Towing with Ram 3500 Megacab DRW

[karpcbk15]

Curious, Anyone towing with the 2020 or 2021 Mega Cab 3500> DRW or SRW?
Hitch weight is ~ 2700. SRW with 4:10 rear is rated for 5400#
I know it will require a slider, though not sure how much I would need to use the slider except for plus 90 degree turns.

[Jim34RL]

It does not matter what year of truck you have a Mega Cab will require a slider hitch. With the 6'-5" box you will sometime in the future hit the cab. There are only two types of people who pull a 5th wheel trailer without a sliding hitch. Those that have hit the cab and those that will hit the cab!

I use to pull with a manual Reese sliding hitch for 10 years, this hitch finally wore out. I replace this with a Demco auto glide hitch. Will worth the cost in not having to get out of the cab to put the hitch into the maneuver position especially in the rain.

I am towing with a 2008, Dodge Mega Cab, 6.7L Cummins, 68RFE auto, 4X4 3:73 gears.

[Daycruiser]

"There are only two types of people who pull a 5th wheel trailer without a sliding hitch. Those that have hit the cab and those that will hit the cab!"


Hate to break it to you but I've pulling for 45 years and have never hit my cab with any of my 4 fifthwheel RVs and all were short bed trucks. You do NOT need a slider hitch these days to pull a 5er with a shortbed. I have a SB Crew and use the Sidewinder Pin Box with an energy absorbing hitch (Comfort Ride). I can turn a full 90 and not come close to my cab with my Cedar Creek and Ram combination, however I have never needed to or would want to jackknife my RV into a 90.

[Homebrew]

Well I have a slider and jackknifed while backing into my driveway and dented the cab of my mega cab truck. LOL!
I guess I’m lucky it only put a small dent it the back.
If your not sure get the auto slide for extra insurance.
I agree that you don’t need it if your careful and not go past 90 degrees.

[corn18]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

It does not matter what year of truck you have a Mega Cab will require a slider hitch. With the 6'-5" box you will sometime in the future hit the cab. There are only two types of people who pull a 5th wheel trailer without a sliding hitch. Those that have hit the cab and those that will hit the cab!

I use to pull with a manual Reese sliding hitch for 10 years, this hitch finally wore out. I replace this with a Demco auto glide hitch. Will worth the cost in not having to get out of the cab to put the hitch into the maneuver position especially in the rain.

I am towing with a 2008, Dodge Mega Cab, 6.7L Cummins, 68RFE auto, 4X4 3:73 gears.

My 2015 Chevy 2500 HD doesn't need a slider. I have an Andersen Ultimate have had it 90 deg without hitting the cab with my 2021 Salem 290RL. Is there something unique about a "MegaCab" that makes it different from other short beds.

[Homebrew]

Forgot to say I forgot to slide the hitch before it hit.

[IanMcC]

I have a 2020 Ram 3500 Mega Cab and the Anderson Ultimate Hitch and I can do and have done a 90 degree turn all the time. I have about a 2in gap between the cab and my Cedar Creek. I always have the wife watch when it gets close but have never got to close.

[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by Daycruiser

"There are only two types of people who pull a 5th wheel trailer without a sliding hitch. Those that have hit the cab and those that will hit the cab!"


Hate to break it to you but I've pulling for 45 years and have never hit my cab with any of my 4 fifthwheel RVs and all were short bed trucks. You do NOT need a slider hitch these days to pull a 5er with a shortbed. I have a SB Crew and use the Sidewinder Pin Box with an energy absorbing hitch (Comfort Ride). I can turn a full 90 and not come close to my cab with my Cedar Creek and Ram combination, however I have never needed to or would want to jackknife my RV into a 90.

I bet if I looked at your truck I can find a small ding in the D pillar on the truck. Everyone who has told me they have never hit their truck with a 5er has forgotten the time they have kiss the truck with the 5er, at one time.

I am not afraid to say that I have kissed my truck once in a campground when I forgot to put my old Reese manual sliding hitch into the maneuver position. I was trying to get the camper backed in on a very narrow camp road and had to jackknife the trailer in order to get it in. This was with a Keystone Cougar that had the 88Deg corners on it.

[sasch]

I have a 1500 Eco Desiel 5’7” - had never had a problem until backing on an uneven rustic lot and “POW” out goes the rear window - now have a slider hitch LOL

[corn18]

Originally Posted by sasch

I have a 1500 Eco Desiel 5’7” - had never had a problem until backing on an uneven rustic lot and “POW” out goes the rear window - now have a slider hitch LOL

I want to see a picture of Cody the Wonder Dog!

[LittleBill]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

It does not matter what year of truck you have a Mega Cab will require a slider hitch. With the 6'-5" box you will sometime in the future hit the cab. There are only two types of people who pull a 5th wheel trailer without a sliding hitch. Those that have hit the cab and those that will hit the cab!

I use to pull with a manual Reese sliding hitch for 10 years, this hitch finally wore out. I replace this with a Demco auto glide hitch. Will worth the cost in not having to get out of the cab to put the hitch into the maneuver position especially in the rain.

I am towing with a 2008, Dodge Mega Cab, 6.7L Cummins, 68RFE auto, 4X4 3:73 gears.

X2 on the Demco Auto Slide hitch.

[Daycruiser]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

I bet if I looked at your truck I can find a small ding in the D pillar on the truck. Everyone who has told me they have never hit their truck with a 5er has forgotten the time they have kiss the truck with the 5er, at one time.

