Will the 36RE hit my cab?

[surfer]

We plan on purchasing a Cedar Creek 36RE fifth wheel. I am looking for the proper tow vehicle and believe a Chevy or GMC 3500 would be in order as the GVW of the trailer is 15,000 lbs. We are trying to find out if anyone could tell us if a standard box would be able to accept a normal fifth wheel hitch without hitting the cab during a turn. If possible i would like to stay away from a long bed if i can. If the standard bed will not work, i would prefer going with the long bed before getting a sliding hitch (I think). This is all new to me so i would be appreciative of any help anyone could provide.

[Bill_C]

I have a short box 3500 Ram Quad Cab. No matter what size box you get you have to watch your turns, granted, a long box does away with a sliding hitch. I bought a Husky 16k slider as I believed I would need it for parking and such. I have found in MOST campgrounds there is more than enough space to park without sliding my hitch back. Turning around at my house is another situation. I have to really crank on it to get turned around. Sliding the hitch is easy. With the towing or braking pressure off the hitch set your hitch to slide, in my case, pull the lever and push it back. Apply the trailer brake by hand and ease the truck ahead. The hitch slides back as the truck moves forward and locks into place.

If cash is no object, you can get a hitch that adjusts itself automatically. The sharper you turn the further back the hitch will slide. Some trailer pins are set forward, which gives you even more turning room where some pins are half way back of the overhang. There are lots of options.

[EdJunior]

I think Bill C summed it all up pretty well. Most new 5th wheels are designed to be "short bed friendly". Meaning they give you much better rear window collision avoidance than previously. But with that also comes the word of warning that even the best of designs can't account for all circumstances. You will need to check with the dealer or manufacturer to be sure of the clearance for that specific model.

If you are set on getting a short bed (or standard, or however it is referred to), I would be safe and get the slider hitch. Even if you find you don't need it for most of your experiences, there may be that one time you wish you had it!

For the record, I had a short bed F-250, then went to a long bed, and am now back to a short bed. The long bed was a bit daunting at first, but once I got used to it, it was really not that big a deal. I already had a slider hitch from the first short bed, and I never used the slider. We'll see how it goes with the new truck.

[surfer]

Bill C and Ed Junior,
Thank you for the information. You have helped me make up my mind, I will be going with the long bed. I can't really see taking the chance, plus I was thinking of mounting a tool box in the front of the bed anyway. Thanks again, take care and safe travels.

Surfer

[crocus]

The long bed truck will also give you a better ride, more stability, and yes, more room for that tool box!