plan to only tow and park on flat even surfaces the many 5th wheel hitches out there will work fine, The auto slide is nice if you get into very tight spots where very sharp turns help out but with some experience you will find its very hard to maneuver in those tight situations and you'll keep yourself out of them. The Reese Gooseboox is nice and i highly recommend it. It replaces the pin box on your trailer and all you have in your bed is the gooseball. You gain a lot of space in the bed of your truck with this arrangement and you are only dealing with the gooseball for removal - a 30 second chore. And best of all, Libbert will not void your trailer frame warranty. It is the only Gooseneck adapter hitch they will not void.. I would check out the many videos on Youtube on al the hitches you like, determine how you are going to use it and make a good decision.. Hopefully some of our experiences will help you. Good luck and welcome to the RV Family.

[JeremiahM]

Originally Posted by kirkelli

Gotcha.. I actually started off with a Demco Autoslide. its Heavy and its a beast but it does what they advertise.. I built a winch on the header of my garage so i was able to get it in-and-out single handed,. The hitch was fine for me until i started Lake Shore camping on water ski trips with friends.. I quickly learned that it is a major PITA to re-hitch on uneven Terrain with that hitch. Everyone else at the lake towing 5th wheels were using Gooseballs. They either learned the hard way like me or they were smart enough to catch on before they wasted a bunch of money, like me. Anyway - you should also evaluate where you are gong to tow. If you plan to only tow and park on flat even surfaces the many 5th wheel hitches out there will work fine, The auto slide is nice if you get into very tight spots where very sharp turns help out but with some experience you will find its very hard to maneuver in those tight situations and you'll keep yourself out of them. The Reese Gooseboox is nice and i highly recommend it. It replaces the pin box on your trailer and all you have in your bed is the gooseball. You gain a lot of space in the bed of your truck with this arrangement and you are only dealing with the gooseball for removal - a 30 second chore. And best of all, Libbert will not void your trailer frame warranty. It is the only Gooseneck adapter hitch they will not void.. I would check out the many videos on Youtube on al the hitches you like, determine how you are going to use it and make a good decision.. Hopefully some of our experiences will help you. Good luck and welcome to the RV Family.

I camp on lake quite often where we're at odd angles, none of the sites are flat. But I've never had an issue hitching the normal 5th wheel pin. I find it actually much easier to hitch when at odd angles over a ball style

[kirkelli]

Originally Posted by JeremiahM

I camp on lake quite often where we're at odd angles, none of the sites are flat. But I've never had an issue hitching the normal 5th wheel pin. I find it actually much easier to hitch when at odd angles over a ball style

My experience hitching on lakeshore (parallel) was with the Demco autoslide. There is appositely nothing easy about re-hitching in these situations... The first time i pulled out on a turn to avoid a large rock on my right front wheel. This of course turned the hitch head. Upon re-hitching, i didn't have enough blocks to level the truck with the pin box so i had to dig down an approach trench for the the high side to hit the hitch & pin box.. Then problem #2 became apparent. You cant just get out and turn the hitch head on these to get it in align. So i played the game of of getting truck aligned for correct angle approach and it required more dig, dig, dig. Thereafter i started caring 'A Lot' of blocks to level the truck for proper approach and its a hit and miss game back and forth until you nail it.. The two lake lakes i go to is sloped pretty good. You have to dig down the high side close to 2 feet to park the trailer wheels into to get the trailer level enough so you aren't picking it up with the jacks.. I've been to many lakes where the water level does not change through the season and never had any issues hitching. Those lakes were maintained and somewhat leveled at some point in time. If you've got to get out and build a trench line to park your high side trailer in, you no doubt will have issues re-hitching. I now have the Reese Goosebox and it's a simple and quick process.. Dont have to use blocks don't have to dig approach trenches for tow vehicle. In fact doing either will give a problem with side bed rail clearance.