I am not afraid to say that I have kissed my truck once in a campground when I forgot to put my old Reese manual sliding hitch into the maneuver position. I was trying to get the camper backed in on a very narrow camp road and had to jackknife the trailer in order to get it in. This was with a Keystone Cougar that had the 88Deg corners on it.

I'll be here in Vegas for another 3 months come and have a look. I'll bet you go home empty handed.

[dnicoll]

Likewise - I have (touch wood) never hit the trailer with the truck cab. Nor do I have a slider. Four trucks and four fivers later and all still good. The Columbus is now on a seasonal lot and doesn’t get towed much. The selling point of the trailer at the time was the front profile. Determined not to require a slider, even though my truck is a short box. The older Corsair does not have a front profile like the Columbus, but as it is so much shorter, much easier to manoeuvre.

[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by Daycruiser

I'll be here in Vegas for another 3 months come and have a look. I'll bet you go home empty handed.

The Reese Sidewinder King PIN BOX is very similar to a sliding hitch for maneuverability, it just transfers the pivot point from the truck to the trailer.

I do not see any different benefit between the Sidewinder or a sliding hitch for use on a short bed truck.

[MikeRP]

Only difference is your a__ stays in the truck with the sidewinder. No thinking. Daycruiser has a really nice setup. If you ask him, he might bless us w a few pics.

As for me I got a long bed truck now. No more screwing w my slider. Well maybe....I’m an engineer can’t help but tinker but I met my match, Daycruiser tinkers more than me. Lol

Btw I hit the top of my cab in the Walmart from hell in Naples Florida.

They don’t want RVer’s there for sure. I had to make a tight left hand turn and the rear wheel caught the curb and tilted the trailer into the cab above the window almost to the top of the cab.

For as small as it was it cost $1000 to fix it.

[corn18]

Originally Posted by MikeRP

Only difference is your a__ stays in the truck with the sidewinder. No thinking. Daycruiser has a really nice setup. If you ask him, he might bless us w a few pics.

As for me I got a long bed truck now. No more screwing w my slider. Well maybe....I’m an engineer can’t help but tinker but I met my match, Daycruiser tinkers more than me. Lol

Btw I hit the top of my cab in the Walmart from hell in Naples Florida.

They don’t want RVer’s there for sure. I had to make a tight left hand turn and the rear wheel caught the curb and tilted the trailer into the cab above the window almost to the top of the cab.

For as small as it was it cost $1000 to fix it.

I hadn't thought about that. When I did my 90 deg test, the truck and trailer were level. I am certain that running a curb would most definitely have caused contact.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by corn18

My 2015 Chevy 2500 HD doesn't need a slider. I have an Andersen Ultimate have had it 90 deg without hitting the cab with my 2021 Salem 290RL. Is there something unique about a "MegaCab" that makes it different from other short beds.

X 2 on the Anderson and my truck has the 6ft 6 inch box. Trailer also has the newer design front for short bed trucks. Later RJD

[TowPro]

I am not suppressed that everyone here with short bed trucks is defending that they are OK with long bed hitches, but why do you have that hitch?

Has anybody who is just moving into a 5th wheel and has no truck or hitch, bought a short bed truck and installed a non moving hitch in it?

Most cases is you already had the hitch from a long bed truck or got a smoking deal in it, (or the dealer sold you what they had).


I know just about every time I go camping I see a Ram truck with the rear window taped up in the campground.


I also know that I didn't turn my 5ers that tight even though I had a long bed truck. I never saw the reason to get the truck/trailer angle that tight. Plus it plays hell on tires making them pivot like that on blacktop. I have seen my neighbor force the tire off the beed twisting a 5er like that backing it up.

[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by TowPro

I am not suppressed that everyone here with short bed trucks is defending that they are OK with long bed hitches, but why do you have that hitch?

Has anybody who is just moving into a 5th wheel and has no truck or hitch, bought a short bed truck and installed a non moving hitch in it?

Most cases is you already had the hitch from a long bed truck or got a smoking deal in it, (or the dealer sold you what they had).


I know just about every time I go camping I see a Ram truck with the rear window taped up in the campground.


I also know that I didn't turn my 5ers that tight even though I had a long bed truck. I never saw the reason to get the truck/trailer angle that tight. Plus it plays hell on tires making them pivot like that on blacktop. I have seen my neighbor force the tire off the beed twisting a 5er like that backing it up.

When I purchased my first 5er, I had a 2001 Chevy Short bed truck. The dealer where I purchased this trailer from insisted that I purchase a sliding hitch for my short bed truck. He would not sell a standard hitch to me with short bed truck. I have had this manual Reese slider hitch for 10 years moving it to my Ram truck before I replaced it with a Demco Glide auto slider hitch.

His point to me on why I needed a sliding hitch was that in campgrounds you may incur uneven surfaces. Most state parks and forest roads are not maintain very well. So, in backing up or turning in a sharp mode to miss a tree or something like go over a curb, the trailer may rise on one end as you maneuver. Putting the lower corner of the trailer closer to the rear of the cab. This will provide less room between the truck and trailer as you maneuver the trailer in the backing up position.

In fact the dealer principle (owner) spent 1/2 hour with me teaching me how to tow and turn with the 5th wheel trailer attached to the truck. Plus he even had me backing up the trailer into a tight spot that had cones in the parking space.

[karpcbk15]

I found when doing online builds that selecting the "Max Tow" Option provided different options and saved money. Interesting item added is a 30K standard none sliding hitch.