5th wheel hitch newby questions

[KyDan]

Daisy Boyken said recently--
The Rockwood / Flagstaff Ultra lightweight come with the Reese slider for short bed. I was just at the factory two weeks ago, the Rockwoods were being equipped with a slider that will work with just about any 5 th wheel
hitch. It is a brand new design by Reese, will work as a slider or stationary
hitch with a 5"6" short bed.

I've been towing boats, utility trailers and now a medium/large trailer
but have absolutely no experience with 5th wheel hitches.

Dumb question warning---
Do all/most all 5th wheel RV trailers come with the same hitch?
I thought a reese slider was something I bought to install in the
bed of my truck??
Why does Rockwood/Flagstaff have anything to do with that??

Is the slider some part of the TRAILER or something I put
in my truck

[tugger]

A slider goes in the box of your truck and I don't think any fivers come with a hitch unless thrown in by the dealer?

[TURBS]

Sure they weren't coming with a "sidewinder" ?

[OldCoot]

I think Daisy Boyken got the terminology wrong, some trailers are coming with the new Reese Revolution Sidewinder PINBOX, not slider. The RRS pinbox will eliminate the need for a slider hitch if it is set up by the dealer correctly. It is a relatively simple task. Remove 2 bolts in the rear, reposition the furnished wedge to directly behind the hitch pin, hook up, knock the wedge forward, unhook and torque the 2 bolts on the wedge. Takes about 10 minutes and saves a few bucks for the slider type hitch.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by dunnnc

I think Daisy Boyken got the terminology wrong, the trailers are coming with the new Reese Revolution Sidewinder PINBOX, not slider. The RRS pinbox will eliminate the need for a slider hitch if it is set up by the dealer correctly. It is a relatively simple task. Remove 2 bolts in the rear, reposition the furnished wedge to directly behind the hitch pin, hook up, knock the wedge forward, unhook and torque the 2 bolts on the wedge. Takes about 10 minutes and saves a few bucks for the slider type hitch.

Only if it's installed from the factory does it save you a few bucks.

If you have to install it after purchase then between the hitch and the sidewinder it's more.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

Watch these two video's for great info on the new REESE hitch.

Rockwood Fifth Wheel with Reese Revolution Pin Box - YouTube

Reese Revolution Wedge Installation Rockwood F1 - YouTube

[Rugged Brown]

I have the Reese Revolution ( formerly called Sidewinder) that was a factory install on my Flagstaff 5er. At the time when I purchased I had little knowledge of hitches, etc and purchased a sliding hitch for the truck bed. This was unnecessary as I have never used the sliding mechanism since engaging the Reese revolution. The dealer offered the sliding hitch at the same price as a fixed hitch, so my rationale at the time was why not , just in case I may need it. I have taken the truck and 5er in tow in a parking lot to see what degreee I can turn without hitting the truck and 5er. Turns out I can turn beyond 90 degrees. I have been in some tight spots in campgrounds with small sights and can maneuver the rig with narry a worry. Gone the wrong way on streets and pulled U turns like I was driving a car. The video above is not an exageration. I think it demonstrates the use of the Reese Revolution perfectly. If flagstaff/Rockwood are the only manufactueres offering this from the factory, the kudos to them.

[KyDan]

So to clarify to this newby (new to 5ers anyway)--

If I have a short bed truck and a Rockwood with the Reese sidewinder
how does that work??

Do I adjust it for different situations or is it setup at the dealer
and (assuming they do it right) that's it.
I just hook up and go??

I've heard about "chucking"?? That bumpy feeling like the trailer
is shoving you in the back on rough roads.
Is that what you call it?
Do these hitches help with that.
Is that something I should worry about??

Like I said, I'm trying to get educated on this stuff cause I think
that's where we're headed in a year or 2.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by KyDan

So to clarify to this newby (new to 5ers anyway)--

If I have a short bed truck and a Rockwood with the Reese sidewinder
how does that work??

Do I adjust it for different situations or is it setup at the dealer
and (assuming they do it right) that's it.
I just hook up and go??

I've heard about "chucking"?? That bumpy feeling like the trailer
is shoving you in the back on rough roads.
Is that what you call it?
Do these hitches help with that.
Is that something I should worry about??

Like I said, I'm trying to get educated on this stuff cause I think
that's where we're headed in a year or 2.

Once the Revolution hitch is activated to swivel at the rear instead of swiveling at the hitch pin, there is nothing to adjust while towing. Just hookup, verify latching, lock it and go. As for chucking, I eliminated it by putting shocks on the trailer, but others swear theirs doesn't chuck or dolphin. I also took all the slack out of the joints where the legs of the hitch connect to the rails in the bed. This eliminated the banging when stopping and starting. Also, with the Reese Revolution, I tow with a full bed hard cover tonneau cover installed.