Fifth wheel hitch type ?
- Thread starter GTO
- Start date
Midnight Rider
Prominent Member
I would recommend a slider. A good proper hitch is important.
I have a 6ft bed on my Chevy 3500 and I went with the Pull Rite Super Glide and have been happy with it. One less thing to think about when maneuvering to park or make a tight turn. The one time you find yourself in a bind and forget to pay attention and dent the cab or blow out a window! You will wish you had a slide hitch.
The Pull Right is a little more money than other sliders but it’s American made and that thing is a TANK! When that King Pin locks in and your lock handle SNAPS to attention with a WHAP!!!! you can see the hook all the way around the king pin, it’s not coming off!!!! You will ride in safety and with confidence. Last thing you want is a flimsy hitch. Faulty hitch or cheep Chinese tires and the trip is ruined quick!
Congratulations on your new rig!
MR
I have a 6ft bed on my Chevy 3500 and I went with the Pull Rite Super Glide and have been happy with it. One less thing to think about when maneuvering to park or make a tight turn. The one time you find yourself in a bind and forget to pay attention and dent the cab or blow out a window! You will wish you had a slide hitch.
The Pull Right is a little more money than other sliders but it’s American made and that thing is a TANK! When that King Pin locks in and your lock handle SNAPS to attention with a WHAP!!!! you can see the hook all the way around the king pin, it’s not coming off!!!! You will ride in safety and with confidence. Last thing you want is a flimsy hitch. Faulty hitch or cheep Chinese tires and the trip is ruined quick!
Congratulations on your new rig!
MR
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GTO
Member
Thanks for your thoughts and good wishes ! I am excited about this rig !
GTO
Member
Thanks for your thoughts !
Always 1 guy with another thought. Had a Pullrite for 8 years and got along fine until didn't. Had a hitch failure to lock even though I had checked it and crunched the tailgate. Probably myfault somewhere but when I traded trucks it wouldn't fit the new puck system so looked around and had several buddies with the Andersen and they loved them. It was getting where I was unable to remove it without a winch! Love my Andersen. Tows better, much, much lighter, less than 1/2 price of a new Pullrite and I can turn better than when I had the Pullrite slider. Not running it down, just much happier with Andersen.
Ramjetr1960
Member
Hi I use a curt crosswing hitch...check it out...can remove it from your bed as it only weighs 70 pounds
GTO
Member
I appreciate your thoughts. Is your bed 6.5ft and your Andersen hitch is a slider style ? Thanks
GTO
Member
Thanks for your good suggestions !
Ditto on the Andersen. Bought mine new in 2017 for my F350 Super Cab Short Bed. Pulled our Landmark 38 ft 5th wheel all over the country with absolutely no issues. Very happy. At around 40 lbs can lift it out of the bed & hang it on the wall above my head in my garage. It is not a slider, but the kingpin adapter is offset & can be installed offset to the front or offset to the back. Two measurements tell you which direction is optimal for your truck/trailer combination. The hitch attaches to your goose ball.
There are reports of these hitches collapsing, not sure how common but the research I did it seems at least some of these occurrences involved other factors such as a damaged hitch like a cracked weld and/or use with very heavy 5th wheel. I had planned on buying a new Andersen when I replaced my F350 this year but ended up doing that in September last year before our trip to the western US. Replaced with a generation 3 Andersen Ultimate which is a beefed up version of the 2nd generation, which was the first aluminum version.
There are reports of these hitches collapsing, not sure how common but the research I did it seems at least some of these occurrences involved other factors such as a damaged hitch like a cracked weld and/or use with very heavy 5th wheel. I had planned on buying a new Andersen when I replaced my F350 this year but ended up doing that in September last year before our trip to the western US. Replaced with a generation 3 Andersen Ultimate which is a beefed up version of the 2nd generation, which was the first aluminum version.
GTO
Member
Thanks for the suggestions. I will check out the Andersen hitch.
Midnight Rider
Prominent Member
I have seen Anderson Hitch Box cracked in half. Cracked while the guy was going down the road! Luckily no one was killed?
I don’t trust them.
Midnight Rider
Prominent Member
George
Well-known member
I had the Pullrite Superglide on a previous 5W but I prefer my current 18K Demco Autoslide. I feel it has a better latching mechanism — a bar that goes across behind the king pin, not jaws that encircle it.
That being said; a friend swears by his Anderson in his short-bed. He turned it so that the ball is about 4" behind his axle. 🤷🏼♂️
That being said; a friend swears by his Anderson in his short-bed. He turned it so that the ball is about 4" behind his axle. 🤷🏼♂️
Austin Alliance
Active member
My bed is 6'9" and I use this.... It takes 3 minutes to take out and I can turn 90 degrees with no issues. You can adjust it to get an extra 4 inches of room with it as well... Love this hitch!!! No maintenance except to inspect it every month and has lifetime warranty on everything. I TOTALLY TRUST IT!!
I have the B&W companion slider. It has two mounting schemes that move the location of the head to be further forward or rearward. In my F350 with a 6.75 bed I believe it is one inch behind the axle or three inches forward. I am a total nerd so I’ve tried both positions at all three heights. Here is why this is relative.
When the hitch is installed with head in the rearward position I really do not need the slider extended. I was never even close to hitting the cab. My wife gets nervous so I extend it just to avoid the back and forth. However, absolutely everything is better with the head in the forward position. Rides smoother, rig is marginally more level, truck handles better, even acceleration is much less labored. For whatever reason, fuel economy is also improved. But, I absolutely need the slider at my storage facility to get into the spot with the hitch head in the forward most mounting scheme.
I don’t know if the hitch you are considering has these options, but if they do, you may wind up needing the slider for the best setup for your rig and truck combo.
By the way, B&W is awesome. I had a minor problem with the hitch and they are sending me a replacement, no questions asked.
When the hitch is installed with head in the rearward position I really do not need the slider extended. I was never even close to hitting the cab. My wife gets nervous so I extend it just to avoid the back and forth. However, absolutely everything is better with the head in the forward position. Rides smoother, rig is marginally more level, truck handles better, even acceleration is much less labored. For whatever reason, fuel economy is also improved. But, I absolutely need the slider at my storage facility to get into the spot with the hitch head in the forward most mounting scheme.
I don’t know if the hitch you are considering has these options, but if they do, you may wind up needing the slider for the best setup for your rig and truck combo.
By the way, B&W is awesome. I had a minor problem with the hitch and they are sending me a replacement, no questions asked.
Me too. I have no experience with them but the internet posts on the Anderson give me stinking paranoia.
