New 5th wheel hitch?

[Vista]

Originally Posted by firestorm79

I have an F350 short box and used a Companion sliding hitch. Haven't once used it in the rearward position for maneuvering. Probably has a lot to do with the profile of the 5th wheel but I could get pretty close to 90 degrees without contacting the cab.


The Companion slider is HEAVY. I now have a Curt A20 non-slider and have no regrets.

I never thought I needed a slider either. I was sure of it in fact.

Then I bought a new backglass.

(The issue is not "can you turn 90 degrees"?; I could do that when i tested it ... in a parking lot.

Backing in to a graded site once was something different.

Yes, companions are heavy, slider or not. I would never choose a curt over a B & W after inspecting various products from both companies.

YMMV, and opinions are just opinions, etc.

[TxLoser]

I get that. I’m sure if I busted out my window or dent the cab it would cost me my deductible plus a new hitch.

[jfiely]

I have a 2023 Chevy 3500HD-HC/Standard Bed (6.8) and a 321RSTS. I just brought the 5th wheel home from southern Ohio last week. The camper came with the Andersen hitch. The guy I purchased it from has a 2022 2500HD Chevy. I had no issue at all pulling the camper or using the hitch. Made a couple of adjustments at the start of the trip. I can turn the truck nearly 90 with no chance of anything hitting. Good bed and tailgate clearance. Couldn't be happier with the way it pulled and felt even with all the wind gust we experienced.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Vista

I never thought I needed a slider either. I was sure of it in fact.

Then I bought a new backglass.

(The issue is not "can you turn 90 degrees"?; I could do that when i tested it ... in a parking lot.

Backing in to a graded site once was something different.

Yes, companions are heavy, slider or not. I would never choose a curt over a B & W after inspecting various products from both companies.

YMMV, and opinions are just opinions, etc.

I could actually jackknife mine while backing into my storage.



Difference is the Heartland promised a minimum of 88 degree turn and with the Anderson it was much beyond that.

[Cincinnati Kid]

Google "rotating pinbox". If you have a newer Jayco HT 5th wheel, you already have it installed. This makes the sliding hitch unneccesary.

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Vista

I never thought I needed a slider either. I was sure of it in fact.

Then I bought a new backglass.

(The issue is not "can you turn 90 degrees"?; I could do that when i tested it ... in a parking lot.

Backing in to a graded site once was something different.

Yes, companions are heavy, slider or not. I would never choose a curt over a B & W after inspecting various products from both companies.

YMMV, and opinions are just opinions, etc.

Yep… if you ever need it, you’ll be glad you have it.
I rarely use mine, but I’ve had to more than a few times, or I wouldn’t be getting into the site and driving back home.
Once, I hit my back window at a Flying J because of a weird slope on the parking lot, combined with my semi sharp turn. Didn’t break out the window, but had to get the cap repaired.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by TxLoser

Give it time. I find a way to scuff it up and maybe some good stains too.

Lol, yes you got that right I'm the same way.

[Big1]

When I had my short bed ram with a 6'5" bed, I ran a slider by B&W and then a non-slider but with the slider hitch I didn't never have to use it.

[Big1]

A slider, if you go with a non-slider you have to watch the back those.

[Vista]

Originally Posted by CAG

I could actually jackknife mine while backing into my storage.



Difference is the Heartland promised a minimum of 88 degree turn and with the Anderson it was much beyond that.

I believe you, and not the point.

[Vista]

Originally Posted by klassic

Yep… if you ever need it, you’ll be glad you have it.
I rarely use mine, but I’ve had to more than a few times, or I wouldn’t be getting into the site and driving back home.
Once, I hit my back window at a Flying J because of a weird slope on the parking lot, combined with my semi sharp turn. Didn’t break out the window, but had to get the cap repaired.

Follks don't appreciate the effect even a relatively benign grade change has on this aspect.

[Leon]

So is the Anderson hitch a slider type or standard hitch?

