I have been reading about sliding hitches and the "shorter than average" Dodge truck beds. I do have one rather large looming question in my brain; are the slider hitches easily removable?
One of the main reasons DH and I were considering getting a TT was due to keeping the bed of the truck open. I still have horses that need hay and trips to the feedstore are MUCHO easier with an open bed.
I had a friend show me that it was actually pretty easy to pull a standard hitch out (I guess some leave it on the 5er?). That sold me and DH and I began looking closer at 5ers.
If indeed I need a slider hitch can I get one that comes out like a standard hitch? I am ok with some hardware left in the bed- I managed to load hay around a gooseneck ball - I figure rails can't be worse than that...
What brands of slider hitch should I consider? Are some easier to remove than others?
We have a Dodge short bed truck and have a Highjacker sliding hitch, if you don't worry about removing the rails turning the direction of four spring load pins and the hitch will slide back and out.
Pullrite Superglide with the Super-rails and under bed brackets will remove to leave a clean truck bed, but at 285# or so you need some kind of lifting device to lift it out of the truck. I have a winch suspended from my garage ceiling - it's a five minute job.
Keith J, Retired from GM Engineering
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE 2WD/CC/SB/DA.
1999 Sunnybrook 27RKFS Fiver
Bilsteins, Line-X, Westin steps, Prodigy, Retrax, 16K Superglide, 5th-Airborne pin-box, Multi-vex mirrors.
I have a Reese 16K Kwik-Slide, which has a BedSaver attached to it. The combined weight of the hitch and BedSaver is 184 lbs. The hitch head, which weighs 54 lbs, can be taken off the hitch, leaving 130 lbs to hoist out of the truck bed. This can easily be lifted by two people. If I’m doing it alone, I attach a come-along hoist to my garage door header, raise the hitch, move the truck out of the way, and then lower the hitch onto a furniture mover. When the hitch is removed, what remains in the bed are two rails that are bolted to the truck.
Most all hitches are removable. SOme are heavier than others. I HAD a 2005 Dodge shortbed (6'3") and I had a Reese slider which I sold to buy a Pullrite Superglide which I sold when I got rid of the Dodge too-short bed to buy a 2006 Dodge Long bed. Some people learn the hard way - I certainly did. I damaged the truck cab when puling out of a service station using the Reese, I also damaged the truck cab when backing into an RV spot using the Pullrite. Both hitches were installed exactly correct. I pull a 38.5' Dutchmen Victory Lane. The problem lies with the configuration of the trailer nose combined with the Dodge bed which is 3" shorter than a Ford or Chevy shortbed and the Dodge wheelbase which places the rear axle 6" to 1' closer to the cab than on a Ford or Chevy. So, in my mind you're asking the wrong question. You should be asking shortbed vs longbed or Chevy/Ford vs Dodge.
2005 Dutchmen 35SRV, Pergo floor, 5th Airborne, JT Strong Arm, Kodiak Disk Brakes, Backup camera
2006 Dodge CTD RAM QC 3500 LWB 4WD, Reese 16k, Airlift, Pacbrake, Britebox, 60g aux fuel tank
04 HD Ultra, CanAM 400MAX Quad
I use the Reese Signature 18k slider underbed mounted and to remove just pull a couple of release arms, lift hitch out and just have 4 mounting pucks in floor of bed, no rails. it is kind of heavy tho. I either use 2 people, hoist or front end loader to remove.
I too have a Dodge shortbed and use a Reese 16k with a slider. With the hitch removed from the bed of the truck, the rails only take up a little space across the bed. They sit about an inch, or so, above the bed. you could do like some of the fivers do where I store my fiver; leave the kingpin hooked up to the trailer and remove the hitch pins in the bed of the truck. Then lift the hitch up and drive away. Reverse the operation when you want to tow. I do not do this because I don't need that bed space. My hitch stays in the truck unless I am cleaning and lubing it. Hope this helps.
Jesse & Karen Norris with Kirby our chow-chow
2005 HitchHiker II LS 29.5 LKTG
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbo Diesel
Martinez, Georgia
Just a little heavier than a regular hitch. Leaves just the rails.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
dhamblet- I had to laugh at your suggestion that I just get a new truck. Ain't gonna happen! Granted, I bought it at a different point in my life and the short bed was an asset. If the case is that it would be unadvisable under any circumstances (even with the necessary special equipment) to tow a 5er with my truck then I'd have to abandon the whole 5er concept. I know that I can easily pull a TT with it.
This (and other issues) is what has me here asking questions before we purchase. My friends are all suggesting that I should tow a small 28/29 foot 5er instead of a similar sized TT which would be around 30 feet. We are just looking for our "best" option. Who knows, it could still be TT.
One issue with choosing 5er is that we do need access to our bed for hauling hay (which we do monthly). Our friend suggested leaving the hitch on the 5er (not sure that's an ideal option) - they do it all the time. Of course, they do have a LB and don't need a slider hitch.
What is the approximate weight difference between standard and slider? And, is leaving the hitch on the 5er a good idea?
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Ain't gonna happen! Granted, I bought it at a different point in my life and the short bed was an asset. If the case is that it would be unadvisable under any circumstances (even with the necessary special equipment) to tow a 5er with my truck then I'd have to abandon the whole 5er concept. I know that I can easily pull a TT with it. 
