Short-Bed Tow Vehicles

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Hawksclaw

Tow Vehicle is 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 Megacab 4x4 6.7 cummins with short bed. My 2014 Rockwood 8289ws has the Reese Sidewinder on it from the factory and it works very well. No clearance issues and I can turn 90 degrees under it. Only problem I had was mechanics at dealer where I bought were clueless on how it worked and setting it up. When I got home I called Reese and talked to someone in tech support who told me the proper way to set it up with the wedge and also told me they come with a universal wedge (part that goes in the throat of the 5th wheel) but they also sell a specific wedge for the different brands of hitches. I bought a spray can of white lithium grease and have sprayed the throat of the hitch and the plate and jaws plus the sides of the wedge. Made it lock up much easier then when dry. Even all our Frog strangler rains we get in south LA has not washed the grease off.

Same here Hank -- I think the Reese is such a new hitch that the mechanics have not learned correct installation - was the same case with my dealer. However, they contacted Reese and got all the correct parts for me - and even fabricated the OC Wedge Mod to boot

One thing we Reese users seem to be divided on is weather ot not your hitch can be moved by hand - left or right of center?

Some (myself included) can go so far as swing the hitch under the bedroom

Others cannot budge their hitch.

[raf250]

Hi, I am looking at the purchase of a 5'er to tow with my 2012 F250 crew cab, 4x4. I am looking at the Silverback 29RE that is listed as having a dry weight of 9790 lbs and a pin weight of 1615 lbs. Does anyone have experience with this type of combo? If so, how does it pull and are your weights within limits? Do you have air bags? Thanks for the info...

[Todouble]

Originally Posted by raf250

Hi, I am looking at the purchase of a 5'er to tow with my 2012 F250 crew cab, 4x4. I am looking at the Silverback 29RE that is listed as having a dry weight of 9790 lbs and a pin weight of 1615 lbs. Does anyone have experience with this type of combo? If so, how does it pull and are your weights within limits? Do you have air bags? Thanks for the info...

My rig is 10200 dry weight and 1850 pin. Loaded in 11500 and 2250 kingpin. My f250 sagged a little out of level so I added bags. Wow! I will never tow without em again. I'm within trucks spec and truck handles and pulls extremely well. You should be fine.

[vquad]

I've had airbags on my last 3 trucks.
I tow my trailers or a boat every other weekend and
I simply can't imagine having a TV without them.

[DaveandSue]

Sidewinder on a Reese 16k.No worries on my aram 5 1/2 foot bed.I'll hit the rear fender on the side corner of 5er first.

As a extra,can't budge my Sidewinder by hand,but moves like butter going down the road.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by DaveandSue

Sidewinder on a Reese 16k.No worries on my aram 5 1/2 foot bed.I'll hit the rear fender on the side corner of 5er first.

As a extra,can't budge my Sidewinder by hand,but moves like butter going down the road.

Same with my Silverado with 6.5' bed and Sidewinder won't move by hand but works great.

[SKnight]

Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel Connection, thus far I'm really liking it.

[PhoneDude 8289]

The revolution king pin hitch on our unit will still move by hand but it takes allot more effort now from when it was new. Got little more than 3k miles on it now, if I lean on it pretty good I can still move it. I have had to re-torque the bolts on the wedge several times, got loctite on the bolt threads now, will see what happens

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by presley01

The revolution king pin hitch on our unit will still move by hand but it takes allot more effort now from when it was new. Got little more than 3k miles on it now, if I lean on it pretty good I can still move it. I have had to re-torque the bolts on the wedge several times, got loctite on the bolt threads now, will see what happens

Do you have the factory universal wedge? Are you actually torqueing or just tightening? I torque my 5/8" Gr 5 bolts to 150 lb/ft and they've never come loose in 2 yrs. I do check them about every time I hook up. I have a custom made wedge.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Custom wedge here, they do not make a custom wedge for my hitch (Holland / Binkley head) and the universal wedge that came with didn't fit like I thought it should. I made a wedge out of a 2" x 4" piece of lumber, located and drilled the holes. Mounted and hooked up for a test fit, (several tries). Took it to a machine shop and had him duplicate my prototype. $75.00 later ended up with a solid piece of steel 1 1/2" thick the shape needed. Couldn't ask for a better fit. That being said I torqued the 5/8" X 2 1/2" to 100 #ft, I'll take it to 150 #ft along with the loctite should do it.