[Big1]

The Anderson is similar to my second pics so no it not a slider.

[AZDIESELPIG]

I would say if you have a short bed - get a slider hitch. It's good insurance - just like having auto insurance - you may never need it, but when you do need it - you need it.

The problem is that guys test their rigs in a flat paved parking lot, there are a lot of places where you will not be backing in to a level site and may be even on a incline.

The Anderson hitch is ok, but it seems to have issues when people are in accidents. All the folks who have had some sort of accident have described failures in the Anderson hitch - the shank that the ball goes in to the top of the hitch seems to be a common failure point.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Vista

I believe you, and not the point.

I don't recall you having a "point" with that post and I was not addressing your post it was more of a statement.

[Leon]

Yes so I guess having a slider hitch manual or a Pullright automatic slider would be a good choice for your truck my question is what truck do you have and exactly how long is your truck bed ?
I found that there is a way of measuring to figure it out

[cadman_ks]

This is my opinion, and YMMV.

All but one of my pickups have been short beds, and I owned the long be a long time ago.

The 2020+ GM setup, as others have mentioned, is indeed further back than the Ford and RAM, which is a plus, 2" behind the centerline of the axle, I believe. I use a PullRite 3900 in the furthest back position, so I'm a little more yet. With a 96" wide unit, you can to a TRUE 90deg, but you cannot with a 102" wide unit like the Pinnacle. At this point, I've decided to tempt fate, and while I may regret that, it's the path I've chosen at the moment.

I added pics of what a TRUE 90 (on flat ground!) looks like with a 96" wide unit.

Before this, though, I had a PullRite auto-slider. In my opinion, if you're going to get a slider, I would only consider a auto slider. The beauty of the auto-slider is that you never have to worry about it. That's especially important if you're in a panic situation, like you have to turn around in the middle of the road, because something's happened. In the panic, you're don't have the chance, or bet yet, CAN'T deploy the slider, so you start turning, watching the glass closely. You're fine turning around in the middle of the road until the front tire drops of the side of the ditch, puts your truck in an angle, and bang the glass breaks, and your cap has a dent in it. You never saw it coming, but you did have a slider. If you're going to buy insurance, which the slider is, then buy the best insurance, not one that has "it-works-but-clauses"...

[Leon]

These pictures are with a slider hitch engaged or is it a non sliding hitch… you say 96 inches wide but the actual width is parallel to where the pin location is so at the end of the trailer the body curve decreases your width by allowing so more clearance all trailers curves are different of course

[cadman_ks]

Originally Posted by Leon

These pictures are with a slider hitch engaged or is it a non sliding hitch… you say 96 inches wide but the actual width is parallel to where the pin location is so at the end of the trailer the body curve decreases your width by allowing so more clearance all trailers curves are different of course

Those pictures are with a NON-sliding PullRite 3900 hitch, and that was with our Montana, that was only 96" wide.

The front of the Montana's are not all that radiused, and at the end of the day, that's a common misconception that the radius allows it to get to 90. The radius has nothing to do with it, when you are 90. At that point, the only thing that matters is 1/2 the width of the trailer. If the pivot point is not back MORE than that 1/2 the width distant, you WILL contact the cab.

PullRite used to have a great video that explained all of this. I'll see if I can find it...

[cadman_ks]

I can't seem to find the PullRite video that does a really good job of explaining how to measure and determine whether or not you will hit, but in this PullRite video (animation) they show what happens when you have a cap that has radius corners, and you continue to turn. You'll notice that at some point, the cap is 6" into the cab of the truck, if you keep going.

https://youtu.be/rwcTO1Io3hw?t=19

But, with the slider, that pivot point is moving back, and then at this point in the video, they show what that looks like clearance wise:

https://youtu.be/rwcTO1Io3hw?t=243

I wish that I could find that other video from PullRite that did a better job of explaining all of this, and how to measure. I'll keep looking...