Fifth Wheel Hitch-slider or fixed? - Page 2

Kenny kustom · 12-13-2015, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenImp

Short Beds without sliders don't dent cabs....DRIVERS of Short Beds without sliders dent cabs.

In my opinion, the drivers abilities are far more relevant to whether or not you should have a slider than what truck/trailer you have.

Ding ding ding

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

I am nice!

jkdairy · 12-13-2015, 02:49 PM

I have a B&W slider in my 2007 Chevy and now my 2015 Chevy, both with 6.5' beds. I have used the slider once. Pull a Sandpiper 365SAQ the is 42' long. Nice to have the option of a slider, but I could get along without it

BCMCpig · 12-13-2015, 02:55 PM

I have a short bed with puck system and use a comfort ride air cell hitch with no slider. You are not limited to just a few hitch systems. I got the puck mount system also by comfort ride that allows you to use the (fixed) hitch of your choice. I don't currently have one but I am also going to go with a sidewinder turret system. Comfort Ride Hitch

redjet · 12-13-2015, 02:55 PM

You may be interested in an opinion from someone who owns a 2016 Cardinal 3850RL. We purchased this unit in July/2015 and immediately changed the tires to G-rated Goodyear G614s. We started with a pullrite autoslide but had to change it because it raised the trailer to 13' 9". The Pullrite has no vertical adjustment. Dealer was changing to the Demco your looking at and had all kinds of problems pulling the four bolts on the MorRyde pin box. (This is another story so I won"t go there). Anyway, I became so frustrated with the autoslide that I decided to go with a Husky 10-26K hitch. It is a composite slide manual slider (have not needed it yet) with a 26K hitch (two choices 16K or 26K). The slider works with either hitch. You can use the 16K looking at your GVW being around 14,400 Lbs, but I felt better with the 26K as my GVW is about 16,000. This had verticle adjustment, which I set at the lowest setting. This gave me 8" of clearance on the bed sides. Try to stay at the 13"6" height of your trailer. Interstates are designed with a minimum clearance of 14' at underpasses and most tractor trailers are at 13'6".

My truck is a 2015 Ford F250 4X4 King Ranch diesel short bed and I installed the Air Lift 5000/ with wireless compressor. The hitch is on bed rails, which is the only difference I see in our vehicles.

I pulled the Cardinal with the Pullrite and had a lot of chucking rechecked settings and no change. Never got to try the Demco. In the end the Husky has displayed none of the problems I experienced with the Pullrite - very happy with the Husky.

A big downside with a autoslide hitch installed is that only someone with a slider hitch can tow the trailer. This is because of the adapter plate that must be installed on the MorRyde. Behind the kingpin there is a puck welded to the plate that in effect operates the autoslide. The adapter plates are even different between pullrite and demco. So no-one with a standard hitch can tow your trailer and you cannot tow a standard pin box.

By the way - the price of the Pullrite 18K, Demco 18K, and Husky10-26K are about the same.

Kenny kustom · 12-13-2015, 03:08 PM

Not true about all sliders.

My slider works with any trailer.
My trailer works with and fifth hitch.

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

I am nice!

RubberNail · 12-13-2015, 03:10 PM

I had the same thought as GreenImp when I made my post. However, on 2 of the 3 occasions I had no choice but to make a right angle turnaround. One that stands out is about 5 or 10 miles down a 2 lane gravel road in rural Kansas, farmland, no houses, no side roads, no cell phone service, ditches on both sides and a railroad crossing being rebuilt - but after hours and nobody home. Wife got out to watch tire verses ditch as I inched around to a full 90, rv tires at one ditch, my truck tires at the other, to make the turnaround. It wasn't a choice about damage, it was a choice about leaving the 5th wheel in the countryside while locating a tow vehicle to make the turn.

Another similar situation on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Road closed apparently due to snow/ice but detour signs were not posted near turnouts or pullouts. Two lane road, no shoulders, do best you can or backup a couple miles!

Kenny kustom · 12-13-2015, 03:18 PM

Another thought on auto slide.

Do you need it to slide on every single turn? Auto slides do that.

There's a lot less action with a manual.

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

I am nice!

Harkerr · 12-13-2015, 03:23 PM

If you have corner interference you really should have an auto slider.

redjet · 12-13-2015, 03:41 PM

kenny you may have missed AUTO (autoslider)

frozen · 12-13-2015, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windy

Just purchased a Cardinal 3250RL fifth wheel. I have a 2015 F250 4x4 SuperCrew, diesel, with a 6 1/2 box with the factory installed fifth wheel hitch prep (puchs system). I am considering the Demco 18k auto slider (only one I could find that fits the puchs) or the B&W Companion 20k fixed for the puchs system. My main question is "do I need a slider hitch "? Would appreciate comments from F250 owners with the puch system pulling a fifth wheel and what type of hitch they recommend? Thanks!

From online photos, looks like the 3250 has angled front corners, so a slider might not be essential.

5er_tom · 12-13-2015, 04:03 PM

I have the Super Hlide auto slider

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5er_tom · 12-13-2015, 04:10 PM

Sorry to continue. I have the Super Glide auto slider. Before that I had a Reece Revolution. I will say I do not think I have ever been in situation where the slider was necessary, and I have put a lot of miles on the two 5th wheels, in and out of a lot of campgrounds.
But, I do sleep easy at night knowing that if I do something foolish or stupid, the slider will prevent me from RV/TV contact and the large chunk of change to repair.

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Kenny kustom · 12-13-2015, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redjet

kenny you may have missed AUTO (autoslider)

Glad you corrected it!