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by presley01

Custom wedge here, they do not make a custom wedge for my hitch (Holland / Binkley head) and the universal wedge that came with didn't fit like I thought it should. I made a wedge out of a 2" x 4" piece of lumber, located and drilled the holes. Mounted and hooked up for a test fit, (several tries). Took it to a machine shop and had him duplicate my prototype. $75.00 later ended up with a solid piece of steel 1 1/2" thick the shape needed. Couldn't ask for a better fit. That being said I torqued the 5/8" X 2 1/2" to 100 #ft, I'll take it to 150 #ft along with the loctite should do it.

5/8" hex or 5/8" shank? If hex, 100ft-lbs is about right, if shank, then you were under torqued and an under torqued bolt will always loosen up.

Bolt Torque Chart | Portland Bolt

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by SKnight

5/8" hex or 5/8" shank? If hex, 100ft-lbs is about right, if shank, then you were under torqued and an under torqued bolt will always loosen up.

Bolt Torque Chart | Portland Bolt

It's a 5/8" bolt with a 15/16" hex and the torque should be for a Gr 5 at 150 lb/ft as stated prior.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by presley01

Custom wedge here, they do not make a custom wedge for my hitch (Holland / Binkley head) and the universal wedge that came with didn't fit like I thought it should. I made a wedge out of a 2" x 4" piece of lumber, located and drilled the holes. Mounted and hooked up for a test fit, (several tries). Took it to a machine shop and had him duplicate my prototype. $75.00 later ended up with a solid piece of steel 1 1/2" thick the shape needed. Couldn't ask for a better fit. That being said I torqued the 5/8" X 2 1/2" to 100 #ft, I'll take it to 150 #ft along with the loctite should do it.

Make sure it is a Gr 5 with 3 hash marks on the head. A type 1 with no hash marks will NOT take 150 lb/ft of torque. If per chance you bought Gr 8 with 6 hash marks I would still not go over 150 lb/ft because the tapped threads were for Gr 5 torque from the factory.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Thanks OC, the bolts I bought have the same hash marks as the bolts that came with the unit. Three hash marks on the head of the bolt, I'll torque them when I get back out to the RV this weekend.

[CamperFan]

I have a 6.5' bed and use a non-slider hitch. However, I did mount my hitch about 1.5"-2" behind the center point of the bed.

[WFD]

Are you going with modified wedges because you don't like the universal one or is it more a case of the universal not working with your particular hitches?

I installed the universal wedge tonight and it seems to be working fine with my Reese 16k tubular slider hitch. Highly doubt I will ever need to use the slider again with the Reese Revolution activated, never towed with a Revolution so anxious to see how it goes and the difference it makes.

[B and B]

Originally Posted by HSVBamaBob

Same here Hank -- I think the Reese is such a new hitch that the mechanics have not learned correct installation - was the same case with my dealer. However, they contacted Reese and got all the correct parts for me - and even fabricated the OC Wedge Mod to boot

One thing we Reese users seem to be divided on is weather ot not your hitch can be moved by hand - left or right of center?

Some (myself included) can go so far as swing the hitch under the bedroom

Others cannot budge their hitch.

My hitch swings either side. I spent several trips working white lithium grease in the pivot on the revolution.

I use the universal wedge. When properly lubed it slides in like butter. I also have a Reese Hitch that does mate perfectly every time.



Brian

[PhoneDude 8289]

I had to make a custom wedge because the universal wedge would not work with my hitch a trailer saver BD3. Looked at what was available from Reese and E-Trailer, nothing looked close so I made one.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by WFD

Are you going with modified wedges because you don't like the universal one or is it more a case of the universal not working with your particular hitches?

I installed the universal wedge tonight and it seems to be working fine with my Reese 16k tubular slider hitch. Highly doubt I will ever need to use the slider again with the Reese Revolution activated, never towed with a Revolution so anxious to see how it goes and the difference it makes.

The universal wedge has a very bad tendency to move backwards due to the slots and bolts that will not remain tight because of the lock washers on slots which is a no-no even with flat washers under them.

[Red Wolf]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The universal wedge has a very bad tendency to move backwards due to the slots and bolts that will not remain tight because of the lock washers on slots which is a no-no even with flat washers under them.

Note to self - check the bolts on the custom wedge to make sure they aren't loosening when traveling.