2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

I am nice!

selkirk awards · 12-13-2015, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windy

Just purchased a Cardinal 3250RL fifth wheel. I have a 2015 F250 4x4 SuperCrew, diesel, with a 6 1/2 box with the factory installed fifth wheel hitch prep (puchs system). I am considering the Demco 18k auto slider (only one I could find that fits the puchs) or the B&W Companion 20k fixed for the puchs system. My main question is "do I need a slider hitch "? Would appreciate comments from F250 owners with the puch system pulling a fifth wheel and what type of hitch they recommend? Thanks!

I have the Cardinal 5th wheel with F-350 I have a Reese 18K Elite with the pucks hook up my truck is a short bed I'm looking to buy the Demco Autoslide but can't find any dealers who would take my new Reese in on a trade in. But I have almost taken out my window several times. So it's time and I find Demco's got about the best I've seen.

numbersman · 12-13-2015, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windy

Just purchased a Cardinal 3250RL fifth wheel. I have a 2015 F250 4x4 SuperCrew, diesel, with a 6 1/2 box with the factory installed fifth wheel hitch prep (puchs system). I am considering the Demco 18k auto slider (only one I could find that fits the puchs) or the B&W Companion 20k fixed for the puchs system. My main question is "do I need a slider hitch "? Would appreciate comments from F250 owners with the puch system pulling a fifth wheel and what type of hitch they recommend? Thanks!

I just checked weight of your trailer (14K+) and towing capacity of your truck, I believe you are pressino the limit of your SRW. Diesel 2015 TV. (14K). I believe your truck will tow it, but I would be real careful how you load it. You don't have any extra to cover passengers, regular gear and water in the fresh water tanks. I have a CC 38FL, and I went larger with DRW.
I had a 2002 Chevy. Duramax. 2500 diesel SRW, short bed with a slider to pull my former 5th wheel, but never used it. I just watched the trailer and truck as I backed in and was real careful. Although the new CC was over 16,800 lbs empty, my old truck would pull it, but I was worried about reliability while we traveled because of age and overload, so a got a newer larger one. Also did not want to get sued if in an accident.

MtnGuy · 12-13-2015, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redjet

A big downside with a autoslide hitch installed is that only someone with a slider hitch can tow the trailer. This is because of the adapter plate that must be installed on the MorRyde. Behind the kingpin there is a puck welded to the plate that in effect operates the autoslide. The adapter plates are even different between pullrite and demco. So no-one with a standard hitch can tow your trailer and you cannot tow a standard pin box.

With a Demco autoslide hitch, doesn't the hitch "capture" the pin box on each side, instead of using a capture plate on the pin box ?? If that is so, then there is no pin box alterations needed, and that trailer could be pulled by any 5th wheel hitch....except a SuperGlide, which need a capture plate.

rmoore0852 · 12-13-2015, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnGuy

With a Demco autoslide hitch, doesn't the hitch "capture" the pin box on each side, instead of using a capture plate on the pin box ?? If that is so, then there is no pin box alterations needed, and that trailer could be pulled by any 5th wheel hitch....except a SuperGlide, which need a capture plate.

You are exactly right. That is exactly why I chose my Demco autoslide. I can tow any trailer that doesn't have an air ride pinbox. Anybody else with any other standard FW hitch can hook up to my trailer.

rmoore0852 · 12-13-2015, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenImp

Short Beds without sliders don't dent cabs....DRIVERS of Short Beds without sliders dent cabs.

In my opinion, the drivers abilities are far more relevant to whether or not you should have a slider than what truck/trailer you have.

I'm a bit offended by that comment. I have been pulling trailers for years, including permitted oversize/overweight oilfield equipment. One of our driver tests is a slalom course with an 18 wheeler, IN REVERSE! Basically, I know very well how to back a trailer. Just like anything else, the slider is a tool that has its place. There are times that the best driver in the world cant overcome the physics of how tight a turn you have to make vs the limited clearance of a short bed pickup. I knowingly chose a short bed truck, knowing that I would need a slider to safely pull my trailer. To me, the autoslide just takes any worry out of it. Turning into a gas station with a drainage dip in the middle of the turn? No problem, no worries about the dip letting the trailer hit the window. I put my trailer in my driveway while packing and unpacking. Considering the width of my street and driveway, I have to have a slider to make that turn. With an autoslide, I don't have to get out of the truck. Just pull up, shift to reverse, and back it in. We dry camp in the national forests a lot. I like being able to turn around in a clearing on rough ground without worrying about damage.

Bottom line, I believe that a slider is a tool that has its uses. If you choose to not use one with a short bed and never damaged your truck, good deal. I like being able to just drive, and not be watching bed clearance all the time. Takes some of the stress out. Sorry about the rant and if you didn't mean any offense, then no worries. Just please understand that just because YOU have never been in a situation where a slider was absolutely necessary, DOES NOT mean that those situations don't exist.

grumpyoldman · 12-13-2015, 08:19 PM

I was under the assumption that all short bed trucks need a slider hitch! (Isn't that true?) This is my first FW so I may be wrong about that.
That is why I bought the Pullrite auto slider for my 2015 GMC 3500 crewcab. I am pulling a CC 36CKTS and love the auto slide and I can feel it slide at almost every turn I make.

Karl4Cat · 12-13-2015, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpyoldman

I was under the assumption that all short bed trucks need a slider hitch! (Isn't that true?) This is my first FW so I may be wrong about that.
That is why I bought the Pullrite auto slider for my 2015 GMC 3500 crewcab. I am pulling a CC 36CKTS and love the auto slide and I can feel it slide at almost every turn I make.

Is it needed, no. Is it a nice to have more carefree option, yes. Your autoslider goes back on every turn because it's designed to do just that. Not because ever turn has the potential to cause truck to RV impact.

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